Last year at Kingdomwood Christian Film Festival we met father and son filmmakers Adam and Jacob Dufour. This weekend I had the chance to watch their newest film Andy’s Rainbow.

Based on the trailer, I expected Andy’s Rainbow to be a no frills faith film. I was pleasantly surprised to discover much more depth in the characters and the writing. It’s a story of an unlikely friendship between two complex characters – Andy (Jacob Dufour), a simple-minded young man, and Rayne (Shelby Taylor Mullins), a disillusioned young woman. Both are alone and hurting, dealing with losses and grief from their past.

Nineteen-year-old Jacob Dufour wrote the script, played the lead, composed the score, and edited the movie. He’s definitely a filmmaker to keep an eye on. He demonstrates an understanding of the rules of screenwriting and creating three-dimensional characters. He did a an especially impressive job as the lead actor.

Shelby Taylor Mullins manages to pull off a character who is at first hardened and skeptical, but slowly softens to reveal a vulnerability and gentleness.

Victoria Jackson rounds out the lead cast as  Dr. Carol Kennedy, director of Rainbow Meadows. I especially enjoyed the later scenes where she worked with Andy to prepare him for being on his own.

The acting overall in the movie is quite good. I honestly didn’t notice a single weak actor, which is pretty impressive considering it’s a big cast and almost all novice actors. Jacob gave them a great script to work with, and director Adam Dufour brought out their performances.

As much as I enjoyed Andy’s Rainbow, it could have benefited with tighter cutting. At almost 2 hours, it’s rather lengthy. However, with all the twists and turns, it kept my attention to the end even with the long length.

Andy’s Rainbow is a sweet movie that reminds us to look past the surface to appreciate those who might be different from us. It’s charming and heartwarming, and it premieres at Village 8 Theaters, Louisville, Kentucky on November 12th.