Cast Tells All About ‘Hope-Driven’ Post-Apocalyptic Movie HOMESTEAD
By Movieguide® Contributor
Cast members hope audiences take away a message of hope and resilience from the upcoming Angel Studios movie HOMESTEAD amid the movie’s post-apocalyptic theme.
“What I really love is that this is actually…hope driven. It’s kind of…faith driven. It’s not forced in your face,” star Jesse Hutch told Movieguide®’s Jeremy Carroll. “It’s like we’re just presenting this world and these people to you, and you have the option to really explore it, and I think people will.”
Hutch who plays Green Beret Evan Lee said that the role affected his life, especially as a husband and father.
“I walked away and asked those questions,” the father of three said. “[N]ow being on this show, I’m daily thinking about it, actually trying to change my life, how my family lives and operates for the good…not out of [being] scared of the bitter end, but wow, yeah, I want to be the leader of my home.”
A synopsis of HOMESTEAD reads:
A nuclear bomb is detonated in Los Angeles, and the nation devolves into unprecedented chaos. Ex-Green Beret Jeff Eriksson and his family escape to The Homestead, an eccentric prepper’s fortress nestled in the mountains. As violent threats and apocalyptic conditions creep toward their borders, the residents of The Homestead are left to wonder: how long can a group of people resist both the dangers of human nature and the bloodshed at their doorstep?
Hutch said that the theme of the fruits of the Spirit is touched upon, especially in his character and special forces veteran Jeff Ericsson, played by Bailey Chase.
“I think Evan is always trying to operate in this world and still find maybe the fruits of the Spirit…love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, kindness and self-control,” he revealed. “I think he’s a character who’s constantly hoping to find that himself but also trying to [see] it in others and other characters, especially Jeff, and wants to pull it out.”
READ MORE: CAN A POST-APOCALYPTIC MOVIE BE HOPEFUL? HOMESTEAD STARS SAY YES
Chase, not wanting to give any spoilers away, shared a snippet of his character’s evolution throughout the movie.
“He wants to control…the controllables. But there are things out of his control, right?” Chase told Movieguide®. “And so then what am I running up against? And things spiral and get out of control…[W]hat was kind of cool for me, to be able to lean into those flaws and let the armor…go for a minute.”
In preparation for their roles, both Chase and Hutch reached out to those in the military where Chase said they found a sense of camaraderie and were able to ask questions about military life as well as adjusting to civilian life.
“I took that information and put it through my filter, and you know, it comes across on screen,” he said. “It’s awesome to have that resource. Big difference.”
Chase gave a shoutout to the military and the “real life Jeff” that his role was based on Instagram.
“Everyone knows I have great reverence for our military and whenever I get the opportunity to play one of our hero’s I give it my all to get it right,” Chase posted. “In HOMESTEAD my character is based on a retired special operator and DEA. Jeff spent the bulk of his professional life helping those around him and making his team better. He set a high bar for me to model with raw behavior and unfiltered emotion.”
Dawn Olivieri, who plays Jenna Ross, who has been called the “heart of the HOMESTEAD,” keeps the community within the compound grounded in faith during times of upheaval.
“Just because all of this is happening doesn’t mean we have to lose our foundational belief structure, our fundamental belief and faith,” Olivieri said of Jenna’s stance. “I think that the challenge here is like being faced with these behemoth issues and high stakes, fear of death, people trying to take what you have, your safety, your families, even in the face of all that, are you able to keep a hold on a true faith and a trust in what that divine architecture has in store for you.”
The YELLOWSTONE actress stated that the movie touches upon the theme of courage over fear.
“I think if you can just remember that fear negates a miracle, right?” Olivieri said. “So if you…act from a place of fear, and you let the fear define who you are in a moment and how you navigate situations, you’re pretty much setting yourself up for no miracles, right?”
HOMESTEAD arrives in theaters Dec. 20 and HOMESTEAD: THE SERIES will be available the same day on the Angel app.
READ MORE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ANGEL STUDIOS’ HOMESTEAD FRANCHISE