THE TOUCHING TRUE STORY OF TWO FAMILIES DEVASTATED BY LOSS BUT UNITED IN FAITH TO LOVE AGAIN

LACEY CHABERT AND WARREN CHRISTIE STAR IN "THE COLOR OF RAIN," A HALLMARK MOVIE CHANNEL ORIGINAL WORLD PREMIERE, MAY 31

Based on the New York Times Bestselling Book The Color of Rain By Michael and Gina Spehn

In the emotional true story of an unexpected new beginning in the face of unimaginable loss, Lacey Chabert ("Party of Five," "Mean Girls") and Warren Christie ("Alphas," "Happy Town") star in the Hallmark Movie Channel Original World Premiere "The Color of Rain," premiering Saturday, May 31 (9p.m. ET/PT, 8C). Inspired by the true story of Gina Kell and Michael Spehn and the 2011 New York Times bestselling book they wrote together of the same title, the film follows both families as they become one after cancer tragically claims both Gina's husband and Michael's wife just six weeks apart.

When young husband and father Matt Kell succumbs to a terminal cancer diagnosis on Christmas day 2005, his widow, Gina (Chabert) and two young boys are left to cope with the pain of his loss while their close church community gathers around them for support. Wanting to be close to her kids, Gina starts to volunteer at their elementary school and meets the Spehn children, Jack, Danny and Charlotte. In a gut-wrenching coincidence, just weeks after Matt's death, the Spehn's mom, Cathy, is also suddenly taken by cancer, leaving her distraught husband, Michael (Christie), to care for their three kids on his own. Sensing the hopelessness in Michael she so recently saw in herself, Gina reaches out to Michael and his kids and the two families begin to forge an unlikely friendship. During the year that follows, their lives become intertwined as they learn to lean on each other during, at-times, insurmountable obstacles, tears and adversity. They begin to heal with laughter, compassion and faith. And, when Gina and Michael realize their newfound bond could be more than just friendship, they struggle against surprising resistance from their families and community to unite their two grieving families as one, and eventually learn to open their hearts to love again.

Michael and Gina Spehn co-founded The New Day Foundation for Families, a nonprofit organization created to help families with young children who have been affected by cancer. They co-host a radio talk show called Your Family Matters in Detroit and speak around the country on the topics of grief, hope and family issues.

"The Color of Rain" is A Lighthouse Pictures production in association with La Canada. Executive Producers are Dan Paulson, David Permut and Shawn Williamson. Anne Wheeler directed from a script written by Nancey Silvers, which is based on the book 2011 book The Color of Rain by Michael and Gina Spehn.

Hallmark Movie Channel, the second linear channel from Crown Media Holdings, Inc., simulcast in SD (Standard Definition) and HD (High Definition), is a trusted family-friendly network devoted to quality storytelling. Available in nearly 54 million homes and one of the fastest-growing cable TV networks, Hallmark Movie Channel is a 24-hour digital cable network dedicated to bringing viewers original movies with a mix of classic theatrical films, and presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library. In today's crowded television landscape, the network offers viewers a diverse range of film genres, including mysteries, westerns, coming-of-age dramas, and epic fantasies.

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