River, a full-length feature that began life as an award-winning short last year, premieres worldwide on July 13. Throughout the independent sci-fi tale, filmmaker Emily Skye weaves a powerful story about love, loss and the unknown.
When River's (Mary Cameron Rogers) mother dies unexpectedly, the young woman returns to her hometown and starts experiencing a series of unsettling events. Though the kindly neighborhood therapist and antiques store owner, Dr. Glenn (Courtney Gains), helps her get reacclimated - her best friend Amanda's strange behavior makes the return home feel rather alienating.
Gains spoke to Screen Rant about the heartwarming closeness of the cast, extraordinary vision of the director, and how his decades of experience as an actor fared against a cast of newcomers. Check out the official trailer here, and read his responses below.
How did you get involved in the production of River?
Courtney Gains: I came in on the back end. What I mean by that is I got approached by Ricki Maslar in casting, looking to help put some pieces together. They shot in North Carolina, and I was already in the southeast at the time, so that was a a nice fit.
That's how I got involved, but it was a close-knit family already. They'd done a short that had done very well and then got the funding to do the feature. By the time I came, the lead characters already knew each other and were a very tight-knit group. And the crew had worked with Emily a lot already. She'd done a lot of things, and this was her next big step. It was her first feature, but it wasn't her first rodeo - and it showed.
She directed, produced and did cinematography. I think that was the real kicker. She was getting the kind of footage she wanted. and she did a wonderful job using natural light in the movie. It shows a skill set there that she had as a DP. It was nice to come on an independent film like that, because sometimes you don't know what you're going to get right.
It was very clear right away that they had a real sense of community, and they already knew what they wanted. They did a did a lovely job making me feel welcome as the craggy old veteran.
As for your character, how would you describe Dr. Glenn in your own words?
Courtney Gains: The first and best way I would describe Dr. Glenn is he's a very earthy, heartfelt person. That's really to me what he was.
In the movie, he serves multiple purposes. He's a close friend of the family, almost a father figure to the River. Also, he has an antique shop that she works at, so he's her supportive employer. But he's also the local town psychiatrist, so when she starts to have these time lapses and feels like she's going off the rails, he starts working with her as a therapist. She also lost her mother, and he understands that kind of loss.
It's only five people in the piece, so he ends up serving multiple roles - which is kind of fun, actually.
Speaking of him being a supportive employer of River and that fondness he has for her, did you guys talk about how far back he goes with the family and how he views their dynamic?
Courtney Gains: We did. Emily was great about having discussions and got got me there in plenty of time to be to sit down and do that. And then we also even had the luxury of doing a rehearsal day where we just sat there and worked with the script.
When we've got the script to where we felt happy with a scene, we got up and actually worked with it - not on location, but it was actually a lovely process. By the time we got on set, we had a lot of clarity. You don't always have that luxury, so she created a really good work environment. And that goes a long way for with an actor.
On the flipside, even though one would think that Dr. Glenn is the authority figure in the story, he almost seems afraid of Amanda at times. We don't know what influence she exerts on him as the audience, but what was it like working with Alexandra Rose as an actor?
Courtney Gains: She was lovely. I believe it was her first film, but she was very focused and did a lovely job. I mean, everybody did. That's what really stood out: they're not that experienced as actors, but they were really clear and committed. That's all you could ask for. Are people willing to work hard and do their job? They were and they did.
But that was a very unique role for her. where she's the best friend but also has to find this other gear. We had to talk about all that too, like, "Wait, what's happening to me here?" Basically, the best way to describe it is that she mind controls or hypnotizes me.
There's that little, last moment where I don't even recognize who River is, and I'm rude. "The store's closed!" It's a nice, weird arc from this lovely and supportive guy to at the end being this curmudgeon. But it also feels like it sets things up for a sequel or even possibly a TV series. And I could see Dr. Glenn being a regular on that show. If that did happen, I would grow my beard out immediately and get back to work.
When I spoke to Emily, she did say that she already had a plan for a series. What aspects of Dr. Glenn's life would you like to explore in a series?
Courtney Gains: I think that he would serve a similar purpose that he already has. He's the town consciousness, or the voice of the elders in town. And obviously, he would be used as a vehicle to support the lead character in various ways. So, it'd be interesting to see where it could go from there.
Would he end up becoming privy to what's really happening to her? And how would he get involved in that? I don't want to give too much away of the movie, but that would be interesting. But if anybody could handle the news, it would probably be him. He'd be like, "Okay, here's where we are now."
I love what you said about Emily as a director and how much she brings to the table. But as a screenwriter, but what about her script spoke to you from the start?
Courtney Gains: I don't know how to explain it all that well, but it had a clear tone -which you can see in the movie. You see it also as a director; you see it also as an editor. It's there in all her aspects, it's not just the writing. But it has a pace to it - a tone and a pace - that's even in the writing. She's clear from A to Z, really.
Essentially, she was an auteur filmmaker on this; she pretty much did at all. Not to say her there wasn't a crew, because there was, but being that she wrote, directed, produced, and edited it - that's when you're an auteur filmmaker. She really knew what was at stake for her to complete her first feature, and I think she's going to get more work after this. You have to prove yourself, and I think she did. I'm glad to be part of her first venture and hope to get to work with her again.
You have a long and storied history in television in film. How was this experience different for you?
Courtney Gains: How it was different was just to see an independent film have such a tight-knit family already. That's what really stood out, that I felt like I was definitely coming into something that already existed. It's because they had already done the short, but that's rare.
Usually in an independent film, there's a lot of figuring out things as they go, and it's not always as organized as it could be. Those were not the issues on this one at all. It made it a pleasant and professional experience, which is all you want as an actor.
I read that you're an acting coach as well, which I think is fascinating. What is your process when it comes to accessing a character's emotions?
Courtney Gains: I haven't taught for a while, but I did teach for a long time. When I tell the story, it almost sounds ridiculous. My mentor was Virgil Frye, and I started studying with him at 13. I started working professionally at 18, and I would go with him to these weekend intensives in Oregon and San Francisco. I would be the guinea pig of these heavy duty psychodrama exercises, but it also gave me more opportunity to watch him teach and such.
I had my own workshop by the time I was 20, and that was because two of the women out of the class became my agents and eventually became their own managers, one in Oregon and one in San Francisco. I'd go there to train their talent, and then eventually, a lot of that talent came to LA and I would train them there.
We had some people break out - Alicia Silverstone would be the biggest. Not that I take all the credit by any stretch. I also trained Josh Lucas up in Oregon before he became Josh Lucas. We got to work together in Sweet Home Alabama, which was fantastic. I think he's a great actor, and I love what he's doing.
Essentially, I'm a method actor. One thing Virgil did that I thought was very unique is that he would have kids and adults in the same workshop, which just doesn't happen. And I think it's great. One of the reasons I think it's great is because, as a young as a young person, one of the things you deal with is adults and authority. We were able to do improv where I would have parents telling me I can't do something, and it would give you something to work off.
What happens is, when you have those breakthroughs emotionally, your work gets way more interesting and your levels become deeper. We'd do a scene, then do this emotional work all weekend, and then do the scene again. It would be just night and day of their availability, and that's what I think separates me as an actor. I'm able to go places emotionally that a lot of people can't go because I have this really good training. That's made all the difference in my career.
Considering that there were a lot of newcomers on this project, it must have been nice to have a veteran such as yourself be able to impart some of that wisdom and training.
Courtney Gains: Yeah, I was definitely the veteran on this set. That was interesting, for sure. I started out as the young guy, so I've come full circle - and I certainly appreciated the veterans who took me under their wing at various times in my career. If there's anything I can do to help or support a young actor, I'm happy to do it.
Certainly, for Mary; her character was so tortured and crying every scene. I was just doing everything I could to help keep her going; not getting in her way, as it were. It's hard to keep that going for a long period of time. You dry up after a while, so it's not easy.
While we wait for a River sequel or series, what is next for you?
Courtney Gains: Really, it's more of a backlog of things that are all coming out. Queen Bees just came out, and I got to do a cameo with Ellen Burstyn, Anne-Margaret, Jane Curtin, and Loretta Devine. That was incredible, and I really enjoyed that.
Another indie horror film I did called Await The Dawn just came on Amazon Prime, and I got to work with Dee Wallace again. She's a force; I love working with Dee. Then I have another movie coming out on August 13 called Charming The Hearts of Men. That's a movie set in the 50s, and it's about the woman who had a hand in putting the word "woman" in the civil rights bill, and how she came to that realization in her town.
I play the character called Mr. Spratz, who is the owner of the diner she has to work in and where she lets a sit-in happen that causes this whole thing. I love period pieces. The trailer just came out, and it looks really good. I'm really happy that so many projects I had done are coming out. COVID held everything up, and now it's raining Courtney Gaines movies.
River comes out worldwide July 13, 2021.