When Zachary Beaver Came to Town

Plot

Toby Wilson (Jonathan Lipnicki) is a 12-year-old boy who lives with his parents in the small, sleepy town of Granger, Texas, but his mother runs off to Nashville to try to become a singer. One summer, Toby's life changes when he and his best friend Cal McKnight (Cody Linley) meet a 14-year-old fat sideshow freak named Zachary Beaver (Sasha Neulinger), who has no parents or friends. Zachary spends most of his time in a small, silver trailer; he is abandoned by his legal guardian, Paulie Rankin, so Paulie can look for new additions to their circus. Toby and Cal get to know him, and slowly become friends with him.

They cope with the loss of Cal's brother, Wayne, who was recruited for the Vietnam War and later dies, leaving Cal devastated. Toby had been sending letters to Wayne pretending to be Cal until Wayne is killed, and Toby finally tells him this which leads to a fight between the two. Meanwhile, Toby is in Zachary's trailer during the funeral and Cal shows up. He gives Toby all the money he ever borrowed and tells him his mom is never coming back, just like Wayne. Later, Toby gives a country girl he likes a necklace, which was his mother's, but she gives it back to him because she likes someone else and doesn't like Toby that way. Earlier, Toby got to dance with her after her boyfriend broke up with her. Cal and Toby become friends after Toby chases him down to a lake soon after. In the end, they help Zachary get baptized in Gossimer Lake with the alcoholic preacher/cook owner of a local cafe, Ferris, who once studied to be a priest; later Paulie returns with circus performers to retrieve him. Zachary leaves town with them, and Cal and Toby's friendship is reaffirmed.

Production

In order to play the role of Toby, Lipnicki attempted to gain the rights to the book when he was only ten years old, but was unsuccessful. He was later cast after he agreed to work with director John Schultz on the film Like Mike.

The film was shot in the cities of Austin and Granger in Texas.

Cast

Jonathan Lipnicki as Toby Wilson

Cody Linley as Cal McKnight

Jesse Pennington as Wayne

Jane Krakowski as Heather Wilson

Eric Stoltz as Otto Wilson

Kevin Fitzgerald Corrigan as Paulie

Sarah Whalen as Sally in the Pick-up

Louanne Stephens as Earline

Hudson Long as Wylie Womack

Lou Perryman as Ferris

Brady Coleman as Sheriff

Kathleen Lancaster as Kate McKnight

Amanda Alch as Scarlet

Joanna McCray as Tara

David Little as Thoughtful Farmer

Peter Harrell Jr. as Man with Video Camera

Sasha Joseph Neulinger as Zachary Beaver

Chris Muniz as Juan

Melinda Renna as Mrs. McKnight

Brett Brock as Mr. McKnight

Ryan Harper Gray as Billy McKnight

Jesse Plemons as Jay, the Trailer Bully

Libby Langdon as Vivien, Scarlet's Mom