Thank You a Lot

Plot

Jack Hand (Blake DeLong) is a two-bit hustler and bottom-rung music manager with a questionable reputation. His dwindling social circle is made up of his only remaining clients; a hip-hop artist and an indie rock band. Jack’s next best asset is his talented but estranged musician father, James Hand, a highly respected but reclusive songwriter whose legacy goes a long way in a music town like Austin. Jack is forced by his management company to sign his musician father to a management deal or lose his job and threaten the livelihood of his only friends. Jack hustles his way through a vibrant and diverse music scene as he struggles to keep his clients and create a bond with his estranged father.

Cast

Background and production

Muir began writing the script for long-time friend and actor, Blake DeLong. After seeing Hand perform in Austin, Muir said he decided to base a character on him:

I walked into a usual haunt on a Tuesday night and saw the most incredible live show of my life. There was a guy who looked like Hank Williams and sang like Lefty Frizzell, but was just… different. He finished his set, said “Thank you a lot,” and walked out. Then he was on NPR. Terri Gross asked him why he finally made a record at age 53. He said: “Ma’am, some people pray for rain… and some people dig a well.” I knew then, that James Hand had to be in my film.

With the script completed, Muir reached out to Hand, who agreed to play the fictionalized version of himself.

Principal photography took place over 18 days in August, 2012, alongside a successfully funded Kickstarter campaign. Most of the film was shot in and around Austin, Texas and features appearances by various Austin-locals, including David Wingo, Andy Langer, Sam Wainwright Douglas and Zell Miller III. All of the musical performances in the film were captured live.

Release and reception

The film has screened at South by Southwest Film Festival, Dallas International Film Festival and others, receiving mostly positive reviews. Austin Film Society-published site, Slackerwood, praised writer/director Muir and noted that DeLong and Hand had a chemistry that was "hilariously realistic". D Magazine and other outlets commended Hand on his performance despite a lack of acting experience. Truth On Cinema piled on more praise for first-time director Muir and the "immersive on screen experience" he delivered. The film currently holds a 7.4 rating on IMDb.

For his work on Thank You a Lot and other films, Producer Chris Ohlson received the Independent Spirit Piaget Producers Award.