MADISON - It would be enough of a coup to say that a city the size of Madison - a 12,000-person southeastern Indiana hamlet snuggled along the Ohio River - was hosting a Hollywood movie premiere.

Unheard of, really, for most cities that aren't New York or Los Angeles.

But Sunday's daylong excursion into the land of the red carpet was so much more than just a boon to the city's businesses or its hotels.

For Madison (the town), having Madison (the movie) hit the big screen is the end to a frustrating delay for the townspeople and filmmakers, who had to wait six years to get their jointly conceived baby onto the silver screen.

The film, starring James Caviezel, Bruce Dern, Jake Lloyd and featuring Marion's own Mark Fauser, dramatizes the true events of Madison's 1971 hosting of the Gold Cup hydroplane race. It's being mentioned in the same vein as other great Hoosier-based sports movies, including Rudy, Hoosiers and Breaking Away, and opens in nationwide release Friday.

The film languished in obscurity and was kept alive only by the sheer will of its creators, until Caviezel's enormous popularity following his role in The Passion of the Christled MGM to release it.

"It's like the great American dream," Fauser said, speaking at the press junket preceding Sunday's premiere in Madison. "You've got a great film that no studio wanted to pick up until now, and like the hero of our story, the underdog here has prevailed."

And like the underdog Jim McCormick, the Madison hydroplane driver who's the hero of the movie and is played by Caviezel in the film, the citizens of Madison rose up to support their own Sunday.

All day, people swarmed through the town's picturesque Main Street area, perusing the red carpet and two blocks of tents set up for the gala reception following the screening.

More than 400 people came to the town's historic Ohio Theater for the screening, lining the ubiquitous red carpet to watch stars make their entrances. The Madison residents themselves were decked out in their finest, with many wearing tuxedos and bejeweled ball gowns for the affair.

Caviezel, who walked the red carpet and signed many autographs for fans, had to leave town before the movie began to rejoin a film shoot.

But before he left, he took to the Ohio Theater's stage, speaking with pride of the movie.

"I think a lot of people across the nation are going to be able to see this town," Caviezel said. "Thank you all for your support. You're all great Americans."

Earlier in the day, Caviezel spoke of his desire to make movies that had an uplifting message, and not ones that wallow in society's darker corners.

He followed the advice of legendary actor James Stewart in choosing this film over another offer, he said.

"He told me something that was really powerful - he said 'Make good movies,'" he said. "I thought (Madison) would be one of those."

If the crowd's reaction to the movie was any judge, Caviezel's hunch was right.

Clapping and cheering from the movie's opening credits, the 440-person crowd watched intently as their hometown was displayed on the screen.

Local landmarks got cheers, as did appearances by locals in supporting roles, but the biggest testament to the film's power over the hometown crowd came as the film ended.

Unlike a typical movie audience, this one stayed nearly perfectly still in the darkened theater, watching every last credit scroll down the screen.

"It's fantastic," said theater owner Laura Ratcliff, taking a breather after a long evening of shepherding stars and moviegoers into her theater. "It's just fantastic to finally have it on the screen. It's fun to see it all put together."

Milton, Ky., resident Mary Zelda Adams was an extra in the film, and attended the premiere and gala afterwards.

"It was really thrilling to be in a movie," the 75-year-old said. "Everybody's pretty excited about it. I think it will be a boost for Madison."

But the biggest seal of approval on the film came from the real-life subjects of the story. Jim McCormick died in 1995, but his wife, Bonnie, and son, Mike, still live in the area.

Co-screenwriter Scott Bindley said despite some necessary compression of events and dramatic tinkering with the story, the final version met with their approval - the biggest test for any filmmaker.

"If we have their blessing, I guess we're OK," he said.

Originally published April 18, 2005