She’s smart and stylish. Marci Jewel, played by Malinda Williams (“Soul Food”) in the UP Original Movie “Marry Me for Christmas,” is the owner and creative director of an up-and-coming ad agency and thrilled with her single life in New York — except during the holidays. While all of her cousins are married and having babies, Marci remains the lone holdout in the large Chandler family, putting marriage and motherhood on hold for the sake of her career.
Starring alongside Williams in this romantic home-for-the-holidays drama is Brad James (“For Better or Worse,” Prisoners).
“’Marry Me for Christmas’ is a movie to bring every member of the family around the television together during the Christmas season,” said Barbara Fisher, SVP, original programming, UP. “Malinda Williams leads an exceptional cast of actors who make up the extended, matrimonially-driven Chandler clan — the kind of family who deeply love each other, Christmas and family gossip — not necessarily in that order. We are happy to bring this wonderful, fun film to our viewers this holiday season.”
Along with Williams and James, the film’s ensemble cast includes Jason Weaver (“The LeBrons,” “The Ladykillers”), Tamara Bass (Baby Boy, “Boston Public”), Karon Riley (“Necessary Roughness,” “Single Ladies”), Carl Payne (“For Richer Or Poorer,” “The Game”) with GregAlan Williams (“Necessary Roughness,” “The West Wing”) and Victoria Rowell (“Single Ladies,” “The Young and the Restless”). Deetta West (Between Sisters, JD Lawrence’s Community Service) and Chrystale Wilson (“For Richer or Poorer”) also star.
As the family’s epic Christmas celebration is about to start, Marci learns that her favorite cousin Dana (Bass), her husband Frankie (Weaver) and their family are leaving the country for five years on missionary work. So at the last minute, Marci promises to come home for the holidays for the first time in years. With a deadline looming for a new client, she drags her employee Adam (James) in tow to Atlanta and does the only thing she can do in the face of unbearable pressure from her ailing mom Stephanie (Victoria Rowell), aunt Myra (DeEtta West), uncle Donald (GregAlan Williams) and cousin Preston (Carl Payne): fakes a fiancé. While caught up in the family’s frenetic search for the perfect Christmas tree, unexpected wedding planning to her employee, pressing work calls and more, Marci learns some unexpected lessons about love, trust and family, particularly when it comes to her new faux fiancé Adam and old beaux Blair (Karon Riley).
“Marry Me for Christmas” will premiere exclusively on UP, “America’s Christmas Channel,” on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. EST, with encores at 9 and 11 p.m. EST. The film will also air on ASPiRE on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. EST.
“Marry Me for Christmas” is produced by Swirl Films’ Eric Tomosunas and Malinda Williams. Roger Melvin (UP’s “Sugar Mommas,” Love Will Keep Us Together) directs from a script by Rhonda Freeman-Baraka (UP’s Saving Westbrook High, Trinity Goodheart).
