{"id":38,"date":"2013-10-03T06:11:25","date_gmt":"2013-10-03T06:11:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/peanutsandpopcorn\/?p=38"},"modified":"2013-10-03T06:11:25","modified_gmt":"2013-10-03T06:11:25","slug":"james-denton-and-shawnee-talk-about-grace-unplugged","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/peanutsandpopcorn\/2013\/10\/james-denton-and-shawnee-talk-about-grace-unplugged.html","title":{"rendered":"James Denton and Shawnee Talk about \u2018Grace Unplugged\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"James<\/a>
James Denton and Shawnee Smith play the parents of talented young singer Grace Trey (AJ Michalka), whose pursuit of pop-music stardom causes friction in the family in GRACE UNPLUGGED, coming to theaters Oct. 4 from Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You might be surprised by many things with the upcoming faith-based film, \u201cGrace Unplugged<\/a>.\u201d Two of them are starring in it.<\/p>\n

James Denton, star of TV\u2019s \u201cDesperate Housewives\u201d and Shawnee Smith from \u201cSaw\u201d and Charlie Sheen\u2019s TV comedy, \u201cAnger Management,\u201d play the married parents of Grace (AJ Michalka) in the new film. A choice some filmmakers would not have chosen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know why they came to me, but my manager got the call and discouraged me from taking the meeting for all kinds of reasons. I said, \u2018You know, my mom spent her life working for the church and I grew up in the church and my dad was a deacon his entire life and I think that\u00a0 they would want me to do it,\u2019\u201d said Denton at a recent press round table event.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m fascinated with the idea of doing a Christian movie if it\u2019s a good one.\u201d<\/p>\n

After talking about faith and entertainment for three or so hours, Denton was sold. Not surprisingly, Denton\u2019s manager was not thrilled with the actor\u2019s choice to star in the movie. When he asked Denton how much the film would be paying him and when he would be starting the project, he replied, \u201cI have no idea, but I\u2019m doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Denton plays Johnny Trey, a former one-hit-wonder rock star whose life of alcohol and drugs nearly destroyed him, so he pushed his past behind him and became a worship pastor. Grace, his daughter, has his same passion and drive for music and wants what he had. The two butt heads. Between the two is Michelle (Shawnee Smith), a caring and loving mother and pastor\u2019s wife. Not exactly the role most would have pictured her to play in.<\/p>\n

\"Shawnee<\/a>
Shawnee Smith<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t really care,\u201d Shawnee says bluntly but honestly. \u201cSo much of life is just talk. At the end of the day, you\u2019re just serving the higher thing.\u201d For years, Smith played the ditzy receptionist on the TV show \u201cBecker\u201d with Ted Danson and has appeared in a few of the \u201cSaw\u201d films. The role of Michelle is about as far as you can get from her previous parts.<\/p>\n

The actress is receiving some great praise in her first real mature role. Instead of just a sideline character, Smith aspired more for the role, making Michelle a stand out rather than just a bland, one dimensional character. \u201cIt would have been that way with a different actress,\u201d says Denton. \u201cWhen I read it [the script] I was not sure. But when I saw [Shawnee\u2019s acting], I was like \u2018Holy Wow!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

James also has his share of critics wondering what he\u2019s doing in a faith-based movie. \u201cI get this question a lot from friends who are Christians asking me how did I rationalize being on \u2018Desperate Housewives\u2019 when [I\u2019m] a Christian, says Denton. \u201c If you are depicting life in a way that is somehow more than just entertainment, then it\u2019s a lot like turning the mirror on real life. If people can learn something about life and human nature, then there\u2019s a lot to be gained from that spiritually and practically.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"James<\/a>
James Denton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Regarding \u201cHousewives,\u201d Denton saw the show as a morality tale, in that the characters were never \u201crewarded\u201d for their bad behavior and redemption was shown in many of the episodes. Still, not everyone agrees. \u201cI know that there are Christian producers, some really successful ones, that have done some recent, very popular faith-based films that only work with Christians and who would never had cast any of us. At least, that is what I heard, says Denton. \u201cAnd so, it did cross my mind that people might say, \u2018What do you think you\u2019re doing a Christian movie? You\u2019re from \u201cDesperate Housewives.\u201d\u2019 But you can\u2019t worry about. I know what my intent was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shawnee adds, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have been working with them and I wouldn\u2019t really care to be working with them. For this movie, everyone was always serving the higher [purpose]. The intentions were true. We were just serving the truth of it. It\u2019s very simple you know, love and truth. It was such a freedom to serve that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asking Smith what is was that drew her to the role, she says, \u201cI loved the character of Michelle and I thought, if my daughter grew up to be this kind of a woman, I would be thrilled. And it\u2019s a movie that she can actually see, which never happens,\u201d she laughs. \u201cShe usually has the walk through the production offices with her eyes on the ground.\u201d Believe it or not, Smith homeschools her daughter and tries to protect her from bad outside influences. The message of \u201cUnplugged\u201d really resonates with her. \u201cThis is a movie about a family in the ring. It just brings me to my knees. These people just staying in the ring fighting for each other \u2013 for love, for truth in the most real way.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, when Smith decided that she really wanted to do the role, others had different thoughts. \u201cThen the producers where scared.\u00a0 They Googled me and thought, this isn\u2019t going to work. And then I was a little indignant. What kind of Christian way is this? Who was Jesus hanging out with, you know? Then of course, I put my ego aside and thought this is not how this ends. We got all the business people aside and took them over to my house with my kids. We all got together and three or four hours later they said, \u201cOh, so this more like who you really are!\u201d<\/p>\n

Why was this role so important to her? \u201cMichelle is someone I aspire to be. My personal life is rather small and those are the goals. I wept through most of the movie because I\u2019ve been there. I thought Brad [Silverman, the director] did a brilliant job of presenting what is dead and how it looks alive. [Dead things] look powerful and shiny and what is alive looks kinda boring and frustrating. \u201cI\u2019ve seen this woman and I know enough about how much of a treasure this woman is. She has the self-control to be respectful of her husband and have faith in God, even when in that moment [in the film] when she says to her husband, \u2018What are you going to do? Drag her back home?\u2019 The rawness of that moment and the terror that\u2019s underneath\u2026It\u2019s a very powerful movie and I hope that everyone sees it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was excited to do this as this is the world where I come from,\u201d says Denton. \u201cMy first job out of college was a minster of music so I know these people really well and have a lot of respect for them. The life they live and how they raise their kids. Why preach to Christians?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You might be surprised by many things with the upcoming faith-based film, \u201cGrace Unplugged.\u201d Two of them are starring in it. James Denton, star of TV\u2019s \u201cDesperate Housewives\u201d and Shawnee Smith from \u201cSaw\u201d and Charlie Sheen\u2019s TV comedy, \u201cAnger Management,\u201d play the married parents of Grace (AJ Michalka) in the new film. A choice some…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":558,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[30,25,17,26,31],"class_list":["post-38","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-faith-based-movie","tag-grace-unplugged","tag-interview","tag-james-denton","tag-shawnee-smith"],"yoast_head":"\nJames Denton and Shawnee Talk about \u2018Grace Unplugged\u2019 - Peanuts and Popcorn<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/peanutsandpopcorn\/2013\/10\/james-denton-and-shawnee-talk-about-grace-unplugged.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"James Denton and Shawnee Talk about \u2018Grace Unplugged\u2019 - Peanuts and Popcorn\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You might be surprised by many things with the upcoming faith-based film, \u201cGrace Unplugged.\u201d Two of them are starring in it. James Denton, star of TV\u2019s \u201cDesperate Housewives\u201d and Shawnee Smith from \u201cSaw\u201d and Charlie Sheen\u2019s TV comedy, \u201cAnger Management,\u201d play the married parents of Grace (AJ Michalka) in the new film. 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James Denton, star of TV\u2019s \u201cDesperate Housewives\u201d and Shawnee Smith from \u201cSaw\u201d and Charlie Sheen\u2019s TV comedy, \u201cAnger Management,\u201d play the married parents of Grace (AJ Michalka) in the new film. 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