CROSS ROAD: Run the Race

Run The Race is a film from brothers Tim and Robbie Tebow, detailing the struggles and triumphs of two young brothers facing incredible odds. Together.

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Roadside Attractions, the film company behind the inspiring box-office smash hit, I Can Only Imagine, brings Executive Producer and Heisman Trophy Winner Tim Tebow's first film, Run The Race, to theaters nationwide on February 22, 2019. Starring Tanner Stine and Evan Hofer, the movie is the inspiring story of two brothers with an unbreakable bond who face unbelievable odds, together.

The film is a collaboration between real-life brothers and co-producers Tim and Robbie Tebow. It's a story of finding faith and grace in the face of overwhelming adversity. And it's a story of family, and brotherhood, something that the Tebows and director screenwriter Chris Dowling know very well.

When Tim read Jake McEntire's script, he immediately knew that he wanted to produce it. Tim Tebow says, "This will relate to the young boy that has a goal about being an athlete. This will relate to the families that hope their kids will grow up with high character. It's not just a story about football. It's a story about family. About courage. It's a story about relationships. And ultimately, it's a story that, in everything, God has a special plan for your life. And you'll never know until you get to see the picture one day, how He was weaving everything for our good and for His glory."

Screenwriter Jake McEntire has watched over the story for a third of his lifetime. Watching it go from company to company, but never seeing the dream fulfilled. Until now.

Producer Ken Carpenter was amazed at his perseverance with this screenplay, "Jake hung in there against all odds. It'd get close. It'd fall apart. It'd get close again, and it would fall apart. They say. 'Write what you know and tell stories you can deliver truthfully.' I think Jake's life has embodied a lot of the struggles we see in this movie."

Three-and-a-half years ago, Robbie Tebow read the script and worked to bring it to life as a film. Robbie explains, "It's been a labor of love. All the things we went through to get here. It was absolutely worth it."

Director and co-screenwriter Chris Dowling was immediately taken with the story of two young brothers. Chris explained, "Honestly, it's about the fact that there's not a lot of good dramas or authentic pieces out there about the relationship between brothers. I don't know why. There are all the other relationships of sisters, or sister-brother elements out there, and marriages, but brothers? Just kind of the forgotten piece. I don't know what the cause of it is. Growing up, my brother was my best friend.

Much of Run the Race was shot in the area around Birmingham, Alabama. Chris explained how that came about. "A lot of that was due to our line producer. He’d worked there a lot. He (Justin Tolley) had done the Erwin brother films out there. He sold it. The idea that Birmingham was so eager to be a part of something. They were awesome. We really had free reign. And you don’t get that many other places. We’d find these great locations. We were just cruising around and we could just stop at a moment's notice and shoot something. There was just such production value. That was something that just kind of worked in our favor… The way it came together to shoot was pretty miraculous. We shot a live football game! It’s crazy."

Chris continued: "I hope there are pieces of the film that are a conversation starter. It’s totally a coming-of-age movie. My favorite movie is Stand By Me. I hope teens are inspired by a guy on this journey – and he’s probably got it a lot worse than they do – but he’s figuring a way to navigate these waters to deal with it. Maybe there are people that have a father that’s dealing with alcoholism. Or the loss of a family member. There’s just a lot of elements. If you’re looking for something that’s inspirational and authentic, I think this is something unique in this day and age. It’s just a crazy time in the world. This is something positive."

Run The Race opens nationwide on February 22, 2019. Follow it on Facebook or the film's web page.

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