As 4 o’clock approached on December 26, traffic on Main Street slowed and even stopped a few times, as moviegoers vied for the few on-street parking locations at Edmond Town Hall. Others waited patiently to turn into the northern driveway of the former municipal building, looking for parking in the lots so that they could be part of those enjoying a special matinee screening that afternoon.

Inside the lobby of 45 Main Street, 21-year-old John Paul Kakos was the center of attention. The young man smiled broadly and signed dozens of autographs for those heading in to the building’s theater, where nearly 200 people were treated to a free screening of Full Count. The film represents Mr Kakos’s first lead role in a feature film.

The young man shook hands and accepted hugs from guests of all ages. Behind a table set up in the lobby, a pair of home and away baseball jerseys hung on the wall. The jerseys, Mr Kakos said, were the ones he wore as a high school baseball player in the film.

The full size movie poster for Full Count was also displayed in the lobby, and a larger-than-life cutout of the actor in full ball player mode — shown wearing one of the jerseys on display, in fact — was also set up near the marquee.

Newtown resident Jen Rogers, a film buff who coordinates the Someday Cinema Series with Newtown Cultural Arts Commission, was among those at last Thursday’s screening of Full Count. Ms Rogers grew up across the street from Tracy (Pottinger) Kakos and her family, and was very excited about the event.

“I saw quite a few people who were classmates,” Ms Rogers said. She and Mrs Kakos — John Paul’s mother — had attended Newtown High School together, graduating in the mid-1980s. Mr Kakos’s father was equally local in his youth, attending and then graduating from Danbury High School and Western Connecticut State University.

The Pottingers, according to Ms Rogers, moved out of town 35 years ago, “but there were a lot of friends and family at this screening,” she added.

In the October release about family, farming, faith, and baseball, Mr Kakos plays Milton Young, a Georgia teenager with a very promising future in the major leagues. He does everything he can to juggle his father’s tough work schedule on the family farm, maintain excellent grades in school, and be an all-star baseball player for his high school team, all while staying out of trouble.

Shortly after arriving at college on a full scholarship, however, a tragedy at home detours his hopes. An accident soon after his return throws another curve ball into those plans, further challenging the young man and his family.

First-time writer-director Roger Eagar’s film is filled with beautiful scenery and strong acting. Filmed in Atlanta and Gainesville, Georgia — including baseball scenes at the same ballfield Ms Kakos played on in high school, when he was a first baseman at Mountain View High School — the story carries plenty of references to faith.

“I loved the message that it brings: that anyone can overcome anything,” Mr Kakos said this week. Having enjoyed Christmas in New England, he and his parents were returning to Georgia ahead of New Year’s. He spoke with The Newtown Bee while traveling on Monday.

“It’s always possible, no matter what you’re going through, what hits you in life,” he added, his southern accent sneaking into the conversation. “I just love that message.”

The film was a fun project to work on, he said. Baseball scenes came easily to the former high school player, as did one scene where Milton catches a huge fish while spending time with his best friend (played by Triston Dye).

“I enjoy fishing. It’s one of the things I like to do in my free time, and I really caught that fish,” Mr Kakos said, laughing.

The light-hearted scene was among the most fun to film, he said.

“Every scene was fun to do, but the message of the film was the most important,” he said. “It was an awesome experience.”

Mr Kakos also shares screen time with Natalia Livingston and Jason London, who play his parents; and E. Roger Mitchell and Rick Hearst, the local sheriff and a new deputy, respectively, among others. Also featured is Adam Boyer, who plays a mysterious man named David, and Victoria Staley as Milton’s girlfriend, Danielle.

While it was his first time in a lead role, the actor said this week that he went into the project “always making sure I arrived on set prepared, with my lines down.” He admitted to feeling a “little bit of pressure, but after the first day, I got the hang of it.”

He credits his on-screen parents for additional guidance during the filming of Full Count, saying each shared tips with the newcomer.

Natalia Livingston “helped me out, gave me pointers,” and Jason London “really guided me as well,” he added.

Family Appeal

Full Count celebrated its premiere in October, in Georgia. While many of Mr Kakos’s family from Connecticut, Florida, and Ohio joined local audiences for those screenings, the Newtown show “had everybody right there,” he said. “My grandparents’s friends got to see it, so that was awesome, and it was like a high school reunion for my mom and dad. They got to see a lot of their high school friends.”

There is a quiet nod to John Paul’s late uncle, Mark Pottinger, in Full Count. A standout Newtown High School baseball player, Mr Pottinger made it to the minor leagues for three seasons in the mid-1980s. The 50-year-old husband, father, and son died in 2013, following a brief battle with cancer, but not before creating a legacy that included special memories for one of his nephews.

“He was my hero growing up,” Mr Kakos said this week. “I chose to wear #8 in the movie because that was his number, and I chose to honor him.”

There is an especially touching scene in the film, in fact, that quietly highlights the number. Milton’s girlfriend Danielle has a sticker made in the shape of the number, with stitching mirroring that of a baseball, and surprises him with the sticker placed on the rear window of his truck.

Last week, there were also those who were drawn to the screening for its family appeal. Knesia Rubin and her daughter, Sophia, attended, Ms Rubin said, because her daughter loves baseball and softball, “so we were immediately interested after we heard about this.”

Ms Rubin was also impressed, she said, “in that it’s faith-based, and it has a lot of local connections.”

Before the movie began on Thursday, Mr Kakos and his father thanked everyone for their attendance. Standing in the center of the theater aisle, the two acknowledged those who pulled the event together in just about one week’s time. The senior Mr Kakos also thanked those who had donated toys for a collection earmarked for Danbury Hospital, organized by one of his nieces.

When the lights went down and the film started, the crowd settled in for the screening with polite clapping. When John Paul Kakos’s name flashed in the opening credits, however, a loud round of applause went up.