Unique – Bicycles play a nostalgic role in popular science fiction series.stranger things.” And they’re just as important off-screen to Matthew Modine, one of the show’s stars.
Modine is an avid cyclist in New York City, so when he took on the role of Greg Townsend in the new movie, he was already pretty comfortable on the seat.tough milesThe film from director RJ Daniel Hanna and Blue Fox Entertainment is based on the true story about a social worker at a youth facility who gathers a group of juvenile delinquents for a 1,000-mile bike ride from Denver to Grand . Canyon. The film also stars Leslie David Baker (“The Office”), Cynthia Kay McWilliams, Jackson Kelly, Jahking Guillory, Damian Diaz and Judah Mackey, and stars Sean Astin.
“Well, cycling has always been a part of my life,” Modine explained. fox news digital, “Ever since I was a little boy, we used to ride bikes to school.”
But while his bicycling skills helped him get ahead in the film, Modine said the kind of touring he did on set was something the cast all learned to do together.
“Stranger Things” actor Matthew Modine will officiate at his co-star Millie Bobby Brown’s wedding. (Fox News Digital)
Modine described biking as good therapy for anyone struggling because it forces the person to be “present.”
“Well, the most important thing, because when you’re cycling, you have to be present, and most of our lives are spent thinking about what we could do, what we should do, or… mistakes. Or things we’ve done in the past that are troubling us,” he said. “So, when you get on a bicycle and start cycling, your thoughts can wander, and you can think about many different things. It becomes a kind of meditation, but you have to remain present. will be.”
In “Hard Miles”, Townsend takes four struggling young adults on an arduous bike ride from Denver, Colorado to the Grand Canyon. Most grumble at first, but the teens eventually embrace the adventure – and each other – as they cover the miles.
He added, “And because of the physical exertion ‘Hard Miles’ puts these little ones through on the 762-mile journey from Denver, Colorado to the Grand Canyon, it makes them very active.” “And as they move away from Denver, Colorado and the gangs they may have been in, the troubled home they may have come from, the eating disorder one of them is experiencing, it helps give a bigger perspective. Is .
“I think of it like when we see a horse blindfolded. It takes away the horse’s ability to have peripheral vision. And further away you get from those problems of our past and Not worrying about the future but the present, it pulls those things away and you are able to see the world you actually exist in, that this moment really is, the past is the past, and the future is unknown. Try to be the best person you can be in the moment?”
“Hard Miles” depicts real-life social worker Greg Townsend’s relationship with struggling teens during a bike ride. (Pensay Productions)
The same is true for Townsend, who credits cycling with helping him overcome his troubled past.
Townsend said, “Being a troubled kid myself, that was one of the things that led me on the straight and narrow path.” told CBS News Colorado in November.
“The environment, the environment, the experiential education they get, and the physical part of riding a bike, if you will, really does a lot of amazing things,” he added.
Modine strongly argued that juvenile delinquents deserve sympathy, explaining how his own past has proven that it is important not to let a child’s entire future be ruined by past mistakes.
“Every child deserves compassion,” he said. “It’s an extraordinary thing. The window of troubled youth is typically, like, between the ages of 14, 15 and 17. And how unfortunate it would be if we penalized a kid for their life because of what they did in their youth. Made a mistake… As my grandparents used to say, there you go, but for the grace of God.”
“I made a lot of mistakes in my youth, if I had been judged for that behavior when I grew up, it probably would have traumatized me. Maybe, you know, it would be a huge burden that I would have to carry with you. Made some mistakes throughout life, when you were 15, 16. So… it’s very important for communities, for society to remember the mistakes that we made in our youth and try harder. Do it. To help those children in those circumstances, so that they can move forward with their lives.”
The actor stressed the importance of forgiveness, noting that atonement is in the name itself.
“They called prisons penitentiaries,” he said. “Now, the root of that word is penance. So when we made a mistake, you made a mistake. You go to a place and you restore yourself. You know, you learn, you make up for the mistake you made. Do penance, and then you move on with your life and when we started calling penitentiaries, prisons, we changed the perception and terminology of the circumstances of those people… and the mistakes they made… and I “Feel like it’s very important that we help people rehabilitate them and get on with their lives, not punish them for the rest of their lives.”
Actor Matthew Modine received a complimentary bicycle from Ventum at the premiere of “Hard Miles” in NYC on Thursday, April 18. (Fox News)
At another point in the interview he said, “I always think ‘Hard Miles’ is a great example of helping people see young people that yes, they are stupid and make mistakes.” “But there’s good inside of them and we can do something as a society, as a community, to help rehabilitate those people and get on with their lives. And I think that’s an important story. ”
“And, you know, as Grandma Ethel used to say, there you go, but for the grace of God… and I’m not even religious,” he laughed.
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Modine’s two worlds – cycling and acting – collided during “Stranger Things”. Although he doesn’t ride a bike himself in the series, his young co-star takes a trip down memory lane every time they ride together in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana.
“When you watch ‘Stranger Things’ and you see all the kids riding around on bicycles, I think that’s part of the appeal and allure for young audiences today,” he said. “Watching ‘Stranger Things’ is just like when all the kids were free because of bicycles. So when I moved to New York City to study acting, I would bicycle to all my auditions.”
Actors Matthew Modine and Damien Diaz take part in a quiz at the NYC premiere for “Hard Miles” on Thursday, April 18. (Fox News)
As an environmentalist, Modine started an organization called Cycle for a Day as a way to “reduce his carbon footprint”. This eventually evolved into an organization that helped lobby for the bicycle share program. New York City.
He recalled how thousands of people came to an event at the South Street Seaport and Mayor Bloomberg gave them a certificate and an official bicycle announcement for a day.
“So, yes, cycling is a big, important part of my life,” Modine said, smiling.
“Hard Miles” opens in theaters nationwide on April 19.
