KIDS FIRST! News

If a lie isn’t made on purpose, it should be easy enough to clear up, right? Except that when there are a lot of people involved, each person has a different idea of when would be the best time to explain it away.

In Truth Be Told, the innocent mistake starts when a widower with two kids runs into a college friend at a museum event, and the event photographer assumes they are one happy family and poses them for his camera. The impression is picked up by a wealthy man whose position and money could be a beneficial force for, respectively, the woman’s career and the man’s nonprofit fundraising needs. There’s an undercurrent that “Bish,” the potential benefactor, has problems of his own, and the audience is pulled into watching for how Annie Morgan, the marriage and family counselor who would love to have a radio show of her own “to help people who can’t afford therapy,” and Mark Crane, who runs an after-school program to help kids in a tough neighborhood, are going to help him find the answers he needs. But in the meantime, it’s a sort-of comedy of errors as Annie, Mark, Mark’s middle-school-aged daughter Zoe and high-school-aged son Kenny have their attacks of conscience and determine to confess the charade — only to be thwarted by one of the others who, at that particular moment, feels there is something to be gained by stalling just a little longer.

Most of the story takes place at Bish’s ranch in Colorado. He had been impressed with Annie when he met her at that museum event and became interested in offering her the radio show. Family, it develops later, is very important to him, and the photographer’s mistake led to Bish inviting Annie and “her family” for a weekend at his ranch to get to know them. Real learning, however, can’t start until they can base it on honesty.

KIDS FIRST! film critic Raven Devanney (age 13) shares her review of the made-for-TV movie (and view it online): 

‘Truth Be Told’
Review by Raven Devanney

Truth Be Told is a fantastic movie to watch with family or by yourself.

This film is great. There are lots of funny parts and also some serious situations when Annie, played by Candace Bure, and Mark, played by David Elliott, pretend to be married so they can qualify for a job offer.

The visual aspects of the film are awesome. However, in the climax of the movie, when Zoe runs away, the cinematography is very dark and the lighting is poor. It feels weird. 

My favorite character is Zoe because she is very believable and really sweet.

Another thing I really enjoy from this film is that the main characters are from Denver, Colorado, and since I’m from Colorado as well, it is really cool to be able to relate to them.

I think Truth Be Told is a great move for family night or for young teens to enjoy on their own. Truth be told, the movie is great!

The newest Walmart and Procter & Gamble family movie, Truth Be Told, stars Candace Cameron Bure (“Full House”), Ronny Cox (“Stargate SG-1”) and David James Elliot (The Stranger I Married). “American Idol” star Danny Gokey makes his acting debut, and provides some of the songs. There are good rock ‘n’ roll vibes throughout the film, and an appealing thread of romance for the young, old and older.

Truth Be Told world premieres on FOX on April 16 at 8/7c.

Watch the film’s stars talk about making a family movie.

View the trailer.

Photos: Annie Morgan and Mark Crane, with Alexander Bishop and wife looking on (top); KIDS FIRST! film critic Raven Devanney (bottom)

Hollywood-style excitement hit Marine Corps Air Station Miramar on Saturday, April 2, with a red carpet movie event in honor of the Month of the Military Child. Brooke White and Danny Gokey, who came to acclaim on “American Idol,” smiled for the fans and flashbulbs as they walked the red carpet to the Bob Hope Theater aboard the air station. The invited audience – limited to military families for this special event – followed them into the theater for the feature screening of White’s movie Change of Plans and a sneak peek at upcoming release of Gokey’s Truth Be Told. White makes her acting debut in Change of Plans; Gokey – and some of his songs – makes his in Truth Be Told.The much-beloved puppet Lamb Chop assisted her sidekick Mallory Lewis, Mistress of Ceremonies, to open the show. The idea for the screening originated with Lewis, who took her idea to KIDS FIRST!, with which she has collaborated on other events and now also sits on the board. It struck an immediate chord with KIDS FIRST! founder and president Ranny Levy, who upped the impact by arranging for the star power of the popular “American Idol” performers. White and Gokey, expressing their reasons why it was especially meaningful to them to participate in the event for the military families, delighted the audience with a performance prior to the movie screening. (Look for interviews with these stars by KIDS FIRST! film critic Anthony Aranda.)

The much-beloved puppet Lamb Chop assisted her sidekick Mallory Lewis, Mistress of Ceremonies, to open the show. The idea for the screening originated with Lewis, who took her idea to KIDS FIRST!, with which she has collaborated on other events and now also sits on the board. It struck an immediate chord with KIDS FIRST! founder and president Ranny Levy, who upped the impact by arranging for the star power of the popular “American Idol” performers. White and Gokey, expressing their reasons to participate in the event for the military families, delighted the audience with a performance prior to the movie screening. (Look for interviews with these stars by KIDS FIRST! film critic Anthony Aranda.)

The Walmart and Procter & Gamble made-for-TV family movie Change of Plans stars Brooke White, Joe Flanigan and Phylicia Rashad. The movie demonstrates how our lives can be turned upside-down with a single phone call. When Sally Danville (Brooke White) finds out that her best friend from college has died in a tragic accident, Sally also learns that she has been named the legal guardian of her friend’s four children – three of whom were adopted from third-world countries. Now, Sally and her husband, Jason (Joe Flanigan, “Stargate: Atlantis”), must quickly learn to parent this instant family and help the kids deal with culture clashes and life in America. The story is both humorous and heartwarming, revealing how fulfilling life can be when you look beyond your own plans and invest in the lives of others. The Change of Plans DVD and soundtrack are sold together in a bonus pack, available April 26, exclusively at Wal-Mart.

The newest Walmart and Procter & Gamble family movie, Truth Be Told, stars Candace Cameron Bure (“Full House”), Ronny Cox (“Stargate SG-1”) and David James Elliot (The Stranger I Married), and the world premiere airs on FOX on April 16 at 8/7c.

Photos, from top: KIDS FIRST! film critic Anthony Aranda, Lamb Chop and Mallory Lewis, Brooke White and Danny Gokey; Brooke White; Danny Gokey. For more photos, visit: http://flickr.com/gp/rannynm/999eJe/.