Melissa Joan Hart, Markie Post and June Lockhart star in “Holiday In Handcuffs”, during the ABC Family 25 Days of Christmas celebration.
06/22/2007 - Melissa Joan Hart - Ratatouille Movie World Premiere - Kodak Theater - Hollywood, CA, USA © Focus Hollywood / PR Photos
The movie premieres Sunday, December 9, at 8-10 PM ET on ABC Family.
“Holiday in Handcuffs” is part coming of age, part acceptance, and part kooky tale of a kidnapping with the best of intentions.
Trudie comes from a type A high-strung WASP family, and her parents have expectations.
Failure to meet them is the catalyst behind Trudie’s mini breakdown when she kidnaps at gunpoint one unsuspecting victim: Handsome David Martin, the “perfect” boyfriend trophy to show her parents she’s just as accomplished as her older siblings.
Monsters and Critics had a chance to speak with "Holiday in Handcuffs" star Melissa Joan Hart:
"Holiday in Handcuffs" also stars veteran actors Markie Post and June Lockhart, did you have fun working with these great American actresses on the film?
MJH: The entire cast was incredible to work with. I love people that come from long running sitcoms because they have a level of professionalism that other actors don’t understand. They are great at making the pages come alive and bringing out the funny in a short amount of time. Markie, June, Vanessa, Tim and Kyle were such a blast to work with and we all became close friends.
How did you balance the humor, seasonal sentiment and the off-kilter element of kidnapping someone for a Christmas movie?
MJH: I didn’t really think of it as a Christmas movie while we were shooting. It is more of a romantic comedy that happens to take place at the holidays. I thought all the elements work well together. Everyone with a family can relate to the pressure the holidays put on people and that makes for funny scenarios. It was more grownup material for me to play with and I had such a blast doing it.
How was it working with Mario Lopez (David Martin) for this film?
MJH: He is such a pro. Good guy and looks great in a towel!
Name your favorite Christmas films that made an imprint on you, ones you always watch at the Holidays?
MJH: "Meet me in St Louis" is awesome! I suggest everyone see it at least once so you can really understand the meaning behind the song "Have yourself a Merry little Christmas." Also "Elf" has become a must watch in our house. I think that movie should have been nominated for best original screenplay and best actor.
Do you have any personal family holiday experiences that were strange or funny in their own way?
MJH: My family always had a great relationship with Santa. Every year we would get a photo of him or a bag of gifts dropped on our front porch or see him run through the yard. As a kid, it was great to have that thrill and now, as an adult, it is wonderful to recreate it for our son!
One of the many traditions we had and still enjoy is after the Thanksgiving day parade when Santa makes his appearance, we all yell out as loud as possible at Santa all the things we want for Christmas. My husband thought we were all very strange the first time he witnessed this phenomenon.
What was the best part of filming Holiday in Handcuffs for you? What was the worst?
MJH: There was honestly so much I enjoyed about this shoot. It was my first job back after having my son so I was so thrilled to be back on a set.
Calgary was a wonderful city and I adored spending so much time in the snow with my son. The cast and crew were all such pros and at the same time so much fun to spend time with. And my role of Trudie was one of the most fun characters I have ever played. She is such a nut from a nutty family and going through a crazy little crisis which was great to play.
Do you think your character Trudie is a little bit crazy?
MJH: I feel that Trudie is a product of her parents, who are a little nuts, but who isn’t herself. But she also feels the pressure they put on her to live her life just the way they want her to. But I love the modern conflict she endures of having to survive a quarter life crisis. I see this a lot these days where people around 30 are asking themselves where they are supposed to be in life; should I be married, have a baby, be a CEO by now?! I think she just snaps from the modern pressures.
Did you ever feel reluctant to bring a boyfriend home to meet the parents?
MJH: I always loved bringing boyfriends home because my family was so crazy and loud and I always thought it was so fun to be around but I can see how it can be overwhelming.
Not that you would have a holiday breakdown, but do you feel a lot of pressure during the holidays?
MJH: I actually love the pressure of picking the perfect gift for each person, throwing parties, making cookies for our cookie exchange and sending out the best card I can find. I am a big planner so the more I have to do, the more I get done.
In the film, your character had to write down her Christmas wishes. What are your Christmas wishes?
MJH: I hope that I can cook an impressive meal for all 16 of our family that will come over for dinner. I hope the look on my son’s face when he sees all the gifts will stay in my memory forever and pray that my unborn child will come into this world and be just as healthy and smart as his/her big brother.
How does your character's Christmas time compare to what you do during the holiday season?
MJH: Pretty similar! We both feel a lot of pressure to impress our families. But my family actually picks gifts that the recipient usually enjoys and wants. We don’t lock ourselves in a cabin with no contact to the outside world, but we do enjoy our time together and turn our phones off while we are together for the day.
Have you seen the film yet? What did you think of the finished product?
MJH: I was really impressed and proud of the movie. I thought it would be hilariously funny, but I didn’t expect it to be as sweet as it is. My harshest critic is my 14 year old sis who said it was "up there with Elf" as her fave Christmas movie. That’s huge for me!
What is your favorite holiday tradition?
MJH: I love eating my grandma’s famous French Silk Pie ‘til I am sick. But now, with Mason, I am looking forward to starting all kids of new traditions with my growing family.
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