Filmed in Crystal Lake and now on DVD, 'The UnMiracle' inspired by drug overdose

A faith-based movie filmed mainly in Crystal Lake and featuring Kevin Sorbo and Stephen Baldwin, along with hundreds of local extras, has launched on DVD and digital format.

Filmed in late 2013 and early 2014, “The UnMiracle,” now is available at Walmart stores, including an increased stock at stores in the Crystal Lake area, where it reportedly is selling out, as well as in downloadable format at Amazon.com. Walmart has an exclusive on the DVD until October, at which point the film will be released to stores nationwide.

With more than half of its cast from the area, “The UnMiracle” was inspired by the true story of a Crystal Lake native who died of a prescription drug overdose. It tells a series of seven interweaving stories dealing with how the town reacts when the most popular girl in school overdoses.

The older brother of Niki Wingate, who overdosed in her late teens while living in Colorado in 2000, David Wingate of Crystal Lake produced the film, partnering with his childhood friend, Andrew Papke, who is the film’s writer and director.

“We finally got it over the mountain and into the stream of commerce,” Papke said. “It took so long. Filming was the easy part. Then getting it actually into the industry, that was a whole other learning curve.”

The film’s release comes at a time of an opioid epidemic, with drug overdoses becoming a top killer of youth, Papke said.

In June, the New York Times predicted the number of drug overdose deaths would exceed 60,000 in 2016, based on data it compiled from hundreds of state health departments and county coroners and medical examiners. More than 52,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2015 – the most ever – fueled by soaring abuse of heorin and prescription painkillers, according to government statistics.

“Hopefully, we can shed some light on it and start the discussion,” Papke said. “The movie kind of stands for taking responsibility for your actions.”

A debut full-length project for Papke, “The UnMiracle” is being distributed by Cinedigm and Keep the Faith Distribution LLC. Having seen the film, Keith Rostalski, the founder of Keep the Faith Distribution LLC, said he immediately believed in it.

“If one person sees this film – it’s kind of cliché to say – and gets some help I think it can do some good for a problem that’s sweeping the nation,” Rostalski said.

Along with Sorbo, known for roles in “Hercules,” “The O.C.” and “God’s Not Dead,” and Baldwin, from “Faith of Our Fathers,” “God’s Club” and “The Usual Suspects,” the film features Mitch Johnson of “Girl Meets World,” Daniel Fissmer of “Lincoln” and “Grimm” and Amy Lyndon of “Ugly Betty” and “Law and Order: LA.”

It was filmed over a period of about eight months at Crystal Lake businesses, including Jasters Craft Beer and Winery and The Cottage, and churches, with a pivotal scene filmed at Christian Fellowship Church. Other scenes were filmed at Trump Tower in Chicago.

Numerous Crystal Lake high school students were part of the filming, Papke said.

“These people weren’t paid extras, and they weren’t friends of ours. They just wanted to come in and help. That was really nice for me,” Papke said. “People can be pretty brutal in the daily grind. People just showed up and helped to get the point of the movie across.”

Although the movie is classified as a Christian movie, Papke said he’d describe it as philosophical, “a spiritual examination of why people do the right thing.”

“What’s the point in doing the right thing when you can just get away with whatever you want to do? I think that’s the point of the movie,” he said. “It’s more of an examination of why be good.”

It’s also an examination of why bad things happen in life and how they can lead to good things or faith can transform the bad things into good things, he said.

“The story that inspired [the movie] was the mother of the daughter that overdosed, how that tragedy brought their family together,” he said. “In the long run, they saw that it’s the worst thing that could ever happen to you, losing a child, but there’s still a reason to go on living.”