Co-editors/Writers Cathy Riely
Walter Smith
Photographer
Bill Hughes
at ease
The Battalion’s Entertainment Weekly
July 19,1985
Local girl stars in second film
By GIGI SHAMSY
Entertainmen: Writer
I T'S 8:30 A.M. AND GENNIE
James has already been
awake for three hours. Unlike
other eight-year-olds on sum
mer vacation, Gennie isn't
watching morning cartoons.
Instead, an overworked
production assistant shuttles
Gennie away from her trailer
and to a 1952 Plymouth station
wagon — where she will
spend the next hour shooting
a half-minute scene.
A makeup specialist dashes to
Gennie's side to re-position her hair.
A technical assistant rushes over
and squirts Gennie with bug spray
to fend off insects. The director of the
movie squats down next to Gennie
and carefully coaches her on her
next scene. •
She happily takes all this frenzied
activity in stride. After all, this is her
second movie and she has starred in
a Hallmark television special.
Gennie, freckle-faced and alert,
speaks, like a seasoned professional
about her experiences from this
movie and from her first movie role,
as Possum Spalding in "Places in
the Heart."
Gennie's newest venture is the
role of Aylene Pqrter in the Martin
Jurow production "Papa Was a Pre
acher. "
The film is based on a book of the
same name written.by Aylene Porter
and describes a year in the life of the
Porter family. It is the true story of
Aylene, her sister and six brothers in
a Texas parsonage who move with
their parents from Dallas to a church
in a rural Texas town in 1952.
Jurow is a Harvard Law School
graduate who has also produced
'Terms of Endearment," "Breakfast
at Tiffany's," "Waltz Across Texas"
and "The Great Race."
Robert Pine, best remembered
from his television role as the ser
geant in "Chips," plays the part of
"Papa" and Georgia Engel, known
for her portrayal of Georgette on
'The Mary Tyler Moore Show,"
plays "Papa's" wife, Pearl.
Gennie has become so comfortable
with her cb-workers she claims
filming the movie is like "having a
great big party just for kids."
"I enjoy doing pictures," she says
as she folds her hands and crosses
her legs. "It's different every time I
do a movie. People get really close
— like a real family.
"My favorite part about this movie
is all these nice people and the way
they relate to each other. When you
meet people who are going to be
your brothers and sisters in a movie,
six boys and one other girl, you start
*
(Above) Eight-year-old Gennie James irom Nayasota
stars in the feature film "Papa Was A Preacher." (Below)
Director Steve Feke instructs the set crew.
feeling like a real family.
"Everyone is so sweet, and they
all make time to talk to you — even
when they're really busy. I really
missed them when I was away."
She was confined to her home in Na-
vasota for two weeks with hepatitis.
She runs over to the three oldest
boys in the movie who are throwing
a softball around and practicing
their next scene.
Brandon Sokolsky, who plays Ay-
lene's brother "Raybon," leans over
and kisses Gennie on the cheek.
Gennie smiles and motions to 6-
year-old co-star, Joshua Butts, to
come investigate the creek behind
the church.
Although Gennie says she has
grown extremely close to her new
movie family in Dallas, she still
places a high priority on being a
good big sister to her younger
brother in Navasota.
"Johnny just turned four and he
doesn't know that I am away in Dal
las on this business and not just
away visiting someone," she says
nonchalantly. "When I'm home, I
make sure that my best friend, Nikki,
and I include Johnny in whatever we
do. I mean, he's just a kid and I can
feel what he's feeling when we let
him play with us."
Gennie also values spending time
with her mom and dad in Navasota.
Her mother, Sally, is using her vaca
tion time away from her job, to ac-
ccompany Gennie during the
filming of the movie.
"I've spent a lot of time with my
mom during this movie," she says,
"but now I'm looking forward to
spending time with my dad when
we go on a tour of 10 cities across the
country for my Hallmark TV speci
al."
Gennie says it is because of her
dad that she is in the movie busi
ness.
"He's the one that got me into
this,” she says with a giggle. "I know
he's proud of me. We've been really
good buddies — partners for eight
years.
"My dad is now an Aggie — and
he's proud of it," Gennie says as she
tells what Texas A&M courses her
father is taking as part of a continu
ing education program.
"I'm glad he's proud," she contin
ues. "I'm glad when he goes some
where, or when he's been studying,
and he has new things to tell us."
She says the Hallmark special,
called "Hug-A-Bunch," will air on
televisoh after October but, with a
finger over her mouth, she says she
cannot reveal anything else about
the special because "it's a secret."
Gennie and red-headed Joshua
are now sharing a bowl of grapes.
see Gennie p.2
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