A former Southern Arkansas University student, Noah Miller, and his twin brother, Logan, who successfully made a movie without a college degree or formal training, will share their story at a question and answer session beginning at 7 p.m., Tuesday, September 29 in the Grand Hall of the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center. There will be a reception held immediately following the session as well as a book signing of the Miller’s book, “Either You’re in or You’re in the Way.”
The lecture will be moderated by Dr. Donnis Taylor, an associate professor of English at SAU, who met Noah in one of her courses in the fall of 1996. Taylor said she will ask the twins a variety of questions pertaining to their lives and accomplishments, along with specific questions about how about how they were able to keep their dream of making a film alive despite poverty and hundreds of early rejections.
“I told them that what they were able to accomplish has been nothing short of God given miracles and they agreed,” Taylor said. “I’ve had a lot of students over the years, but none have ever captured my respect and admiration more than they have. They showed the kind of perseverance that I think is necessary for people to have to succeed.”
One of the twins’ biggest accomplishments was convincing four-time Academy Award-nominated actor Ed Harris to appear in their film. Appearing with him are fellow Academy Award nominees Brad Dourif and Robert Foster. The film, “Touching Home,” is a tribute to the Millers brothers’ father, whose struggle with alcoholism eventually led to a homeless situation which forced him to live out of his pickup truck in the California Redwoods. During that time the brothers spent many nights with their father, sharing dinner of a picnic table and sharing their dreams of making the movie which he began to call “his.”
The twins have also written a book titled,“Either You’re in or You’re in the Way,” which humorously tells how they were able to make a film with no money, no Hollywood connections and no formal education in filmmaking.
Although Noah did not graduate from SAU, Taylor said he remembers the campus fondly and looks forward to returning.
“Being from California, he didn’t know what to expect of the people he would meet here, but found people were nice to him, even the people in the cafeteria,” Taylor said.
Noah had a scholarship with the baseball team at SAU but left the college when his brother Logan came to Magnolia and told him he could no longer pursue his own baseball career. Both viewed playing professional baseball as a lifelong dream but it didn’t work out for them. Filmmaking did.
For more information on the Miller’s go to www.inorintheway.com.
