In the summer of 2005, George Gallo had finally convinced enough people that the story of his youth, and of one magical summer getting lost in the beauty of art, was one that people wanted to see. Or so he thought.

After assembling an impressive cast and raising money for production, though, investors backed out, money dried up and the chance of the movie being filmed was quite bleak.

So Gallo bet the mortgage on it. Literally. He and producer James W. Evangelatos and their wives mortgaged their homes to raise enough money to film the movie in Louisiana, which — surprisingly and effectively — doubled for upstate New York.

“I think everyone has that one time in their lives to really put their money where their mouth is . . . or where there heart is,” writer-director Gallo says in the movie’s press materials. “We did. And we haven’t looked back.”

Art and film fans should be thankful, because the movie that just barely escaped the wrath of Hurricane Katrina is a moving testament to the ability of art to restore the elderly to the innocent days of youth, all while instilling contemporary youth with the lessons and perspective they’ll probably only recognize as invaluable in their later years.

“I had the crazy idea that I was destined for greatness,” proclaims an older version of aspiring artist John Talia Jr. (played by Trevor Morgan), a high school-aged wannabe based on Gallo who is smart enough to know that while he may appreciate the finest art has to offer, he certainly can’t create it — yet.

That’s where famed artist-turned-recluse Nicoli Seroff comes in. Seroff, played brilliantly by Armin Mueller-Stahl, is a gruff alcoholic who believes time, and the appreciation that once came with his success, has passed him by. The Russian-born Seroff befriends Talia, albeit reluctantly, and they develop the kind of relationship that a housefly has with his annoyed human companion.

Talia’s persistence wins out, though, and what the audience gets is a surprisingly refreshing look at art through the common man’s eye. Seroff, when he’s not ordering Talia to paint his summer home or finding odd chores for him, eventually explains the true significance of representational art while dispelling the notion — both to viewers and to Morgan — that art is only for elitists.

In the movie’s funniest scene — and there are many hilarious one-liners thanks to Seroff’s clever use of profanity— the former master dispels that notion by making a mockery of one of his good friends who believes that modern art is ultimately more intellectual than traditional art.

Save for an all-too-predictable love scene between Morgan and Samantha Mathis, there isn’t much wasted time here. The film is intriguing from start to finish if only for the unique and beautiful relationship between the master and the prodigy. And even the brief kiss between Morgan and Mathis serves as a means to Talia’s approval by his blue-collar father (Ray Liotta), who was originally skeptical — to say the least — of his son’s desire to paint.

But much has changed by the time Talia and Seroff return from the artist’s summer home. Though Talia down-plays the impact he had on Seroff, his imprint is obvious. So, too, is the artist’s on him. And so, too, is the impact this movie has on the casual fan who leaves with a greater appreciation for all that is art.

LOCAL COLOR

Three stars

STARRING: Armin Mueller-Stahl, Trevor Morgan, Ray Liotta, Samantha Mathis

DIRECTOR: George Gallo

RUNNING TIME: 107 minutes

RATING: R for language

THE LOWDOWN: A jaded painter-turned-recluse recaptures the innocence of youth while teaching a young prodigy lessons about painting and life.