'The Waltons' cast members to reunite in Jersey City for pilot's 40th anniversary Monday, November 28, 2011, 6:00 PM By Summer Dawn Hortillosa / The Jersey Journal The 40th Anniversary of "The Homecoming," a movie that became the pilot for hit TV series "The Waltons," will be celebrated in Jersey City with help from 14 cast members, including the seven Walton children, pictured. For the first time in 30 years, all the kids from TV classic "The Waltons" will reunite in Jersey City for the 40th anniversary of the TV movie that started it all, "The Homecoming." All the Walton children - including Judy Norton (Mary Ellen), Jon Welmsley (Jason), and Richard Thomas (John-Boy) - and seven other cast members are expected to attend a screening of "The Homecoming" at the Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre in Jersey City on Friday. Walmsley said this will be their first complete reunion in 30 years. The movie focuses on the family's Christmas wish for their father, who has been unable to find work locally due to the Great Depression, to get home in time for Christmas despite snowstorms and bus crashes. While most people know Ralph Waite and Michael Learned as the heads of the Walton family from the show, the movie - which became the show's pilot - starred Andrew Duggan and Patricia Neal, who will be honored at the event after passing away in August of lung cancer. Norton said that Learned's warm yet tough portrayal of Olivia Walton found its roots in Neal's portrayal. "There was a little bit of a grittier feel to 'The Homecoming,'" said Norton, noting their more ragged costumes and darker cinematography. "Patricia's portrayal was a little more of woman who had been through tough times. You could feel her heart and soul, but you definitely got the sense of a woman who has struggled." Norton said that people still relate to the series' tale of family coming together through though times. "(The show) really evoked a community feel. When a neighbor was in trouble or there was a problem in the community, everyone came together." Both Norton and Walmsley agreed that the cast's ability to bond on-screen and off helped make the show such a big hit. "That's the interesting thing about this show," said Walmsley. "That doesn't usually happen on a show, but we would go out to lunch together, go to concerts and things like that. At one point we even had a softball team!" To this day, the entire cast keeps in touch. Walmsley - who is the only child of two only children - said that while he loved having a large, second family, the most rewarding part of his "Waltons" experience was helping others. "I knew a musician who was in gangs when he was a kid. His mother made him stay home and watch 'The Waltons,' and it was one of the things that helped straighten him out. He got a perspective on what a family could be like," said Walmsley. "The show wasn't just a show to some people - it had a deeper meaning. And that's always nice to hear." The 40th anniversary of "The Homecoming" will be celebrated at the Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre, 54 Journal Sq., Jersey City, on Friday with a red carpet event at 6:30 p.m. before the screening at 7:30 p.m. After the movie, there will be a tribute to Patricia Neal and a Q&A session with the cast members. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at www.WaltonsHomecoming40th.com through Wednesday.