With Travis Kelce as a producer, Iraq veteran’s film debuts to ovation, praise

Tammy Ljungblad/[email protected]

The film that gives Travis Kelce his first billed credit as a movie producer received largely positive reviews and a standing ovation at its premiere.

“My Dead Friend Zoe” debuted at the SXSW Film & TV Festival over the weekend. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end is one of 10 executive producers.

Kelce was in Singapore with girlfriend Taylor Swift as she wrapped up a six-concert stand and did not attend the festival in Austin, Texas.

The film’s director, Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, a Wisconsin native who served in Iraq and co-wrote the screenplay, earned a standing ovation at the premiere Saturday. The festival will show the film again on Wednesday.

From the film’s festival synopsis: “’My Dead Friend Zoe’ is a dark comedy drama that follows the journey of Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), a U.S. Army Afghanistan veteran who is at odds with her family thanks to the presence of Zoe (Natalie Morales), her dead best friend from the Army.

“Despite the persistence of her VA group counselor (Morgan Freeman), the tough love of her mother and the levity of an unexpected love interest, Merit’s cozy-dysfunctional friendship with Zoe keeps the duo insulated from the world.

“That is until Merit’s estranged grandfather (Ed Harris) — holed up at the family’s ancestral lake house — begins to lose his way and is (in) need of the one thing he refuses … help.”

The story is grounded in Hausmann-Stokes’ reality as a veteran. He dedicated the film to his own “Zoes,” close Army friends lost to suicide after they came home. Group therapy scenes in the movie involve real-life veterans.

At the premiere, he explained to the festival audience how Kelce got involved.

Two other producers — solar entrepreneur Mike Field and producer and former Netflix executive Ray Maiello — have a connection “to somebody on Travis’ team,” he said.

“And they got the script and the short that I had made … they reviewed the material. Travis is supportive of veterans in the military, and they decided to come in and support the film.

“It was so surreal. We’ve been so grateful.”

Having Kelce attached to the project has attracted added attention to the movie, Hausmann-Stokes said.

That comes as no surprise. The NFL star’s romance with Swift over the last few months has dominated news cycles around the world.

“And ultimately, selfishly, I want people to enjoy this film, but I want it to effect change,” Hausmann-Stokes said. “So the more eyeballs that are on this film … there’s going to be a veteran somewhere, I don’t know who they are but they’re going to see this film and it’s going to be the little nudge that convinces them to talk about it.

“And I think what Travis did for us is just this tidal wave of energy and exposure, and so we’re so excited to have him.”

The movie kicked up buzz on social media, where one festival-goer called it “a staggeringly impactful movie about military veterans dealing with PTSD.”

Reviewers applauded the story, the acting and directing. Here’s a sampling:

The Daily Beast: “There are few surprises in My Dead Friend Zoe, co-writer and director Kyle Hausmann-Stokes’ (and executive producer/football mega-star Travis Kelce’s) feature debut.

“But what stirred the audience at its March 9 premiere at SXSW Film Festival was how the story of a grief-stricken woman running away from her problems — at the behest of the titular spectral bestie that continues to haunt her — imbued its familiar formula with a sense of earnestness and charm.

“It’s a film that could easily veer into manipulative territory in lesser hands, but Hausmann-Stokes transforms this personal and devastating story into something deeper, sweeter, and funnier than it may initially seem.”

The Hollywood Reporter: “The film … is an honest effort to bring complicated veteran stories to the screen.

“The characters in My Dead Friend Zoe are written with a tender familiarity. Hausmann-Stokes served for five years in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper in Iraq before pursuing filmmaking full time; his experience textures the lives of these fictional veterans.

“My Dead Friend Zoe frequently plays like an extended public service announcement … still, strong performances from a stacked cast help smooth over some of the bumps.

RogerEbert.com: “A deeply personal film that comes from Hausmann-Stokes’ own experience as a vet, this is a powerful drama with a phenomenal performance at its core and another reminder that Ed Harris is one of our best living actors in its supporting cast.

“Ultimately, it’s telling two stories of memory: A man who is increasingly struggling to remember and a woman who wishes she could forget.

Deadline: The film’s “focus on characters of color and the community that forms around those most affected by trauma are the script’s most powerful assets.

“This film celebrates the power of community in the healing process, showcasing the collective strength that emerges in the face of individual suffering. …

“My Dead Friend Zoe is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the imperative to provide better support for our veterans.”