Local actor Scott MacKenzie plays part in movie being released in August in North America. Courtesy Well Go USA/Santa Rita Film Co.
Aspiring Etobicoke actor and high school student Scott MacKenzie is busy these days.
The teenager will celebrate the opening of his second movie ‘You Gotta Believe,’ in Canada and the U.S. on August 30 in Dallas, Texas. He will be gathering with friends and relatives to mark the event at the Cineplex Cinemas Queensway.
The flick about the trials and tribulations of a young baseball team was filmed last June and July at Etobicoke’s Centennial Park and in locations across Ontario.
“I had an absolute blast filming this movie last summer,” said the Grade 11 student at Etobicoke Collegiate Institute. “It is a great story about community and determination. I can’t wait for people to see it.”
His love for acting started at the age of six when he first took to the stage in a local Christmas pageant. This is MacKenzie’s first major motion picture. In it he plays left fielder, Mark Grace.
MacKenzie was previously featured in ‘Christmas in Wolf Creek,’ his first made-for-television movie.
Poster promoting You Gotta Believe movie which opens on August 30.
‘You Gotta Believe’ is a true story of hope and glory. In the movie, the team dedicated their season to a teammate’s ailing father. The underdog youth baseball players overcome and makes it all the way to the 2002 Little League World Series, culminating in a record-breaking showdown.
It is a “triumph of the underdogs” father-son sports movie based on the true story of a last-place youth baseball team from Fort Worth, Texas, that went on to compete in the Little League World Series in 2002.
The movie is based on the inspiring story of one team’s transformational journey from district underdog to taking its place in the Little League record books, according to its promotion.
The film stars Greg Kinnear as coach Jon Kelly, Luke Wilson as co-coach Bobby Ratcliff, Patrick Renna, Director Ty Roberts, co-screenwriter Lane Garrison, all from Texas.
Stars taking part in You Gotta Believe with Scott MacKenzie that was filmed in Etobicoke and GTA. Courtesy photo.
It also stars Canadian actresses Molly Parker and Sarah Gadon.
The movie shows a deep love of sports and of the people who play and coach, not to achieve any particular record but to show all who participate the best they can be and the best they can bring out in each other.
In between film duties, the Etobicoke native MacKenzie will be busy attending school.