Union Bound': A Civil War Movie Based On A True Story

The movie, directed by Harvey Lowry, is a based on a true story about the diaries of Union soldier Sergeant Joseph E. Hoover played by actor Sean Stone, son of Oliver Stone, an American film director and Hoover’s friend and fellow Union soldier, Tom Ryan portrayed by actor Randy Wayne.

The film follows the adventures of Hoover and Ryan who escape from a prisoner of war camp in Florence, South Carolina and with the help of a black slave played by actor Tank Jones, the two Union soldiers are able to make it back to Union lines.

Civil War Reenactment. Getty Images

Actor Tank Jones plays Jim Young, a slave who audiences will immediately love because of his compassion and willingness to help two strangers get back to the North by risking his own life.

Audiences will recognize Jones for his appearnces in “Breaking Bad,” “Three Kings,” “CSI: Miami” and “Rules of Engagement,” not to mention commercials for products such as Budweiser, Sonic and All Detergent.

Davis, a native of Brazil and the producer of Union Bound is no stranger to the entertainment industry himself. He has been actively involved in the development of entertainment products such as films, television shows, nationally syndicated radio shows, documentaries and television specials for over 25 years.

Davis founded his own company Uptone Pictures in 2000 and continues his passion for storytelling with a vision to motivate, inspire and entertain audiences.

Davis’ company is no stranger to receiving awards in the entertainment industry.

In 2013, his feature film, “A Long Way Off” earned an International Davey Award, which honors the achievements of the “Creative Davids” who derive their strength from big ideas, rather than stratospheric budgets. The “Creative Davids” refer to those like David who defeated the giant Goliath with a big idea and a little rock. Uptone Pictures has also been the recipient of other entertainment industry awards.

It came across in my interview with Davis that he is passionate about his latest film, Union Bound and worked diligently to ensure that the movie was true to its time period.

I noticed right away and mentioned several times during the interview that the movie appeared to be “authentic.” I was fascinated by the customs, language, and costumes that the movie seemed to accurately portray.

Davis confirmed that it had been his company’s objective to create a movie that was accurate and one that audiences would love.

I was also impressed by how well the actors worked together during the scenes and it came as no surprise for me to learn that the actors would strive to perfect their characters by making suggestions to the film’s director and writer John Errington while pushing each other to give better performances.

Jones even remarked that the camaraderie on set between the actors was something special and it came across in the movie, in my opinion.

“When we were driving to the set, we would have the script out, we’d go through the lines as much as we could to try and say, ‘OK, how about this? How about these choices?'” Jones said.

But what I think is so great about this movie, as Davis and I discussed during his interview on my show, was the positive message of “humanity” that seemed to resonate throughout this movie.

“In our country’s darkest time, you had people who were subservient to others, willing to put themselves on the line to help those whom they didn’t even know who looked like their oppressors, still wanting to do the right thing,” Jones said.

Jones hopes that moviegoers will be inspired by the humanity that Jim Young showed two men that society may not have expected him to extend.

“You know what? Humanity rules and humanity prevails if we allow it,” Jones said. “Love in the end wins and doing the right thing is paramount. That’s what matters: doing the right thing and humanity, the humanity of us all, regardless of what we look like on the outside, we’re all the same on the inside and we all bleed the same color. I’m hoping the movie unites people more than it divides.”

It is refreshing to hear these words in these often racially conflicted times that we currently find ourselves living in.

The whole family will enjoy this movie that Jones believes will move audiences on a deeply emotional level.

To hear my complete interview with producer Michael B. Davis and learn more about the inside scope on Union Bound, listen to the Stand For Truth Radio interview below:

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