Sartaj Singh
Helmed by Jim Fall, ‘Holiday Engagement’ centers on Hillary Burns, who has been feeling pressured by her overbearing mother about bringing a man home and settling down. After putting it off for a long time, Hillary is confident that she has finally found the one, a successful lawyer. However, just as she makes the proclamation to her family about bringing her fiancé home for the Thanksgiving weekend, the workaholic lawyer breaks off their engagement.
Terrified of facing her mother and proving her fears right, Hillary instead opts to hire a pretend fiancé using an online ad, which is answered by a struggling actor, David. As the good-natured David falls into stride with her scheme and plays the part of her perfect man, Hillary finds herself falling for him. The Hallmark romantic comedy captures the magic of love blossoming against the backdrop of the holiday season as David helps decorate her family home for the holidays.
Where Was Holiday Engagement Filmed?
‘Holiday Engagement’ was filmed in Los Angeles, California. Principal photography began under the tentative title ‘Thanksgiving Engagement’ in December 2010 and was wrapped by the end of the year. The production team worked on a tight filming schedule and faced the challenge of shooting late into the night and creating lighting to simulate daytime in interior locations. However, the team worked together seamlessly, overcoming various difficulties in filming with their synergy. “We were blessed with an amazing cast and crew that made shooting a Christmas movie in December an absolute joy,” wrote cinematographer John Matysiak in his blog post on the film. “I can honestly say it was one of the best ensemble cast and crews I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and I think that comes across in the final film.”
Los Angeles, California
Filming for ‘Holiday Engagement’ was carried out in California’s City of Angels, primarily around Downtown Los Angeles. The production team set up shop on location in a real house that is seen in the movie. Despite shooting in December, thanks to California’s weather, the movie could be convincingly portrayed as being set during Thanksgiving. As the crew began shooting the party scenes of the Christmas-themed movie with a large number of characters on screen and in the background, they faced unexpected challenges.
With the sheer volume of characters populating Thanksgiving dinner and wedding scenes, there rarely were any extended sequences with only two characters during a take. This added to the time demands on the constrained shooting schedule, which they could not afford. Additionally, shooting in December also meant minimal daylight hours, which translated into the team frequently having to create their own daytime with the assistance of lighting equipment. This was done partially for the bridal shop sequence, among others in interior locations.
“Every day it seemed like we’d have to light the house for day at night and a couple of times even the reverse, tenting out and creating night during the day, due to actors turn arounds or schedule conflicts,” revealed Matysiak in the aforementioned blog. “It was one of the more challenging movies I’ve been faced with shooting.” Los Angeles is known for depicting other cities and towns across the country in films as it does for Pittsburg in ‘A Holiday Engagement.’ Some of the other romantic comedies shot in and around Hollywood include ‘The Girl Next Door,’ ‘Secretary,’ and ‘Grease.’
Holiday Engagement Cast
Bonnie Somerville leads ‘Holiday Engagement’ as Hillary. Somerville is of Irish descent and is recognized for her work in ‘Friends’ as Mona, ‘Blue Bloods’ as Paula Hill, ‘NYPD Blue’ as Det. Laura Murphy, and ‘Code Black’ as Christa Lorenson. You may have also seen her in ‘Law & Order’ as Mrs. Richardson, ‘Nash Bridges’ as Christina Hunter, and ‘Heels‘ as Vicky Rabies. Starring opposite her is Jordan Bridges, a seasoned actor who garnered popularity with his performance in the cop drama ‘Rizzoli & Isles’ as Frankie Rizzoli Jr., ‘Den of Thieves’ as Lobbin’ Bob, and ‘Mona Lisa Smile’ as Spencer Jonesi. His other credits include Apple TV+’s ‘Palm Royale,’ ‘True Love Blooms,’ and Hallmark’s ‘Christmas at Holly Lodge.’
Supporting cast members include Shelley Long as Meredith Burns, Sam McMurray as Roy Burns, Haylie Duff as Trish, Carrie Wiita as Joy Burns, Chris McKenna as Jason King, Edi Patterson as Sophie, Christopher Goodman as Peter, and Jennifer Elise Cox as Woman in Bridal Store. Other actors featured in the movie include Sam Pancake as Julian, Susie Castillo as Lindsay, Michael Monks as Father Macy, Sam Horrigan as Surfer Dude, Roy Jenkins as Boring Man, Hal Devi as Shifty Man, Stewart Scott as Frank, and John Stevenson as Stu.
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