Grew up reading @ParadeMagazine ! Big shout outs to @Park_View_HS , @samuelssweets , @AndyOstroy and @phoebejonas , #therudds , @HarperOne , and @lifetimetv . #ItsAWonderfulLifetime https://t.co/6NWZ52MB8a
— Hilarie Burton Morgan (@HilarieBurton) November 28, 2019
My mom loves Hallmark and Lifetime movies and we watch them together every holiday season. Over Thanksgiving we watched a few while playing Christmas Movie bingo – where you check off squares for common cliches like “threat of layoffs,” “snowball fight,” and “carriage ride.” I like those movies because they don’t tax your brain, they’re predictable and sweet (as long as they’re not sexist) and you can fall asleep and not miss much. The two favorites I watched with my mom this Thanksgiving were Christmas 9 to 5 with Tiya Sircar and The Christmas Wish, with Hilarie Burton, both on Lifetime. Lifetime is making more modern and more watchable Christmas movies. Plus they just had a same sex kiss! The Hallmark ones can veer toward boring and predictable, although some are decent.
Hilarie has an interview with Parade Magazine where she talks about her decision to do Christmas movies, how it fits in with her schedule and lifestyle as a mom, and about the appeal of Christmas movies in general. I have followed her for years and am a fan. She just married Jeffrey Dean Morgan, they have two children together and they live on a huge farm in Rhinebeck, New York. They also co-own a local candy shop with Paul Rudd, they bought it to save it for employees and the town after the owner unexpectedly passed away. Hilarie’s life is like a Lifetime movie!
What do you think the fascination is with these Christmas movies?
When I first started doing them, they were still a little bit taboo. I remember getting my first offer to do one and it was like, “Oh, why would I do that?” And then I did it on a dare. My friends, Paul and Julie Rudd were at dinner with me when I got my first offer to do it, and they’re like, “We’re obsessed with them. Christmas movies are hilarious and magical, and really fun, and you should do one.” So, I did it, and, unexpectedly, I found that the production process of it was so female-friendly. I found a safe place in the industry to create and work, and have a good time, and I could still be a parent. The time commitment isn’t extreme, and I think for viewers at home, there’s so much toxic stuff in the real world.
Perhaps it’s like a pendulum of content in our country, where when things are really tough and messy in real life, we like happy endings, and we like comfort, and we like family stories, and so, being able to create content that soothes people, gives them hope, and is optimistic, is rewarding. There’s great television out there that’s dark, and that’s valuable, but I think having a counterbalance to that’s important.
Hilarie also revealed in that interview that she has a book about her life coming out in March, 2020. I’m interested in that and am looking forward to learning more about her. She just comes across as an authentic, open person, and she said that’s what she strives for too. She went through so much early in her career and I’m glad to see her thriving and doing well. Sometimes actors feel like they have to explain their career choices, like there’s something less noble about doing TV movies or romance movies. There’s no shame in working in or in enjoying those films, as so many of us do.
This looks like her character’s styling in A Christmas Wish! She plays an art teacher.
photos credit: Avalon.red
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