‘Due West’ shines light on rural Texans’ access to medical care in tense drama
One of the final screenings of the 19th annual Lone Star Film Festival was a tense and emotional drama about a Texas woman seeking medical care.
“Due West” is one of more than a dozen Texas-made films to play at the festival, which ends Wednesday, Nov. 5. Around 20 moviegoers attended the Tuesday evening screening at the Movie Tavern on Crockett Street.
The film follows a small-town woman (Adrianne Palicki, from “Friday Night Lights”) who is forced to break the law when she’s in need of medical care in West Texas.
“Due West” comes from writer-director Evan Miller, who was in the building for the screening and participated in a Q&A afterward. Miller, who is from Pampa, said the film is close to his heart since he grew up in a small town and has spent plenty of time in West Texas.
“I felt like it was probably the most important place to think about access to things and what that might look like for someone,” Miller said.
Texas-made ‘Due West’ screens at Lone Star Film Festival
Access to things for rural people, whether that be hospitals or police stations, is oftentimes left out of the conversation, Miller said.
Palicki’s character, who is only credited as “The Woman,” has to embark on an “Odyssey”-like quest to find the care she needs. There are a few snags along the way, but also some grace.
Miller said the story felt like the right thing to pursue and wanted to shoot in the actual locations of where the story is set. The production spent time in the small Texas towns of Marfa, Alpine and Marathon.
“We were welcomed by that community to shoot there, as small town folks usually are welcoming,” Miller said. “Couldn’t have asked for a better place to go shoot the movie.”
To lead the film, Miller turned to Palicki. The two previously worked together on Miller’s 2022 short film “Thoughts and Prayers.”
Miller said he and his writing partner Hardy Janson wrote “Due West” with Palicki in mind, and that she delivers a “dynamite” performance in the film.
For the role of Pastor Mike, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” star Henry Thomas suited up in his Sunday best. It was surreal to have Thomas appear in the film, since Miller said he grew up watching “E.T.” like most kids did.
“He graciously read the script [and] wanted to have a meeting,” Miller said.
When you can watch ‘Due West’
A few months before its stop in Fort Worth, “Due West” had its world premiere at the Dallas International Film Festival.
The film will screen at the Round Top Film Festival this weekend and maybe another festival or two, Miller said. Beyond that, the next step is for the film to be purchased by a distributor.
While it remains to be seen who picks up the film, Miller said it will likely release sometime next year.
In the meantime, folks can support the project by following “Due West” on Instagram and keeping an eye on the film’s website. Since the film is a low-budget production, word-of-mouth is key for it to find an audience.
“There is no cavalry coming for this movie,” Miller said. “People will find out about it because people watch it. If it affects you, and you tell another person, that’s the best thing that we could ask for.”
