BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Hallmark has released the first official images from "Miracle in Bethlehem, Pa.” The film premieres Dec. 21 on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, a cable network associated with the Hallmark Channel.
Principal photography for the film took place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in late September. The movie will not feature any Bethlehem-based locations.
The flick is from DaySpring, known for its faith-based storytelling. It’s among 42 movies premiering across Hallmark’s two networks this holiday season. The streaming service, Hallmark Movies Now, also has special holiday offerings.
The baby at the inn
Hallmark released an extended synopsis of the movie’s plot just weeks before its premiere. It reads:
“Mary Ann (Laura Vandervoort) is a successful lawyer who wants nothing more than to adopt a child and be a mother. When she finally gets the call that’s God’s answer to her prayers, Mary Ann treks to Bethlehem, PA just before Christmas to meet her new bundle of joy. But bad weather forces her and her newborn daughter, Natalie, to delay their trip back home.
“The local inn is full but the welcoming innkeeper Frankie (Amy Groening) has a solution — her brother Joe (Benjamin Ayres) has a spare room in his home she can use. The quintessential bachelor, Joe’s place is less than tidy but he welcomes Mary Ann and Natalie and tries to make them comfortable. The weather forecast isn’t cooperating so Mary Ann extends her stay, giving her time to become part of his family’s pre-holiday celebrations, including Christmas activities at their church.”
The extended synopsis continues: “As the two spend more time together, it’s becoming clear to them — and everyone around them — that an attraction is growing. Each of them opens up to the other about personal challenges weighing on them — Mary Ann is hesitant to let her mother, who struggled as a single parent, know that she adopted a baby on her own, while Joe shares that life for him hasn’t been the same since the passing of his father, who was his best friend.
“As Mary Ann and Joe connect through their shared faith and become close, they could just be the unexpected blessing in each other’s life in surprising ways.”
Bethlehem still gets the Hallmark treatment
While it won’t be featured in the film, Bethlehem once again is getting the Hallmark treatment this year, letting people from across the globe get a glimpse at the city’s holiday festivities.
A camera is live streaming Main Street to Hallmark's Christmas website from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily until Dec. 30, highlighting the city's shopping, horse and carriage rides and the live advent calendar.
The live stream joins a handful of other Hallmark-designated "Christmas Towns,” such as Harbor Springs, Michigan; Corning, New York; Frisco, Texas; Mystic, Connecticut; and Asheville, North Carolina.
Actor Daniel Roebuck, a Lehigh Valley native, recently also filmed "St. Nick of Bethlehem" on location. That movie will include Historic Hotel Bethlehem, St. Luke's Children Hospital, the Kiffle Kitchen Bakery, the Star of Bethlehem, Christkindlmarkt and more.
The film will be produced by Hard Faith, and Roebuck's Magic Bean Entertainment, and the Marlow-Pugnetti Company.
After wrapping the first part of filming in early November, Roebuck said the crew will return in March to finish.
His three films, "Lucky Louie," "Getting Grace" and "Hail Mary," were also filmed around the Lehigh Valley.
