Kimberly Williams-Paisley to Star in the Lifetime Movie Network Original Movie Amish Grace

Based on a True Story of One Woman's Journey of Healing Following the Tragic Schoolhouse Shooting in a Pennsylvania Amish Community, AMISH GRACE is set to Premiere in 2010

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 30 -- Kimberly Williams-Paisley (According to Jim, Father of the Bride Parts I and II) has been cast to star as Ida Graber in the Lifetime Movie Network Original Movie Amish Grace. The movie is based on a true story about the aftermath that followed the schoolhouse shooting in the Amish community of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. Set to begin production in December, the film will examine a mother's (Williams-Paisley) personal journey as she copes with the tragic loss of her daughter during the shooting. Matt Letscher (Brothers & Sisters, Entourage) will portray her husband, Gideon Graber. Amish Grace, based on the book Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy, will premiere in spring 2010 on Lifetime Movie Network, the second highest rated women's channel.

ABOUT AMISH GRACE

The peaceful Amish community of Nickel Mines was forever changed when a gunman senselessly took the lives of five girls in a schoolhouse shooting before taking his own life. What transpires afterwards takes Nickel Mines by storm when the media descends on the town and criticizes its Amish leaders for their notion of unconditional forgiveness of the shooter and his widow, Amy Roberts (Tammy Blanchard, Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, Living Proof). Devastated by her daughter's death and tempted to leave the only life she's ever known, Ida Graber (Williams-Paisley), finds herself struggling with her community's teaching of the transcending power of forgiveness. But, through her anguish and pain, she slowly begins a personal journey towards accepting the heart-wrenching tragedy of losing a child.

ABOUT KIMBERLY WILLIAMS-PAISLEY

Most recently seen co-starring in the hit ABC sitcom According to Jim, Kimberly Williams-Paisley also directed three episodes of the series over the course of its impressive eight-season run. Williams-Paisley first lit up the screen as the radiant young bride in the comedy feature film series Father of the Bride and Father of the Bride Part II, and her other film credits include How to Eat Fried Worms and We Are Marshall. Williams-Paisley wrote, directed and starred in the multi award-winning short film Shade, which she is presently developing into a full-length feature film. She starred in and co-produced Lifetime's Original Movie Identity Theft: The Michelle Brown Story and her other television credits include The Christmas Shoes, Lucky Seven and Boston Legal. In addition to her acting work, Williams-Paisley is an accomplished writer with published articles in In Style and Redbook. She and her father Gurney Williams co-authored the children's book, Henry and the Hidden Veggie Garden.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Amish Grace is produced by Larry A. Thompson Organization for Lifetime Movie Network. Larry A. Thompson (Little Girl Lost: The Delimar Vera Story, A Date With Darkness: The Trial and Capture of Andrew Luster) will executive produce, and Kyle A. Clark and Marta M. Mobley (Citizen Jane, Mrs. Washington Goes to Smith) are set to produce. Gregg Champion (Miracle Run, 14 Hours) will direct the teleplay from Micky Levy (Rails & Ties) and Teena Booth (The Wronged Man, Natalee Holloway). The teleplay is based on a true story and the critically-acclaimed book, Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy by Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt and David L. Weaver-Zercher. Multiple Emmy� Award-winner Van Broughton Ramsey (Lonesome Dove, Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All) is set to costume design and Michael Hancock (Witness, Paper Dolls) is set as key makeup artist.

ABOUT LIFETIME MOVIE NETWORK

Lifetime Movie Network is the #2 women's channel, behind only its sister network Lifetime Television. The first ten months of 2009 were the Network's most watched ten months of any year in both Total Day and Primetime among key demographics, including Households, Women 18-49, Women 18+, as well in Prime among Women 18-34 and Women 25-54.

In 2009, Lifetime Movie Network's slate of 16 original movies included Natalee Holloway, which premiered on April 19 and broke all Lifetime Movie Network records, becoming the number one original movie in the Network's eleven year history. Other films that debuted on the Network included two movies adapted from best-selling books by author Ann Rule - Ann Rule's Too Late to Say Goodbye, featuring Rob Lowe, and the miniseries event Ann Rule's Everything She Ever Wanted, with Gina Gershon and Victor Garber. The Christmas Hope, based on the third novel of Donna VanLiere's best-selling Christmas trilogy, will premiere in December 2009. This year, Lifetime Movie Network reached more than 72 million U.S. subscribers, making it the industry's fastest growing channel.*

Lifetime Television�, Lifetime Movie Network�, Lifetime Real Women� and Lifetime Digital(TM) (which includes myLifetime.com, LMN.tv, Lifetime Games, Roiworld.com, DressUpChallenge.com, MothersClick.com and LifetimeMoms.com) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A&E Television Networks, LLC. A&E Television Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group, Hearst Corporation and NBC Universal.

*Among channels with at least 51 million households.