Full Breakdown
Ohio Road Tour Highlights “Union County,” a Community-Driven Addiction-Recovery Film
8/12/2026, 10:52:07 PM
Tour Launch and On-the-Road Experience
British actor Will Poulter, Ohio-born writer-director Adam Meeks, and adult-recovery-court program director Annette Deao embarked on a multiday Ohio tour to screen their indie film *Union County* at independent theaters. Traveling in a Chevrolet Traverse, the trio eschewed traditional publicity in favor of informal stops at family homes, a renovated barn, and a garage where props are stored. Their itinerary includes screenings at the Cleveland Cinematheque, Columbus’s Gateway Film Center, and Akron’s Nightlight, each followed by Q&A sessions. The group shares meals together, sampling local fare such as the Somali-style Hoyo’s Kitchen stall in Columbus’s North Market, while swapping playlists and snacks.
Film’s Roots in Ohio’s Recovery Court
*Union County* blends fiction with real-world testimony. The narrative follows fictional foster brothers (played by Poulter and Noah Centineo) navigating recovery, while many on-screen participants are actual members of the adult recovery court, appearing voluntarily. Judge Kevin P. Braig of Logan County and Deao herself portray versions of themselves. Meeks first encountered the court in 2017 after returning to his birthplace and observing how pervasive addiction was in the community. The film aims to counter the typical bleak portrayals of opioid crises by emphasizing dignity, hope, and successful recovery.
Key Participants
- Will Poulter — British actor known for *Dopesick*; joined the project to explore recovery from a hopeful angle.
- Adam Meeks — Ohio-born writer-director; spent over a decade developing the story after his 2017 visit.
- Annette Deao – Program director of the adult recovery court in west-central Ohio; has worked with addicts for more than 20 years and also appears on screen.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I was kind of like falling in love with this place while also kind of seeing the sort of circumstances at the time for what they were,” — Adam Meeks
- “People want to know about what it was like to try to earn the trust of the participants and convince people to be a part of it or something and so much of it was this kind of baseline trust that people had in Annette and the decisions that she made and the space that she created,” — Adam Meeks
- “At the end of filming on the short, Adam came to me and says, ‘You know, I thought you’d be good, but I really didn’t think you’d be that good,’” — Annette Deao
- “I have not laughed this much in years,” — Annette Deao
The tour’s informal, community-focused approach underscores the film’s central message: recovery is possible when trust, local support, and authentic storytelling converge. Audiences across Ohio have responded with enthusiasm, applauding Deao’s on-screen presence and noting the film’s “characterized by so much humanity and dignity and celebration and positivity and hope and all of these things that cut against the grain of the stigma that still exists.” as a refreshing departure from typical addiction narratives.
