Filmmaker Steven Grayhm’s experience with a tow truck driver in 2011 paved the way for his new film, “Sheepdog.”
When Grayhm’s car broke down a few hours north of Los Angeles, he caught a tow home. On the way, the tow truck driver opened up about his experience as a father of three, his challenges with his marriage, and his Post-Traumatic Stress and the various medications he took, all tethered to his military service.
Grayhm couldn’t get the conversation out of his head, journaling about it and thinking there might be a movie there. Later that summer, Grayhm and producer Matt Dallas embarked on a research and development road trip to uncover the truth of what this tow truck driver had experienced and find more people dealing with these issues.
In “Sheepdog,” opening Jan. 16 across the country, Grayhm stars as combat veteran Calvin Cole, who finds himself in court-ordered treatment with trauma therapist Dr. Elecia Knox (Virginia Madsen). His life becomes more complicated when ex-convict Whitney St. Germain (Vondie Curtis-Hall) shows up on his doorstep in need of help.
The project took Grayhm and Dallas (who plays Calvin’s friend Darryl), 14 years to finish. In addition to starring in the film, Grayhm also wrote and directed. Grayhm, Dallas, and Madsen recently spoke to Rough Draft Atlanta via Zoom about the making of the film.
Grayhm made it a priority for the film to be a visceral experience, but also an entertaining one. Calvin is a composite of many people the director met during his research.
“He is a man with humanity, humor and intensity,” Grayhm said. “I wanted Calvin — to a certain degree — to be the protagonist, the anchor. He is so representative of many of the men and women I sat in front of. But I [also] wanted the ensemble to be reflective of what I saw over my decades-long journey. I wanted our audience to be able to identify with one of the six cast members.”
According to Dallas, during their years of research, he and Grayhm would simply roll into different towns hoping someone would talk to them.
“We were idealistic and naïve,” Dallas said. “Sitting down with our first veteran became very personal, very quick. We spent two days [with him] and realized we had bit off more than we realized. [We said] we can pack up and go home or complete the mission. All we wanted to do is tell the truth.”
Dallas’ character Darryl is a veteran battling the scars so many others come home with. Darryl moves his family across the country to be closer to Calvin and his family.
“There is a real yearning, a need for connection that so many lose when they come back. You experience this situation where this person to the left or right of you becomes your everything,” Dallas said. “There’s an intense brotherhood formed, and then they are sent home and disconnected. Darryl is trying to reconnect with that, and at the same time be there for his family and people in his life. He’s trying to put joy in people’s lives while dealing with his own demons.”
Dallas, who is gay, is perhaps best known for the ABC Family series “Kyle XY,” but that period of his professional life was a different time, he said.
“Booking that was all my dreams coming true, but at the same time, I was very much in the closet at the time,” he said. “2006 was a different time than 20 years later, in being out in the public eye. I had a publicist who said she was going to put me on a red carpet with a girl on your arm. It was a difficult time to navigate. Even in high school, I was open about who I was. But [the experience] also brought us here. I don’t know without ‘Kyle XY’ that I would be here today.”
Madsen was initially attracted to the project by the writing. Grayhm came backstage one night while she was doing a play, and she found him to be very truthful and sincere.
“The script was beautiful, but I thought ‘What does he know about the subject and how does he think he can star and direct and produce and write? How can he perform that role and still be running the ship?’” Madsen said. “I know I gave him a hard time — I wanted to know this was truthful because it was so close to my own experience in life.”
Madsen said she was surprised that a script centered on a man was so interested in the female character’s story as well.
“More often than not, with stories about guys, the women are over here supporting, but you can understand why [Dr. Knox] is doing this and then you get to understand what happened to her,” Madsen said. “It made her such a well-rounded character with a really important story all her own and this calling to try and help.”