Behind Our Christmas Story

Behind Our Christmas Story

Jessica Tannen is the modern suburban woman who has it all: an adoring husband and three teenage kids, the respect of her friends and neighbors, and a cookie business on the side. She’s the go-to girl who gets asked to do everything, and she’s convinced she can do it all, including pulling off the perfect Christmas for everyone again this year. Food, fun, and just the right touch of extended family visiting, she has each and every one of her traditions ready to go, capping it all off with the annual family talent show, The Tannenbomb. 

Everything from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day is planned with a precision that only someone with Jessica’s boundless energy and optimism could possibly pull off. But her best-laid plans start to go terribly – and comically – awry as life seems to conspire against her. A huge last-minute order is phoned in for the governor’s Christmas Gala, an offer she can’t possibly refuse. Her rheumatoid arthritis – a result of a car accident she survived with her sister, Elisha, when they were teens – flares up. Her quirky family unexpectedly starts showing up early – first her parents, Granny and Pop, and then Elisha’s family – setting off the sparks of an unresolved childhood grudge. Not to mention the enthusiastic terror that is Elisha’s dog, Oscar, who wants to chew to bits everything within reach. And it becomes clear that no one – not even Jessica herself – has their musical acts nailed down for The Tannenbomb.
  
And yet, Jessica is determined to achieve the perfect Christmas, spreading holiday cheer to everyone and saying yes to everything… until it all comes crumbling down around her in ways she couldn’t possibly have imagined. 
All Is Merry & Bright is a heartwarming and funny film about navigating family in the pursuit of the perfect Christmas and will resonate with audiences everywhere, showing what a little faith and a whole lot of family can do to ignite the holiday spirit even in the most chaotic of times. It’s sure to be a Christmas classic that viewers will return to year after year, bringing all the fun of films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and Christmas With the Kranks.  

More Information: 

The film is being directed by the award-winning director Cory Edwards (Hoodwinked). It is being produced by up-and-coming
    producer Shun Lee Fong, who was recently the co-producer of the feature film Sketch, starring Tony Hale and official
    selection of the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival; the executive producer of Sun Moon for Sony Affirm; and
    producer of the highly anticipated animated series The Dead Sea Squirrels. He is producing All Is Merry & Bright with his
    producing partner, Caren Kelly, who has a long and noteworthy career in film and commercial projects.
The film targets the faith & family audience which has accounted for some of the most successful and widely watched films over the last several years. It also is a Christmas film, a genre which is consistently successful, with high viewership, streaming dominance, and evergreen content.  
The film has a wonderful ensemble cast, brought together by renowned casting director, Beverly Holloway (The Chosen, I Can Only Imagine), with outstanding stars such as:   
  • Emily Rose (Haven, ER);  
  • Doug Jones (The Shape of Water, The Fantastic Four, Pan’s Labyrinth); 
  • Nancy Stafford (Matlock, St. Elsewhere);  
  • John O’Hurley (Seinfeld, Phineas and Ferb);  
  • Sally Struthers (All In the Family, A Man on the Inside);  
  • And many other box office names.  

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