Hallmark movies have been breaking out of traditional patterns lately, and fans love the changes. But there are a few things about Hallmark that won’t change, including relationship dynamics that one director shared are very important to the movie.
Hallmark Movies Need to Show Both Partners Helping Each Other Grow
Julie Sherman Wolfe has written 22 Hallmark movies, including “Hanukkah on Rye,” “A Holiday Spectacular,” and “Always Amore.” In an interview with The Guardian, Sherman Wolfe talked about one staple to Hallmark relationships that won’t be changing.
“One of the most important things that we try to do is make sure that where we have a relationship, each one of them helps each other in some way to grow,” Sherman Wolfe shared. “So a lot of times if people are just starting out writing for Hallmark, you’ll see a story where the man will change the woman, or the woman will change the man. But we like to have both of them help each other get on the right path.”
Sherman Wolfe said there are other formulas to the scripts, such as how they need to have nine acts rather than the traditional three acts for a movie. She said the first two acts set up conflict, they start feeling a spark in the third act, and they are falling in love in acts four through six.
“But that conflict is still there,” she said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen, but we know something’s going to go wrong. And in act seven something goes wrong. In act eight, it’s over. And then the last act they make up happily ever after.”
But Hallmark has moved past some other traditions, such as now letting couples kiss earlier than the final scene.
Hallmark Star Shares Secret to Chemistry
Helping each other grow is part of the chemistry that a Hallmark movie couple shares. Dan Jeannotte, who starred with Eloise Mumford in Hallmark’s “Sweeter than Chocolate,” revealed to TV Fanatic another integral part of building that chemistry.
“These movies, obviously, are leaning heavily on the connection between the … two romantic leads,” Jeannotte shared. “…In many cases, we don’t know each other until the first scene we film together. … It was the same thing here where Eloise and I had not worked together and did not know each other. The first day we met was on set, walking into the makeup trailer…”
He said getting to know the actor you’re starring with is important.
“What I think you need to try to do is you’ve got to jumpstart an authentic connection, not a romantic one, but you need to connect with the other person,” he said. “You got to get there a little bit quicker than you do with regular friends that you make, and so I try to find something that we have in common or find some way that a rapport can come a little bit more easily, whether it’s through sharing stories about our lives or whether it’s through a sense of humor.”
He said he asked Mumford to tell him something about herself, so they could get to know each other better and feel more comfortable together.
“I feel very lucky that I got to work with her because she’s wonderful, such a good actor, grounded in her scenes, and committed,” he said.
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Writer Reveals the One Thing About Hallmark Movies That Won’t Change