Actress Drew Barrymore, who stars in "Big Miracle"

Washington, D.C. played host to another movie premiere Wednesday evening at the AMC Loews in Georgetown. "Big Miracle," starring Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski, will be in theaters February 3, but Washingtonians got a sneak peek.

Barrymore herself came out for the premiere, as well as actress Vinessa Shaw and Ahmaogak Sweeney, 10, who stars in the movie. Sens. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) attended, as the movie takes place in Alaska.

Also spotted included director Ken Kwapis, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and his family, TAPS founder Bonnie Mersinger Carroll and other producers and writers from the movie.

TAPS, or the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, and Universal Pictures co-hosted the event. The movie is based on real-life events, including a White House love story. Then-president Ronald Reagan stopped by Bonnie Carroll's office. Carroll was an executive assistant for Cabinet Affairs for Reagan. Reagan saw the National Guard was involved and wondered what the White House could do to help the whales.

Carroll was a Guardsman and Reagan asked that she extend his offer to help the Alaska National Guard. That's how Carroll met Tom Carroll.

Actress Vinessa Shaw plays Bonnie Carroll in the movie and actor Dermot Mulroney portrays Tom Carroll.

— Report and photographs by Kate Oczypok