Hallmark Is Premiering Its First Movie With a Gay Couple at the Center

The Hallmark Channel is good at churning out dozens of holiday movies every year. But this year, they are featuring a gay couple at the center of one of the films for the first time.

by Christina Montford

Published on November 18, 2020

2 min read

What is the movie about?

The Christmas House is an upcoming movie in this year’s holiday line up. The film follows characters Brandon Mitchell and his husband Jake on their trip home for the holidays. But what’s noteworthy about this trip is that Brandon and Jake are waiting for a call regarding the adoption of their first child.

“Working through some difficult decisions, Mitchell family matriarch Phylis (Sharon Lawrence) and patriarch Bill (Treat Williams), have summoned their two grown sons — Mike (Robert Buckley) and Brandon (Jonathan Bennett) — home for the holidays,” the show’s official description says. “It is their hope that bringing the family together to recreate the Christmas house will help them find resolution and make a memorable holiday for the entire family and community. As Brandon and his husband, Jake (Brad Harder), make the trip home, they are anxiously awaiting a call about the adoption of their first child. Meanwhile, Mike reconnects with Andi (Ana Ayora), his high school sweetheart.”

Why ‘The Christmas House’ is important

Jonathan Bennett, who plays Brandon, recently sat down with Entertainment Tonight to talk about why this movie was so necessary.

“This movie is so important because I’m part of the progress, and it feels good,” he told the outlet. “I can only imagine what younger me would have thought seeing a Christmas movie with a storyline like this; two men in love, having a baby together. I think I would have been so excited, and I know I’m excited.”

Ultimately, Bennett felt that this movie was important for young kids to see.

“When I read the script, I got so excited that we [were] going to get to go and make this movie but also for the younger Jonathans out there watching it,” he said. “To see a movie like that, where you see yourself on screen is so important and I think this Christmas younger me is going to be a little bit less scared and feel a little more seen. Especially with what’s going on in 2020, this is going to be a little bit of hope and a little bit of love that everyone can watch.”

The film also hits close to home for Bennett as he and his real life partner Jaymes Vaughan have also thought about adopting as well.

“We’re thinking about that for sure, especially shooting this movie it really spoke to me,” he said. “It’s almost like life imitates art. You get to set and you watch this couple in the movie going through the adoption process and there’s highs and there are lows in that and there’s everything in between. But during one of the scenes where we kind of have a little tiff, you see a couple come together and surround each other with unconditional love.”