KC filmed State of Grace premieres at Dance with Films Festival in Hollywood

Dinner: Nancy Martin (Charla Bocchicchio) and Erin Sanders (Sarah Drescher) star in State of Grace // Courtesy NEVER2LATE Productions

Stephen Wallace Pruitt and Mary Settle Pruitt premiere their film, State of Grace, at the Dance with Films Festival at TCL Chinese 6 Theaters in Hollywood on June 28.  Inspired by a compilation of true events, the film tackles addiction and its price on loved ones. 

In the film, Erin Sanders (Sarah Drescher) loses custody of her daughter after an arrest for fentanyl possession. A foster family takes in Erin’s one-year-old, Grace, but she spirals from the loss of her daughter. Erin must change her ways to earn Grace back. 

“When you think of an addict, you have a certain picture that comes to mind. And then after you listen to all these stories, that is not where a lot of these people are coming from,” says Settle Pruitt. 

Many cast and crew members have a personal connection with family addiction. Adopted out of the foster care system, Wallace Pruitt realized how life opportunities differ with surroundings. He grew up in a middle-class family but later met his half-brother who lived in poverty with an absent mother. Wallace Pruitt wonders how else things would be if they were both raised in the same environment. Settle Pruitt lost two siblings to drug overdose, and other cast members lost their children. 

A counselor works to help Erin change her path, and noticeably in the background, a bulletin board displays real photos of opioid overdose victims. Pruitt asked their families for permission for their faces to be featured, stating he hopes this makes others feel less alone. There was a hesitancy for families to speak, but soon after, the stories poured out. 

“I spoke to them, and tears streamed down my cheeks. They were talking about their kids, or their husband or their wife,” says Wallace Pruitt. “It was just heart-wrenching.”

During casting, the Pruitts found some actors through obituaries mentioning opioid overdose. Flying out from Salt Lake City, co-star Charla Bocchicchio plays Nancy Martin. Bocchicchio’s daughter passed from a fentanyl overdose, which made filming much more personal. Pruitt says she was perfect for the role and brought a significant washcloth to the set for a later movie scene. 

“[Bocchicchio] was living her life again through this film. She brought things that specifically were involved with her daughter’s addiction,” says Wallace Pruitt. “She had a washcloth, the very washcloth she used to cool her daughter.” 

State of Grace features over 30 KC Metro film spots including Independence, Raymore, and Strawberry Hill. Nancy’s Brookside house also doubled as a set and actors’ Airbnb. Rather than building a Hollywood set and props, the producers “location shopped” the area for the perfect filming sites. To avoid busy traffic, the two describe their film schedule as filming in churches on Saturdays and bars on Sundays. 

“You have the completed picture, and now you have to break it and create those pieces. But what’s interesting, is a lot of times you’re creating the pieces to fit together, and it doesn’t quite look exact,” says Settle Pruitt. “But that doesn’t matter because it’s still a phenomenon.” 

The two enjoy making films that reflect life choices and self-sacrifice. However, NEVER2LATE Productions’ films don’t include villains. Their motto is “Making Movies to Make a Difference.” Antagonists are only depicted through circumstances. Their writing also humanizes addicts instead of making a stigmatized ‘bad guy.’ 

“When you look at the choices that [Erin] is making, there is this phrase that keeps coming back. ‘Mommas always do what’s best for their babies,’” says Settle Pruitt. “‘What is the price of love?’ That’s what we want to explore.”

To make the script, the husband and wife duo passed writing pieces back and forth with new additions. Settle Pruitt sprinkles pieces of wisdom in the script while Pruitt focuses on heartfelt dialogue. The two actually have no formal filmmaking training, but with camera and writing practice, State of Grace becomes the second film to premiere at the Dance with Films Festival. With more access to technology, the duo says their 60s are the golden age for this passion. 

“Film is a beautiful thing,” says Wallace Pruitt. 

“I can’t decide if it’s keeping us young or making us old,” responds Settle Pruitt.

For more information about the film, visit the State of Grace website. Featured on KCPT and KTWU, The Land, Terminal, and The Tree are more of their films available on Amazon.