Some teachers rely solely on the spoken word to help guide their students, and others employ visual aids to hopefully touch the hearts of those they are mentoring. For Greg Townsend, a social worker at Ridge View Academy in Denver, Colorado, he uses a different method that some might call unorthodox: a bicycle. For more than two decades, Townsend has helped inspire at-risk youth through cycling, taking them on long journeys across the country to learn about life's obstacles, teamwork, and themselves. His uplifting story, and those of the kids he's helped, is the subject of director Rj Daniel Hanna's new film, Hard Miles.

Stepping into the role of Greg Townsend is Matthew Modine, a Hollywood veteran of more than 40 years. MovieWeb recently caught up with him to discuss what it was like to portray a man who has touched the lives of so many people and the advice...