The 2019 Hallmark Christmas movie Holiday Date’ revolves around Brooke Miller, a young tailor who faces a series of challenges during the holiday season. In addition to dealing with her boss’s criticism of her designs, Brooke must face the fallout of her breakup with her longtime boyfriend, Ethan. With Christmas approaching, she struggles to handle the pressures of a demanding job and the discomfort of attending family gatherings without a date. This is particularly difficult when her older sister, Ashley, is happily married and raising a teenage daughter. To meet her family’s expectations, Brooke decides to hire a charming but unconventional “holiday date.”
Brooke meets a professional actor, Joel Parker, through a talent agent and hires him to pose as her Ethan. Although Joel is excited about the role, problems arise as he struggles to convincingly play Ethan, particularly since he differs greatly from how Brooke had earlier described to her folks. Despite these comical setbacks, Joel’s enthusiastic performance begins to win over Brooke and her parents. As the story progresses, an unexpected bond forms between Brooke and Joel, growing into a genuine romance. The warmth of their evolving relationship is complemented by the holiday season, making the locations and festive celebrations all the more essential to the ‘Holiday Date.’
Holiday Date Filming Locations
The plot of ‘Holiday Date’ begins in New York City and primarily takes place in Whispering Pines, Brooke’s fictional hometown. However, the movie was shot in and around Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, at various real landscapes and studios. Production Designer Nick Richardson, Art Director Nathan Fenwick, and Set Decorator Victor Razi handled the interior sequences, including the family home and holiday decorations, to create an authentic festival atmosphere. Principal photography began on September 23, 2019, and concluded on October 11, 2019.
Greater Vancouver, British Columbia
Like most Hallmark productions, ‘Holiday Date’ was entirely filmed in British Columbia, particularly in the Metro Vancouver Regional District. The extensive studio work — including the construction of set pieces — was completed at Front Street Pictures Incorporated, located at 1950 Franklin Street in the main city. Cinematographer Dan Dumouchel skillfully transitioned the scenes from New York City to the small, snow-covered town of Whispering Pines.
Exterior scenes involving the Miller family home were filmed in the Fort Langley village community within Langley Township. Separated from the Albion neighborhood by the Fraser River, this area is known for its cozy cottages and vintage markets and is particularly scenic during the holidays. Fort Langley is a popular site for filming due to its historic architecture and small-town character. Many productions have been filmed here, including the popular shows ‘The X-Files,’ ‘Riverdale,’ ‘Once Upon a Time,’ and ‘Supernatural,’ as well as movies like ‘Twilight’ and Hallmark’s ‘The Nine Lives of Christmas.’
Holiday Date Cast
Matt Cohen appears in the lead as Joel Parker. The actor is best known for his long-running role as Dr. Griffin Munro in ‘General Hospital’ and as Aiden Dennison in ‘South of Nowhere.’ His other credits include TV movies such as ‘His Secret Marriage’ and ‘Made for Each Other.’ Brittany Bristow stars opposite Cohen as the aspiring tailor Brooke Miller. The actress is known for her involvement in an extensive number of television movies, including ‘A Safari Romance,’ ‘Love on the Right Course,’ ‘Love, Romance, & Chocolate,’ ‘Home for a Royal Heart,’ and ‘Merry Mystery Christmas.’
Bruce Boxleitner and Teryl Rothery portray Brooke’s parents, Walter and Donna Miller. Boxleitner is a veteran actor best known for his roles as Captain John Sheridan in ‘Babylon 5’ and President Baker in ‘Supergirl.’ He also stars in ‘Scarecrow and Mrs. King’ as Lee Stetson, in addition to the many TV movies such as ‘The Christmas Contract’ and ‘Roux the Day: A Gourmet Detective Mystery.’ Rothery can be seen as Dr. Janet Fraiser in the cult show ‘Stargate SG-1’ and as Dr. Jen Lancaster in ‘The Good Doctor’ and Muriel Saint Claire in ‘Virgin River.’
Edward Ruttle, recognized from his supporting role in ‘The Spencer Sisters,’ plays Brooke’s self-centered ex-boyfriend Ethan Reinhart. Anna Van Hooft appears as Brooke’s older sister, Ashley, with Peter Benson as her husband, Glen, and Ava Grace Cooper as their teenage daughter, Tessa. Shannon Chan-Kent and Matty Finochio play Brooke’s friends Megan and Larry, the latter of whom is a talent agent who introduces her to Joel. Additionally, Edwin Perez portrays Roger, while Christine Chatelain plays Cheryl. Rounding out the supporting cast are Ken Tremblett as Hank Miller, Seth Friesen as Emily’s brother, Natalie Moon as Nina, April Telek as Emily’s mother, Heather-Claire Nortey as Robbie, Kristina Lao as Sarah Banks, and Dee Jay Jackson.
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