Synopsis/Details
Title: A SMILE FROM THE HEART
Written by: Tony Wilson & Curt Sell
Category: Feature
Genre: Biography
In this harrowing true story, the neglected son of an R&B hitmaker born with Moebius Syndrome develops the inner strength to overcome the world’s cruel taunts long before the medical miracle that allows him to smile for the first time.
A Smile from the Heart is a biography drama for general audiences.
STORY:
During the late 1960’s in San Bernardino, California, a picturesque African American family can barely contain their excitement for the long-awaited arrival of their first son. Already singing on the radio, father Al Wilson has high hopes that his boy will be a performer too. But those hopes are dashed when Tony’s mother Earnestine, the true heart of the family, takes Tony to a doctor because he never smiles. Doctors offer little explanation and no hope. They say Tony will never be able to make facial expressions, and worse he could go blind due to the weakness of his left eye.
Soon Tony is a rambunctious student with a few close friends, especially Michael, a chubby Latino who knows what it’s like to get picked on. Tony seems to fit in until Martin, an angry redhead, shows up. As bad as the others were, Martin relentlessly attacks Tony. But when Tony learns Martin’s secret an unexpected friendship develops. Even while Tony’s family life deteriorates to divorce, he continues to press on with new challenges. Chief among them is the high school discovery of a passion for acting.
Then a miracle happens. While watching TV in the mid-90’s Tony catches a news story about a little girl born with Moebius Syndrome who will undergo experimental surgery on her face. Now in addition to following his dream to teach special needs students, Tony has a goal to pursue.
Your face is your calling card to the world. We inherit features from our parents. We transmit critical information like anger and joy. How would you feel if you couldn’t smile? Would it be hard to make friends, to find love? How does one live like that? Tony’s story challenges us to reflect on how quickly we judge others based on appearance, and conversely, how quickly they judge us.
