There seems to be a little something for everyone on the 2024 Christmas movie calendar, whether you’re looking for the perfect holiday rom-com, a good twist ending or even something a little spicy. This weekend Great American Family’s got the classics covered with A Little Women’s Christmas, a modern retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s book. In this adaptation Jen Lilley plays the oldest March sister Meg, whose husband John is stationed overseas. The actress spoke to CinemaBlend about playing a military wife and what she wanted to get right for the veterans.
Jen Lilley is reuniting with her B&B Merry co-star Jesse Hutch for A Little Women’s Christmas, which premieres on the 2024 TV schedule on November 23. In the movie, Meg and John are faced with a scenario that’s likely all too familiar to military families. CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell got to talk to Lilley ahead of the movie’s release, and she expressed enthusiasm for the role:
I was so excited because, not only is Meg my favorite character in the book, but I love that she's a military wife, and she's a mom, and she has to balance managing her own emotions and expectations while also supporting her husband, who is overseas. And it looks like he's not going to get home for the holidays. And then she also has to do the delicate dance as a mom of not showing her emotions too hard to her daughter, because she doesn't want her daughter to carry the heavy burden of dad's not coming home.
Missing holidays and other family events is a big part of the sacrifice our troops and their families make, and Jen Lilley said she really wanted to portray what that’s like, especially for mothers who have to stay strong for their kids. Lilley continued:
I don't know if you have your own children, but children are really receptive. They pick up on your energy, and your emotions. So I can relate to having to put on a brave face for your children, so that they don't carry a burden (that) maybe they're not equipped to bear. And I think that's something that Meg grapples with and I hope that resonates with the audience, as well. Especially those who are military. I really wanted to make sure that I did that relationship justice. … It's not lost on me, what our veterans go through, so I really want to pay them homage.
Honoring the troops through her performance is clearly very important to Jen Lilley, and it's obvious from the trailer that this theme was important to the movie overall.
A Little Women’s Christmas boasts a cast that’s familiar to GAF’s fans, as we’ll see — in addition to Jen Lilley and Jesse Hutch, of course — Jillian Murray as Jo, Laura Osnes as Beth, and Julia Reilly as Amy. Trevor Donovan co-stars as Fitch, and Kyle Kupecky plays Laurie.
A Little Women’s Christmas premieres at 8 p.m. ET Saturday, November 23, on Great American Family, and you can also catch Jen Lilley this holiday season in Operation Mistletoe, which is available to stream now with a Hulu subscription.
