By Poor William
VIDEOS and PHOTOS (34 images)
Madge and I were thrilled this week to attend a pre-screening of the hysterical comedy, A Walk in the Woods, starring Nick Nolte and Robert Redford with appearances by Emma Thompson and Mary Steenburgen. Tuesday evening’s sold out event was held at Malco’s Oxford Commons Theater, replete with adult beverages and some mighty fine vittles. Why were we there? Susan McPhail, of course.
Susan is a recently discovered Oxford actress duly indoctrinated in the biz by living with her larger-than-life husband, the indomitable Johnny McPhail—no stranger to the big and small screen, as well as the stage. One can catch Johnny displaying his intuitive thespian skillset annually during Clarksdale’s Tennessee Williams Festival. (My favorite role Johnny dramatized was on the first season of the HBO mega-smash hit, True Detective.)
A sweetheart of a gal, Susan is a wonderful, supportive wife, a burgeoning actress just beginning to be recognized for her obvious and latent acting abilities, and she is a fierce advocate for people with Autism—her precious, witty daughter Ashley has Autism, and is integrated seamlessly into the McPhails’ life and work.
Two movies Susan was cast in were premiered at Robert Redford’s Sundance Festival this past year: Mississippi Grind and A Walk in the Woods. Not many actors or actresses have two films showcasing at Sundance in one year. Kudos Susan! And, both McPhails have multiple projects in the works.
The pre-screening of A Walk in the Woods helped fund the 2016 Oxford Film Festival, a project the McPhails vigorously support, along with their good friend, Oxford actress, writer, and filmmaker, Melanie Addington, who also happens to direct the festival. Oxford is no stranger to the avant-garde and Mississippians should be proud of the work emanating from this college town and these talented folks.
Susan did a Q&A after the film, discussing funny, anecdotal info about being surprised by Nolte’s ad-libs during filming and his passing on acting tips he garnered from the late, great Katherine Hepburn. FOR MORE INFO, read the recent article “Johnny and Susan McPhail: An Exclusive Look at Oxford’s Own Actor and Actress” by Suanne Strider in Hottytoddy.com.
Please go see the film when it is released. I actually cried with laughter at a couple of scenes, one involving Susan and Nick Nolte, aka The Pantyologist. This gal is on her way up and The Delta Bohemian® is anxious to watch what the creative arts have in store for her, Oxford, Johnny, and the annual Oxford Film Festival. Cheers! pw
WATCH THE OFFICIAL TRAILER
[youtube width=”600″ height=”350″]https://youtu.be/suK1e_3zNHg[/youtube]
INTERVIEW WITH SUSAN MCPHAIL
[youtube width=”600″ height=”350″]https://youtu.be/N4blHGUkJQg[/youtube]
SPOILER ALERT – CLIP OF SUSAN MCPHAIL’S SCENE WITH NICK NOLTE, the Pantyologist
[youtube width=”600″ height=”350″]https://youtu.be/QZE7iv9kJoQ[/youtube]
INTERVIEW WITH NICK NOLTE ABOUT A WALK IN THE WOODS
[youtube width=”600″ height=”350″]https://youtu.be/FCqaW3SBggM[/youtube]
Bill Bryson and this book are two of my faves!! (You guys might enjoy, “In a Sunburned Country!”) This interview and article is wonderful, and it propelled me to see the other short trailers! Looking forward to viewing the movie and re-reading the book!!