A city or town is so much more than its streets and buildings – a city is its people, and its people have a spirit.
This is the underlying intuition behind “Boomtown,” Frederick’s latest independent film feature and brainchild of local director/producer Salyer McLaughlin. It seeks to dive deep into a mystery that perhaps has never been so thoroughly and thoughtfully treated before – in McLaughlin’s words, “How did we get here?”
Over decades when the roads to small-town decline have been myriad and evident, and the fraying of social fabrics has caused many to lose hope, visitors to Frederick often wonder why it’s different. McLaughlin’s film passionately captures the unique spirit of Frederick which has sustained it – and even caused it notoriety – throughout its history, and provides a blueprint for other communities at a time when shared vision is more critical than ever.
“Frederick has always been marked by this rebellious spirit and a kind of defiance,” McLaughlin says. “Even people from the community may not realize 12 judges from Frederick were the first to repudiate England’s Stamp Act leading up to the Revolutionary War. Boomtown explores how the same spirit drove Fredericktonians in the 1970s to resist decline and bureaucratic delay to re-envision and revitalize the town.”
In homage to Frederick’s inherent creativity, this story of the city’s great turnaround is framed not as a traditional documentary, but as a narrative docudrama, following the lives of major activists and local players around the flood of ‘76. The protagonist is Amos Brown, then-Chief of Photography at the Frederick News-Post and one of FNP’s first Black staff members. McLaughlin felt it was important to unify and engage the story of the entire community in contextualizing Frederick, and he found a great entry point with Amos.
“I was inspired by a few excellent books that shaped my vision of the redevelopment of Frederick,” McLaughlin says. “I read Kate McDermott’s From the Brink to Brilliant, Ron Young’s My Story, George Delaplaine’s newspaper memoir, Read All About It!, and Joy Onley’s history of Black Frederick, Memories of Frederick Over on the Other Side.”
Coming full circle at the present day, the second half of the film features Brown’s daughter, Lexi, returning to Frederick as a Hood College student and podcaster keen on uncovering her father’s path as a community changemaker.
McLaughlin has been blessed with an excellent team in bringing his vision to life, including his wife Rhonda, an interior designer with more than 30 years of experience, who recreated the historical scenery.
“I’ve lived in Frederick since 1982 and grew up downtown, so this story is deeply personal to me,” Rhonda says. “I love pulling all of the elements together to create the look and feel of a moment, because that atmosphere is what carries the emotion and helps tell the story of Downtown Frederick in a meaningful way.”
The production also struck a chord with local partners who signed on to be presenting sponsors and executive producers: WLR Automotive Group and the Delaplaine Foundation.
“Supporting ‘Boomtown’ is an honor for me,” says Randall S. Simpson, WLR President & CEO. “Frederick has always been more than just a location; it's been the foundation of our success and a source of inspiration. We are proud to celebrate and give back in this way.”
Delaplaine President Marlene Young adds, “The film showcases the resilience of the human spirit that persevered through bold vision and risk-taking – ending in a shared sense of pride and unity that are hallmarks of the Delaplaine Foundation's core values.”
McLaughlin looks forward to the film’s local premiere, the first time the entire feature will be presented for the community to see. Part One of Boomtown sold out multiple showings at Warehouse Cinemas last year – tickets are on sale for Boomtown’s official full-length Weinberg premiere on January 24th. The event will include a ticketed reception before the first screening at 6:30pm, followed by a later evening screening at 9pm.
After that?
“We have an agreement to do 12 to 15 full screenings at Warehouse Cinemas throughout the month of February,” McLaughlin says. “We want to get this in front of as many eyes as possible. It’s really an incredible moment for the film, as well, with America’s 250th anniversary approaching and the 50th anniversary of the ’76 flood.”
Anyone familiar with Frederick lore will recognize the voiceover that opens the film, serving as a framing device and thematic thread – John Greenleaf Whittier’s well-known “Barbara Fritchie.” The hypnotic lines about “meadows rich with corn” and resounding imagery of Fritchie’s defiance – whether historical or purely legendary – hardly seem far-fetched with respect to the Frederick we know and love. McLaughlin and his team hope to again magnify that spirit that once brought Frederick fame far and wide; in an anecdote of Eleanor Roosevelt’s, Churchill himself once stopped the Presidential car at the Fritchie house to recite the whole poem, line by line.
Be Part of Frederick’s Story with Boomtown
- Attend the January 24th reception and premiere: tickets available for purchase at WeinbergCenter.org/Performances/Boomtown
- Boomtown still welcomes sponsors and supporters for marketing, distribution costs, and future film festival runs: learn more at BoomtownFrederick.com
- Check out a February screening at Warehouse Cinemas: tickets available at Frederick.WarehouseCinemas.com
- Follow “Boomtown Frederick” on Facebook and @boomtownfrederick on Instagram