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TONY(R) AND CMT MUSIC AWARD NOMINEE LAURA BELL BUNDY STARS IN "DEAR DUMB DIARY," A HALLMARK CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE WORLD PREMIERE SEPTEMBER 6, BASED ON SCHOLASTIC'S POPULAR CHILDREN'S BOOK SERIES BY JIM BENTON
Emily Alyn Lind, Mary-Charles Jones, David Mazouz,
Sterling Griffith and James Waterston Also Star
Part of "Walmart and P&G Present Walden Family Theater,"
A New Series of Family Movies Presented by
Walmart, P&G, Walden Media and ARC Entertainment
A delightfully imaginative middle-schooler learns that it's not just what's on the outside
that matters but what's on the inside as well in "Dear Dumb Diary," a two-hour Hallmark
Channel Original Movie World Premiere Friday, September 6 (8 p.m. ET/PT, 7C). Based on
Scholastic's popular Dear Dumb Diary children's book series by Jim Benton, the movie stars
Tony(R), CMT Music and American Country Music Award nominee Laura Bell Bundy ("Hart Of
Dixie, "Guiding Light"), James Waterston ("Dead Poets Society"), Emily Alyn Lind ("Revenge,"
"Won't Back Down," "All My Children"), Mary-Charles Jones ("Identity Thief," "Hannah
Montana") along with Sterling Griffith ("Easy Rider: The Ride Back") and David Mazouz
("Touch").
"Dear Dumb Diary" is part of Hallmark Channel's exciting new Friday night appointment
viewing franchise, "Walden Family Theater," presented in collaboration with Walmart, Procter &
Gamble, award-winning family entertainment producer Walden Media ("The Chronicles Of
Narnia," "Bridge To Terabithia," "Holes") and fast-growing independent studio ARC
Entertainment. "Walden Family Theater" is designed to further fill the void on TV for quality
family entertainment.
Jamie (Lind) marches to the beat of her own music video. As an artistic and energetic
glitter-loving diva in the making, the 11-year old's vivid daydreams about how life should be are
often played out as full-blown musical productions. In her mind, Hudson Rivers (Mazouz), the
eighth cutest boy in Mackerel Middle School, returns her affections and Angeline (Griffith), the
prettiest and most popular girl in school, and other perfect people like her, are banished so that
average folk get their due. Real life, however, is somewhat different and as a result, Jamie
pours out her innermost thoughts in her cherished diary and shares some of her feelings with
her beloved Aunt Carol (Bundy) as well as her shrewd best friend Isabella (Jones), who may not
be the best influence on her.
When Mackerel Middle School's arts program is threatened because of budget cuts,
Assistant Principal Devon (Waterston) announces the district's first-ever Jump-a-thon
fundraiser. Jamie sees her winning participation as an opportunity to not only save the arts
program but to impress Hudson, and by beating Angeline, bring justice to ordinary people of
the world. At the same time, she becomes the unwitting participant in one of Isabella's schemes
and her diary goes missing. As the story progresses, Jamie recognizes the importance of doing
the right thing, learns not to judge by appearances and puts aside personal feelings for the
greater good. She also discovers her own sparkling inner beauty, which was there all along.
"Dear Dumb Diary," presented by ARC Entertainment, Walden Media, Walmart and
Procter & Gamble, is a Zucker Production. Janet Zucker, Jerry Zucker, Jim Benton, Louis J.
Grieci III, Ben Simon, Janet M. Morrison and Aaron Tucker serve as executive producers.
Bonnie Greenberg, Patrick Panzarella and Julie Kane-Ritsch serve as co-executive producers.
The film is produced by Don Schain, Sean Gesell and Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and directed by
Kristin Hanggi. The teleplay is by Kristin Hanggi and Jim Benton, based on the book series Dear
Dumb Diary by Jim Benton, published by Scholastic.
About Hallmark Channel
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 million
subscribers. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading destination for quality family programming
with an ambitious slate of original TV movies and specials, as well as some of television's most
beloved sitcoms and series, including The Golden Girls, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie,
and Frasier. The channel is also home to a range of lifestyle programming, anchored by Home
& Family, a daily two-hour live show shot in a fully functional house located on the Universal
Studios lot. Hallmark Channel's sibling network, Hallmark Movie Channel, available in HD and
SD, focuses on family-friendly movies with a mix of original films, classic theatrical releases, and
presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library.
Hallmark Channel on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter (Join the conversation at
#HeartofTV), Pinterest, GetGlue, YouTube
About Walden Media
Walden Media creates films and books for the whole family to enjoy together. Past awardwinning
films include: "The Chronicles of Narnia" series, "Holes," "Nim's Island," "Charlotte's
Web," the Sundance Audience Prize Winning documentary "Waiting for 'Superman" and the
recent hit "Parental Guidance."
About ARC Entertainment
ARC Entertainment (www.arc-ent.com) is a fully integrated distribution company providing both
physical and digital distribution and sales services entertainment-based products. ARC
Entertainment monetizes content in multiple revenue streams including: Theatrical Distribution,
DVD, Blu-ray, Digital, Electronic Sell-Through, Streaming, VOD, PPV, Pay and Free TV. ARC
Entertainment's unparalleled relationships with national retailers, coupled with strong sales and
marketing expertise, enables the Company to explore unique programs and business models for
its content partners.
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