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Valley filmmaker releases 'No More Ugly Jessica'
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
NILES
David Walker of Niles has completed his third film, “No More Ugly Jessica.”
Like his last film, “Angry Tears” (2013), Walker’s new release is a faith-based tale of an abused woman who overcomes the odds.
“No More Ugly Jessica” will premiere next Sunday at 6 p.m. at Encore Cinema, in Great East Plaza. There will only be one screening.
How the project got into Walker’s hands is no accident.
Katie Jenkins, a Florida woman who wrote a book titled “Who Is This Ugly Jessica” about her own troubled life, sought out Walker after seeing “Angry Tears.”
Walker adapted the book into a script, selected a cast and directed and edited “Ugly Jessica.” Timothy Milliner handled the musical score. Shooting took place from August to December at various sites in the Mahoning Valley.
The title refers to a spirit who tempts the central character.
“When she is tempted to do something wrong, to act in a way that’s ugly, she says it’s a spirit that comes over her,” said Walker. “She calls it Ugly Jessica, and it comes over her to make her make a bad decision to mess up her life.”
The life of Jenkins is a true story of tragedy and redemption. As a child, the government system failed her when she tried to report the abuse she was being put through. Later, three of her children died in a house fire. She would go from one abusive relationship to another as an adult.
The message of the film, said Walker, is that no matter how badly you fail, with God’s help you can get back up.
“We need to realize that whatever hand we’ve been dealt in life, there are people who suffer 10 times more, and are able to keep moving and accomplish great things in life,” said Walker, whose first film, “Running,” also dealt with domestic violence.
Walker acknowledges he is getting a reputation for his expertise in making such films. It’s a mixed blessing, because he doesn’t want to be known as someone who only does stories about battered women.
“I have a lot of [different kinds of] stories I want to tell,” he said. “I want to make a film about one of my own stories for my next project.”
One thing that will remain constant, though, is the core of seasoned actors that Walker uses.
“I use a lot of the same people in all of my films,” he said. “The chemistry is there, they understand how I work and they don’t mind it. We have fun. There are always some first-time actors, too, but you wouldn’t know it. There are nine or 10 new ones [in ‘Ugly Jessica’]. There are just so many talented people in this area just looking for a chance to act.”
The cast of “Ugly Jessica” is led by Kristen McCale, for whom the director had high praise.
“She is so versatile,” said Walker. “The emotion she gives is staggering.”
The other key actors in the new film are Hiltrud Walker, Demond Porterfield, Cassandra Leavell, Veronica Barnes and Lanesha Williams.