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As fans of Hallmark Channel movies know well, the feel-good network has grown in popularity, while fielding criticism. However, recently, it has introduced more diverse casts and storylines, including LGBTQ+ stories. Meanwhile, critics still feel that the network is “formulaic” in its movies and storylines. This has been mentioned so many times, Lacey Chabert was asked about the concept in a recent interview.
Lacey Chabert and Hallmark Channel
In an interview with Vulture, Lacey Chabert was asked about her opinion of the criticism. Meanwhile, she quickly pointed out that, while her movies are sweet in some ways and feature romance, there is more to the story. The Hallmark star pointed to the diversity of the movies she has done over the last couple of years to reveal the diversity. According to Lacey, Hallmark is pushing a little harder into varying genres. Explaining this, Chabert said:
‘Haul Out the Holly’ was a comedy. That’s not something we would’ve done at the network a few years ago. Last year, I did a movie called ‘Sweet Carolina,’ where my character’s sister suddenly passes, and she finds out she’s the guardian of her niece and nephew. That was something deeper I had been wanting to do for a while. A more emotional story, if you will.
Admittedly, Haul Out The Holly was similar to the audience to the more emotional Sweet Carolina (about an aunt raising her sister’s kids after her sudden death). However, Chabert says she is constantly looking for ways to make her characters and their stories different.
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People talk about the formula of them or certain things we’re trying to hit, but it works really well. It’s my job to leave the audience a little bit surprised and try to find a different way into that story. I try to make the characters as human as possible or create a character the audience can see themselves in. Hopefully, it’s a bit different than the last one I played.
Lacey Chabert branching out on the feel-good network
Meanwhile, besides starring in movies, Lacey has taken on more responsibility at Hallmark as a producer and creator. In fact, last year she spearheaded The Wedding Veil trilogy, where three women met, fell in love with, and married suitors.
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She then went on to be involved in a second The Wedding Veil trilogy, allowing herself, Autumn Reeser and Alison Sweeney to tackle storylines outside of the meet, fall in love and marry storyline.
Speaking of the movies, Chabert said she thinks they are being allowed to take their storytelling outside the box it was put in. Meanwhile, The Wedding Veil was the first time they did a true trilogy that aired consecutively. In the second trilogy, viewers got to revisit the characters, to find out about their relationship and living real life together. Lacey added:
It doesn’t have the meet-cute — you’re watching two people already in love exist within a marriage. What types of challenges does that bring them? We see the relationships of the three girlfriends in a deeper way. All three are married and in different directions; how has that affected their friendship?
As fans know, in recent movies, Hallmark Channel has definitely offered inclusivity. The movies feature African American themes, Jewish stories, Chinese American themes, LGBTQ+ relationships and even characters with Down’s syndrome.
We are sure to see many more diverse movies, starring Lacey Chabert and her costars in the months to come.