Lacey Chabert was all over the place this holiday season, not only making her annual appearance on Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas in The Christmas Quest but hopping over to streaming to dominate Netflix with Hot Frosty. This beloved actress didn’t rest on any laurels, either, because Chabert’s name is already on the Hallmark movie schedule again, starring in An Unexpected Valentine. The movie premiered February 1, and speaking of “unexpected,” I never would have guessed what it was that attracted her to the project.
An Unexpected Valentine, which CinemaBlend’s Jessica Rawden labels a certified “banger,” stars Lacey Chabert and Robert Buckley, two frequent faces on the Hallmark channel. But while Chabert may be known as the queen of the Hallmark movie, she hasn’t actually appeared on one of its Loveuary offerings in a while. So why this flick, and why now? The actress explained to Southern Living:
I hadn’t made a Valentine’s movie in a minute and I fell in love with the script. I love the idea that it takes place in one night. Which is an interesting way to film. Only one costume for the entire movie which was such a treat.
OK so this answer is not only adorable, it’s pretty relatable. I love that Lacey Chabert recognizes that a story taking place over the course of just one day means that she’ll spend most of the time in just one look, and that something like fewer costume changes could influence her decision to join the movie.
Also, not only does she only have to wear one outfit for the movie, it looks like a pretty comfortable one at that!
As she said, it is interesting to see a Hallmark movie limited to such a short span of time. Even the perfect Hallmark Christmas movie formula requires a little time to build some tension between the meet-cute and the inevitable kiss into credits. It seems the plot device of An Unexpected Valentine gives this couple all the time they need!
In case you missed its premiere, Lacey Chabert stars as Hannah, who’s rushing around trying to forget it’s Valentine’s Day when she hops into a ride-share and finds an engagement ring. The driver Finn (Robert Buckley) takes her around the city in search of the ring’s owner, with the two forming a quick connection of their own along the way. (I just hope he wasn’t charging her the whole time!)
Being in a car racing around the city all day means Hannah is literally wearing the same thing the whole time — assuming her antics don’t involve some wild disguises or an impromptu shopping spree — and I totally get why that could be considered “such a treat” for the actress.
We’ve heard from Hallmark actors before how uncomfortable it can be to film Christmas movies in hot weather (for example, Alison Sweeney said it’s never her favorite), and I can’t imagine there’s much of a difference when it comes to February’s Loveuary movies. it seems jumping from one hot outfit to another wouldn’t make that any more pleasant.
If you didn’t catch An Unexpected Valentine the first time around, no worries! Lacey Chabert’s new movie is on the schedule again a little closer to Valentine’s Day. Be sure to mark your calendar for 10 p.m. ET Saturday, February 15, for another showing on the Hallmark Channel.