Naman Shrestha
In Hallmark’s ‘A Veteran’s Christmas,’ we get acquainted with a well-respected and decorated US Marine veteran named Grace Garland, who gets stranded in the quaint Illinois town of River’s Crossing when she gets into a small car accident while driving home to Cincinnati after spending two hours of Search and Rescue in Afghanistan. Additionally, she is separated from her K9 best friend. A glimmer of hope emerges in the form of Judge Joe Peterson, who offers her to stay at his guesthouse until her jeep is repaired.
Forced to spend the holidays in an unfamiliar town, Grace finds herself falling in love with Joe, who makes it his responsibility to make her believe in the magic of Christmas. However, Joe seems to be nursing a broken heart over his ex-girlfriend. When Grace overhears him talking to his ex, it breaks her heart, but could the local judge convince her to stay in the town forever? Written and directed by Mark Jean, the 2018 romantic drama movie is set in the fictional town of River’s Crossing, which serves as an additional character that changes the protagonist’s perception of the holiday season.
Where Was A Veteran’s Christmas Filmed?
‘A Veteran’s Christmas’ was shot across Ontario, especially in North Bay and Huntsville. According to reports, principal photography for the Hallmark movie got underway on September 10, 2018, under the working title ‘Rivers Crossing at Christmas’ and concluded by the end of the same month. During a conversation with Media Village, Sean Faris talked about the challenges they faced during the shooting process. “It was a 15-day shoot and we had wind storms that pounded us and little preparation (for them). Production found a way to shoot indoors, but we needed to get one exterior shot, so we waited until the storm passed and got it at 2 am. We had to, as we’d never get that location again, but it all worked out,” he stated.
North Bay, Ontario
Located in Northeastern Ontario, the city of North Bay served as the primary production location for ‘A Veteran’s Christmas.’ The interior scenes involving the church were reportedly shot inside the Trinity United Church at 111 McIntyre Street East. The production team set up camp at a couple of more sites in North Bay, including Heritage Railway & Carousel Company at 230 Memorial Drive and North Star Diner at 348 Algonquin Avenue. However, the latter has permanently shut its doors and has been replaced by the Crossroads Convenience restaurant. The filming unit utilized another real-life church for shooting the movie — Powassan United Church at 462 Main Street in the municipality of Powassan, situated near North Bay.
Huntsville, Ontario
For the purpose of shooting, the cast and crew members of ‘A Veteran’s Christmas’ also took over the locales of the town of Huntsville for three to four days. Various parts of Downtown Huntsville, including Brunel Road, Main Street, and High Street, were redressed to depict the holiday season in the fictional town of River’s Crossing. In order to add a layer of authenticity, they also had a River’s Crossing patrol car on the set and used Illinois license plates on cars. The Swing Bridge and Kent Park at 7620 Logan Drive Southwest also make appearances in a few sequences.
A Veteran’s Christmas Cast Details
The wholesome holiday tale of ‘A Veteran’s Christmas’ is led by the chemistry-filled performances of Eloise Mumford and Sean Faris’s characters. The former was homeschooled through fifth grade, after which she continued regular education. She graduated from Annie Wright School in Tacoma, Washington, and Capital High School in Olympia. Meanwhile, Sean has served as a producer/executive producer for ‘Manifest Destiny,’ ‘Freerunner,’ ‘The Truth in Being Right,’ ‘Pursuit of Love,’ and ‘Adulterers.’
Eloise Mumford as Grace Garland
Eloise Mumford plays the role of Grace Garland, a US Marine veteran who finds herself stranded in the town of River’s Crossing, in the Hallmark production. You might find her face familiar as she features in ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ as Kate, ‘Standing Up, Falling Down’ as Becky, ‘Villa Amore’ as Liara, ‘The Right Stuff’ as Trudy Cooper, ‘Lone Star’ as Lindsay Holloway, ‘Cross’ as Shannon Whitmer, ‘Chicago Fire’ as Hope Jacquinot, and ‘The Horse’s Mouth’ as Eloise.
Sean Faris as Joe Peterson
Sean Faris steps into the role of Joe Peterson, the local judge and Grace’s romantic interest, in ‘A Veteran’s Christmas.’ The Houston, Texas, native is widely recognized for his roles as Jake Tyler in ‘Never Back Down,’ Steve in ‘Sleepover,’ Danny’s Gunner in ‘Pearl Harbor,’ and William Beardsley in ‘Yours, Mine & Ours.’ He also stars in ‘A Gettysburg Christmas,’ ‘I Am Not for Sale: The Fight to End Human Trafficking,’ ‘An Uncommon Grace,’ ‘Pretty Little Liars,’ and ‘Supernatural.’
In the Hallmark production, several other actors feature in supporting roles, including Mary Long as Nellie, Amanda Lisman as Katie, Jacob Blair as Cooper Ambrose, Paula Barrett as Fran, Richard Waugh as Uncle Roy, Jenna Weir as Addison, Jess Brown as Sheri, and Richard Fitzpatrick as Colonel Michael Radcliffe. Moreover, Miriam McDonald portrays Marnie Radcliffe, Gage Arbuthnot plays the role of Tyler, and Tony Craig features as Reverend Terry.
Read More: A Make or Break Holiday: Filming Locations and Cast Details
