Friday, July 6, 2007

5-year-old appears in new Tom Hanks movie

From SouthCoastToday.com:

Five-year-old Kenzie Waskiewicz from Dartmouth has what she calls a "little hand" and a "big hand." Kenzie was born without most of her left hand.

She also has luminous eyes, a beautiful face and a fearless personality — all of which earned her a part in the upcoming Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts film.

Due out in December, "Charlie Wilson's War" is about the effects of a Texas Congressman's covert dealings in Afghanistan to assist rebels against the Soviet Union. Kenzie plays a wounded refugee...

...When Kenzie's parents, Eric and Dayna Waskiewicz, found out that their daughter might have an opportunity to shine on the silver screen, they didn't have a portfolio for her and they weren't pushing her towards stardom. Because they are members of the Helping Hands Foundation — a nonprofit for children with "upper limb differences" — they were alerted to a special casting call...

I finished the book about a week ago. As several of the professional critics noted, it's an amazing story that requires you at times to remind yourself that it's non-fiction. For those interested in the book, know that there's some rough language and several adult only stories. But for those whose sensibilities aren't offended, it's a whirlwind account of how an unlikely cadre of individuals set in motion a series of events that for better or worse changed (or at least expedited) the course of history.

1 comment:

Jen Lee Reeves said...

I got to meet Kenzie today at the Helping Hands Summer Outing near Boston. It was pretty cool to know I knew something about her. Thanks for sharing. I would have never known her special movie success.