While at the 2022 ATA show in Louisville, Kentucky, the Bowhunting.com crew had the opportunity to attend the Badlands Film Festival. The event brought out a packed house, with an eager audience, to see the latest films presented by this popular film festival.
As usual, there were a variety of films presented at this year’s event. Some were obviously better than others, but the one that stuck out, leaving a lasting impression, was The Ideal Man film by Cooper and Gary Hamilton. I connected with Cooper and his family at the conclusion of the night to congratulate him and ask for the opportunity to share their story further.
Cooper’s dad, Gary, shares more on the making of the film, but first, check out The Ideal Man film below.
Ol' Kev
“Kevin James, better known as, Ol’ Kev, was the Ideal Man,” says Gary Cooper. “You never had to guess what was on his mind, or what he would be wearing. Whether it was a Sunday morning, or on the job finishing drywall, bib overalls and work boots was his wardrobe of choice. Ol’ Kev was like a grandpa to my son, Cooper. They were both very much alike and had a lot in common. Most notably their love for the outdoors.”
Kevin and Cooper had a special connection and spent a fair amount of time together. “Any time Cooper was at Kevin and Mary’s house they were in the woods trying to hunt something,” says Hamilton. “Kevin had a love for everything outdoors, whether that be hunting, fishing, or trapping. And he was always happy to pass on any knowledge Cooper would take.”
Sadly, Kevin was diagnosed with lung cancer on February 4th of 2021 and passed away on March 24, 2021.
The Hamilton family was blessed when Kevin’s son, Josh James, presented Cooper with Kevin’s bow after the funeral and told him he felt like Kevin would want him to have it. The bow was a Mathews Switchback XT that Kevin had shot for the last 17 years.
Due to shoulder issues and pain prior to his cancer diagnosis, Kevin had replaced the 70 pound limbs with 55 pound limbs. It made the bow a perfect fit for a 12 year old boy. “We took the bow to the bow shop, ordered a new 25” mod, and Cooper was up and running,” says Hamilton. The first day he shot the bow, Cooper told his dad, “I gotta make Ol’ Kev proud and kill a buck with his bow this year.”
“That instantly made me think, man what a cool story this would be to document on film,” says Hamilton. “I knew pulling it off was a long shot for a few reasons. One, filming hunts is hard work. Two, filming a 12 year old bowhunting is even harder work. I wasn’t worried about Cooper’s ability to kill a deer. I just know how everything has to come together perfectly to make a film worth watching. We both prayed for opportunities, and we were blessed with the chance to capture Cooper’s largest bow buck to date on film.”
“Saying goodbye to Kevin was Cooper’s first real taste of loss,” says Hamilton. “We know where Kevin is today, and there’s no doubt the two of them will get to hunt together again some day.”
The Ideal Man film won second place at the Badlands Film Festival, and 1st place at the Quest Hunt Co Film Festival for 2022. It proves that a good story can still go farther than an expensive hunt, or a record book animal.
“We were both thankful and humbled by the success of the short film,” says Hamilton. “Above all, we hope it was honoring to Ol’ Kev and that someone heard the name of Jesus.”
A big congrats to Cooper and Gary on their film and their heartfelt tribute to Ol’ Kev.
