Laugh. Love. Karaoke.

Chonda Pierce had spent more than 25 years on the road, billed as the Queen of Clean Comedy, before a film gave her the lead. 'Laugh. Love. Karaoke.' is that film, and it's a personal one: the story was the last idea she worked on with her husband David before he died in 2014, and it sat on her desk for years before Chris Dowling, who directed 'Run the Race', wrote and directed it.

Bonnie Taylor is a widow waiting tables at the Biscuit Barrel in her small town. First she's demoted, under a young new boss who gives back as much snark as she hands out. Then she learns that unless she finds $20,000 in back taxes by the end of the month, the house where she raised her family goes up for auction.

Her one hope is the cash prize in the county fair karaoke contest, which means singing for the first time without her late husband beside her. She has her family, friends who are as good as family, and her faith to lean on. Pierce has said the film has very little to do with karaoke and a lot to do with a woman who keeps praying when the answer doesn't seem to be coming.

Judith Hoag, April O'Neil in 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles', McKaley Miller from 'Hart of Dixie', Mark Christopher Lawrence, Big Mike in 'Chuck', and Shari Rigby round out the cast, and Christian singer Michael W. Smith has a cameo. Getting it made took a while: Movieguide reported that studios passed, producers walked away and Covid held it up.

Fathom Events put it in American cinemas for three nights, on 9, 11 and 13 May 2023, and it went on to take around $760,000. Shout! Studios had already bought the North American rights. Critics ignored it, but the audiences who saw it in cinemas rated it very highly.

• Comedy
• Music