Doonby: A story worth telling, a life worth living

A new film has been released in the United States promoting the pro-life cause. However, instead of taking a documentary look at the horrors of abortion, “Doonby” tells the story of how the decisions a person makes in the past can come back and haunt them. Although the film has a message, the creators insist it is not a ‘message movie’.

“We never said it was a pro-life movie. This is a mainstream movie aimed at the mainstream market,” said Peter Mackenzie, the film’s writer-director. “It was adopted…as a pro-life movie because it does have a pro-life message, or message which means every life is important. But its not a crusading pro-life movie…although we are pleased that faith denominations around the world are embracing it.”

The movie is set in a small Texas town, and follows the story of a mysterious drifter who affects the lives of all those around him. It stars John Schneider, Jenn Gotzon, and Ernie Hudson.

“John loved the script, and from that moment on we worked very, very closely together to create Sam Doonby,” Mackenzie told Vatican Radio. “All the actors loved the script, and were very, very supportive of its message. That was why we got people to work for us for a lot less than they normally would, perhaps.”

Mackenzie screened the film for some officials at the Vatican in 2011. One of these, Father Gianfranco Grieco, O.F.M. Conv. of the Pontifical Council for the Family, wrote a positive review of the film in the February 12th edition of L’Osservatore Romano.

Father Grieco called Doonby “a moving and thought-provoking psychological thriller on many levels with a haunting finale that will linger in your mind and obsess your consciousness as you tackle a puzzle that will challenge each and every perception or conviction while you experience forlorn feelings of speechlessness and shock, but ultimately of liberation.”

Mackenzie said he was surprised by the review.

“I was completely blown away by the genoristy of the review. I just thought it was wonderful. It is a terrific review. I feel rather humbled, actually, that we got the accolades for this movie, especially from a publication like L’Osservatore Romano.”

Doonby opened in February in select theatres in Texas, Tennessee, and Mississippi.

Listen to the full interview by Charles Collins with Peter Mackenzie: