KIDS FIRST! Brings Together Movies, Marines, Red Carpets and Walmart
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/.
