Aiken residents and fans of holiday movies will see actress Danica McKellar in two new Great American Media Christmas films this season. McKellar, 51, stars in The Greatest Christmas Gift, premiering globally on Great American Pure Flix on Saturday, November 29, and also airing on Great American Family and GFAM+ the same day. She also filmed The Christmas Yes List, a comedy, earlier this summer for Great American.
The Greatest Christmas Gift is inspired by O. Henry’s 1905 story, The Gift of the Magi. McKellar’s version of the classic tale features her as Emma Harper, a music teacher, and Matthew Marsden as her fiancé, Caleb Bennett. The couple prepares for a Christmas wedding when an unexpected setback threatens their plans. The network describes the film as focusing on the idea that the greatest gifts are found in steadfast faith, selfless love, and community support, rather than perfect circumstances.
McKellar noted that this film marks a different experience for her, as she was already working closely with her costar, Marsden, before filming began. She explained that while the original story has a tragic element, The Greatest Christmas Gift focuses on how the community comes together to help the couple, ensuring a warm and happy ending. The actress emphasized that the movie, like others from Great American, will feature conflict but maintain a sense of hope, with characters striving to overcome challenges.
This film is McKellar’s 14th Christmas movie. Her other upcoming holiday feature, The Christmas Yes List, is described as a romantic comedy. In this film, McKellar’s character, after failing to get a promotion, is challenged by her boss to undergo rejection therapy, requiring her to get 10 strangers to say no before Christmas. One of these strangers is played by Sam Page, who McKellar says is very agreeable, leading to humorous situations as her character tries to elicit a refusal while his character is on a mission to say yes more often. The premiere date for The Christmas Yes List has not yet been announced.