Original story took place at Meshack's Creek, Kentucky, in 1862; the town no longer exists. Tompkinsville is the nearest town officially recognized by the US Postal Service, roughly 6 miles to the west of the creek. The general area (Cumberland Gap), during the Civil War, experienced some of the most brutal clashes of the war; not only battles, but brother against brother and neighbor against neighbor.
The text at the end of film reads: "In 1941, a Kentucky mountaineer returned to a remote sinkhole, the place where during the Civil War he had killed and buried a Union Soldier. This film was inspired by his story as told to the folklorist Harry Caudill."
One of Patricia Clarkson's favorite films of her own. She relished the opportunity to work with Chris Cooper, and she considers him "breathtaking" in the film.
The film was originally titled "Sinkhole", but was changed because director Robby Henson felt that people outside of Kentucky would not appreciate the reference.