This holiday-movie season, Kristin Davis and ‘A Heavenly Christmas’ stand out
Kristin Davis was once a total Scrooge when it came to Christmas.
But now she sees the holiday through a child’s eyes and has learned to love it.
That’s a big part of the reason she signed on to star in A Heavenly Christmas, this year’s seasonal Hallmark Hall of Fame original movie, which co-stars Eric McCormack and Shirley MacLaine.
In a year when the glut of White Christmas on TV makes it seem like white noise, this sweet comedy about second chances has that extra something that allows it to cut through the clutter.
It premieres at 7 p.m. Saturday on Hallmark Channel.
“My character, Eve, isn’t a bad person,” says Davis, the former Sex and the City star. “She’s just very focused on her goals. She’s all about her work and too busy for relationships of any kind. When Christmas comes along, she’s like, ‘Ugh, I don’t have time for an office party. I’ve got work to do.’
“And honestly, I could relate because I was like that. I was like, ‘Christmas music on the radio? Give me a break! It’s not even Thanksgiving yet!’ ”
Ten years ago, Davis co-starred with Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito in Deck the Halls, a more frantic kind of Christmas movie, and throughout she kept wondering what’s so special about all those Christmas lights and decorations.
“I was like, whatever!” she says. “I was a little curmudgeonly about Christmas. OK, I was a LOT curmudgeonly.
“Then I adopted my daughter (Gemma Rose in 2011) and everything changed. I started to experience Christmas the way she does. Because of her, it has become an important holiday for me.”
No longer does Davis grumble when she hears Jingle Bells on the radio, the way Eve does in the movie.
“My daughter could listen to Christmas music all year long,” Davis says. “I try to limit it a little bit to keep it special. But her ways have started to rub off on me.”
A Heavenly Christmas tells a tale that’s a touch of A Christmas Carol and a dash of It’s a Wonderful Life. Davis plays a workaholic executive who has no meaningful connections in her life, not even with her brother and two nieces. She’s too preoccupied with landing the next big client.
“Then she has this unfortunate experience with her high heels and a patch of ice,” Davis says. “She wakes up in heaven with an angel, played by Shirley MacLaine, talking to her.”
Eve learns she is now a Christmas angel. You know what they say about God moving in mysterious ways. With MacLaine’s character serving as a tough-love adviser, Eve’s first mission is to go back to earth and help a struggling musician (McCormack) find direction and happiness.
It’s a wonderful cast of actors, but MacLaine, a showbiz legend, is quite the scene-stealer as Pearl, a crusty guardian angel.
“I was the first person they reached out to about this,” Davis says. “When they got Shirley MacLaine, I was beyond excited and also very nervous. She is someone I literally have been watching and admiring and revering all my life.
“Shirley is very low-maintenance and very funny and she puts you at ease immediately when you meet her. But still, my first day with her acting, I was nervous. I couldn’t sleep the night before.
“I was afraid she would look at me with so much intensity that all of my lines would leave my head. It didn’t happen, thank goodness, but I never completely stopped worrying.”
A Heavenly Christmas
- 7 p.m. Saturday
- Hallmark Channel
Very merry movies
Nearly two dozen new Christmas movies will fill the airwaves with holiday cheer in the coming weeks. Here’s a rundown:
All I Want for Christmas (7 p.m. Saturday, Lifetime): A no-nonsense woman receives a magic pin from one of Santa’s helpers, giving her the ability to hear everyone’s thoughts. Melissa Sagemiller stars.
Journey Back to Christmas (7 p.m. Sunday, Hallmark): A WWII-era nurse is transported in time to 2016 and meets a man who helps her discover the meaning of Christmas. Candace Cameron Bure stars.
I’ll Be Home for Christmas (8 p.m. Sunday, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries): A single mom’s Christmas is turned upside down by the arrival of her estranged dad. James Brolin and Mena Suvari star.
A Christmas in Vermont (8 p.m. Sunday, ION): A woman is sent by her profit-obsessed boss to shut down a small clothing company. Chevy Chase, Howard Hesseman and Morgan Fairchild star.
Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love (8 p.m. Wednesday, NBC): An unexpected blizzard threatens the Parton family at Christmastime. Jennifer Nettles and Ricky Schroder star.
A Firehouse Christmas (8 p.m. Dec. 3, ION): An ex-Olympic hockey star and his firefighter girlfriend hit a snag in their relationship when his author ex-wife resurfaces. Anna Hutchison stars.
Heaven Sent (7 p.m. Dec. 3, Lifetime): As Christmas approaches, an 8-year-old angel takes it upon herself to rekindle the love in a couple’s failing marriage. Christian Kane and Marley Shelton star.
A Dream of Christmas (7 p.m. Dec. 3, Hallmark): An ambitious but discontented young married woman is granted a wish to be single again. Nikki DeLoach and Andrew Walker star.
A Cinderella Christmas (8 p.m. Dec. 4, ION): At a masquerade ball, a fledgling event planner and wealthy playboy, who must marry to keep his inheritance, fall in love. Emma Rigby stars.
Looks Like Christmas (7 p.m. Dec. 4, Hallmark): A smothering mother tends to go overboard spearheading her kid’s school Christmas spectacular. Anne Heche and Dylan Neal star.
Hearts of Christmas (8 p.m. Dec. 4, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries): A nurse who specializes in premature births is being forced into early retirement. Emilie Ullerup and Sharon Lawrence star.
Christmas With the Andersons (8 p.m. Dec. 10, ION): The couple that hosts the biggest Christmas party in town every year is in financial straits. George Stults and Christy Carlson Romano star.
A Nutcracker Christmas (7 p.m. Dec. 10, Hallmark): A rising star who lives and breathes ballet lands the lead role in The Nutcracker and will make her debut on Christmas Eve. Amy Acker stars.
A Husband for Christmas (8 p.m. Dec. 11, ION): Graphic designers in a soon-to-merge company agree to a loveless marriage of convenience before the holidays. Vivica A. Fox and Dominique Swain star.
Love You Like Christmas (7 p.m. Dec. 11, Hallmark): A high-powered marketing executive’s trip to a client’s wedding is ruined by car trouble in a town called Christmas Valley. Bonnie Somerville stars.
Sound of Christmas (8 p.m. Dec. 11, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries): A music teacher and a single father have an instant connection when they meet at a Christmas tree lot. Lindy Booth stars.
My Christmas Love (7 p.m. Dec. 17, Hallmark): A hopeless romantic receives a gift a day, inspired by the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, from an anonymous benefactor. Meredith Hagner stars.
Sleigh Bells Ring (7 p.m. Dec. 18, Hallmark): A single mother is ready to be promoted to city manager, but first must put together a blowout Christmas parade in just two weeks. Erin Cahill stars.
A Christmas to Remember (8 p.m. Dec. 18, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries): A harsh TV personality is taken in by strangers after she crashes her car and awakens with amnesia. Mira Sorvino stars.
When Calls the Heart Christmas (7 p.m. Dec. 25, Hallmark): In this movie-length installment of the network‘s series, an intriguing peddler comes to Hope Valley teaching lessons of joy and giving.
A Rose for Christmas (7 p.m. Jan. 1, Hallmark): A talented artist whose Pasadena family has built Rose Parade floats for generations must fill in for her dad when he’s sick. Rachel Boston stars.
This story was originally published November 23, 2016 at 3:55 PM with the headline "This holiday-movie season, Kristin Davis and ‘A Heavenly Christmas’ stand out."