Kinkade movie to premiere in Shelbyville

Andrea and Dennis Lovvorn, owners of The New Covenant Book Store on North Main Street, are hosting the movie premiere of "Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage," at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Capri Twin. (T-G Photo by Sadie Fowler) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Dennis and Andrea Lovvorn, owners of The New Covenant Christian Book Store, are hosting a big screen premiere of "Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage," a movie about Kinkade's years as a teenager growing up in a small California town.

Shelbyville was one of 14 cities in the country selected for the premiere showing. Knoxville and Memphis are the only other Tennessee cities involved.

"We want people to realize how exclusive this is," Andrea said. "We jumped through all sorts of hoops to be able to get it here."

Dennis added, "It's a real treat for this city, and we feel honored to be able to bring it to Shelbyville."

Advanced tickets may be purchased at New Covenant for $5 or at the Capri Saturday morning.

The movie, released in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Kinkade's art being published, is also available on DVD, but the Lovvorns wanted Shelbyville residents to have the opportunity to see it on the big screen.

"It's a Christmas movie about his life, his humble beginnings, and how he got started," Dennis said. "It really is a good movie."

Kinkade, 50, is known as "the painter of light." As a child, Kinkade was afraid of the dark, so since he began painting he has included a lot of light in his art.

The movie stars Jared Padalecki, Marcia Gay Harden, and Peter O'Toole. Kinkade (played by Padalecki) learns that his mother is about to lose the family's rundown house. With help from the community, especially from well-known artist Glen Wessels, Kinkade's mother is able to keep the home.

In the movie, Wessels gives one of his paintings to Kinkade, who thanks Wessels and tells him he'll cherish the art forever.

"Glen tells him, 'No, you won't ... You will sell it,'" Dennis said.

Kinkade sells the painting, which helps the family keep the cottage.

Later in the movie, Kinkade, who is now the most collected American artist in the world, paints a picture of his home, called the "Christmas Cottage." This painting came to be one of his popular items, and the Lovvorns will be giving away a canvas painting of this piece Saturday afternoon.

Anyone may register for the canvas painting, which is valued at $995. The winner will be drawn Saturday afternoon, around 2 p.m., at New Covenant.

The Lovvorns are also giving away prints of another Kinkade painting, of a cabin in the Smoky Mountains, to anyone to asks (while they last).

MORE INFORMATION

To purchase tickets for "A Christmas Cottage," or to register for the canvas painting giveaway, contact The New Covenant Christian Book Store, located on North Main Street, at 684-8878.