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* (out of four) Told that hes suddenly gone blind after a poorly diagnosed and treated eye infection, high-school football star Travis Freeman (32-year-old Mark Hapka) asks, “What do you mean Im blind?” Replies his father (Dylan Baker): “You lost your eyesight.” Considering the situation, this, of course, isnt meant to be funny. But its hilarious in the inept hands of veteran actor and first-time director Baker (“Happiness”), who turns a true story into a momentum-free, accidental comedy that makes both football and serious injury excruciatingly boring. Never do we understand the adaptations made in Travis house or his life (Braille, maybe?) to deal with his lack of vision, other than a cane. We do see him spend the entire season in the hospital, because apparently blindness needs months-long monitoring. Occasionally Ashley (Alexa PenaVega) appears to get all misty around Travis. His long-time friend and teammate Jerry (30-year-old co-writer Bram Hoover) eventually goes from goofball quarterback who asks “Wheres the party tonight?” in the huddle to a second-string booze-hound who the film doesnt actually care about, based on the way the onscreen text insultingly brushes him aside—after culminating in a big game, as if thats whats most important. Much worse than the recent “When the Game Stands Tall,” the Kentucky-set “23 Blast” is the kind of football movie filled with coaches taking off their hats in disgust and a dad bellowing, “My boy has to play!” Its the kind of faith-driven movie in which that issue is addressed entirely by whether Travis decides to wear a cross around his neck. Timothy Busfield co-stars as a hillbilly athletic director who mutters “J-j-jail?” when threatened with a lawsuit, and at no point does the movie make the true storys most eyebrow-raising detail—that Travis rejoined the team without his sight—remotely believable. Hapka also doesnt have the same build as the real person hes playing, making what happens to his character seem even less sensible. “Left Behind” remains the years most unintentionally hilarious movie by a long shot, and the badly acted “23 Blast” (which might have made an OK documentary) is too dull to recommend for its accidental bursts of laughter. But heres another great moment: “Play? Play what?” Travis asks when coach (Stephen Lang of “Avatar”) says he wants the young man to play again. Says coach: “Football.”
Who is Ashley in real life from 23 Blast?
Alexa PenaVega 23 Blast (2014) – Alexa PenaVega as Ashley – IMDb.
How did Travis Freeman meet his wife?
“Travis and I met on campus during Homecoming Weekend in 2014 and were married 10 months later in Gatliff Chapel on July 25, 2015. I have been the Administrative Assistant in Alumni Services at UC since May 2011. Travis became an adjunct professor in the Missions and Ministry Department at UC in January 2013.
Travis A. Freeman and Mrs. Stephanie L. Taylor Freeman were married on Saturday, July 25, 2015 in the Gatliff Chapel on University of the Cumberlands’ campus.
23 Blast was inspired by the life of Travis Freeman, a Corbin, Kentucky native, who, at the age of twelve began having severe headaches. and was subsequently diagnosed with viral meningitis. Soon after, his eyes swelled and became infected. His subsequent surgery was successful, but resulted in his blindness.
What caused Travis Freeman to go blind?
Finally, doctors found their answer. Freeman was suffering from cavernous sinus thrombosis.
Who was originally cast as Travis’s mom in 23 Blast?
Kim Zimmer was originally slated to play the role of Molly’s mother, which did not survive the final cut of the film. Kim was then recast as Mary Freeman, Travis’s mother. Toni Hoover approached Dylan Baker’s wife, Becky Ann Baker, about a script she had written for 23 Blast.
FAQ
Who is Ashley in 23 Blast?
What happened Jerry Baker?
