TF native to film screenplay locally

Screenwriter Craig MacLachlan, a native of Thompson Falls, is currently in the process of creating his new film titled, "Sunshine Girl," a tribute to the memory and life of his late wife, Christina. The film tells the story of Christina's two different battles with cancer. Christina was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin's lymphoma when she was just 13 and stage 4 metastatic breast cancer at the age of 44. The film explores the physical and mental trauma of Christina's first battle with cancer as she was growing up; as well as the story of her life with her husband, Craig.

The screenplay is written by MacLachlan and directed by co-producer Olivia Maiden, who will also have a role in the movie as Christina when she was a teenager. As MacLachlan was born and raised in Thompson Falls, and because the duo spent a lot of their time in the area hiking, picking huckleberries and exploring; scenes from the movie will be filmed in the town and around the county, with portions of the movie being filmed in Washington. Filming should begin in 2021. While it was originally planned for July and August 2020, the coronavirus has paused filming for the year. "Filming may take place in July or spill into August depending on many varying factors," MacLachlan said. "This is all predicated on many different variables, including COVID."

As this was a challenging story for MacLachlan to tell, his desire to make an emotional connection with the audience, allowing them to truly see Christina's life, played a significant role in his writing. "I originally began writing the screenplay in the summer of 2019," MacLachlan said. "The first draft, which there have been many since, took me roughly a month since I knew so much of the story firsthand." The final version, MacLachlan says, is currently being set in stone by himself and the director. He will also be working this winter and next spring, to secure sights in Sanders County to begin filming.

"It was very difficult writing the story because it is so close to me personally; my wife, the woman I have been with since age 15, reliving her experiences from her stories before I met her and us meeting until her passing brought a lot of smiles and a lot of tears," he said. After a valiant 9-month battle against breast cancer, Christina passed away at the age of 44 on October 29, 2018. "Her battle with cancer at the age 13 was truly miraculous, given two weeks to two months to live," MacLachlan said. "Yet, her battle with breast cancer is seen as even more miraculous by most, as she defied all odds at every twist and turn, living a mostly normal life until the final leg of her journey." MacLachlan says Christina never allowed the cancer to conquer her soul or her personality. The inspiration for the screenwriter to tell his wife's story is derived from how she overcame all the obstacles in her life with love and compassion.

"I saw and was told how she inspired her co-workers, friends and clients at the agency she worked for, STARS, in Spokane," MacLachlan stated. "Seeing and being told how she inspired the medical community at the Summit Cancer Center, Spokane Valley Hospital, Sacred Heart Hospital, and other medical facilities was something one had to see to believe, it was truly miraculous." Christina's 2018 battle with breast cancer was not only inspiring to her friends and family, but also to those that didn't even know her. "Even during all of this, she was selfless and put others before herself, and she did that all of the time with me," MacLachlan said. "Reassuring me, making sure I was emotionally OK, even in the end, she showed as little emotional and physical pain as possible to keep me going; and she did that with everyone she came in contact with." MacLachlan continued, "it is who she is, she's still here in spirit and still here with everyone she touched with how she treated people and lived life."

MacLachlan was approached by Maiden and others in the film industry about writing and filming Christina's story as they saw it as a raw and emotionally inspiring outlook on her life that could have the potential of reaching others. "So, the hope with the film is to simply bring love, joy and inspiration, and no matter how small or big a problem in life is," MacLachlan expressed, "there is always a positive, because it's just a temporary speed bump, as Tina would put it."