Her faith-based comedy hits theaters today for a three-day limited release.
After fits and starts, including a change in producers and Covid-related delays, Roll with It is finally coming to the silver screen. Chonda Pierce plays the lead, a widow trying to win prize money in a local karaoke contest in order to save her home from foreclosure.
The Christian comedian, often called the "Queen of Clean" for her wholesome standup routines, first wrote the story with her husband, David, who died in 2014. Faith-based Director Chris Dowling later turned it into a screenplay - originally entitled Love. Laugh. Karaoke. - and helped pull together a strong cast, including Christian actors Mark Christopher Lawrence, Shari Rigby, and Michael W. Smith, who is also an award-winning musician.
Pierce, herself a committed Believer, wanted prayer as a central part of the film, telling Reel Faith that she even called for a word of prayer before production began. The Kentucky native added that she hopes the film will open people's eyes to the importance of lifting things up to the Lord.
"I pray that people will understand the power of prayer, and how God answers prayer in ways we don’t see Him coming. That's what’s so sweet about this story. The widow, she goes into her prayer closet a lot. And she's praying, and she's getting desperate, and she's getting hurt, because it doesn't look like God's coming through. And of course, He does it in a way that she totally didn't see coming. It has very little to do with karaoke. It has everything to do with His plan. And I love that."
Roll with It will play in theaters just three days, starting today - May 9th - and then again on Thursday, May 11th, and on Saturday, May 13th. You can purchase tickets to a venue in your area via this link to the website of distributor Fathom Events. In the meantime, the trailer below will give you a better sense of what to expect.