The story of most of the Matthews family, plus their vehicle, being in the new Hannah Montana movie, due out April 10, is a testament for all children, all adults even, to keep faith in their dreams. Their unspoken family motto — be sure who you are, do the work, and things will work out when you least expect it.

The Matthews family of Athens, made up of Jannifer and Gary Matthews, and their three children, Marcilla, 15, Tristan, 14, and Milik, 11, are big Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus fans, at least they all are now.

Last spring, Jannifer’s cousin, Sherressa Mayberry-Lockett, told the Matthews that her daughter, Alexia, submitted her information to be an extra in the Hannah Montana movie. The Matthews children, all fans of the Hannah Montana Disney series, were excited and asked what they needed to do to be an extra too. They had to submit a picture and basic information on a card, she told them.

“I don’t do the work for my kids. If they want it bad enough they will do the work required. Well, a few days went by and one day I came home from work and they had done the work, i.e., photo, information for card,” Jannifer Matthews said. “Because they had done the work, I had to make good on my promise.”

The children were excited; they were all fans but, especially Milik, who is a huge country music fan and a fan of the Hannah Montana spin-off series, “Cory in the House.” People even say he looks like Cory from the show, he said.



Chasing dreams



There was just one catch — the deadline for entries was 8 a.m. the next morning in Nashville. The next day was a school day, so a family friend put their children on the school bus, and Gary and Jannifer drove to Nashville.

The trip to Nashville was like a scene from a movie, Jannifer said.

“It was almost tornadic weather,” she said.

The rain and wind were extreme but they finally found the warehouse location to turn in the entries. It seemed abandoned but at 7:50 a.m. a lady opened the door.

“We shared with her what we were there for and she said ‘You are cutting it close. The UPS driver should be here shortly.’ We completed the paperwork and she said she could take all kids except one. That was Tristan,” Jannifer said.

The woman told them his picture was “not a normal photo shot.”

“He has on a tank top with jeans and showed his muscles like Popeye the Sailor man,” Jannifer said.

Jannifer told the woman she couldn’t leave him out, and that it would be all the children or none.

“The UPS man walked in and said ‘Is it ready?’ She shoved his picture in the envelope and off he went,” she said.

A few weeks went by and a call came for Tristan.

Tristan, the one almost rejected, was the first to receive an extra part among the children. He was to be a paid extra in the school gym class scene filmed in Brentwood, Tenn., the caller told Jannifer. Tristan was at football practice.

Milik and Marcilla listened intently to the phone call, and started screaming and jumping around, when their mom told them the news.

“Milik immediately said, ‘I am going and I am going to be in the movie,’” Jannifer said. “Milik was operating in that mustard seed faith.”

Nevertheless, Milik was right. He and Marcilla were chosen weeks later as paid extras to film outside of Goodlettsville, Tenn., two days in a carnival scene



Learning from experience



Tristan filmed the sports scene in Brentwood with Vanessa Williams, Miley Cyrus and Moises Aria, for one day.

The family each raved at how pretty Vanessa Williams was and how nice Miley Cyrus is.

Jannifer passed Vanessa Williams in the hall at the school. Being shocked, under her breath Jannifer asked, “Is that Vanessa Williams?”

Williams answered, “Yes,” and smiled at her, Jannifer said.

“Vanessa and Miley are really down to Earth people. [Miley’s] real country though,” Tristan said, doing his best Miley impression.

“[Miley’s] really cool. Somebody I would hang out with,” he said. “I should have got her number.”

Milik attempted to get an autograph from Billy Ray Cyrus at the Brentwood location but was not allowed. He failed there but was not forgotten by Billy Ray.

Milik wasn’t going to let Billy Ray forget him, anyway.

There was a scene filmed in front of the school where parents were dropping off students for school in a car line. The production hit a dilemma; the cars for the scene had not been delivered in time. The film staff asked to use the family’s black Tahoe in the scene, Jannifer said.

Gary drove and Milik rode in the passenger seat.

“Dad, that’s Billy Ray,” he said, seeing Cyrus talking to members of the film crew who were close to the vehicle. Cyrus smiled at them.

On the last day at the Goodlettsville location, Milik spotted Billy Ray among a small group of fans in the cafeteria area. Cyrus was not going to do any autographs but spotted Milik, pointed him out and called for him.

“He said, ‘Come here boy!’ and gave me an autograph,” Milik said.

Jannifer was the only one of the family not in the movie, but it is exciting that her children are learning to chase their dreams, she said.

Marcilla aspires to be a fashion designer one day. She paid close attention to the wardrobe people and how they operated on the set in Goodlettsville, she said.

“It’s hard work,” Marcilla said. “I didn’t realize how long it took to come out with the movie.”

She plans to attend SCAD University one day and possibly specialize in children’s designs, Marcilla said.

Milik has a variety of avenues for careers he’s looking into.

“Football or acting. I like football because you get to hit people, no really, I don’t know, I want to be in a movie. And have my own barbershop … Whatever will happen, will happen,” he said.

Tristan said he learned from the experience that you don’t have to do what everyone else does or be like everyone else to achieve.

A friend at church is trying out for the “High School Musical” movie coming up, Tristan said, looking at his parents and smiling.

“[Acting] is probably something I would do. It seems like fun,” he said.

Other options are professional football and being an attorney, Tristan said.

Regardless of whether the acting bug will stay with the Matthews or they will pursue other careers one day, it’s all about learning to follow your dreams, Jannifer said.

“Dare to Dream … Just Believe!” she said.