Hope Springs Eternal
Hope Floats turned out to be more than just the name of a movie filmed in Smithville in 1997.
“Hope Floats” could easily be the community’s motto, printed on a banner wide enough to stretch across Main Street. Because after the filming of the movie that starred Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick, Jr., hope did float in Smithville, Texas, and it continues to rise today, 10 years after Smithville was named recipient of the first “Film Friendly” designation by the Texas Film Commission.
And how did Smithville, a community of approximately 4,000 residents in Bastrop County, get so lucky? “They found us”” says Adena Lewis, director of tourism and economic development for Explore Bastrop County.
But the folks in Smithville didn’t sit back and wait for the next producers to find them. They set about becoming what they’d later be known as — “Film Friendly.” Today, Lewis tells a story about the first encounter the filmmakers of Hope Floats had with then Mayor Vernon Richards.
The producers had located a house in Smithville, which was perfect for the setting of Hope Floats. The problem was that the story was set in a community in Arkansas, so the Smithville water tower would have to be painted with that town’s name.
Thinking practically, the mayor asked why the writers didn’t just change the name in the story to Smithville. Because, the filmmakers explained, it would cost too much money and take too much time to get the rights from the city of Smithville to use its name in the movie. Richards asked the man if he had a dollar in his pocket. When the dollar was produced, the problem was solved. “You’ve just bought the rights,” the mayor said.
The moral of that story is to make it as easy as possible for filmmakers to do business in your community. Lewis now travels with the Texas Film Commission to Texas communities, sharing tips and strategies for becoming a movie set. “Everybody benefits when these productions come to town,” Lewis explains. “They leave money and memories behind.”
All of rural Texas has an opportunity, she says, because filmmakers are looking for the varied scenery Texas possesses — mountains, forests, prairies, seacoasts. Since Hope Floats was filmed in Smithville, dozens more films, including movies and TV shows, have been at least partly set in the city.
Other small towns in Texas, looking for an infusion of cash and a little bit of fame, can do what Smithville did, Lewis advises. Now, more than 100 certified “Film Friendly” communities are participating in the program. A starting point is the Texas Film Commission’s website.
It’s worth the effort, Lewis says — and not just for the money. “There’s a lot of pride you feel,” she says, “when you get your community on that video.”
