Bringing Hollywood Home

The Martin brothers returned to Downers Grove to share their film with local viewers

By Valerie Hardy

Three brothers who grew up in Downers Grove before heading to Hollywood were recently back in town for a special screening of their feature film, Bolt from the Blue. The Martin brothers attended the Chicago premiere of the film on September 15 at the Tivoli Theatre.

The film stars the eldest brother, Kevin Michael Martin, best known for his role in TNT’s The Last Ship. In the film, Kevin plays Lucas Fletcher, a self-proclaimed “doctor scientist” seeking to capture lightning as a source of renewable energy.
Kevin’s co-star, Page Tudyk Gomez, is also his real-life wife. The couple married a week before filming began, so shooting on location in Alaska doubled as their honeymoon.

Jack Martin, the youngest of the brothers, wrote, directed, and produced the film. He had worked on various big-budget productions, such as The Lion King, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Pacific Rim 2, but Bolt from the Blue is the first feature-length film he wrote and directed.

Jack’s fascination with lightning and his commitment to “considering every option for renewable energy” inspired his vision for Bolt from the Blue. He recounted how, during storms in Downers Grove, he would open his garage door, pull out a folding chair, and watch as bolts of lightning lit up the sky.

While the film had been percolating in his mind for a decade, he did not have the resources to produce it, so he “put it in a drawer,” unsure if it would ever come to fruition.

Then, “over beers during a Zoom meeting” in 2020, Jack reconnected with Michael Orion Downing, a production assistant he had worked with years earlier. “He is a hard worker…good at producing movies without lots of money,” Jack said, and the two decided to work together on Bolt from the Blue.

While Jack originally envisioned Colorado for the film’s setting, Downing, who is from a small town in Alaska, recommended filming it there. “I wanted Kevin’s character to be in a remote location, and switching from Colorado to Alaska worked really well,” Jack said.

Once Downing joined the production team, Jack secured Kevin for the leading male role. He had written Lucas’s character with Kevin in mind, due to his versatility as an actor and sense of humor. “Kevin was always getting our family laughing,” Jack said.
The final piece fell into place when Jack shared the script with Jimmy, their middle brother. Jimmy started reading the script on a flight from Greece. He loved it right away but wondered if his reaction was “vacation bliss or real.”

By the time he landed, he knew it was real. The film market is saturated with “lots of remakes and sequels, while Jack’s [film] is original, and it’s really good!” Jimmy said.

Jimmy studied business at the University of Illinois then “followed [his brothers] entirely” to Los Angeles. He became a talent manager and represents his brothers.

Jimmy knew how “hard it can be for a first-time filmmaker to make a movie,” but because he believed so strongly in his brothers and the film, he “felt empowered” to find funding for it, which he quickly did.

Making Bolt from the Blue, which was produced for under $2 million, was truly a family affair. Jimmy became an executive producer, and the Martins’ mother served as “crafty” (providing food and drinks for the cast and crew) on the set in Alaska.
“Our mom is the real hero,” Jimmy said. Jack and Kevin agreed, crediting her for their successful film careers. She took them to Blockbuster every week and to musicals when they were growing up.

Their parents also allowed them to use the family’s camcorder to make movies in their basement and backyard. Even then, Jack loved being behind the camera, and Kevin loved being in front of it. Jimmy would help with their moviemaking when he wasn’t at a sport practice or game, often serving as their stuntman.

Bolt from the Blue premiered at the Austin Film Festival in Oct. 2023. It was released on Amazon Prime this fall, and it is scheduled to be available on select airlines by the end of this year.

More About the Martins

1 The brothers grew up near Doerhoefer Park and attended St. Mary of Gostyn School and Montini Catholic High School.

2 Jack started the film club at Montini.

3 The brothers played Panthers football and were on the Downers Grove Swim and Racquet Club swim team.

4  Every Day’s a Sundae in downtown Downers Grove temporarily renamed its Blue Moon ice cream flavor Bolt from the Blue for a month leading up to the local screening of the film.

5  The Martin brothers’ mom still lives in the area (in Darien).

For more information, visit JackMartinFilm.com.