Secret of the Cave
Encyclopedia
Secret of the Cave is a 2006 student film by the School of Visual Art and Design at Southern Adventist University
. The film is an adaptation of the 1920 children's story of the same name by Arthur S. Maxwell
(also known as Uncle Arthur). It was released on DVD in September 2007 and is distributed by First Look Studios
in conjunction with Carmel Entertainment.
(also known as "Uncle Arthur").
The book has sold more than 142,000 copies worldwide in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Icelandic, Danish, and Swedish.
The film differs from the book in a few ways, due mostly due to the fact that the book was set in 1920s and the film was set in the 2000s. The book has Roy's two local friends as male, teenage brothers. The film has them as brother and sister. In the film, Roy, the main character, is from America, whereas the book suggests that Roy is from Europe. The story is set in Scotland, while the film uses Ireland as a backdrop, and adds Abbey as a "strong female counterpart to Roy."
Richard Propes of Independent Critic gave the film a B- (2.5 stars), praising the production design, cinematography and some of the performances in the film, but noting the film's "easygoing pace" as a "hard sell for American audiences".
The film won the 2006 Crystal Heart Award from the Heartland Film Festival
in Indianapolis, Indiana
. The Crystal Heart Award was presented to the crew and cast from the Secret of the Cave at the festival award gala by Jon Voight
.
It was also nominated as one of five films to receive Grand Prize for Best Dramatic Feature Award at the film festival.
The film has received the Dove Foundation
"Family-Approved" seal.
The film's website is a 2006 W3 Server Award winner.
, County Mayo, Ireland. The island on which the film was shot has a broadband connection faster than most other rural parts of Ireland. About 11 miles of raw footage was shot. The cave, a central part of the film, was not discovered until 2 or 3 days before the scheduled shoot. It was discovered by a crew member, walking during a break.
Southern Adventist University
Southern Adventist University is a college in Collegedale, Tennessee, owned and operated by the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. U.S. News & World Report categorizes it as a Southern Regional College, and the magazine has consistently ranked it as one of the top-tier schools in...
. The film is an adaptation of the 1920 children's story of the same name by Arthur S. Maxwell
Arthur S. Maxwell
Arthur Stanley Maxwell , otherwise known as Uncle Arthur, was a well-known author, editor, and administrator of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.-Biography:...
(also known as Uncle Arthur). It was released on DVD in September 2007 and is distributed by First Look Studios
First Look Studios
First Look Studios was an independent American film studio that specialized in home video releases of films and TV series. It purchased the Blockbuster subsidiary, DEJ Productions, in 2005...
in conjunction with Carmel Entertainment.
Plot
The film follows a young American boy named Roy Wallace (Kevin Novotny) who spends his summer in a tiny fishing village on the coast of western Ireland. After a short while, unexplainable events and deeds begin to occur and rumors of ghosts sweep the village. All these things are pointing to something mysterious that is going on in a nearby cave. Roy sets out to disprove the rumor and decides to explore the cave with his new, teenage local friends Oscar (Gareth O'Connor) and Abbey (Niamh Finn). Roy faces his fears and discovers the secret of the cave.Cast
- Kevin Novotny as Roy Wallace
- Patrick BerginPatrick BerginPatrick Connolly Bergin is an Irish actor and singer. He may be best-known internationally for playing the menacing husband of Julia Roberts' character in the thriller Sleeping with the Enemy and is also known for his role as Irish terrorist Kevin O'Donnell in the film adaption of Patriot Games....
as Patrick Wallace - Joseph Kelly as Peter McDonald
- Niall O'BrienNiall O'Brien (actor)Niall O'Brien was an Irish-born actor and member of the Abbey Theatre company. He was born in Dalkey village, Co. Dublin, and grew up in nearby Glasthule. He was educated at Presentation College at Westland Row, Dublin, before going on to join the Abbey School of acting.-Personal life:O'Brien...
as Uncle Wallace - Niamh Finn as Abbey
- Maria McDermottroe as Mrs. MacIntyre
- Noelle Brown as Aunt Mary
- Sean Murphy as Pastor
- Gareth O'Connor as Oscar
- Jim Roche as Edmund
Book
The film is based on the 1920 children's book of the same name by Arthur S. MaxwellArthur S. Maxwell
Arthur Stanley Maxwell , otherwise known as Uncle Arthur, was a well-known author, editor, and administrator of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.-Biography:...
(also known as "Uncle Arthur").
The book has sold more than 142,000 copies worldwide in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Icelandic, Danish, and Swedish.
The film differs from the book in a few ways, due mostly due to the fact that the book was set in 1920s and the film was set in the 2000s. The book has Roy's two local friends as male, teenage brothers. The film has them as brother and sister. In the film, Roy, the main character, is from America, whereas the book suggests that Roy is from Europe. The story is set in Scotland, while the film uses Ireland as a backdrop, and adds Abbey as a "strong female counterpart to Roy."
Reception
Madelyn Ritrosky, writing for Entertainment Magazine Online, described the Secret of the Cave as a "fun, mysterious, adventurous family film that the entire family can enjoy."Richard Propes of Independent Critic gave the film a B- (2.5 stars), praising the production design, cinematography and some of the performances in the film, but noting the film's "easygoing pace" as a "hard sell for American audiences".
The film won the 2006 Crystal Heart Award from the Heartland Film Festival
Heartland Film Festival
The Heartland Film Festival is a film festival held each October in Indianapolis, Indiana. First held in 1992, its goal is to "recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life."In May 2007, Heartland...
in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. The Crystal Heart Award was presented to the crew and cast from the Secret of the Cave at the festival award gala by Jon Voight
Jon Voight
Jonathan Vincent "Jon" Voight is an American actor. He has received an Academy Award, out of four nominations, and three Golden Globe Awards, out of nine nominations. Voight is the father of actress Angelina Jolie....
.
It was also nominated as one of five films to receive Grand Prize for Best Dramatic Feature Award at the film festival.
The film has received the Dove Foundation
Dove Foundation
rightThe Dove Foundation is a registered United States tax deductible non-profit organization based in Grand Rapids, Michigan known among other programs for its activities of rating, reviewing and endorsing films and for campaigning against the portrayal of sexual activity and violence in Hollywood...
"Family-Approved" seal.
The film's website is a 2006 W3 Server Award winner.
Behind the scenes
According to one of the film's producers, Secret of the Cave took three and a half years to produce. The film's website lists the shooting locations as Achill IslandAchill Island
Achill Island in County Mayo is the largest island off the coast of Ireland, and is situated off the west coast. It has a population of 2,700. Its area is . Achill is attached to the mainland by Michael Davitt Bridge, between the villages of Gob an Choire and Poll Raithní . A bridge was first...
, County Mayo, Ireland. The island on which the film was shot has a broadband connection faster than most other rural parts of Ireland. About 11 miles of raw footage was shot. The cave, a central part of the film, was not discovered until 2 or 3 days before the scheduled shoot. It was discovered by a crew member, walking during a break.