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Five-time Emmy?Award winner Doris Roberts
("Everybody Loves Raymond") and "Scrubs" star
Judy Reyes portray a wealthy widow and a
homeless woman who each discover a life worth
living in Hallmark Channel’s Original movie "Our
House," which premieres March 2006.
This story of a wealthy widow who dedicates her
life to the homeless was profoundly important to
Roberts, who found inspiration not just in the
script but also in the writings of her late
husband, author William Goyen. "He wrote that,
when we see infirm or handicapped or older
people, or the homeless, we tend to turn away,"
Roberts said. "We shun them and we take away
their light."
That passage struck a chord with Roberts, who
convinced the "Our House" filmmakers to include
Goyen’s poignant words into the script. "It’s
something my character says, quoting her late
husband," the actress said. It is Roberts'hope
that, just as her character does, people who
view the film will be inspired to offer hope to
those who may have lost it, not to turn away.
"When the film was in production, Hallmark
Channel proposed using the movie’s promotion as
a platform to raise American consciousness on
chronic homelessness, and I wanted the movie to
have that impact. Having a safe place to call home strengthens
families, communities, and the nation as a
whole," Roberts says.
When Roberts'character, Ruth Galloway, attempts
suicide after the death of her husband, a chance
encounter with Billy (Reyes), a homeless woman
who rescues Ruth from a pill overdose, helps
each woman discover a life worth living.
Ruth is intrigued by Billy, whose life is vastly
different from her own. Although Billy is at
first resistant to accepting aid, she eventually
opens up and helps Ruth understand ?just as Goyen understood?that many of the homeless are
regular people who merely have fallen on hard
times or endured crippling personal tragedies.
To the dismay of her daughter and neighbors,
Ruth is inspired by Billy and opens up the
mansion to many more who are homeless.
Hallmark Entertainment presents "Our House," an
Alpine Medien Production in association with
Larry Levinson Productions. Robert Halmi, Jr.
and Larry Levinson are executive producers. Nick
Lombardo and Amy Goldberg are co-executive
producers. Randy Pope and Lincoln Lageson are
co-producers. "Our House" was directed by Mark
Griffiths and written by Michael Lach. |
