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TL;DR: 

  • Kavan Smith and Emmanuelle Vaugier star in the new Hallmark movie Big Sky River. 
  • Smith says the movie is about “broken people getting a second shot.” 
  • It’s based on a book by Linda Lael Miller and premieres August 7. 
Kavan Smith, wearing a cowboy hat, and Emmanuelle Vaugier, in a promo shot for Hallmark's 'Big Sky River'
Kavan Smith and Emmanuelle Vaugier in ‘Big Sky River’ | ©2022 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Allister Foster

Hallmark’s newest movie isn’t your conventional love story. Big Sky River, which premieres August 7, is about two people who find happiness together despite their difficult pasts. That’s what drew actor Kavan Smith to the story, which he described as more than just a boy-meets-girl romance. 

Kavan Smith and Emmanuelle Vaugier star in ‘Big Sky River’

In Big Sky River, which will air on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Smith plays a man named Boone Taylor. Boone’s wife has died, and he’s raising his two sons while also working as a sheriff in the small town of Parable, Montana. 

Emmanuelle Vaugier plays a woman named Tara Kendall. Looking to put some distance between herself and her ex-husband, Tara decides to take a break from New York City and books a summer rental in Parable, where she used to spend time as a girl. 

Tara’s new neighbor in Parable is Boone, and the two soon develop a connection. But when Tara’s stepdaughter reaches out, the painful realities of everyday life threaten to intrude on her dreams of life in the country.  

Smith explains what drew him to the Hallmark movie

In a chat with Vaugier and Linda Lael Miller (who wrote the book on which the movie is based), Smith explained what drew him to the project. 

“It’s not just about two people getting a second shot … It’s really about sort of broken relationships,” he said (via YouTube). “For me, it was less about boy meets girl and more about broken family meets other broken family and we try to make it together as a new family. And that’s really what spoke to me.” 

Big Sky River is about “broken people trying to get a second shot,” the When Calls the Heart actor added. “People can relate to that all over the world.” 

‘Big Sky River’ author says her story is about hope and second chances

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Best-selling author Miller says her story is about “being open … to connection.”  

“Most of my characters are terrified of falling in love again because they’ve been burned in some way,” she added. In Big Sky River, both Boone and Tara must work through the personal issues that are keeping them from taking new risks in their lives. Eventually, both realize that whatever has happened in the past, they deserve a second chance. 

“I want people to know that,” Miller said. “There are a lot of second chances. There’s always hope.” 

Big Sky River airs Sunday, August 7 at 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Movie & Mysteries. 

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