REDNECK ROOTS director to attend Concord, N.C. screening

Posted June 10, 2012 at 10:23pm

Joanne Hock (photo by James Nix)

Joanne Hock, the director of the southern romantic comedy, "Redneck Roots" will be giving a Q&A after a free screening of her movie at 9 p.m. Friday, June 15 at the Davis Theatre, Concord.

"Redneck Roots" tells the story of Chris Dowdy, a beautiful young woman, who has always been ashamed of her kissin' cousin redneck past. So when her sister's high school graduation calls her home, she covers up the truth, lies and leaves the big city and her boyfriend behind in a gigantic fib. Unbeknownst to Chris, her jealous boyfriend, Ben, takes off in hot pursuit after his true love into the deep South. Nothing could prepare Ben for the oddball, off-kilter loveable kin and townspeople of Beaver County. Nothing. A sexy sister, a Mamma that loves Jesus and a Daddy that loves the "juice" sets the tone as a funny foul-mouthed grandmother, a tight knit group of backyard bubbas, storekeepers, police officers set off rapid-fire one liners all day long. A radio deejay with irritable bowel and Tourette's Syndrome rounds out the amusing cast of characters that keeps us laughing.
Redneck Roots is truly a romantic comedy gone south; full of heart, butt cracks, wisecracks and pull-my-finger fun!

And audiences may be surprised to learn that when it comes to the characters that inhabit the movie, truth is stranger than fiction. Hock's own past helped flesh out many of the characters.

"I have absurd friends, quirky neighbors and colleagues and they all served as sources for the material. And ironically, a UNC Chapel Hill college professor inspired me for some of the Bowel movement humor,"
Hock said. "Then throw in a couple of redneck sorority sisters (is that an oxymoron?) that were cute, funny, sassy and very country and you've got some personality oddballs to build a story around!"

But don't think Hock aimed to make fun of anyone. She is proud of her past and the people from hr life.

"I think the actors and crew LOVED the characters and really bought into what I wanted to do with the story. We never made fun of anyone...we were paying homage...to cultural differences. My art department and wardrobe department really paid homage to the characters," Hock said. "When we made the movie we wanted our cast to be loved by the audience. So the film was produced with ' wink' at the viewers and a sense of lightheartedness. We will laugh at us and they'll laugh back. There was a lot of that on the set and I think it translated to the screen."

The movie is rated PG and was shot in North Carolina using many Charlotte area actors. The movie previously screened at the Gem Theatre, Kannapolis, during Modern Film Fest in October. For more information on the screening and Modern Film Fest visit www.modernfilmfest.net