It’s also running at theaters in Escanaba and Marquette. That’s not to slight the Wisconsin cities where it will be shown, including Marinette, Rhinelander and Green Bay. Or the urban centers — Los Angeles, Chicago, New York.

“Green and Gold,” directed by Iron River native Anders Lindwall, is hitting a thousand screens nationwide. The release is through Fathom Entertainment in collaboration with Culver’s — the restaurant chain — and the Green Bay Packers.

“When your dream is on the line,” the movie trailer teases, “bet the farm.” The Hail-Mary wager is on the Pack.

“Growing up just north of Green Bay as the grandson of a dairy farmer and die-hard Packers fans, my brother Davin and I poured our hearts into this film. It’s our tribute to small-town communities and the values they stand for,” Anders Lindwall said.

Actor Craig T. Nelson, center, joins Davin Lindwall, left, and Anders Lindwall in October at the Heartland International Film Festival in Indianapolis. The Lindwalls’ Childe Studios film “Green and Gold” earned the Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award.

“Green and Gold” caught a break several years ago when Emmy Award winning actor Craig T. Nelson accepted the role of dairy farmer Buck. Nelson, who starred in “Coach” from 1989 to 1997, is also known for “Parenthood,” “Young Sheldon,” and “The Incredibles.”

He was the first actor to read the script, originally titled “God Loves the Green Bay Packers.”

“He called us up the next day and said, ‘You know, I read scripts every day, but this one is different. I want to be a part of it,'” Anders Lindwall said.

Another lift comes from actor Brandon Sklenar, who plays Spencer Dutton in the “Yellowstone” prequel, “1923,” and Atlas Corrigan in the 2024 romantic drama “It Ends with Us.” He also is co-starring with Sydney Sweeney in “The Housemaid,” now being filmed.

In “Green and Gold,” Sklenar plays accomplished musician Billy, who fans the career aspirations of Buck’s granddaughter Jenny, played by Madison Lawler.

BRANDON SKLENAR

It’s not all Lambeau leaps, you see.

Credited as a co-writer, Anders Lindwall said “Green and Gold” takes into account the overwhelming loss of small farms in America. Part of his motivation, he said, was a misrepresentation of the farming community by Hollywood.

Davin Lindwall, the film’s lead producer, heads a commercial production company with his brother that’s based in Colorado and California. Clients include such recognizable brands as Otterbox, Levi’s and Nike.

“Growing up in Iron River and in a small town, you have so much more clarity to see all the work that people are doing in a small town and all these wonderful people that we grew up around,” Davin Lindwall told the Iron River Reporter after Nelson had signed on.

“There’s no guarantee we’ll ever get to do this again,” Anders Lindwall told the Fort Collins Coloradoan. “It’s similar, I think, to someone who gets to play professional sports or go to the Olympics. You may get to do it again. You may get injured. You may get benched. Because of the impermanence of it all, it’s all just felt so special.”

MADISON LAWLER

Nelson, 80, whose great-grandfather started a family farm in Ettrick, Wis., has been the film’s most visible champion. After headlining a reception at the Lambeau Field Atrium earlier this month, he sang the national anthem before the Packers’ regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears.

“The most important thing about this movie to me was that it represented a feeling, and it represented a spirit. It represented the heartland. It represented the language that I grew up with, which was value, tradition and faith,” Nelson told the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

“Green and Gold” was filmed in Door County in 2021 and includes many local touches, including 16 singers from Iron County who formed a choir for the final scene. Ryan Piwarski, then a West Iron County High School student, organized behind-the-scenes video footage during filming. Piwarski now works in cinematography in Atlanta.

“We tried to make a film that was as close to home as possible,” Anders Lindwall said.

It’s resonating.

In October, “Green and Gold” earned an audience award at the Austin Film Festival where 150 entries were showcased. An audience honor was repeated at the Heartland International Film Festival in Indianapolis where 120 independent films were shown.

Also at Heartland, “Green and Gold” received the Jimmy Stewart Legacy Award, which goes to the film best demonstrating the triumph of human spirit.

Culver’s jumped aboard through its Thank You Farmers Project launched in 2013. “When we had the honor of seeing this movie and its heartfelt story, everything just clicked,” the company explains on its website. “We knew we had to help the movie’s producers bring the story of ‘Green and Gold’ to guests like you.”

The film’s many helpers range from Pro Football Hall of Famer LeRoy Butler — a Packers safety from 1990 to 2001 — to family, including Lindwall sibling Erika Sauter, director of the West Iron District Library.

“I think this movie will really capture a very special time for the Packers,” said Packers President Mark Murphy in an interview with WLUK-TV. “I think it’s going to be great publicity for Green Bay, Door County, the Packers. (It) really shows what makes Wisconsin special.”

Anders Lindwall, the older brother by six years, is two decades removed from getting an introduction to film and photography from multi-media teacher Lee Rometti at West Iron County High School. Davin followed suit.

The brothers played Wykons football under coach Mike Berutti, who recommended Piwarski for an assistant’s job that included time away from school.

Some movie scenes were shot at the Sawyer Family Farm in Egg Harbor, while other locations included Stewards of Grace Ministries in Brussels and the Blue Ox and the Florian II Supper Club in Baileys Harbor.

“The overall project has been a real community effort,” Anders Lindwall said.

The film marks a final performance for the late M. Emmet Walsh, one of the most recognizable supporting actors of the past 50 years, who died in March at age 88.

Featuring music by Jackson Browne and S. Carey, “Green and Gold” is slated for a one-week run at most theaters. At this time, the Upper Peninsula theaters are listed only for a Jan. 31 showing.

For ticket information, go to https://www.greenandgoldmovie.com/.

Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 226, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.