A Radford woman hopes to bring an adaptation of her book, “Coffee Cups and Wine Glasses,” to the big screen.
Debbie Seagle calls the novel a self-help book of sorts for the newly divorced woman.
She discussed the next step in bringing it to theaters during a special ribbon cutting recently at the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce office in Christiansburg.
“It’s a female-led comedy film based on the book,” said Seagle. “It’s a woman rebuilding her life after divorce with humor, grit, girlfriends, wine, romantic chaos and mid-life struggles.”
Now, she wants to bring that to life in a bigger picture, with a movie that is funny, heartfelt, and proudly rooted in Southwest Virginia.
Seagle said she wants the region to be more than a filming location.
“We want local businesses, community leaders, and residents to feel part of the story from the very beginning,” she said.
Set against the backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains, the story follows a woman navigating heartbreak, reinvention, lifelong friendships, romance, and the absurd chaotic beauty of starting over.
In the overview of the film, the concept is simple.
“After a devastating betrayal, Deb ditches city life for the rural Appalachian Mountains, expecting peace and solitude. What she gets instead is one-part isolation, two parts hilarious disaster, and a handsome pilot who keeps rescuing her at the worst possible moments. Determined to swear off romance, Deb and her childhood friends prove that adolescent antics are even funnier (and more dangerous) in adulthood. But as she rebuilds her life, Deb has to decide: Can she open her heart again or stick to her new motto of no men – no exceptions.”
“This is true is so many ways [to] the life that I had,” Seagle said with a laugh. Many of those girlfriends were present on Thursday.
The ribbon cutting included red carpet photos with the movie backdrop, appearances by producers, cast, production team members, director of photography, and camera team.
Of course, Seagle is the writer and co-director of the film. Kim St. Leon is the director with more than 40 years in film and theatre. Rob Margoilies, whose credits include the Netflix hit “Stranger Things” serves as a producer for this project.
Seagle grew up and worked in Pulaski County and was the past-producer of the NRV SkyFest Airshows in Dublin in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2012. She has written three other books and is working on another.
Like many independent films, this one is also looking for investors for its production.
“We encourage private investment, business sponsorship with product placement, and in-kind contributions to support production,” Director of Photography Robert Lodge said.
Lodge has already been proactively shooting B-roll of locations around the area. The filming itself is scheduled to take 21 days.
In addition to looking for local sites, the film is also looking for extras for the movie.
Once the film is complete, the group will focus its resources on being accepted into one of the 10 top tier film festivals, based on timing within the calendar year.
There is also the possibility of a local showing once it is completed.
For more information on the film or to become involved, checkout www.lifebackdoit.com.
