Actor and 2008 graduate Cody Linley is featured in the newly-released faith-based movie “Hoovey.”

Linley, who has also had roles on “Hannah Montana,” “Cheaper By The Dozen,” “Miss Congeniality” and “My Dog Skip” among others, plays the main character “Eric ‘Hoovey’ Elliot,” a high school basketball star who discovers he has a brain tumor after a collapse during one of his games.

Hoovey has to quit playing basketball and learn to walk again. The whole family struggles to pay for all the medical bills and prays for him to stay alive.

“My favorite part of filming ‘Hoovey’ were the basketball scenes because, I have played basketball my whole life, and I think they did a good job of capturing it,” Linley said in a phone interview.

“Hoovey” is premiering at different churches across the United States, because there was not a real release date. There will be a  showing of “Hoovey” at First United Methodist Church in Lewisville on Sunday, April 19 at 5 p.m.

It costs $5 to purchase a ticket, and pizza will be served along with a discussion after the show. Linley, also an alumnus of “Dancing With The Stars,” spoke about the movie’s message.

“It’s a faith-based movie,” Linley said. “We have Christian scenes in the movie because the Elliot family is Christian. The people who made the movie wanted to inspire and give something that a family could watch together.”

The event at First United Methodist Church is open to the public, not just church members.

This movie was made to spread Hoovey’s true story and to inspire others.

“The message of the movie is that no matter what obstacle you face, you can overcome it with the power of love and family support,” Linley said.