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CNN Live Sunday

Michael Jackson Fires Geragos, Brafman; Christian Merchandise Profits Surge

Aired April 25, 2004 - 18:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: I want to want to bring you up to speed in Iraq. Coalition forces say they want to try more diplomacy to end the bitter battles in Fallujah. Despite a fragile cease-fire there, more gunfire erupted today. U.S. Marines say insurgents are again violating the truce. Northeast of Baghdad, one U.S. soldier and an Iraqi child were killed in a roadside bombing attack.
Two other soldiers and eight Iraqi children were also wounded. A member of the coast guard died today from wounds he received in Saturday's triple suicide boat bombings in Basra. He's the third U.S. service member killed in those attacks.

The uprisings in Najaf and Fallujah are the most serious crisis facing the Bush Administration since the fall of Saddam. More than 100 Americans died this month alone. I want to take that up with the security analyst, our National Security Analyst, Ken Robinson; he is in Washington right now. Ken, good to see you.

KEN ROBINSON, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Hi.

LIN: Let's take a look at the situation in Fallujah. Should Americans simply go in there, guns blazing, put down the insurgency, and get out? Solve the problem. Why give diplomacy time?

ROBINSON: Absolutely not. If they did that, they would be giving the insurgents the victory that they're craving. Because they're craving an information victory as well because they know that street to street fighting creates a lot of casualties. And in that case, the Arab street would be outraged.

The American forces that we have talked to, CNN has learned in the last 24 hours have a different plan in mind. They're going to talk to tribal leaders, to community leaders street from street, and they are going to continue to try to make diplomacy work a little bit longer.

LIN: All right, you've have talked to these folks, the military people out in Fallujah. What are they telling you in terms of who they're talking to, and what sort of negotiations or conversations they are having with the insurgents?

ROBINSON: There's two tiers of conversations going on right now. There are leaders who have been talking directly with ambassador Bremer from Najaf. There are specific tribal leaders who are speaking with the 1st Marine Expeditionary force in Fallujah. And the question with all of these is, these leaders who are making assurances, are they making assurances that they can back up with deeds? Are they negotiating with the right people? And which insurgent group are they negotiating with? Because there are multiple actors in both cities right now.

And they want to make sure, that one, they don't give psychological victories and two; they don't create a situation that will just turn the worst. Their objective is to take out the threats before the road to governance to handover on 30 June and there just focused on that.

LIN: Ken, the situation you're describing then is I mean, it sounds like there's a lot of hemming and hawing about these conversations. And at the same time, we're watching the pictures of American soldiers dying and gun fire blazing through a cease-fire in Fallujah.

ROBINSON: They are clear on that point, as well, that they will continue to engage any threat as you have seen reporting today about predator drones being used to take out specific targets. AC-130 gunship specifically focusing on specific houses.

They're going to continue to do that while they try to prompt diplomacy at the same time. They're going to have arrows in one hand, and they are going to have olive branch in the other. Because what they don't want to set conditions that will make it untenable to be able to control Fallujah.

LIN: So then what options does that give the military? If they can't go in guns blazing, if they don't know who they're really negotiating with, and whether they have the authority on the ground, it seems like that's a recipe for a low simmer boil for, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

ROBINSON: It actually is. This is a very tough, low-level insurgency for them that is escalating very quickly because it's been ignored for so long. In Najaf as an example, it's a holy shrine city, and any type of activity that rolls in there is not only going to ripple in Iraq, it's going to ripple over to Jordan and to other places in the Arab street.

So they are going to continue to use targeted killing and capture of targets that they have. They are developing excellent human intelligence right now. And there are civil leaders in both cities who are communicating with the coalition because they recognize that it's in their long-term interest to do so. The problem is is to make sure they apply their power in a measured way and at the same time, try to give some form of negotiation and opportunity.

LIN: Ken Robinson, thank you very much, and thanks for sharing your sources and making those calls into Iraq.

Well on Tuesday, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in a case testing the balance between the right to privacy and public scrutiny of government's leaders. National Correspondent Bob Franken has a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The fight over Vice President Cheney's right to confidentiality is a battle that goes all the way back to 1803 and the Supreme Court's decision supporting judicial review and oversight over the White House.

The Vice President claims this time the lists of participants in his meetings to formulate energy policy are the business of the executive branch alone. Court involvement, in effect, is meddling.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES: We start down that road; we're setting a terrible precedent. We're saying the Vice President cannot have confidential meetings.

FRANKEN: The Vice President has refused to provide a list of those who participated. His adversaries argue it would show heavy influence by corporate energy interests including the likes of ousted Enron Chief Executive Ken Lay.

DAVID BOOKBINDER, SIERRA CLUB LEGAL DIRECTOR: The final report of the energy task force reads as if it was written by the energy industry.

FRANKEN: Add to the intrigue one adamant Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia who has rejected demands to remove himself from the case after disclosures Cheney had taken him on a duck-hunting trip. If it is reasonable, said Scalia, to think that a Supreme Court justice can be bought so cheap, the nation is in deeper trouble than I had imagined.

BOOKBINDER: This is a question of public confidence in the courts.

FRANKEN: The entire matter, says the Vice President, amounts to a tempest in a teapot.

CHENEY: It's a classic sort of feeding frenzy in Washington.

FRANKEN (on camera): And food for thought for the Supreme Court justices. All nine of them, who will decide whether the Vice President must answer charges his advisors had a conflict of interest. Very much a political issue in this election year. Bob Franken, CNN, the Supreme Court.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And right now, we want to get back to our top story. The shakeup today in the Michael Jackson legal team. CNN's Miguel Marquez is fresh back in town in Los Angeles doing some research on this case. Miguel, what have you learned about what happened?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT, LOS ANGELES: Well there certainly has been a shakeup. CNN has confirmed that Michael Jackson is replacing his current legal defense team in his molestation case. Mark Geragos and New York Attorney Benjamin Brafman will no longer represent the pop star.

In a statement, Brafman said, quote "Whether this Benjamin Brafman or Mark Garagos resigning as Michael's lawyers, or as Jackson is suggesting that we are being replaced is beside the point, we have elected to step down as a result of a number of complicated issues that have arisen in recent weeks. And that it would not be appropriate to discuss publicly. I wish Michael well, and truly hope that at the end of this case, he will be completely exonerated."

Now, the "Associated Press" is reporting that Thomas Mesereau Jr., a well-known Los Angeles attorney will represent Jackson. Mesereau represented actor Robert Blake until recently when he left, sighting irreconcilable differences.

The "AP" also reports this Mesereau met with Jackson in Florida where Jackson has been Jackson is staying with his family, and that he may speak about his role in the case sometime late tonight or early Monday. Carol?

LIN: Miguel, you have been covering this case from the beginning. What strikes you about this shakeup?

MARQUEZ: What strikes me is he obviously has an issue with his lawyers or his lawyers have an issue with him. Obviously, the pictures you are now seeing are of the last time he was in court is something that the judge was not happy about. I'm sure the judge is not going to be happy about hearing this change of lawyers now because it could mean that it may take longer to get this case to trial. Carol?

LIN: All right. Thanks very much Miguel. Miguel Marquez, live in Los Angeles.

Still to come on CNN LIVE SUNDAY, it is an unique relationship between a mother and a daughter that continues to exist beyond the grave. I'm going to be explaining coming up.

Plus -

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You were smiling.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You were smiling.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'm not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You were.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I was not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're not now but you were.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. You were smiling. I wasn't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You were.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: And coming up later, Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning fanned the flame at the box office this weekend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: April has been dubbed National Donate Life Month. It's an effort to highlight the desperate need for organs, tissue and blood donations. Organ donation helped one mother cope with the loss of her daughter in a horseback riding accident. And she has written a book about it. It's called "Swimming with Maya."

And in it, author Eleanor Vincent, chronicles her grief and the healing that came with helping others. Vincent joins us now from San Francisco. And Pattie Frame is in Phoenix. She is one of the people that received one of Eleanor's daughter's organs. Pattie, we are going to be talking to you in just a moment, and about a special relationship between the two of you.

But, Eleanor, I want to ask you first, what made you want to write this book after such an incredible tragedy?

ELEANOR VINCENT, AUTHOR, SWIMMING WITH MAYA: Well Carol, I think I was inspired to do so because I felt the story was so important. I wanted to help others to understand what had happened to our family, to know something about my daughter Maya, and to really get a firsthand look at the healing power of organ donation.

LIN: How did Maya die?

VINCENT: Maya was thrown in a horse. She was a very vivacious, outgoing young woman, and she had been out celebrating a big win in her life. She had just been accepted in the theater arts program at UCLA. And, she rode a horse bare back on a dare and was thrown, hit her head and went into a coma from which she never recovered.

LIN: How did you come to the decision in the hospital to donate her organs?

VINCENT: Well, when they told us she was brain dead, the surgeon immediately asked if I would consider donation, and something inside of me just told me that this was the right thing to do. I really can't answer exactly why I decided it. It was just an inspiration in that moment that told me I needed to do this.

LIN: Eleanor, there's a poignant moment in your book that you describe that moment. When you were making that decision, and holding or touching your daughter's hand. Would you share that with us?

VINCENT: Well, when we went to say good-bye to Maya, if you've ever seen anyone on life support, they look just as if they're sleeping. And so, Maya was still breathing. She was warm. She was pink. She was of course, profoundly unconscious.

But to me she looked just as beautiful as she had the day she was born. It was as if my little daughter was just lying there asleep. And so, that was the most wrenching moment of my life. To say good- bye to Maya, to walk away from her bed, and to leave her there.

LIN: Yes. Pattie, Pattie Frame, we have a photo of you when you were very ill. You were desperately in need of a liver transplant. It's hard to believe that that is the same person there who is now sitting before my camera. How did you -- you received Maya's liver. How did you find out the story behind the transplant?

PATTIE FRAME, RECEIVED MAYA'S LIVER: Well, initially, it is something that's private. And I went through a third party through my hospital, and wrote a letter to Eleanor six months after I was transplanted, thanking her for her profound gift and the fact that through her donating of Maya's organs, I had a second chance at life and health.

And that as a result, I was able to spend all the milestones with my daughter that are so important to every mother. And, it was really the only -- the one and only thing that I prayed for and hoped for, was that I would survive end-stage liver disease and live to raise my daughter.

LIN: How are you feeling today?

FRAME: I'm feeling terrific.

LIN: You look great.

FRAME: Thank you.

LIN: You look great. Is it -- Eleanor, when you look at Pattie, how do you feel knowing she has your daughter's liver?

VINCENT: I feel terrific because I know that Maya lives on in some form. And I think Pattie is just a wonderful person. We have had many opportunities to speak on the phone. To exchange letters and e-mail.

LIN: Do you guys talk a lot?

VINCENT: We do.

FRAME: We do.

LIN: What do you talk about? I mean Pattie, what do you talk to Eleanor about?

FRAME: We talk about mothers; we talk about being mothers, mothers of teenagers, mothers of children going off to college. The trials of motherhood, the glories of motherhood. The quiet after they've gone off to college. We share things on that level. The level of mothers.

LIN: Eleanor, what do you think Maya would have thought of this book?

VINCENT: I think Maya would have just been thrilled. She would be so proud of me. She was such a ham and such an outgoing person, that she would love to be in the spotlight in this way. She would love to have her picture all over the cover.

LIN: She is beautiful.

VINCENT: Thank you.

LIN: She is beautiful. How many lives did she save?

VINCENT: Well, she actually saved the lives of four different individuals and gave sight to two others. And, she in addition, brought new health to more than 50 people through the donation of her tissue and bone.

LIN: Eleanor, you are a remarkable woman and obviously, the mother of a remarkable young woman. Maya, who does live on. And I know she knows the work you're doing, and she's smiling down on you, Pattie.

FRAME: Eleanor, you are my hero.

VINCENT: You're mine, too, Pattie.

LIN: Thank you both very much.

VINCENT: Thank you.

LIN: Well a blockbuster hit may be the answer to Christian retailers' prayers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are having questions after seeing the movie, and they're coming to our store with those questions, and we're trying to direct them to the books that has the answers for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Still to come, on CNN LIVE SUNDAY, how "The Passion" has turned into a plus for some businesses.

And later, a collaboration between a middle-aged man and a 10- year-old girl proves to be a huge hit at the box office.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're not now but you were.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You were smiling. I wasn't smiling.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You were. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like five seconds ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not smiling.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well a second ago you were.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Denzel Washington's "Man on Fire" is burning up at the box office this weekend. The film is about a government agent's drive to find a kidnapped little girl. It debuted at the box office in the number one spot. And it took in an estimated $23 million. Jennifer garnet's "13 going on 30" debuted in second place earning $22 million. And last week's champion Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill: Volume 2" came in at number three. Followed by "The Punisher," and "Home on the Range" in fifth place.

Well now Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" might have slipped out of the top ten U.S. movies this week, but merchandise related to the film is still red hot. Financial Correspondent Jen Rogers takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEN ROGERS, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): "The Passion of the Christ." It made it's mark at the multiplex and now, the mall. As moviegoers snap up all things "Passion."

Take the sound track. It's number 26 on bill board surging 91 percent last week alone. The movie's only licensed book hit a high of number two on the "New York Times" nonfiction bestseller list. Even the good book is getting in the game. The Christian Bookseller's Association says Bible sales jumped 40 percent in March from the month before.

JACOB STANTON: Books are doing really well right now. And people are having questions after seeing the movie, and they're coming into our store with those questions and we're trying to direct them to the books with the answers for them.

ROGERS: A blockbuster movie seems to the answer to Christian retailers prayers. After a rough few years, the $4.2 billion industry is reporting higher sales across the board.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have seen a huge increase in business.

ROGERS (on camera): (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the movie's only jewelry licensee says sales are up 50 percent over last year. The sales have been so strong that here at Bob Siemon Designs, they have had to add 35 new employees just since "The Passion" opened.

ROGERS (voice over): So far, more than 150,000 cross and 125,000 nail necklaces have been sold. BOB SIEMON, BOB SIEMON DESIGNS: I'm seeing this, this resurgence happening into Christian retail stores. And I really believe that it's a result of the movie "The Passion of the Christ."

ROGERS: Siemon believes sales will stay strong even after the movie leaves screens. In fact, many are predicting with Hollywood's newfound interest in Christian fare, this retail revival will live on. Jen Rogers, CNN Financial news, Los Angeles.

LIN: All right. That is it for us. Coming up at 7:00 Eastern, well, Michael Jackson is due back in court this week. We're going to take a look at -- actually, that may have changed because of the developments with his legal team. We're going to keep you posted on all of that. At 8:00 Eastern on CNN PRESENTS, CNN's Jeff Coinage returns to Rwanda 10 years after the horrific genocide that shocked the world.

And at 9:00 Eastern, actress Linda Evans joins Larry King to discuss her career and life on "Dynasty." And I'll be back at 10:00 Eastern to take a closer look at the amazing life of beauty pioneer Estee Lauder. The hour's headlines when I come back, and then PEOPLE IN THE NEWS.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired April 25, 2004 - 18:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: I want to want to bring you up to speed in Iraq. Coalition forces say they want to try more diplomacy to end the bitter battles in Fallujah. Despite a fragile cease-fire there, more gunfire erupted today. U.S. Marines say insurgents are again violating the truce. Northeast of Baghdad, one U.S. soldier and an Iraqi child were killed in a roadside bombing attack.
Two other soldiers and eight Iraqi children were also wounded. A member of the coast guard died today from wounds he received in Saturday's triple suicide boat bombings in Basra. He's the third U.S. service member killed in those attacks.

The uprisings in Najaf and Fallujah are the most serious crisis facing the Bush Administration since the fall of Saddam. More than 100 Americans died this month alone. I want to take that up with the security analyst, our National Security Analyst, Ken Robinson; he is in Washington right now. Ken, good to see you.

KEN ROBINSON, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Hi.

LIN: Let's take a look at the situation in Fallujah. Should Americans simply go in there, guns blazing, put down the insurgency, and get out? Solve the problem. Why give diplomacy time?

ROBINSON: Absolutely not. If they did that, they would be giving the insurgents the victory that they're craving. Because they're craving an information victory as well because they know that street to street fighting creates a lot of casualties. And in that case, the Arab street would be outraged.

The American forces that we have talked to, CNN has learned in the last 24 hours have a different plan in mind. They're going to talk to tribal leaders, to community leaders street from street, and they are going to continue to try to make diplomacy work a little bit longer.

LIN: All right, you've have talked to these folks, the military people out in Fallujah. What are they telling you in terms of who they're talking to, and what sort of negotiations or conversations they are having with the insurgents?

ROBINSON: There's two tiers of conversations going on right now. There are leaders who have been talking directly with ambassador Bremer from Najaf. There are specific tribal leaders who are speaking with the 1st Marine Expeditionary force in Fallujah. And the question with all of these is, these leaders who are making assurances, are they making assurances that they can back up with deeds? Are they negotiating with the right people? And which insurgent group are they negotiating with? Because there are multiple actors in both cities right now.

And they want to make sure, that one, they don't give psychological victories and two; they don't create a situation that will just turn the worst. Their objective is to take out the threats before the road to governance to handover on 30 June and there just focused on that.

LIN: Ken, the situation you're describing then is I mean, it sounds like there's a lot of hemming and hawing about these conversations. And at the same time, we're watching the pictures of American soldiers dying and gun fire blazing through a cease-fire in Fallujah.

ROBINSON: They are clear on that point, as well, that they will continue to engage any threat as you have seen reporting today about predator drones being used to take out specific targets. AC-130 gunship specifically focusing on specific houses.

They're going to continue to do that while they try to prompt diplomacy at the same time. They're going to have arrows in one hand, and they are going to have olive branch in the other. Because what they don't want to set conditions that will make it untenable to be able to control Fallujah.

LIN: So then what options does that give the military? If they can't go in guns blazing, if they don't know who they're really negotiating with, and whether they have the authority on the ground, it seems like that's a recipe for a low simmer boil for, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

ROBINSON: It actually is. This is a very tough, low-level insurgency for them that is escalating very quickly because it's been ignored for so long. In Najaf as an example, it's a holy shrine city, and any type of activity that rolls in there is not only going to ripple in Iraq, it's going to ripple over to Jordan and to other places in the Arab street.

So they are going to continue to use targeted killing and capture of targets that they have. They are developing excellent human intelligence right now. And there are civil leaders in both cities who are communicating with the coalition because they recognize that it's in their long-term interest to do so. The problem is is to make sure they apply their power in a measured way and at the same time, try to give some form of negotiation and opportunity.

LIN: Ken Robinson, thank you very much, and thanks for sharing your sources and making those calls into Iraq.

Well on Tuesday, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in a case testing the balance between the right to privacy and public scrutiny of government's leaders. National Correspondent Bob Franken has a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The fight over Vice President Cheney's right to confidentiality is a battle that goes all the way back to 1803 and the Supreme Court's decision supporting judicial review and oversight over the White House.

The Vice President claims this time the lists of participants in his meetings to formulate energy policy are the business of the executive branch alone. Court involvement, in effect, is meddling.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES: We start down that road; we're setting a terrible precedent. We're saying the Vice President cannot have confidential meetings.

FRANKEN: The Vice President has refused to provide a list of those who participated. His adversaries argue it would show heavy influence by corporate energy interests including the likes of ousted Enron Chief Executive Ken Lay.

DAVID BOOKBINDER, SIERRA CLUB LEGAL DIRECTOR: The final report of the energy task force reads as if it was written by the energy industry.

FRANKEN: Add to the intrigue one adamant Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia who has rejected demands to remove himself from the case after disclosures Cheney had taken him on a duck-hunting trip. If it is reasonable, said Scalia, to think that a Supreme Court justice can be bought so cheap, the nation is in deeper trouble than I had imagined.

BOOKBINDER: This is a question of public confidence in the courts.

FRANKEN: The entire matter, says the Vice President, amounts to a tempest in a teapot.

CHENEY: It's a classic sort of feeding frenzy in Washington.

FRANKEN (on camera): And food for thought for the Supreme Court justices. All nine of them, who will decide whether the Vice President must answer charges his advisors had a conflict of interest. Very much a political issue in this election year. Bob Franken, CNN, the Supreme Court.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And right now, we want to get back to our top story. The shakeup today in the Michael Jackson legal team. CNN's Miguel Marquez is fresh back in town in Los Angeles doing some research on this case. Miguel, what have you learned about what happened?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT, LOS ANGELES: Well there certainly has been a shakeup. CNN has confirmed that Michael Jackson is replacing his current legal defense team in his molestation case. Mark Geragos and New York Attorney Benjamin Brafman will no longer represent the pop star.

In a statement, Brafman said, quote "Whether this Benjamin Brafman or Mark Garagos resigning as Michael's lawyers, or as Jackson is suggesting that we are being replaced is beside the point, we have elected to step down as a result of a number of complicated issues that have arisen in recent weeks. And that it would not be appropriate to discuss publicly. I wish Michael well, and truly hope that at the end of this case, he will be completely exonerated."

Now, the "Associated Press" is reporting that Thomas Mesereau Jr., a well-known Los Angeles attorney will represent Jackson. Mesereau represented actor Robert Blake until recently when he left, sighting irreconcilable differences.

The "AP" also reports this Mesereau met with Jackson in Florida where Jackson has been Jackson is staying with his family, and that he may speak about his role in the case sometime late tonight or early Monday. Carol?

LIN: Miguel, you have been covering this case from the beginning. What strikes you about this shakeup?

MARQUEZ: What strikes me is he obviously has an issue with his lawyers or his lawyers have an issue with him. Obviously, the pictures you are now seeing are of the last time he was in court is something that the judge was not happy about. I'm sure the judge is not going to be happy about hearing this change of lawyers now because it could mean that it may take longer to get this case to trial. Carol?

LIN: All right. Thanks very much Miguel. Miguel Marquez, live in Los Angeles.

Still to come on CNN LIVE SUNDAY, it is an unique relationship between a mother and a daughter that continues to exist beyond the grave. I'm going to be explaining coming up.

Plus -

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You were smiling.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You were smiling.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'm not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You were.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I was not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're not now but you were.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. You were smiling. I wasn't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You were.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: And coming up later, Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning fanned the flame at the box office this weekend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: April has been dubbed National Donate Life Month. It's an effort to highlight the desperate need for organs, tissue and blood donations. Organ donation helped one mother cope with the loss of her daughter in a horseback riding accident. And she has written a book about it. It's called "Swimming with Maya."

And in it, author Eleanor Vincent, chronicles her grief and the healing that came with helping others. Vincent joins us now from San Francisco. And Pattie Frame is in Phoenix. She is one of the people that received one of Eleanor's daughter's organs. Pattie, we are going to be talking to you in just a moment, and about a special relationship between the two of you.

But, Eleanor, I want to ask you first, what made you want to write this book after such an incredible tragedy?

ELEANOR VINCENT, AUTHOR, SWIMMING WITH MAYA: Well Carol, I think I was inspired to do so because I felt the story was so important. I wanted to help others to understand what had happened to our family, to know something about my daughter Maya, and to really get a firsthand look at the healing power of organ donation.

LIN: How did Maya die?

VINCENT: Maya was thrown in a horse. She was a very vivacious, outgoing young woman, and she had been out celebrating a big win in her life. She had just been accepted in the theater arts program at UCLA. And, she rode a horse bare back on a dare and was thrown, hit her head and went into a coma from which she never recovered.

LIN: How did you come to the decision in the hospital to donate her organs?

VINCENT: Well, when they told us she was brain dead, the surgeon immediately asked if I would consider donation, and something inside of me just told me that this was the right thing to do. I really can't answer exactly why I decided it. It was just an inspiration in that moment that told me I needed to do this.

LIN: Eleanor, there's a poignant moment in your book that you describe that moment. When you were making that decision, and holding or touching your daughter's hand. Would you share that with us?

VINCENT: Well, when we went to say good-bye to Maya, if you've ever seen anyone on life support, they look just as if they're sleeping. And so, Maya was still breathing. She was warm. She was pink. She was of course, profoundly unconscious.

But to me she looked just as beautiful as she had the day she was born. It was as if my little daughter was just lying there asleep. And so, that was the most wrenching moment of my life. To say good- bye to Maya, to walk away from her bed, and to leave her there.

LIN: Yes. Pattie, Pattie Frame, we have a photo of you when you were very ill. You were desperately in need of a liver transplant. It's hard to believe that that is the same person there who is now sitting before my camera. How did you -- you received Maya's liver. How did you find out the story behind the transplant?

PATTIE FRAME, RECEIVED MAYA'S LIVER: Well, initially, it is something that's private. And I went through a third party through my hospital, and wrote a letter to Eleanor six months after I was transplanted, thanking her for her profound gift and the fact that through her donating of Maya's organs, I had a second chance at life and health.

And that as a result, I was able to spend all the milestones with my daughter that are so important to every mother. And, it was really the only -- the one and only thing that I prayed for and hoped for, was that I would survive end-stage liver disease and live to raise my daughter.

LIN: How are you feeling today?

FRAME: I'm feeling terrific.

LIN: You look great.

FRAME: Thank you.

LIN: You look great. Is it -- Eleanor, when you look at Pattie, how do you feel knowing she has your daughter's liver?

VINCENT: I feel terrific because I know that Maya lives on in some form. And I think Pattie is just a wonderful person. We have had many opportunities to speak on the phone. To exchange letters and e-mail.

LIN: Do you guys talk a lot?

VINCENT: We do.

FRAME: We do.

LIN: What do you talk about? I mean Pattie, what do you talk to Eleanor about?

FRAME: We talk about mothers; we talk about being mothers, mothers of teenagers, mothers of children going off to college. The trials of motherhood, the glories of motherhood. The quiet after they've gone off to college. We share things on that level. The level of mothers.

LIN: Eleanor, what do you think Maya would have thought of this book?

VINCENT: I think Maya would have just been thrilled. She would be so proud of me. She was such a ham and such an outgoing person, that she would love to be in the spotlight in this way. She would love to have her picture all over the cover.

LIN: She is beautiful.

VINCENT: Thank you.

LIN: She is beautiful. How many lives did she save?

VINCENT: Well, she actually saved the lives of four different individuals and gave sight to two others. And, she in addition, brought new health to more than 50 people through the donation of her tissue and bone.

LIN: Eleanor, you are a remarkable woman and obviously, the mother of a remarkable young woman. Maya, who does live on. And I know she knows the work you're doing, and she's smiling down on you, Pattie.

FRAME: Eleanor, you are my hero.

VINCENT: You're mine, too, Pattie.

LIN: Thank you both very much.

VINCENT: Thank you.

LIN: Well a blockbuster hit may be the answer to Christian retailers' prayers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are having questions after seeing the movie, and they're coming to our store with those questions, and we're trying to direct them to the books that has the answers for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Still to come, on CNN LIVE SUNDAY, how "The Passion" has turned into a plus for some businesses.

And later, a collaboration between a middle-aged man and a 10- year-old girl proves to be a huge hit at the box office.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're not now but you were.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You were smiling. I wasn't smiling.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You were. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like five seconds ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not smiling.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well a second ago you were.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Denzel Washington's "Man on Fire" is burning up at the box office this weekend. The film is about a government agent's drive to find a kidnapped little girl. It debuted at the box office in the number one spot. And it took in an estimated $23 million. Jennifer garnet's "13 going on 30" debuted in second place earning $22 million. And last week's champion Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill: Volume 2" came in at number three. Followed by "The Punisher," and "Home on the Range" in fifth place.

Well now Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" might have slipped out of the top ten U.S. movies this week, but merchandise related to the film is still red hot. Financial Correspondent Jen Rogers takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEN ROGERS, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): "The Passion of the Christ." It made it's mark at the multiplex and now, the mall. As moviegoers snap up all things "Passion."

Take the sound track. It's number 26 on bill board surging 91 percent last week alone. The movie's only licensed book hit a high of number two on the "New York Times" nonfiction bestseller list. Even the good book is getting in the game. The Christian Bookseller's Association says Bible sales jumped 40 percent in March from the month before.

JACOB STANTON: Books are doing really well right now. And people are having questions after seeing the movie, and they're coming into our store with those questions and we're trying to direct them to the books with the answers for them.

ROGERS: A blockbuster movie seems to the answer to Christian retailers prayers. After a rough few years, the $4.2 billion industry is reporting higher sales across the board.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have seen a huge increase in business.

ROGERS (on camera): (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the movie's only jewelry licensee says sales are up 50 percent over last year. The sales have been so strong that here at Bob Siemon Designs, they have had to add 35 new employees just since "The Passion" opened.

ROGERS (voice over): So far, more than 150,000 cross and 125,000 nail necklaces have been sold. BOB SIEMON, BOB SIEMON DESIGNS: I'm seeing this, this resurgence happening into Christian retail stores. And I really believe that it's a result of the movie "The Passion of the Christ."

ROGERS: Siemon believes sales will stay strong even after the movie leaves screens. In fact, many are predicting with Hollywood's newfound interest in Christian fare, this retail revival will live on. Jen Rogers, CNN Financial news, Los Angeles.

LIN: All right. That is it for us. Coming up at 7:00 Eastern, well, Michael Jackson is due back in court this week. We're going to take a look at -- actually, that may have changed because of the developments with his legal team. We're going to keep you posted on all of that. At 8:00 Eastern on CNN PRESENTS, CNN's Jeff Coinage returns to Rwanda 10 years after the horrific genocide that shocked the world.

And at 9:00 Eastern, actress Linda Evans joins Larry King to discuss her career and life on "Dynasty." And I'll be back at 10:00 Eastern to take a closer look at the amazing life of beauty pioneer Estee Lauder. The hour's headlines when I come back, and then PEOPLE IN THE NEWS.

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