Filmmaker Gary Wheeler of Huntersville (left) with star Matthew Modine on the set of "The Trial," which premieres at Our Town Cinemas this weekend.

Davidson’s Our Town Cinemas this weekend will host the premiere of “The Trial,” a locally-produced film based on a novel by Charlotte writer and lawyer Robert Whitlow. It’s the second film based on a Whitlow book by Huntersville filmmaker Gary Wheeler and his partners. And this weekend’s premiere continues Our Town Cinemas’ efforts to cut its own path as a small independent moviehouse.

On Friday and Saturday, Mr. Wheeler will be at the theater to speak and answer questions about the film. Also, we link you to Lawrence Toppman’s rave review of Our Town Cinemas in last week’s Charlotte Observer. SEE BELOW

“The Trial” is a courtroom drama starring Matthew Modine, whose credits include “Married to the Mob,” “Full Metal Jacket,” “Vision Quest,” “Pacific Heights,” and “Memphis Belle.” It also stars Bob Gunton (“Shawhank Redemption”), Clare Carey, Randy Wayne and Rance Howard, the father of actor/director Ron Howard.

Mr. Modine plays a lawyer who has retired after the tragic death of his wife and two sons. “He’s shut his business now and he’s about to end his life, when the phone rings,” Mr. Wheeler explained. “He gets a call from the judge (Mr. Howard) who asks him to take one final case defending a young man (Randy Wayne) who is accused of murdering his girlfriend.”

Gary Wheeler

Mr. Wheeler produced, wrote and directed the film along with writer/producer and Charlotte native Mark Freiburger. They picked Davidson for this weekend’s premiere because of Our Town Cinemas. “I’m a Charlotte filmmaker, this is a Charlotte film and our cast is largely from Charltotte,” Mr. Wheeler told DavidsonNews.net. “And I like independent movie theaters.”

[Mr. Wheeler’s previous film, “The List,” also was based on a Whitlow novel and premiered in 2007 at The Village theater in Ballantyne, south Charlotte.]

Curtis Fainn, managing partner and the film buyer for Our Town Cinemas, said the theater is eager to host premieres like “The Trial” here in Davidson, which has a population of knowledgeable and enthusiastic filmgoers. “We program films for the demographics we serve,” he said in a statement. “Although we mainly play commercial product, some art film and classics, we have the flexibility to show an independent film of this quality that is made in N.C.”

In May, Our Town Cinemas was among a small number of theaters to premiere “Racing Dreams,” a film that follows three young racers as they compete in a national racing event. The Davidson theater had an exclusive opening-week engagement and was one of only two theaters in the Charlotte region to show the film. It wound up as the top grossing theater in the country for the premiere.

“The Trial” already has won accolades. It won Best Feature Film at the Grand Rapids Film Festival in Michigan in August. And the film will get some attention this weekend in Martha’s Vineyard, where star Matthew Modine will receive the festival’s global citizen award. Mr. Modine has chosen “The Trial” to be shown at the festival.

“The Trial” next will have a limited release at selected theaters around the country, and could play beyond that as well. Sometime late in the year, it’s scheduled to be released on DVD by 20th Century Fox, Mr. Wheeler said.

“It’ll be kind of a whirlwind next three months,” Mr. Wheeler said.

GUEST APPEARANCES

“The Trial” is rated PG-13. It will run exclusively Friday, Sept. 10, through Thursday, Sept. 16, at Our Town Cinemas, in Sadler Square off Griffith Street, Davidson.

Mr. Wheeler will be at the shows Friday and Saturday. He’ll give a pre-movie introduction on both days at 1 p.m and 4:30 p.m. He will answer questions after the 2 p.m. shows. And he will sign autographs and posters in the theater lobby both days from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

For additional screening times, see our Showtimes calendar at right. For more information about Our Town Cinemas, see ourtowncinemas.com. For more about “The Trial,” see the film’s website www.thetrial-themovie.com/

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Our Town Cinemas will start screening “Monday Night Football” on its 20-foot screens as the NFL season begins next week. Doors open at 6:30.

Also, the theater will begin a “Classics Series” next week. The series kicks off with “North by Northwest” next week, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” the following week, and “The Maltese Falcon” in October. ( Showtimes on this page at right. )

RAVE REVIEW FOR OUR TOWN CINEMAS

In case you missed it, Charlotte Observer columnist Lawrence Toppman gave Our Town Cinemas a glowing review in last Friday’s paper. See Sept. 3, 2010, “Past, present, future meet blissfully onscreen at Our Town; Cinema with traditional feel shows classics, new hits.”

Among Mr. Toppman’s raves: It’s a “cool new way to see movies.” “It’s the atmosphere that makes the big difference here. … Most urban or suburban cinemas are hangouts for teenagers, which is to be expected. … I went to the 7 p.m. show on Saturday at Our Town and saw mostly adults, with and without children.” “Nobody texted … or gossiped or flipped open a cell phone.”