Diksha Sundriyal
Directed by Alex Kendrick, ‘Overcomer’ follows the story of a basketball coach named John Harrison, who hits a rough patch when he discovers that a significant shift in town is happening. With the local factory closing, many people are forced to relocate, which also impacts the local school where John coaches basketball and teaches history. At the end of the day, he is forced to serve as a cross-country coach, despite having no prior experience, and it becomes his saving grace when he meets a young girl named Hannah. As their story progresses, the school, Brookshire, becomes the thread that ties them together. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Fictional Brookshire is Brought to Life by a Real School in Columbus
Brookshire is a fictional school in ‘Overcomer,’ however, the filming for the scenes featuring the school was done in a real place in Columbus, Georgia. The film’s cast and crew turned towards Brookstone School, located at 440 Bradley Park Drive, to capture all the important scenes featuring the institution, which serves as a major location in the story. The filmmakers had their heart set on using Columbus as the primary filming location, and with Brookstone, they found a perfect place. They were so happy to bring it to the screen that they wanted to keep a name that would sound similar to Brookstone. This is how they landed on Brookshire, which also allowed them to use the same initial, B. They even used Brookstone’s mascot, the cougar, to represent Brookshire.
Parts of the film were also shot at Columbus State University, as well as a newly built soundstage that resulted from a collaboration between the W.C. Bradley Company and Columbus State University. Founded in the early 1950s, Brookstone follows a Judeo-Christian ethic and aims to instill the values of “loyalty, courage, wisdom, honor, service, respect, and leadership” in its students. Like the core message of the movie, the real-life school focuses on building strong relationships and creating a sense of community that shows its students a path to live a better life. In this context, Brookstone adds another layer of depth to Brookshire and its significance for the characters in the movie.
The filmmakers described the school and the town as a welcoming place that supported their endeavour by actively participating in the project. In an interview with the Ledger-Enquirer, they expressed their gratitude towards the townsfolk and said, “We believe that God has led us to this theme, this team, and to Columbus to shoot this summer.” Thus, Brookstone breathes life into Brookshire by not only giving it the same face but also reflecting the same values that reverberate throughout the movie and change the lives of its characters.
Read More: Overcomer: Is the 2019 Movie Based on Real People?
