Same Kind Of Different As Me – Online Premiere!

I was recently contacted by Heritage Films (a small independent film distribution company on the Sunshine Coast here in Queensland) to see if I’d be interested in giving a shout out for a film they were premiering ONLINE soon and after reading all about it, it was a resounding YES, and so here I am telling you all about it!

With Covid-19 restrictions they’ve been unable to screen films in cinemas as per usual but in a show of great initiative they are premiering one (online) called ‘Same Kind of Different as Me’ starring Renee Zellweger.  They’re partnering with the Salvation Army and The Red Shield Appeal (every ticket sold donates directly) for its release, as they’ve been hit hard this year with not being able to do their usual door-knock.

Obviously, this is a film that spoke to me and the reason I said yes to helping to promote its online premiere.  This is not a sponsored post, however I was given access to view the film and let me just say – it’s a beautiful film that had me hooked from the start all the way through to the end.  I think I went through every emotion possible while watching it and a heads up – you will need some tissues handy!   

Read on to learn more about the premiere event and all about the film!

ONLINE PREMIERE – ‘SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME’

SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME, starring Renee Zellweger and Greg Kinnear, is having a RED CARPET ONLINE PREMIERE on May 29^th-31^st. There will be live events (including a Q&A with the author of the New York Times bestselling book on which the film is based, Ron Hall – who has raised over $100 million for homelessness) and with Salvation Army personalities, and Laura Bennett who is a presenter for HOPE FM in Sydney.

Ron Hall wrote the original book, which sold over a million copies. He’s played by Greg Kinnear in the film, and he has since raised over $100 million towards homelessness). These live events will stream through Heritage Films’ Facebook page. Find out more about the Premiere Program HERE.

This is such a special film. Did you know that not only did they make a movie about renovating a homeless shelter, but they actually renovated a real-life homeless shelter during the process of filming?

And EVERY Single and Family PASS SOLD will contribute to the The Salvation Army RED SHIELD APPEAL! What better way to plan your movie night than hanging out with beautiful Renee Zellweger and giving love to the homeless?

You can purchase your pass HERE – but read on to learn more about the film and to see the trailer, some bonus clips, and I’ll include the link again at the end of the post along with more information.

ABOUT ‘SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME’

Genre: Drama.  Rated: PG.

Synopsis: Successful businessman Ron Hall and his wife, Deborah, discover a renewed sense of purpose when they begin to volunteer at a local mission in Fort Worth, Texas. Their lives change forever when they develop an unlikely friendship with Denver Moore, a homeless man who inspires them to save their struggling marriage.

Directed by: Michael Carney

Written by: Ron Hall, Alexander Foard and Michael Carney

Cast: 

RENEE ZELLWEGER as Deborah Hall

GREG KINNEAR as Ron Hall

DJIMON HOUNSOU as Denver Ford

JON VOIGHT as Earl Hall

Here’s a link to an interview with the cast of ‘Same Kind of Different as Me’ if you’re interested in watching.

ABOUT THE TRUE STORY

The film is based on a best-selling memoir of the same name, co-written by Moore, Hall and Lynn Vincent, that has sold over a million copies.

In brief: in 1998, millionaire art dealer Ron Hall, a Texan, father of two and an adulterer, promised he’d do anything to win back his wife Debbie. She gave him a challenge: help her feed the homeless at Fort Worth’s Union Gospel Mission and befriend the scariest man on the block, an ex-felon and murderer named Denver “Suicide” Moore.

What it’s not, Ron says, is a story about a wealthy “art dealer millionaire that saved this poor, African-American homeless man. Nothing could be further from the truth. This man saved me from myself.” Moore “became my mentor in life. He taught me the way to live, not the other way around. He saved me from being an arrogant, self-centered art dealer, to becoming someone who actually cares about the well-being of others.”

It started with the adultery that Debbie forgave. In return, her husband pledged to do anything she asked him to do. Debbie agreed to never again mention his infidelity, and, he says, “she was true to that promise.” For at least a decade, Debbie asked not a single thing of Hall — until she did. She awoke one night, telling him about a dream she had had, about “a poor man who’s wise, and through his wisdom, our lives and our city are changed forever.”

He and Debbie cruised the toughest streets of Cowtown, looking for the man in her dream. They ended up at Union Gospel Mission, where Hall and his wife offered to serve food to the homeless and hungry waiting in line. “The smell,” Hall says, “just took me down. It was so nasty.” It’s where he met Moore. The story of their relationship forms the backbone of the book and the movie.

Moore moved in with Hall in 2000, the year Debbie died of cancer. Moore gave the eulogy at her funeral. Hall calls it “one of the most beautiful, heartfelt speeches I’ve ever heard,” saying it drew a prolonged standing ovation from a crowd of nearly 1,000.

In 2012, Moore died. “By then, he and I had become closer than brothers,” Hall says.  “When he moved in with me, he had nothing. But he gave me everything.”

Together, he and Denver helped to raise a reported $90 million (according to Ron Hall) for homeless shelters across the country—a remarkable harvest reaped from the seeds planted by his wife’s simple-but-profound love.

SOME REVIEWS

“A must-see movie”

—MovieGuide

 

“The performances by Kinnear, Zellweger and especially Hounsou sneak up on you”

—Los Angeles Times

 

“This profound story reminds us that no matter how deep the differences that separate us, just a bit of love may help us to see others’ dignity instead of choosing not to see them at all”

—Plugged In

 

“A powerful, inspiring drama”

—MovieGuide

 

“Heartfelt and well-made”

—Common Sense Media

 

“A lot of love has obviously been poured into this film”

—The Observer

THE TRAILER

SOME BONUS CLIPS

Behind The Scenes

Renee Zellweger – “It’s inspiring to tell a story that reminds us of our own ability to influence change.”

MORE INFORMATION ON THE PREMIERE AND HOW TO PURCHASE A PASS

YOU CAN PURCHASE YOUR PASS HERE

Ciao for now,