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» » Andy's Rainbow (2016)

Short summary

While doing community service at a special needs home, a rebellious teenage girl develops an unlikely friendship with a young mentally handicapped man who lives there.

Victoria Jackson, who was battling breast cancer and had finished her last chemo treatment two days before principal shooting began, jokingly asked Jacob Dufour to write her bald head into the script. Dufour loved the idea and they came up with the scene where Kennedy removes her wig at the beginning of the movie. Dufour had been frustrated because he felt that the character was too shallow, and said that Dr. Kennedy battling cancer was "just what the character needed".

Shelby Taylor Mullins (Rayne) really hit Daniel Main (Mr. Reeves) in the back of the head with a shovel during the toolshed scene.

Jacob Dufour was insecure about his performance and worried that he might offend people with real disabilities. This fear was put to rest at an early showing of the movie, when a group from a local special needs home attended the showing. After the movie ended, a middle-aged man from the group walked up to Dufour, burst into tears and hugged him. Within the next couple minutes, almost everyone in the group wanted to shake his hand and get a hug. Dufour said afterwards that it was one of the most moving experiences of his life.

The vast majority of the cast were first-time actors from the local community theatre.

This marks the second time Jacob Dufour has played the title role in a movie yet received second billing, the first being The Redemption of Benjamin Black (2014).

Was nominated for seven awards at the 2017 Dreams Come True Film Festival: Best Feature, Most Inspiring Film, Best Director (Adam Dufour), Best Screenplay (Jacob Dufour), Best Supporting Actress (Victoria Jackson), Best Lead Actress (Shelby Taylor Mullins) and Best Lead Actor (Jacob Dufour).

Premiered in Louisville on November 12, 2016, where it received a standing ovation. Spectators commented that "there wasn't a dry eye in the house".

Jacob Dufour and Disabled Teen #2 are dating in real life.

User reviews


  • comment
    • Author: Nargas
    An awesome movie! This movie made me cry, laugh and appreciate life! The struggle of a young lady with life and the meaning of life that shows how kindness can change a life. This movie gives hope and strength and shows where these things come from. Andy's Rainbow carefully and sympathetically shows how the deep struggles and pains of life can be turned into strength through faith. Andy's Rainbow challenges a person who has not faith to know the one who gives faith. The movie challenges a person who has faith to be faithful. A really great movie for any age. A movie that might change the fate of some teenager struggling with the will to live, and shows those who surround our young people the need for compassion.
  • comment
    • Author: Mamuro
    This is one movie where I wish I had read the 10/10 reviews first, then I would not have wasted my time watching it.

    The production values are pretty low so don't expect anything spectacular in terms of acting or anything else for that matter, the whole movie was rather amateurish from start to finish, but that is not the reason I gave it 4/10.

    The reason I gave it a low rating is that the whole aim of the movie was to push religion and they really push it hard towards the end.

    Apologies if this review offends all those that are, but I am not religious and this movie just went about it the wrong way.
  • comment
    • Author: JOGETIME
    This movie is a must see! And that's not because of its technical perfection, that comes with experience, but because of the brilliance of the story teller in showing an uncommon man capable of uncommon unconditional love. It wonderfully demonstrates that truly love conquers all. The plot and ending are uncommon. I cannot say enough about how pleasantly surprised I was with the story line. Everyone played their parts with excellence. Special mentions for Shelby Mullins and Victoria Jackson. Adam DuFour did an excellent job of playing the opposite of what he is, a mentally disabled man. Incredible! The story shows that it does not take a great intellect to make a great impact that changes multiple lives. Brilliant! Looking forward to future productions from this new company!
  • comment
    • Author: Goll
    Today I have just watched the film Andy's Rainbow. The film starred a few of my friends from Salem: Jacob Dufour, Mariah Dillon, Ryland Sparkles Sparkman, and Daniel Main. This film is unlike any other I've ever seen. The spectacular you serve character development and optimism at Shirley paid off. As a special needs person, I understand the emotional background of Andy. This movie has an important lesson to teach all of us.

    "No matter how bad the storm is, there is always a rainbow at the end".

    Basically saying that no matter how rough and unforgiving life can somehow be for people, things will always turn out OK in the end. Many people have a doubt in their faith. Everyone must hold on to what they have at this current moment in their lives, because sooner or later it will be gone. I have met quite a few people who have gone through similar scenarios as the characters in this film, and have felt the same. But now they don't wallow in sorrow or pain. They have learned to move on, Because they know a simple truth. At the end things will turn out alright, and And the ones they have lost are waiting for them.

    If you want a new outlook on faith and life, I personally recommend you see this movie.

    Thanks Jacob, for inspiring hope in others.
  • comment
    • Author: Xig
    What a beautiful film!!! It's impossible not to fall in love with Andy. He is sweet, charming, and guaranteed to make you chuckle once or thrice. ;) He inspires us to be motivated by the love that we receive from God rather than the highs and lows of life's punches. So well written and unpredictable. You will surely need a box of tissues. Kudos to Jacob Dufour for your performance and an amazing screenplay! Shelby Taylor Mullins was amazing!! Adam Dufour, great film! You must be proud. God is certainly pleased with you all. May you all continue to delight in the Lord as He continues to give you the desires of your hearts. You have already made a lasting impact, but there's certainly room for more in this world.
  • comment
    • Author: Mot
    I had the privilege of viewing Andy's Rainbow at the International Christian Film Festival this weekend. What an amazing and moving story! Definitely a tearjerker! The actors were extremely talented and very believable in their roles! Can't wait to see their next film! I'm a fan!
  • comment
    • Author: SupperDom
    Andy's Rainbow was a wonderfully written and produced Christian movie. This movie does not have the look or feel of a movie written, directed, and produced on a low budget. It was very well done. The story line was an emotional one because both stars had a troubled past. However, Andy's outlook on life was guided by his belief in God, where Rayne's outlook was guided by a life without God filled with hopelessness. Andy's disability did not keep him from sharing his love of God and drawing Rayne closer too. You will not leave the theater unscathed. The movie draws the viewer into caring about both of these actors. I was totally engrossed from the beginning to the end. The climax left me with tears streaming from my eyes. Kudos to the author and director for an exceptional job addressing the fact that people with disabilities have feelings and need acceptance and love just like everyone else. God's love shows us how to act, but we often forget when someone is different than us. This movie brought that fact home to me in a way that was unforgettable.
  • comment
    • Author: Ubrise
    This was honestly one of the best movies I've ever watched. It's a life changer and definitely a tearjerker. It was funny and it made me and everyone around me laugh. It was also a very deep and moving movie. It shows the impact of god. Personally, I cried. It was so moving and empowering. If you haven't seen Andy's Rainbow, I highly recommend it. All the actors were spot on. The movie is a 1010, a must watch!!
  • comment
    • Author: Faell
    This movie is amazing! I laughed, I cried, I loved every minute of it! A story of friendship, love, and God's love shines through and is the heart and soul of the picture. We are reminded that the "simple" things in life are often the most unique and wonderful!I related to the film because I am a care taker for special needs and challenged individuals and often times they remind me of how beautiful life is and all the blessing that come with it. I look forward to others films and projects by this group. I highly recommend this movie. It will have you engaged with the story and characters very early in the film and soon you will be in love with the story and characters. A must see!!
  • comment
    • Author: Nuadora
    This was a deep and impressive Christian movie. The lead actress was beautiful, comfortable and natural on screen. The actor who played Andy did a remarkable and convincing job of portraying a mentally handicapped young man, whose simple view of the world is insightful and honest. All of the actors were believable and well done, in spite of the fact they are, for the most part, all novice. The characters were deep and complex and changed appropriately throughout the movie. The story was well written, with a very moving story line and with an important Christian theme that highlights grace, acceptance, life, death and God's love for us all.
  • comment
    • Author: HyderCraft
    Andy's Rainbow completely overwhelmed me with it's exquisitely, quietly understated and yet 'universally core soul level understandable' - by people of any, all, or even including no particular path of 'faiths', living in our world today.

    Although I have been a lifelong fan of 'films of substance' - i.e. those with stories, content, and characters that stay with a viewer 'forever afterwards' through their life, this film surpassed any & all my expectations.

    (Admittedly, I am a little bit of a 'film snob' since youth, and spent many years of early adulthood working in the finest 'alternative, art & foreign film theatre' - The Vogue - in Louisville, KY. where I grew up. But I strive to always keep an open mind, and love seeing the work of young, rising independent film-makers)

    Andy's Rainbow captured me from the very first frame and didn't let go until the last credit faded to black. And I wasn't alone, not by a long shot.

    In my entire life of extensive 'film going', I have never experienced being in a theatre with an entire audience who, I could hear, were as equally immersed and engaged. It was an incredible experience.

    To be in a single room with hundreds of people, and hear - throughout the entire picture - their own laughter out loud, soft chuckles, gasps, sighs, tears (yes, out loud, and not just the women either!) And yes, I had no control over my own as well.

    My own father was sitting next to me and reached out to hold hands, multiple times, in the course of this movie. I am 52, and that hasn't happened since I was a little child.

    There have been only a very few times in all my life I ever saw him so emotional - but those were always in huge personal life-changing circumstances, certainly never at a movie.

    Another unusual oddity, to me, was how long so many people lingered in the lobby afterwards discussing the film - it was not 'just a few', the theatre employees themselves seemed mystified. I think it over an hour & a half before the crowd finally couldn't be called 'a crowd' anymore. I just wandered quiet, unable to go get in the car & focus on traffic, and overheard many things others were saying, and knew I was not alone in that avalanche of feelings that had been brought to the surface within my own self. It was a comfort very deep somehow.

    Andy's Rainbow reaches the innocent 'child' who eternally lives in all of us, and also at the same time, that part of us that, through our lives, have either seen or suffered from some of the hardest things that many endure, in their own unique ways.

    To me, this film reaches into profound realms, the center of our souls. And it does so, with a 'mastery of truth' so simply, so sweetly, that I am just blown away at the 'deepest insights' of Jacob Dufour (the writer/creator) and everyone, the entire production company, who brought this movie to life so as to share with others.

    I am grateful, to God, to have had the privilege of seeing it myself - and traveled almost 3 hours to another city to see it for a second time last week (never in my whole life did that before!) Andy's Rainbow touched me, intimately, in a way that exceedingly few films have ever even come close before.

    And I have probably seen many of 'the best ever made' - both here in the US as well as from around the world.

    But never have I seen any film that "gave so much, for so many, with - seemingly on the surface - so little."

    And that, to me anyway, is the mark of a genuine "Masterpiece of God" - and it doesn't matter a bit whether the viewer even believes in a higher power of any sort or not. True masterpieces surpass such things, they reach towards and touch us personally, in ways that no words can every fully express or define.
  • comment
    • Author: Jarortr
    Cons: The editing was somewhat choppy, the music mostly synthesized, and the fire was CGI.

    Pro: The story.

    The movie is a tad slow at times, and it probably could have been trimmed down from the nearly two hour run-time. But the story shines. I doubt it will happen, however, if a big production house picked up this script, and stuck to the essential plot, it would be absolutely amazing! I'm not saying this version wasn't great - on its budget it really was. Too many folks today want fast action and slick production, and it's those who will dismiss this little gem offhandedly.

    Enough reading. If you haven't seen Andy's Rainbow, do so. Now.
  • comment
    • Author: Yannara
    I had the privilege of seeing this film because I, along with my business partner run a film festival. This independent Christian film was submitted to our first year film festival and I was blown away by it. From the story line to the writing, to the acting, and the scores....everything about it just won me over. Our festival had seven judges including myself and my partner. And when the judging was all said and done, "Andy's Rainbow" was nominated for 7 awards and on the night of the award ceremony, it took home 6 of the seven it was nominated for!

    This film really touches people's hearts. I know for me, it made me laugh, and it made me cry. I think I was the most impressed by the actor playing the lead role (Jacob Dufour) and of course I don't want to leave out the leading lady, Shelby Taylor Mullins. She was also phenomenal. The two actors had amazing chemistry. There are not a ton of movies that I will watch over and over again. But I can honestly say that "Andy's Rainbow" is a film that I will watch over and over. In fact, I have already seen it 3 times just since January 2017, and it is only September 2017. I strongly encourage folks to see this movie. You won't regret it.
  • comment
    • Author: Zetadda
    Andy's Rainbow is a touching movie with a great message. It's deeper than you could ever imagine and takes you on an emotional roller coaster. You will be entertained by the movie from beginning to end with an ending you will not see coming. I give it 10 out of 10 Stars!! I loved it and I recommend it!!
  • comment
    • Author: Voodoozragore
    I loved the movie Andy's Rainbow. The movie has a wonderful story line based around how the characters view life and the desire of one young man to be a friend. Although it takes awhile to find why the title is Andy's Rainbow, the wait has a dramatic effect on the viewer's emotions. It has many surprises and keeps the viewer's emotions involved in how each character plays a role in the lives of others. Andy is a special needs young man who is soft spoken and articulate with a profound understanding of truth, family and friendship who's innocence profoundly changes lives of others. The acting is superb. Excellently filmed and edited.
  • comment
    • Author: Black_Hawk_Down.
    I genuinely don't know where to start with this review. As a moviegoer, I must say that I often times overlook the core values and moral offered by the story. I typically look for the cool action scenes and funny jokes cracked here and there, however, this story was different. Andy's Rainbow kept me attentive and drawn in for all 115 minutes of screen time. Dufour most definitely has a God-given talent for writing and it's most definitely showcased in this film. Once you're drawn in, there's no leaving the world your mind had created. You begin to feel for Andy, you begin to care about him as though he were a friend you have in real life. This is something unique that I can't say I've quite experienced ever before. In the story of Andy's Rainbow, the audience will meet and fall in love with the character of Andy, an of-age mentally disabled boy living at a care taking facility called Rainbow Meadows. The audience will be dragged along on a journey with Andy, but not in the way one would expect. Although Andy never leaves the town this film is set in, he will take you places you've never been before. Andy will show you love, faith, and commitment like you've never thought possible to be conveyed in a film that runs just shy of two hours. This film is incredibly heart-warming in more ways than one. I am not afraid to admit that, over time, my relationship with God has struggled. Andy, however, has reaffirmed my faith and made it stronger. Andy offers a new way of looking at the entire religion ordeal and he truly opened my eyes and made my beliefs stronger, more thorough, and more profound than they've been in years. If you haven't taken the time to see this move yet - do! It is without a doubt one of the best periods of 115 minutes my life has yet to see and you can bet that I'll be re- seeing it again in the near future. Amor Domini is an immaculate film company that needs way more recognition than they currently get. Amor Domini is an independent faith-based film group that is surviving and thriving, and that in and of itself is an incredible feat. It's hard to make a movie, but even harder to have it be an incredible success (which I would MOST DEFINITELY consider Andy's Rainbow to be). I commend everyone at Amor Domini on their dedication to God and their willingness to spread His message, His word, and His gospel.
  • comment
    • Author: Whitegrove
    From minute one of this movie, I was completely, and utterly underwhelmed. The character of Andy is a dollar store, knockoff Forrest Gump, and honestly is probably offensive to anyone who actually knows someone with a mental or developmental disorder. Nathan Hight(Scott Owens) was an unnatural actor who seemed uncomfortable in his own skin. He seemed to not only be unable to portray his character convincingly, but failed to convince me he was a human being rather than a tree. Rayne's father, Jeremy, was an inconsistent character with glaringly unnatural personality 180 degree flips. Rayne was tolerable; however, she definitely needs more emotion and inflection to make her acting natural. The best actor in this movie is by far Daniel Main (Mr. Reeves). His performance was the only one remotely believable in this entire film; however, I was markedly un-aroused by the sexual assault scene in the shed, possibly because it lacked any sexual tension whatsoever.

    Leaving the wooden acting aside, the plot was the most predictable thing I have ever seen. As soon as I saw that Rayne was assigned a "meaning of life" paper, I knew that she would narrate it to drive her characters change of heart over the course of the film. Every inch of script is contrived and plagiarized, and some moments are downright bizarre. There is so much down time in the film that needs to be cut and edited. The movie could have been half its length. If I could use one word to describe this film, it is laughable. I feel sympathy for anyone who payed for this film.
  • comment
    • Author: Villo
    The overall quality of the movie is bad, with a poor storytelling and actors of second order.

    I was rather annoyed by the fact that the whole point of the movie is the promotion of a rather conservative Christian agenda and that religious ideology is pushed forward especially in the final part of the movie.

    As a matter of fact, I shouldn't have been surprised, since I only later realized that the movie is produced by the Amor Domini Productions ( = God's Love Productions, for those who are not familiar with Latin), whose self-description is: "Located in southern Indiana, we strive to produce inspirational, God glorifying material for all audiences".

    I think that says a lot, and clarifies what the real purpose of the movie is (religious propaganda). What a waste of time!
  • comment
    • Author: Qusserel
    Everything about this film screams amateur. Amateur acting, filming, sound. The cinematographer must feel pretty awful as well because those recording angles are garbage. Good idea for a film, put together horribly. From what it seems the main actor had never been taught to act, nor most of the people in this movie. Would not recommend in the slightest.
  • Cast overview, first billed only:
    Shelby Taylor Mullins Shelby Taylor Mullins - Rayne Davis
    Jacob Dufour Jacob Dufour - Andy Chauser
    Victoria Jackson Victoria Jackson - Dr. Carol Kennedy
    Tim Ross Tim Ross - Jeremy Davis
    Daniel Main Daniel Main - Mr. Reeves
    Nathan-Andrew Hight Nathan-Andrew Hight - Scott Owens
    Miranda Smith Miranda Smith - Joyce
    Kaitlyn Kearschner Kaitlyn Kearschner - Samantha
    Ryley Nicole Ryley Nicole - Erin
    Mackenzie Campbell Mackenzie Campbell - Taylor
    Brady A. Myers Brady A. Myers - Community Service Organizer
    Brennen Hobson Brennen Hobson - Aaron
    Chuck Hedrick Chuck Hedrick - Neil
    Diana Schmitt Diana Schmitt - Joyce's Mother
    Mark G. Carter Mark G. Carter - Mr. Simmons
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