The author of the New York Times article that inspired ‘Dreamin’ Wild’ looks forward to the movie’s national release

Steven Kurutz has written myriad fascinating features for the New York Times: David Bowie’s curiously invisible life in New York, the zen of Matthew McConaughey and, just a few weeks ago, the Dane Cook-esque emergence of comic Matt Rife.

However, Kurutz claims his encounter with the Emerson family on their Fruitland farm is like no other experience he has had as a journalist.

“I was so profoundly moved after meeting the Emersons that I remember thinking on the flight back home, ‘I better not screw this up,’ ” Kurutz said while calling from Maine. “I just wanted to do right by them. I have no story to rival that in my career. It was such a rich experience meeting them.”

The Emersons have that kind of impact on most folks. The family has a salt of the earth quality and an even better story, which is what attracted Kurutz. Like many fledgling recording artists, Donnie and Joe Emerson released an album, ‘Dreamin’ Wild,” in 1977 that stiffed and was poised to become less than a footnote in history.

However, music blogger Jack Fleischer stumbled onto “Dreamin’ Wild” decades later in a Spokane thrift shop. His posts about the record drew the attention of singer Ariel Pink, who recorded a cover of the Emersons’ “Baby.” After the album was re-released by Light in the Attic records, it started getting national attention, and 31 years after its original release, Kurutz was writing about “Dreamin’ Wild” and its unlikely resurrection for the New York Times.

Kurutz’s story was born after a friend of his who wrote the liner notes for the re-release told him what he was working on. “I knew this was a story that had to be written,” Kurutz said. “My instincts told me to go for it and get out of New York and go to Washington.”

Kurutz, 46, was taken aback by the genuineness of the Emerson family. “They’re wonderful people,” Kurutz said. “You just want to do right by them.”

The Emersons quickly connected with Kurutz during his visit in 2012. “Steven is a terrific guy,” Joe Emerson said while calling from his Fruitland home. “We trusted him and he wrote a great story.”

That article was read by Bill Pohlad, who at the time was working on “Love & Mercy,” a feature film about Brian Wilson.

“The Emerson story is such a great story,” Pohlad said while calling from Los Angeles. “It had the elements of a great movie.”

Kurutz’ feature was tabbed for a film. However, many stories are optioned by Hollywood but few projects actually make it to the screen. “As a writer, you have these moments when someone calls you and says they’re interested in making a film inspired by something you’ve written,” Kurutz said. “But 99% of the time, it just doesn’t pan out. I’ve been doing this long enough to know that there are certain stories that could be a movie. The Emerson brothers’ story is one of those. It’s an incomparable story. I hoped that it would become a film. I know the film was made but part of me won’t believe it’s all real until I actually see ‘Dreamin’ Wild’ in the theater.”

Kurutz won’t have to wait long since “Dreamin’ Wild” opens nationwide on Friday. Casey Affleck plays the complicated Donnie Emerson, Zooey Deschanel portrays Emerson’s wife Nancy Sofia Emerson, Walton Goggins is Joe Emerson and Beau Bridges portrays Donald Emerson Sr.

Unlike many biopics, “Dreamin’ Wild” failed to get the over the top Hollywood treatment, which Kurutz appreciates. Pohlad was very respectful of the Emersons.

“I love that Bill Pohlad didn’t invent a phony love story or a phony conflict to add to the story,” Kurutz said. “I saw an earlier cut and a final cut and I was impressed. I can’t remember a movie that’s so much about brotherly relationships.”

It’s still so hard to believe that ‘Dreamin’ Wild’ was made since so few of the original albums sold. “Only 30 or 50 copies of that album left the farm and went out into the world,” Kurutz said. “But all those years later, the album was finally discovered. I’m so glad since the songs are great.”

Kurutz is enamored of the catchy pop tune “Baby.” “It’s just a wonderful song,” Kurutz said. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s a stone cold classic. I’m not surprised it broke out beyond indie rock circles. ‘Baby’ is a beautiful song that’s so haunting.”

While on vacation in France in 2019 Kurutz almost did a spit take while dining at a Parisian restaurant with his wife. “There we were in Paris having dinner and we heard ‘Baby,’ ” Kurutz said. “I couldn’t believe it! I had to text Donnie and Joe. ‘Hey,’ they’re playing ‘Baby’ in a restaurant in Paris!’ It was surreal.”

The same goes for Kurutz seeing himself on screen, played by Rich Morris. “It’s like an out of body experience seeing someone play you in a movie,” Kurutz said. “But the movie is about the Emersons. I’m just so glad that this story was made into a movie.”