The true story of a famous American honky-tonk that began as a humble drinking hole and slowly rose into a cultural landmark of country music history through love, loss and resilience.

SYNOPSIS:

My comedy feature, THE BROKEN SPOKE is an adaptation of my nonfiction book, The Broken Spoke; Austin’s Legendary Honky-Tonk, published in 2017 by Texas A&M University Press. Miller’s script recently was named a FINALIST in the 2025 LA International Screenplay Awards, SEMI FINALIST in the 2025 New York Script Awards and a Second Rounder in 2025 The Austin Film Festival.

The Broken Spoke’s true stories capture the essence of nostalgia and the struggles within a backdrop of county music and a local community. With the recent popularity of musical biopics like: A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, SONG SUNG BLUE, SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE, WALK THE LINE, and CADILLAC RECORDS, THE BROKEN SPOKE speaks to a subset of audiences who enjoy celebrations of country music. A large demographic will be drawn in by this film that highlights how much of an impact the titular honky-tonk has made on recent history. This is also a love story that follows its founders James and Annetta White who opened the iconic Broken Spoke November 11, 1964—then a mile south of Austin’s city limits. Their dramatic arcs became intertwined in a life-long partnership filled with humor, strength and determination. This script acts as a celebration of both the Texas landmark and country music itself.

FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS, the Broken Spoke has served up, in the words of James’ well-worn opening speech, “…cold beer, good whiskey, the best chicken fried steak in town…and good country music.” A handful of named figures make cameos. James paid thirty-two dollars to his opening act, D.G. Burrow and the Western Melodies, back in 1964. Soon the stage at the Spoke began hosting resident stars like Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, Willie Nelson, George Strait, Jerry Jeff Walker and Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel. Thousands of star performers have graced the stage since including Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson and Garth Brooks.

Owning a honky-tonk hasn’t always been easy. Through seven decades, the Whites and the Spoke have withstood their share of hardship and antagonists: Annetta’s breast cancer, James’ heart trouble, the building’s leaky roof, a tour bus crashing through one wall, the COVID pandemic, and three different landlords. The Whites’ managed to keep the place open with hard work; at times family members worked 16-hour days seven days a week.

Today the red, rustic, barn-style building surrounded by sleek, high-rise apartments, still sits on South Lamar, a tribute and REMEMBRANCE to an Austin that has almost vanished. Housing six decades of country music memorabilia and about a thousand lifetimes of memories at the Broken Spoke, the Whites still honor a promise James made years ago: they’re “keepin’ it country.”

THE BROKEN SPOKE (FEATURE)