Northampton native Jenn Gotzon Chandler has starred in many Christian films, including “Doonby” and “God’s Country,” but “My Daddy is in Heaven” provided the actress with a unique challenge.
For one of the first times in her career since she played Tricia Nixon in “Frost/Nixon,” the actress was portraying a real-life woman. In “My Daddy,” now on DVD, Chandler plays Rebecca Crownover, whose autobiographical book about the death of her husband provided the source material for the film.
“We met on the movie set and immediately bonded,” Chandler says. “I studied the cadence of her speech, her posture, her mannerisms and learned about her relationship … [with] her best friend, her soulmate, her husband Adam and saw how she related and loved her daughter Acie.”
In the movie, Becca has a crisis of faith after her husband dies in an ATV accident. She leaves her daughter Acie (Riley St. John) with her father (Corbin Bernsen) and heads to Texas to hang out with her best friend, who introduces her to, in the words of Chandler, “the world of boys, drinks and the bar.”
Chandler says she was fascinated by Becca’s transformation.“[The movie] begins [by showing Becca’s] joyous passion and love for her husband Adam and daughter Acie,” the actress says.
“Once she experiences the dark hour of loss, we follow her through a hardened heart and rebellious spirit as she journeys through tragedy and a few humorous situations with her best friend to ultimately find triumph knowing her husband, her daughter’s daddy, is in heaven with Jesus. That brings her relief, hope and a peace that surpasses understanding.”
For Chandler, one of the highlights of making the movie was getting to share a fiery argument scene with Bernsen, who is best known for his work on “L.A. Law.”
“That man is an all-star, riveting and a powerhouse,” Chandler says. “I learned from him and gained a deep respect for his work ethic.
“We discussed and emotionally deepened moments that fuel a current. That is the type of work I love doing. Rarely have I had the opportunity on set to work with a professional of Corbin’s caliber to create together off-camera prior to rolling. It was kind of magical.”
Chandler enjoyed a different kind of magic when she shared scenes with her then-beau, now-husband Jim Chandler who, in one of the final scenes, plays a potential suitor for Becca.
“Rebecca Crownover and I chatted and she explained how special it was for her to see Jim’s eye twinkle at me in the movie and how my heart leaps with joy toward new beginnings,” Chandler says.
Also New to DVD and Blu-ray: If you check out “Pitch Perfect 3” (2017, Universal, PG-13, $28), pay special attention to the frisky score provided by the Easton High School grad Christopher Lennertz. “Pitch Perfect 3” doesn’t break any new ground but it features energetic musical numbers, a few well-staged action sequences and plenty of slapstick craziness courtesy of Rebel Wilson.
