About Finding Out – the film

Finding Out is a deeply personal and historically rich film adaptation based on Paula Wilson’s memoir provides the foundation for the main character, Grace. With the support of her husband, Sgt Fred Hicks, a Tuskegee trained airman, Grace's journey in Finding Out outlays the groundbreaking story of the first Filipino child adopted after the passage of the Congressional Refugee Relief Act of 1953. From a simple military life to headlining in newspapers, magazine articles and beyond, experience this memorable journey fueled by compassion, aspiration and love.

Collaborate with Stevie Production

Uncovering Truths, Embracing Identity

Finding Out is a poignant film that delves into the intricate journey of self-discovery, identity, and the complexities of familial bonds. This independent film chronicles the real-life story of Paula, a woman who embarks on a transformative quest to uncover the secrets of her past, leading to revelations that redefine her understanding of family and self.

A Story Rooted in Reality

Finding Out - the film represents Paula Wilson's vision for her captivating feature film inspired by her memoir, Finding Out: Coming to Terms with Adoption. This book is a compilation of personal narratives, historical documents, illustrations by the author, and introspections from Paula Wilson, the child searching her comfort zones in the family and socially as a transnational, inter-racial adoptee.

The film, Finding Out, explores the emotional journey from her mother's life events depicted in the book, presenting Finding Out from Grace's perspective. The film's narrative revolves around long-held secrets and a yearning for family, positioning Grace as the protagonist of the story.

To learn more about Finding Out: Coming to Terms with Adoption written by Paula Wilson:

Trailer

Amazon Books

Barnes and Noble

Bridging Cultures and Histories

Finding Out transcends a singular narrative, weaving Paula's personal experiences with broader cultural and historical contexts. The film explores themes of cross-cultural adoption, heritage, and the enduring impact of uncovering one's lineage, offering viewers a profound reflection on the universal quest for identity.

A Cinematic Exploration of Self

Directed with sensitivity and insight, this film invites audiences to witness a deeply personal story that resonates universally. Finding Out is more than a movie; it's a journey that challenges perceptions, evokes empathy, and celebrates the resilience of the human spirit in the face of life's most profound questions.

Logline

Finding Out: Grace's Deepest Desire-

Grace Crain's promising future is marred with tragedy starting with a fire that destroys her family's rural Oklahoma farmhouse, a horse accident that leaves her blind and paralyzed, and heartbreaking medical diagnoses. Grace's diminishing dream pauses when she meets Sgt Fred Hicks. She does not wait for Fred to ask her to marry him. Grace asks Sgt Hicks after a one month courtship. Grace's rural beginnings from Oklahoma quickly vanish after becoming a wife of a serviceman, criss-crossing the country from one military base to another. Arriving at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, Grace makes a bold decision. Following her deepest desire changes the world for three people in her life.

The Pitch

Pitch: Finding Out

A powerful historical biographical drama based on the true story of Grace Crain.

The beautiful and charming, Grace Crain Hicks does not let tragedy dissuade her unwavering dream for motherhood inspite of the odds stacking against her and now age is becoming a factor. After many years of blissful marriage, an incident flairs and it leads her to an orphange in Manila. What started as a search to foster a child takes a turn after the 1955 Congressional Refugee Relief Act was passed and signed by President Eisenhower. Grace's journey of resilience, determination and love sets the stage for an unprecedented event in the history of the Philippines and captures the hearts and interest of those in the States. This heartfelt film is a tribute to sacrifice, family, and transformation. The message is key: To make the world a better place for a child that has nothing but your heart and to never, NEVER give up on your dream.

THE FORMAT

Title: Finding Out

Genre: Historical Biographical Drama
Format: Feature Film (Live-Action)
Duration: 90-120 minutes
Narrative Structure: Non-linear storytelling with a mix of past and present
Visual Style: Period-accurate cinematography with historical flashbacks
Presentation:
- Seamless transitions between past and present historical footage and
- dramatized flashbacks
- Voiceovers for unseen moments (where actress availability is limited)
- Rich period soundscapes with 1940s-1950s music

PLOT SUMMARY/CENTRAL CONFLICT

Finding Out follows the incredible true story of Grace, a woman whose deepest desire-motherhood is challenged at every turn. Born in 1919, in Oklahoma with roots tied to her Seminole Indian heritage. Grace's early life is shaped by tragedy but she refuses to give up. When her father dies in her arms, Grace cannot live alone. She moves to Denver to live with her mother and continues to recover from her tragic accident that left her blind and paralyzed. Falling in love, Grace seizes the opportunity to leave the grips of her loving but domineering mother.
Grace embraces marriage and the military lifestyle it affords her but something is missing. Again Grace takes matters into her own hands and forces her will. Grace is feeling triumphant with small victories and winning one major battle.
The payoff is when the ship carrying Grace, Fred, and Little Paula nears the Golden Gate Bridge, a powerful symbol: a bright future, bridging love and perseverance. Grace is beaming, loving, living her dream.

Main Character: Grace Hicks

Age Range in Film: Early childhood to late 40s
Young Grace: Around 5 years old (flashbacks)
College Years: Early 20s (during her blindness and disability
Adoption Journey: Late 30s (when she adopts Little Paula)
Personality: Charming, Strong-willed, compassionate, decisive.
Challenges: A childhood fire, blindness, paralyzed, infertility and bureaucratic obstacles
Goal: To become a mother despite overwhelming obstacles.
Character Arc: From tragedy and loss to never giving up, resilience and triumph, and Finding Out that love and perseverance can make dreams come true.

Playing the roles of Grace and Fred

Actors Christina Love and Jermaine Kissick

Third Character: Sgt. Fred Hicks

Age: Late 30s - Late 40s
Background: U.S. Air Force Sergeant trained at Tuskegee Air Field, eventually stationed at Clark Air Base in the Philippines.
Personality: Loyal, supportive, and pragmatic.
- Talented singer that charms Grace.
Challenges: Balancing military duties, marriage and navigating the complexities of a military/international adoption.
Role in the Story: Grace's steadfast partner, ensuring Paula's adoption and symbolizing security and strength of family.

Second Character: Little Paula

Age: 2 years old at adoption
Background: The youngest of seven children born to a widow. A sick orphan from the Philippines, abandoned and isolated in an orphanage.
Personality : Innocent, vulnerable, affectionate, and curious.
Challenges: Early abandonment, illness, and lack of stability.
Role in the Story: The catalyst for Grace's dream of motherhood, symbolizing hope, love, and the fulfillment of family.

In the heart of Finding Out is Grace's strength... a story of courage, hope, love and a personal vow to never give up on her dream gives way to a new course of life for Grace, Fred and little Paula.

With Fred and Little Paula by her side as the view of the Golden Gate Bridge nears, Grace is hopeful for new chapters in their bright future

Locations

Earlsboro, Oklahoma (Turkey Creek Early 1900s)

Grace's birthplace, rich in Seminole Freedman history.
Scenes of Grace's childhood, family heritage, and early struggles.

Atlanta, Georgia - Clark College Campus Entrance (1937)
Grace's arrival at Clark College

Denver, Colorado (Early 1940s)
Where Grace recovers from debilitating accident and meets Fred.

Clark Air Base (CAB), Manila, Philippines (1953-1955)
Grace experiences a lavish life style living at CAB in the Philippines
Catholic Orphanage where Little Paula is found.
Street scenes depicting culture and life style of the Philippines Court Room in the City of Angeles Pampanga where the adoption case is heard over a span of several months.

Look and Feel

Cinematic Style: A mix of historical drama and documentary-style storytelling.
Color Palette: to be determined by the colorist
Oklahoma: Earthy, sepia tones for nostalgia. Fire red and smokey for blazing scenes
Denver: Continue sepia tones for nostalgia. Soft, light for romance, dark suspenseful lighting
Philippines: Continue sepia tones. Vibrant tropical colors, yet contrasting hues for struggle and resilience.
San Francisco: Bright, golden tones for hope.
Cinematography: To be determined by the director
Handheld shots for interviews, dreamy flashbacks for past events, and wide scenic shots for key locations.
Sound & Music: 1940s-50s swing and orchestral scores, emotional piano and strings, ending with:
During the last scene "I'm Loving My Dream" By Michael Wooten "If I Could Change the World" by Eric Clapton (various scenes) During the credits "We Are the World" sung by a children's choir.

Theme

The Power of Resilience - Grace's journey shows that no obstacle-whether physical, emotional, or societal can stand in the way of true determination.
Motherhood Beyond Blood - The story challenges the idea that motherhood is solely biological, proving that love, not genetics, defines family.
Overcoming Adversity - From personal tragedies, personal demons, family conflicts, language and cultural barriers, bureaucratic hurdles.
A Hopeful Future - The final scene with Fred, Grace and Little Paula on the deck of the ship approaching the Golden Gate Bridge symbolizes new beginnings, reminding us that no matter the past, moving forward, knowing the future is bright with love and perseverance.
The Impact of Compassion - Grace's story emphasizes how a single act of love-can make a brand new start and a better world.

About Finding Out – A Story of Courage, Identity, and Family

Finding Out: Coming to Terms with Adoption is a deeply personal and historically rich film adapted from Paula Wilson’s memoir. The film tells the groundbreaking true story of the first Filipino child adopted under the U.S. Congressional Refugee Relief Act of 1953—and the lives forever changed by that moment.

Set against the backdrop of post-war Philippines and mid-century America, Finding Out follows Paula’s journey as she uncovers the truth about her past and traces the unwavering love of the woman who fought to bring her home.

A True Story of Determination and Discovery

At its heart, Finding Out recounts an extraordinary adoption story: an abandoned Filipino toddler, a Black U.S. Airman, and his resilient wife of Seminole Indian descent. Their paths cross in a way that would reshape their lives and challenge the norms of the time. When the U.S. passes the Refugee Relief Act of 1953, it opens a narrow window—one that Grace Hicks, driven by her deepest longing to be a mother, refuses to let close.

Grace’s Deepest Desire

Grace Crain Hicks is a woman shaped by hardship: a house fire, a devastating accident that left her blind and paralyzed, and repeated medical setbacks that all but shattered her hope for motherhood. But Grace does not give in. After marrying Sgt. Fred Hicks—a Tuskegee Airman—her world expands as she follows him across military bases and eventually to Clark Air Base in the Philippines. There, a brief visit to an orphanage sparks a decision that changes everything.

What begins as an attempt to foster a child becomes a life-altering mission. Through paperwork, interviews, and diplomatic hurdles, Grace fights to adopt Paula—setting a legal and emotional precedent that resonates decades later.

A Story Told Through Two Lives

The film’s structure weaves together two intertwined journeys: Grace’s determined push to create a family, and Paula’s search for answers years later. From court transcripts and personal letters to intimate interviews and rare archival footage, the film brings the past into vivid focus.

As Paula uncovers details of her adoption, she begins to understand the depth of her parents’ sacrifices—and what it meant to be at the center of an international, interracial adoption during a time of deep social and political division.

History Meets Humanity

Beyond its emotional core, Finding Out explores the wider context in which the story unfolds. The film highlights:

The passage of the Refugee Relief Act of 1953 and its little-known role in shaping international adoption policy.
The cultural and legal challenges of being adopted across racial and national lines in mid-20th century America.
The overlooked contributions of Seminole Freedmen and Tuskegee Airmen in U.S. history.

These historical threads give Finding Out weight and relevance, grounding one family’s experience in a much larger narrative.

Central Conflict and Resolution

Motherhood, for Grace, is not handed to her—it’s fought for at every turn. Her story is one of battling back after every “no,” of forging ahead when told to give up. For Paula, the conflict lies in not knowing where she comes from and finally confronting truths that were hidden for decades. Both women seek the same thing in different ways: a sense of belonging.

The film’s emotional climax arrives as the ship carrying Grace, Fred, and young Paula approaches the Golden Gate Bridge—a moment that captures the promise of a new beginning and the power of love to cross borders, generations, and expectations.

Why This Film Matters

Finding Out is not just a film about adoption. It’s about persistence, hope, and what it means to become a family. It asks the audience to reconsider the boundaries of identity and to reflect on how love—quiet, determined, and unconditional—can reshape lives.

Whether you're drawn to historical narratives, adoption advocacy, or simply stories that speak to the resilience of the human spirit, Finding Out offers a compelling experience that stays with you long after the credits roll.

Thank you!

From Paula Wilson, Film Creator

I invite partners, sponsors, and advocates to help bring to life

Finding Out

Join in sharing this powerful, uplifting story and the message of resilience, love, and adoption. For collaborations, funding, distribution opportunities Contact Today. Let's make an impact together!

Paula Wilson

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Finding Out is a film produced by Stevie Production, which provides a credible online presence for independent filmmakers and authors.