Julie Denny loves a good story.
So, when she ran into soon-to-be published author, Cole Thompson, at a party in 1995, she saw an opportunity to put her storytelling chops to good use.
“Julie mentioned that she was interested in screenwriting, and I told her I had just written a novel,” said Cole. “It was still in manuscript form, but she read it and asked if she could adapt it as a screenplay.”
No stranger to writing screenplays, the University of Texas graduate is also an accomplished painter and “definitely leans toward the creative side.” Julie knew immediately that Cole’s story had potential for the big screen.
“Immediately drawn to the title,” Julie said she was charmed and inspired by the story, which she said she “always saw visually.” She said she could also personally relate to the tenacity and faith displayed by Cole’s underdog protagonists, Merle Luskey and his Harvard graduate, turned reluctant landman, Erwin Vandeveer.
Cole’s book was modified slightly for screen – changes with which the author enthusiastically approved – and “Chocolate Lizards,” the book, was on its way to becoming “Accidental Texan” the – eventually released – movie.
The Storyline
The story begins with the young, bright-eyed Erwin failing to follow directions on a New Orleans movie set, resulting in an explosion, the destruction of a massive chandelier and a one way ticket out of the Big Easy. En route back to Los Angeles, feeling defeated and ignoring a call from his father, Erwin’s car breaks down in Buffalo Gap, Texas, where he meets the kindly diner owner Faye, who introduces him to local oil driller Merle.
With no money for car repairs, Merle offers Erwin work on his site posing as a landman. As way leads on to way, an unlikely relationship built on friendship and respect forms, with Erwin using his name-brand education and acting skills to help save Merle’s business from bankruptcy at the hands of corporate greed.
Much like Erwin and Merle, who faced roadblock after roadblock, Julie had to channel much of the pair’s dogged perseverance as she navigated the often-maze-like world of film production.
The former Alta Vista Elementary school teacher turned real estate broker had been working on various screenplays since the early 90’s and said they provided what she described as “a creative outlet that allowed me to work for myself.” With “Chocolate Lizards,” Julie said she was anxious to try her hand at writing something that she saw as commercially viable and able to reach a wide audience, much in part because of the overall positive themes present throughout.
Determined to Persevere
When the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, wanted to sell the rights to a producer, Julie suggested native Abilenian, Bill Wilson, who had worked on “The Three Musketeers” movie as well as being involved with Disney Studios projects.
Julie wrote the first script for him in 1999, but with little interest, Wilson gave up the film rights. Undeterred, Julie purchased the rights around 2001 and almost twenty years later, talk of the movie again ramped up.
“It was a long-time coming and we had a lot of setbacks and disappointments,” she said “We met with a lot of producers, hired a casting director, but we never were able to get a cast and some of our investors bailed on the project. Then we were sidetracked by the Pandemic.”
Her ability to adeptly visualize the written word, combined with an almost intuitive knack for the nuances of the characters, led Julie to immediately “see” Merle and Erwin. She said Thomas Haden Church and Outer Banks star, Rudy Pankow, perfectly and authentically brought Cole’s characters to life.
Julie said when the actors came on board in 2021, she knew “Accidental Texan” would be something special. Of Church, she said “he’s funny and sincere just like his character, Merle, plus he’s from Texas and wanted to shoot here.”
In a recent interview with D Magazine, Church said he felt connected to the role because growing up around South Texas, he knew people like Merle, saying that the character’s trademark hat, khaki short and khaki pants was “the uniform of the Texas rancher when I was growing up in South Texas.”
He also felt an affinity to Merle because, as he goes on to tell D Magazine, “having a livelihood that endangered for a multitude of variables – that was something that I could really identify with in Merle.”
Praising Julie’s screenplay, Church said reading it was “like the lost chapters of my life and being around men like Merle…It’s the pure Texan-ism of it that really hooked me.”
Venturing into the Unknown
Indeed, Julie identifies with Merle, as well as his young protegee, Erwin. Just like the unlikely pair, she had to keep the faith and rely on her instincts as she ventured into what was often unknown territory that included script revisions.
“When I got the film rights, I never gave them up,” said Julie, whose “let’s do this ourselves” attitude buoyed her through the inevitable setbacks that finally resulted in a stellar cast and a successful movie.
Cole said he couldn’t be prouder of the movie, adaptations and all, and said Julie put so much of herself in the overall process.
“This is our story,” he said.
Julie said, at its heart, “Accidental Texan” is about never giving up on a dream, even, as Erwin says when faced with crushing disappointment, “when you love doing something and it doesn’t love you back.”
Julie relayed that sentiment at a ladies professional golf tournament where she was promoting the film.
“I told them they would relate because the film is about not giving up and fighting for your dreams,” she said. Just like Merle, Erwin, the golfers and anyone who has fought for something important, the overriding message is one of faith and perseverance.
“Like Erwin, I felt compelled to work on something beyond the norm and in the artistic world,” Julie said, adding that even if they fall short and must “put their dreams on the back burners… they will know they gave it their best shot.”
And as for the woman who isn’t content to rest on her laurels?
“I want to paint and write more scripts,” Julie said, adding that she is intrigued by the concept of turning the written word into something visual.
“I’m a really visual person and adapting a screenplay from a novel is about literally showing what you’ve read, which I find fascinating,” she said. “I have some books I want to adapt and now that I’ve gotten my foot in the door, I want to see if I can get the rights to some of them.”
On a more personal level, Julie added that she also has an “intertwined family story” she wants to tell.
Julie said the movie, as in life, is about “so many spiritual elements – coincidental encounters, relying on your heart to follow your passions, getting up and not giving up after life’s pitfalls, loving and helping others and of course, forgiveness.”
Whether achieving those goals takes months, years or a lifetime, one thing is certain – Julie will approach each project with the same creativity and tenacity that Merle and Erwin did when the unlikely pair met in a small town outside of Abilene.
By Molly Hill
Photos By Shayli Anne Photography
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