BETHLEHEM, Pa. — "I adopted her a few days ago on my own with no partner," says Mary Ann in the opening of a trailer for a new movie putting a big spotlight on Bethlehem.
Even though it wasn't filmed locally, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries finally is giving a first look at what's to come this holiday season when "Miracle in Bethlehem, Pa" premieres.
The trailer shows Mary Ann (Laura Vandervoort) arriving at the fictitious Bethlehem Star Inn with newborn daughter Natalie after they are stranded due to bad weather.
The inn is full, of course, but the innkeeper has a solution — her brother Joe (Benjamin Ayres) has a spare room in his home that Mary Ann and Natalie can use.
Described in a synopsis as "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.”
Watch the preview below.
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.”
The film premieres Dec. 21 on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, a cable network associated with the Hallmark Channel.
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Principal photography for the film took place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in late September. The movie will not feature any Bethlehem-based locations, but the sequences in the movie show a street fairly similar to the real Main Street in the Christmas City.
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.