Rust
Corbin Bernsen
Based on the movie, Rust
Pelican Boo Group, 2015
208 pp.
ebook $3.99
print $15.99
buy on Amazon
buy on Barnes and Noble
About the Book:
This absorbing fiction adaptation of Corbin Bernsen's
film Rust, which featured him in
the starring role and director, is currently available for purchase and
streaming online at Netflix and other online sites.
In the midst of a crisis of faith, a man finds hope where he least expects
it—his hometown. James Moore is a former pastor who returns home to discover
his childhood friend is implicated in the arson of a farmhouse and the murder
of an entire family. Convinced of his friend's innocence, James sets out to
find the truth. In the process he reclaims a relationship with his father,
restores hope to a floundering congregation, and rediscovers his own lost
faith. Rust is an uplifting tale about faith, family and the powerful
ties that bind a community.
My review:
Everyone’s hero, Jimmy Moore, comes home to lick his wounds
when God stops laying golden eggs for him. Leaving home after his mother’s
death while he was finishing high school, Jim built an emotional wall which he
blames on his father and sister. Jim left town, went to college and took a call
as a pastor in another community. Years later, Jim, who remains a personal
mystery to the reader, skulks home and sets to restoring his familial
relationships.
When he’s willing to open his eyes, Jim realizes he
disappointed a lot of folks, some righteously, and most unwittingly. We’re
never sure about the pure reasons this young man held such a positive influence
on his small hometown, and it takes some time for Jimmy to reach past the
surface tension such fame held. As he reintegrates with old friends and new
ones, he begins to understand the town is holding its collective breath over a
secret so soul-wrenching it has affected the very fabric of hope for this
current generation. Yes, things have changed in the twenty-plus years Jimmy was
a football star. This group of young people doesn’t have the same drive and
ambition and it hurts the soul of Jimmy’s best friend, Travis, who has taken up
the role of town champion despite his mental quirks. Uncomfortable with Travis’s
antics, when he is found at the aftermath of a dreadful tragedy, the town rusts
in peace when he admits to the crime.
Jim Moore, reluctant hero, isn’t willing to sit on his
laurels and sets about gathering proof that will not only save his friend but
restore the faith he’d come to take for granted.
A lovely and haunting tale about a man coming to terms with
his soul after running for decades. He finds that he was the one running from
God, and when he finally stops to remove the plank from his eye, he can face
the uncomfortable issues and claim peace.
About the Author:
Corbin Bernsen comes from an entertainment family and
has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in television, theater and film. He
holds a bachelor’s degree in theater and a master’s degree in playwriting from
UCLA, and was nominated for both Emmy and Golden Globe awards for his
performance as Arnie Becker in the hit NBC TV series LA Law. He most recently starred as Henry Spencer on USA
Network’s hit original series Psych.
His work includes roles in Disorganized
Crime, Wolfgang Peterson’s Shattered, The Great White Hype, and as the
Cleveland Indians’ third baseman-turned-owner Roger Dorn in the Major
League films. Other film credits include Lay the Favorite with Bruce Willis and The Big Year with Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson. He also
appeared with Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Rust is his first novel, and he also
wrote, directed, and stars in the feature film of the same name. Bernsen’s
latest film, Christian Mingle,
was released in January, 2015 by Capitol. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife
of 26 years, actress Amanda Pays, and their four sons.
