HOPE is a moving coming-of-age story of a young girl growing up in the segregation-era South who challenges a small town to confront the truth. In 1962, amid the threat of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the growing momentum of the Civil Rights Movement, life in Hope is filled with tension and uncertainty. The film spans 10 days to show how these remarkable events affect one girl and her dysfunctional family. HOPE's Lilly Kate Burns, portrayed by Jena Malone, lives through the time when school children are practicing the "duck and cover" emergency drill under their desks. "I grew up during the Cold War," recalls Oscar®-winner Goldie Hawn, who makes her directorial debut with the TNT film. "It was the first time that I realized I could die. So I wrote a little story called 'Duck and Cover,' and then I put it away and forgot about it." Much to Hawn's surprise, she received a script 3 1/2 years ago about a girl who is frightened by the Cuban Missile Crisis. She and her producing partners brought the project to TNT. It was at this point that Hawn decided to direct the project herself. "Directing is really sort of painting on a moving canvas. You get all the colors in that you want and try to say the things that you want to say. And you surround yourself with people who see the same colors," says Hawn. According to executive producer, Anthea Slybert, "Goldie has a tremendous command of the cinematic language. She has walked into directing with ease and grace and knows how to tell a story." Ric Waite, director of photography, adds, "The director sets the pace on any set. If the director is happy and buoyant and upbeat, everyone picks up on that. It filters down through the whole cast and crew. This was a very light, happy set." Hawn says with a smile, "I feel very comfortable in these shoes." HOPE, written by Kerry Kennedy, has three levels of conflict: world crisis, national racism and a young girl's relationship with her family. Executive producer Teri Schwartz, who also heads Cherry Alley Productions with Hawn, says, "This family is a metaphor for the larger picture of how racism affects our country." Understanding the essence of Lilly Kate is the focus of the film. "Lilly's mom had a stroke when she was very little so they can't talk to each other, and since she really doesn't have a dad, she basically raises herself," says 12-year-old Malone. Mary Ellen Trainor, who plays Lilly's mother, Mazie, adds, "The story unfolds through all the film's characters. Everyone has a piece of information that starts to fill in the puzzle." The strong ensemble cast brought different perspectives to the project. "I think the Cuban Missile Crisis changed a lot of people's lives forever," says Christine Lahti, who stars as Lilly's Aunt Emma. "Things were brought to a head because you felt like you didn't have a lot of time to live and suddenly priorities shifted. As for my character, she's on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Her husband is a racist and full of hatred. In her misery, she takes on some of his intolerance, and it's making her sick." Catherine O'Hara plays the boozy yet beloved dance instructor Muriel. "Muriel's world is kind of pathetic," O'Hara explains. "She lives for having these kids over and teaching them to dance. She's a woman who has relied on her youth and beauty and loves to be reminded of it." J.T. Walsh plays one of the film's most complex characters, Lilly's Uncle Ray. "Ray represents the end of an era and a class of people who are holding on to what they know in life, even if it has to go," comments Walsh. "Ray is not a classic villain," continues Hawn. "He is someone trapped in a philosophy and a lifestyle that he can not confront." Into this frightened, mixed-up town comes a young black minister on a journey of his own. "Jediah is coming back to town to solve a problem, while my character wants to leave town to solve a problem," explains Malone. "He plants seeds to encourage people to ask questions from within and search for their own answers," says Jeffrey D. Sams, who portrays the minister. "Lilly represents justice for Hope." Lahti adds, "So often we don't listen to children and learn from their wisdom or their courage. This little girl completely turns my character's life around, as well as several others in the movie." HOPE confronts and embraces urgent and controversial issues of the 60's that still resonate for today's young people. "Anger starts with fear. I know it sounds simplistic, but it's true," says Hawn. "If we could just communicate, we might be able to understand, and make allowances for one another. That's how to heal and that's the message of this film: No matter where we live, or what we live with, no matter what the obstacles we come up against, there is hope."