TLC today announces that it has commissioned the two-hour film LETTERS TO JACKIE: REMEMBERING PRESIDENT KENNEDY, executive produced by Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Bill Couturié's The Couturie Company in partnership with Amblin Television. The film revisits the months following the assassination of President Kennedy, when the First Lady became the heart of the nation, leading its citizens - and her own children - through a dark and difficult time. In response, thousands of US citizens and mourners around the world reached out in support. LETTERS TO JACKIE puts a spotlight on the strength and unity that emerged during one of the most iconic times in American history.
The film will debut as an exclusive television event on
TLC this fall, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the President's assassination.
"LETTERS TO JACKIE: REMEMBERING PRESIDENT KENNEDY is a beautiful and moving tribute to a nation at a time of mourning, and to a remarkable woman who exemplified strength in
The Face of such pain. While the country lost its president, Jackie Kennedy lost her husband and the father of her children, and these letters explore how some of the most relatable moments can happen during such a remarkable time," says Amy Winter, GM, TLC.
In the two months following that fateful day in November 1963, the White House received more than 800,000 condolence letters to Jacqueline Kennedy and her family, all expressions of sorrow, strength and unity. LETTERS TO JACKIE reveals how a single event transcended generations, regions, races, political leanings and religions and unified a nation in support of a family in grief.
Twenty A-List celebrities have lent their recognizable voices to give life to these powerful letters from everyday Americans, including a polio-stricken 13 year-old who offers words of strength for the First Lady, a Peace Corps volunteer who mourns the loss while stationed in Ethiopia and an African American woman who expressed her pride and gratitude for President Kennedy's work in the civil rights movement.
The participating talent includes:
Bérénice Bejo
Demián Bichir
Jessica ChastainChris CooperViola DavisZooey DeschanelKirsten DunstAnne HathawayAllison JanneyJohn KrasinskiMelissa LeoLaura LinneyFrances McDormandChloë Grace Moretz
Mark RuffaloOctavia SpencerHailee SteinfeldChanning TatumBetty WhiteMichelle Williams
"I'll never forget where I was when JFK was killed. No one will. It cast a dark shadow over America. The world, really. Afterwards, the American people poured out their hearts to Jackie. The strength and wisdom of the nation, coming out of profound tragedy, rings clear in these letters. As soon as I read them, I knew I had to make a movie around them and the time they so eloquently evoke. Luckily, Amblin TV and
TLC agreed," said filmmaker Bill Couturié.
LETTERS TO JACKIE: REMEMBERING PRESIDENT KENNEDY is a co-production of Amblin Television and The Couturié Company. Executive Producers are
Darryl Frank and
Justin Falvey. Based on the book "Letters To Jackie: Condolences from a Grieving Nation" by
Ellen Fitzpatrick, the film is produced by Anne Sandkuhler and Bill Couturié, and written and directed by Bill Couturié.
About TLC
TLC is a global brand that celebrates extraordinary people and relatable life moments through innovative nonfiction programming. A top 10 cable network in key female demos,
TLC has
Built successful consumer brands around series including Cake Boss, and has transformed Fridays into "BrideDay" with a lineup of wedding-themed programming anchored by the
Say Yes To The Dress franchise. In 2012,
TLC had 28 series averaging 1 million P2+ viewers or more, including four series that averaged 2 million P2+ viewers or more: Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Breaking Amish, Long Island Medium, and Sister Wives.
TLC is available in more than 99 million homes in the US and more than 227 million households in nearly 150 markets internationally. A destination online, TLC.com offers in-depth fan sites, exclusive video content, and original editorial covering style, home, food, and more. Fans can also interact with
TLC via On Demand services, on mobile platforms, and through social media such as Facebook or @TLC on Twitter.
TLC is part of Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA,DISCB, DISCK), the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative
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