After winning the state championship in 2010, the Iowa City West girls volleyball team was ready to make history for a second year. The following August, beloved team captain Caroline “Line” Found passed away in a tragic moped accident.
The story sparked interest from Hollywood after Coach Kathy Bresnahan wrote a letter detailing the team’s story which was made into a HBO special. The special excited movie makers and Coach Bresnahan and Caroline Found’s father began receiving offers.
Although the idea of a movie was exciting to Bresnahan and Found, they wanted to be sure that the movie captured the true essence of their story. A year later they found a screenwriter they could trust. The tragedy is well-known by most locals and will now be shared on the big screens by LD Entertainment out of Los Angeles. Writer David Cohen of Friday Night Lights made a promise to honor the Found family, West High School, and Iowa City itself.
The Miracle Season stars Oscar winners such as William Hurt playing Ernie Found and Helen Hunt playing Coach Bresnahan. Bresnahan commented on Hunt saying, “I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve talked to Helen Hunt. Even days of scene she would call and we would talk for an hour that morning. People just want to get it right.” Other actors include Danika Yarosh, known for her part as Holly Hermiker on Showtime’s Shameless, and Nesta Cooper.
The Miracle Season was filmed in Vancouver, Canada due to Iowa’s lack of tax incentives to encourage in-state movie production. Both Bresnahan and Found visited during filming and Bresnahan also gave the filming crew a tour of Iowa City West High School in December. She was interviewed about multiple aspects of Found’s legacy and will also have a cameo in the film. The crew also shot footage in many of the same spots they replicated for the movie.
The Miracle Season will be in theaters on April 6 and was shown in Iowa City on March 18. This sold-out showing included both Hollywood actors and everyone who was portrayed by them in the movie. Writer David Cohen commented on this audience while on the red carpet saying, “this is the audience I most want to see the movie.” The trailer has over one million views and the hashtag created for Caroline Found #LiveLikeLine has received attention all over social media.
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