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Rosie and Parker O'Donnell talk 'Family' Documentary on HBO, Sun. Jan. 31

By April MacIntyre Jan 30, 2010, 19:51 GMT

Rosie O\'Donnell\'s "A FAMILY IS A FAMILY IS A FAMILY" HBO Documentary New York Premiere - Arrivals - HBO Theater - New York City, NY, USA © Jill Bednar / PR Photos

Actor and comedian Rosie O'Donnell is bringing her documentary, "A Family Is a Family Is a Family: A Rosie O'Donnell Celebration" to HBO this Sunday, January 31.

O'Donnell has a large brood; four children with her ex Kelli Carpenter, who has sinced moved on.

Now, O'Donnell has recently connected with a new girlfriend, telling Oprah Winfrey she went "Zoinks!'' when she met the "absolutely gorgeous'' Tracy Kachtick-Anders, a Texan artist and mother of six.  Now, the O'Donnell household will have ten kids under the same roof.

A perfect time to promote family life and acceptance for the people who don't fit into the nuclear model.

At the recent TV critics' winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif., Rosie O'Donnell spoke to Monsters and Critics after her panel and shared the main reason she did this project.  "I am living my life openly, and my hope is people will be inspired by the truth, and the message of this film."

A few moments earlier, Rosie and her son Parker were sitting on panel in front of room full of TV critics, as they fielded questions with confidence and humor; their familial bond visibly strong.

Parker was asked about his attending a progressive school that made gay children feel inclusive. "Well, thank God my mom put me in a school where it's very open and not afraid of gay people or lesbians...the first couple of days I was there, everybody was asking me, 'what is it like to have two moms? Is it weird? and then on top of that, like, are you rich?'

Laughter was followed up with Parker's finish, "Yeah...sorry, I said,  'I'm not rich.  My mom is."  Parker added, "It's really cool..it gives me an edge on dating..."

Again, even more laughter filled the room, and just like that, the heaviness of the documentary was elevated to a celebration of 'live and let live,' and being grateful for all the love in your life, however it comes to you.   Not sitting in judgement of how people connect and get through life together.

"We wanted to celebrate families and differences and give kids in all different kinds of families a way to see themselves and their life back on television. So this just sort of happened, but I think it is good timing." O'Donnell, 47, told the TV critics.

"I think basically life comes down to one basic choice over and again: faith or fear.  And you have to serve somebody, the dark or the light.  Use any metaphor you want, but it's the same choice over and over again...Faith and love and positivity and all that sort of thing is the only real viable option...I don't spend too much time wondering what the people in the dark think. I try to live my life and hope that people can be inspired by it and that my children are not damaged by it."

Rosie's documentary premieres this Sunday on HBO at 7 pm ET and features interviews with kids who come from all different types of families: ones headed up by a mom and a dad, two moms, two dads, as well as a mother and a grandmother.

Other types of families created by adoption and surrogacy are mentioned as well.
The doc also includes new songs by artists including Ziggy Marley and They Might Be Giants.