Old Fashioned (film)

Clay Walsh owns an antique shop where he repairs and restores furniture. Situated in a small Midwestern college town, he is known as a man with unusual convictions. Into his life arrives Amber, a free-spirited young woman who rents the apartment above Clay's shop. She is immediately struck by the fact that Clay is unwilling to enter the apartment to show her around. When she asks why, he tells her he has made a pledge not to be alone with any woman other than his wife. She finds this odd, all the more so when she learns he has no wife. She takes the apartment and finds a job at a local shop, but is interested in knowing more about the man in the antique shop. Her efforts are complicated by the fact that Clay does not date, believing modern day dating is poor preparation for marriage. The only time he will come up to see Amber is when something in her apartment needs repair. Undaunted by the barrier, Amber creates a series of breakdowns in order to continue their conversations. Eventually Clay agrees to take her out, but the dates he takes her on are odd and unusual.

Over time we learn of Amber's past. She has been in a number of relationships which were superficial and at times abusive. Her resolution was always to move on to a new town. Clay's past is even more checkered. In his college days he knew a large number of women, and he shot exploitation films in the manner of Girls Gone Wild. Doing this he made a great deal of money, but on realizing the pain his life was causing those around him he went through a major life change. He withdrew from the world, and confined himself to working in the antique shop. Though isolated, working in the shop over the past nine years Clay has become a true craftsman. In town he is known for his faith, his reserve and his odd theories on love and romance. These irritate his old friends, who find his ideas old fashioned and out of place. Few are aware of the guilt Clay is burdened with. In truth he does not date as he does not see himself fit for anyone.

Despite the unusual rules Clay has committed himself to, Amber wants to know more about him. There is some push and pull, where she asserts she would just like to do things people do on normal dates, but in time she decides it is not worth it. "I don't want normal" she confides, "I want you." A crisis develops, and both end up going their own way. Clay is saddened by the separation and seeks out his Great Aunt Zella, who implores him not to let her go. She guides Clay, telling him she has never seen anyone try so hard to be good, but that life is not about failings. It is about loving those that God has brought into our lives. She encourages him to step back into the world, and love, knowing that failure is a part of it. Clay takes her advice, and asks Amber to marry him. Before he can even get the question out she answers "Yes." He warns her to be cautious, that it will not be easy. She simply smiles and repeats her answer "Yes."

The script was written by Swartzwelder, who had been working on it for a few years already when, in 2007, he partnered with lawyer Gordon Toering (after earlier meeting at a film conference). The two formed a production company (Skoche Films), but financing was delayed by the 2007 global economic recession. Filming finally began in 2011, with additional shooting in 2012. By late 2013, the film was ready for release. Then, in early 2014, when the release date for 50 Shades of Grey was set for Valentine's Day weekend 2015, the decision was made to delay the release of Old Fashioned to coincide with that release.[1][4][5]

The film depicts a rather unconventional dating method chosen by the protagonist as a means to get away from the cultural norms he has found to be destructive. Clay is quite isolated for a young believer. Having wounded people that he loved, he is ridden with guilt, and has taken the response too far. He does not have Christian friends and does not attend a church. Commented the film's primary creative influence, Rik Swartzwelder: "He has isolated himself from other people, isolated himself ultimately from God even, and it started to change him in a not good way. She starts to press in on him."[6]

Notes author Karee Santos: "In the tender and sometimes rocky romance between the main characters, we see two broken individuals helping to heal each other."[7] In an interview about the film Dr. Juli Slattery remarked: "They both came from a lot of poor choices. It is a story not just of romance, but of God's redemption."[6] Notes Swartzwelder: "I wanted to tell a love story that takes the idea of Godly romance seriously. A story that, without apology, explores the possibility of a higher standard in relationships; yet, is also fully aware of just how fragile we all are and doesn’t seek to heap guilt upon those of us that have made mistakes."[8]

Milan Records released the official motion picture soundtrack on February 10, 2015; it includes both songs by a variety of artists as well as several selections from the original score by Kazimir Boyle. In addition, a second soundtrack (digital only) of previously unreleased original score tracks was released by the composer via iTunes (More Music from the Motion Picture Old Fashioned).

In December 2014, Tyndale House Publishers released both a novelization of the Old Fashioned screenplay (written by Rene Gutteridge) as well as an official companion book for the film and the novel, The Old Fashioned Way: Reclaiming the Lost Art of Romance (written by Ginger Kolbaba).

• Official website
• Old Fashioned at IMDb
• Jeannie Ortega interview of Rik Swartzwelder and Elizabeth Ann Roberts (BREATHEcast.com)
• Northampton International Film Festival interview of Rik Swartzwelder, 16 November 2014