The Boxcar Children Return

An introduction to this year’s student-written film

In elementary school, the book series everybody knew was The Boxcar Children. This series with over 130 books in total were fun books to read about these kids adventures, now imagine those books put into a film.

Every year, Anderson Film produces one film. The 2026 film, Boxcar, was written by two of Anderson’s seniors, Luke Patterson and Rowan Hurtubise. The two have been working on the film since last school year, preparing for its release on March 20. Patterson is also directing the film for this year.

“We took [the story] and [made] it modern day,” Rowan Hurtubise (12), Co-Writer of Boxcar, said.

The film is a more modern version of The Boxcar Children, which focuses on four kids whose mother has passed away and their father has abandoned them. Throughout the film, the kids learn to manage the pressures of everyday life with each other. 

“It’s a good quality, relatable piece of literature,” Henry Weddle (11), starring as Hank, said.

White the film is playing on the screen, the Anderson Symphony Orchestra will be performing live, and the original score written by Anderson Senior Megan McSwegin. 

“I got certain vibes from the film, it’s different from the script [to compose the score]” Megan McSwegin (12), composer of the original score for the film, said.

In addition to Anderson Film students, there are some special guests and features to look out for while watching the film.

“To all the football players out there, [Head Football Coach] Coach Dreyer was featured in i,t” Hurtubise (12), said. 

The first showing of Boxcar is March 20th at 7 pm, with a second showing on March 21st, also at 7 pm. You can preorder tickets at andersontheatre.com, $15 for adults and $10 for students. Tickets will also be sold at the door for $15. However, tickets will sell out fast, so it is highly recommended to preorder tickets. Make sure to check out the film to relive those moments of silent reading in 3rd grade.