When actor Cameron Mathison (All My Children) signed on to star in The Carpenter’s Miracle, he got more than he bargained for.

Another Perspective

Mathison, well-known for his charm and leading-man good looks, spent some time discussing choices with director Kristoffer Tabori.  He told me, “We spent a lot of time doing readings, chatting, and talking.  I was playing the character with a lot of myself in the role.”

Tabori changed all that.  He helped Mathison to see that he needed to play the role as a loner, a bit more introverted, a lot more awkward than he was portraying him.  Mathison said, “Playing him like that was definitely against a lot of my ‘safe’ choices.

“But,” he went on, “I really appreciated it (Tabori’s help).”

Physical Challenges

The role was a physically challenging one for Mathison.

With the project being shot in British Columbia in December and January, the prospect of jumping into a chilly pond was not something he was especially eager to do.

Shock of a Lifetime

The plot of the project had Mathison’s character, Josh, saying goodbye to drowning victim Luke (Ryan Grantham) after failing to resuscitate him.  Upon simply touching the boy’s body at the hospital in a fond farewell gesture, the boy, to everyone’s surprise, began to revive.

Shock waves were sent all over town, and Josh was hailed as some kind of miracle worker.

Mathison found it challenging to portray that genuine reaction to the boy’s return to life.  He told me, “The rest of it was quite easy.  It was that challenge of believing the boy had survived.  The physical aspect of showing that kind of reaction was very difficult.  I mean, ‘What would that really be like?’”

A Second Chance

He went on to praise “the great director, fantastic actors, and amazing crew.”

He said, “I loved the whole experience.  It became a movie about a guy saving a boy’s life and, in doing so, saving his own.”

He went on, “Think about the most horrific, difficult situation in your life actually being turned into a real positive.

“It was definitely a movie about second chances, about hope, about faith.”

A Change in Character

In the process of the movie, Mathison’s character, Josh, became closer to people, got to know his mother (a victim of Alzheimer’s) and got to know himself.

“He was a very conflicted character in the beginning and, as I read the first few pages of the script, I saw him change from my original perception.  I saw him begin to evolve, and I wanted to play him.

“It was very refreshing, and I would love to play a role like that again.”

The Carpenter’s Miracle airs Easter weekend, March 30 and 31, on the Gospel Music Channel (GMC-TV).

Cheryl has been a freelance TV/film writer for more than 10 years. Simultaneously, she has worked in PR for Bon Jovi Productions in NYC, PolyGram Records (also in NYC), and Rogers & Cowan Public Relations. Cheryl has published articles at suite101.com, “Sci-Fi Entertainment” magazine, and “Soap Opera Weekly.” She was also a credited researcher for English author Denis Meikle’s JOHNNY DEPP: A KIND OF ILLUSION. Cheryl enjoys writing for the entertainment industry and meeting new people. She is also an animal lover.