Three-time Emmy® and two-time Golden Globe nominee Sherry Stringfield ("ER") and Danielle Panabaker ("The Crazies") star in the Hallmark Channel Original Movie, "Beverly Lewis' The Shunning," which has its World Premiere, Saturday, April 16 (9p.m. ET/PT, 8C). The movie is based on the first novel of The Heritage of Lancaster County Books from New York Times best-selling author Beverly Lewis and is the retelling of some of the heartbreaking experiences of Lewis' maternal grandmother Ada Ranck Buckwalter. Ms. Buckwalter was born into the Old Order Mennonite Church, which became the genesis of Ms. Lewis' fascination with her plain heritage.
In "Beverly Lewis' The Shunning," Panabaker plays "Katie Lapp," known in her Amish Community for not always adhering to the strict rules of the religious township. Katie has accepted the town Bishop's proposal to be married, but she is uneasy about her choice. As she struggles to accept a life of sacrifices she is often in conflict with, Katie discovers her parents have kept a secret from her: she is adopted, and her birth mother is urgently attempting to locate her. Sherry Stringfield plays "Laura Mayfield-Bennett," Katie's birth mother, who is dying of cancer and who wants only to be reunited with the child she gave up 24 years ago.
Secrets are revealed, trust and hearts broken and a community stubbornly holding on to the old ways will turn a cold shoulder to its most recalcitrant daughter.
"Beverly Lewis' The Shunning" is produced by Believe Pictures and Lightworks Pictures. Brian Bird, Michael Landon Jr. and Maura Dunbar are the executive producers and Cindy Bond is co-executive producer. Mitchell Galin and Carey Nelson Burch are the producers. Michael Landon, Jr. directed from a script written by Chris Easterly.
Beverly Lewis is America's foremost author of "plain heritage" literature and is the author of more than 70 books. Ms. Lewis' father was a pastor in Lancaster County, heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch community and part of the sub-grouping of Mennonite churches who believe in simple living, plain dress and reluctance for modern conveniences.
Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming available in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to a national audience of 87.5 million subscribers. The top tier program service is distributed through more than 5,450 cable systems and communities as well as direct-to-home satellite services across the country. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading network in quality family programming with an ambitious slate of original TV movies, lifestyle and general entertainment content, and is the home of "The Martha Stewart Show", which anchors the channel's new daytime HOME block. Hallmark Channel's sibling network is Hallmark Movie Channel, also available in HD and SD, which focuses on the family-friendly movies with a mix of classic theatrical films, presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library, original Hallmark Channel movies and special events.
For more information and to watch a preview, please visit the Hallmark Channel website.
