The life drama of George Kolber, writer and producer of “Miranda’s Victim,” had a challenging first act. Placed in a Newark foster home at the age of two, George insists that although his early days “were not easy, and I had to work hard, I was fortunate to have good people in my life, and good influences along the way to help me grow and succeed.”

Working his way through school, George served as a reservist in the military and pursued a career in business, where he successfully helped turn around and lead numerous companies, including Retail Ventures, Inc., American Eagle Outfitters, and The Body Shop of America, all while raising his family in Middletown, New Jersey. However, it was during the pandemic, while watching a program that featured a police officer advising someone of their Miranda Rights, that a passion ignited inside. Curious about the origin of these rights, George began exploring its history. “Few knew who Miranda was, or why this most famous legal ruling was named after him. The nature and character of Miranda surprised me and the people I shared the story with.”

That research motivated George to begin writing a screenplay. He enlisted the help of his niece, Maria Kolber, as key researcher. She unearthed police reports, transcripts, newspaper accounts and more. These details provided the bedrock that would give the film its authenticity.

The true-life story behind the Miranda Law is incredibly dramatic. In 1963, eighteen-year-old Patricia Weir was kidnapped and brutally raped. Committed to putting her attacker, Ernesto Miranda, in prison, Patricia’s life was seriously damaged by America’s legal system. But her relentless pursuit of justice triggered a law that would transform a nation.

Once the script was ready, George put together a pitch deck and began assembling his producing and directing team. He chose veteran filmmaker Michelle Danner to direct. With a long resume of production credits, including many films that tackle difficult subjects, Michelle was ready to take on this challenging new material. George adds, “I knew she could do an incredible job telling this story. Thanks in large part to Michelle’s reputation, the production was also able to attach many stars, including Abigail Breslin, Ryan Phillipe, Kyle McLaughlin, Donald Sutherland, Luke Wilson, and Andy Garcia.”

“I learned about New Jersey’s financial incentive program for filmmakers,” explains George, “and could see that it was simply the best program in the country.” While that was a key factor in choosing where to produce the movie, there were many other benefits to filming in the Garden State. “Not only was I thrilled to shoot near my home, but the community support was incredible,” added George. “Since the story was set in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area during the 1960s, all our locations were doubling for another time and place, and to great effect. Our base camp and every shoot day were located in Monmouth County. Middletown’s old police station; the iconic St. Mary’s Church; Red Bank’s historic Count Basie Theater; and Monmouth University. The buildings were architecturally correct, and the scenes were enhanced by the vintage cars provided by the Antique Motoring Club of Monmouth County.”

Monmouth University served as a key location for “Miranda’s Victim.” “The university’s enthusiasm and support for the project were extraordinary. We coordinated with their events team, who helped us avoid what could easily have been logistical nightmares. We used Monmouth University’s cafeteria, dormitories for housing, and other buildings for coordinating hair, makeup, and wardrobe. Monmouth University’s staff anticipated our needs and helped accommodate our crew, extras and of course our major stars.”

George was quick to point out the enthusiasm of the cast when filming at New Jersey locations. “They really enjoyed the restaurants, hotels and everything the Jersey Shore has to offer.”

Miranda’s Victim wrapped production in July of 2022, and completed post-production earlier this year. Since then, the film has been generating a lot of excitement. The movie scored a red-carpet opening night at the Santa Barbera International Film Festival, and their historic 2,000 seat theater was sold out weeks in advance. The film also opened to a sold-out crowd in Tampa’s Gasparilla Film Festival, the Houston International Film Festival, where the film won the Grand Remi for Best Feature Film, and the Montreal Independent Film Festival where the film won Best Narrative Feature Film and Best Actress for Abigail Breslin’s performance.

With more film festival appearances on the calendar, including festivals in Las Vegas, Catalina, Ischia Italy, and Madrid Spain, “Miranda’s Victim” keeps gaining momentum. “In addition to warm receptions at film festivals, the reviews for Miranda’s Victim have been strong and the high IMDb scores so far reflect the public’s overall opinion. I couldn’t be more thrilled,” continues George. He has also hinted at an upcoming screening in the Garden State.

What is up next for one of New Jersey’s newest writer/producers? George is in preliminary talks to film a series based upon his book, Thrown Upon the World. “This is a story about resiliency and survival. I believe individuals are all consequences of what happened before them. I believe it’s imperative that we all stand together and help each other along.” With George’s track record of hard work and resilience, there is little doubt the cameras will roll for this new project as well. There is also little doubt in George’s mind in which state this story needs to be filmed, “New Jersey, of course!”

NEW JERSEY SCREENING:

A special New Jersey red-carpet screening of “Miranda’s Victim,” which will include many of the stars of the film, is being planned for early September in Red Bank. Watch for more details on the film’s Instagram account: @mirandasvictimmovie or email the film's representative: amy@netwaveinteractive.com.