A Lakeland shoe cobbler will soon see his family on the big screen in a new movie starring Adam Sandler.
Jim McFarland said the producers for the movie "The Cobbler" contacted him two years ago and asked him to use his family photos.
In the movie, Adam Sandler fixes shoes, and thanks to a magic sewing machine, when he tries on the shoes he literally transforms into that person.
McFarland said he agreed to let producers use his family pictures to hang on the walls of their set.
“I’m looking at the trailer and I see my dad’s wedding picture and I see the last picture I took with my dad,” he said.
McFarland says family photos are a staple inside of every cobbler shop.
“You go in any shoe repair shop and they’re gonna have pictures of their grandfathers, their dad, their uncle, whoever that was in the business,” he said.
One photo that he really enjoyed seeing in the movie trailer was the one with himself and his dad.
“Little did I know that was the last picture that I’d ever take with him because he died like two days later,” McFarland said. “So when they took that picture and they put that in the movie and I saw that in the background, I think that got me more than anything.”
McFarland said he was able to pull a few strings to get one of the sewing machines used in the movie, delivered to his Lakeland shop. He said customers see the machine and get excited.
“The customers really enjoy looking at it,” he said. “A lot of people come in and they just are fascinated with just how old it is. They don’t even know it was part of a movie set.”
The number of cobbler businesses has significantly decreased over the years, but cobblers like McFarland are hoping with the release of this movie, it will have a more positive impact on their industry.
The movie steps into theaters March 13.