Entertainment

Lifetime

The Stars Of 'A Christmas Reunion' Share History IRL

by Karen Fratti

There's nothing like a good Christmas movie and if you've been flipping through the channels, you've probably already gotten sucked into the Lifetime zone. The network has a bunch of its own holiday flicks that premiered this year, but they're also showing some classics, like A Christmas Reunion, which isn't based on a true story for a few simple reasons.

One of the greatest things about these made for television movies is that they're so sappy and improbable, which makes them so perfect. You might have even seen this particular one before, since in it was made for ION back in 2015 and has since been aired on a few other channels.

A Christmas Reunion stars Denise Richards, who plays Amy, a high-powered businesswoman in New York City. But then she learns that she inherited her aunt's small bakery. The twist? Her aunt left the other half of the bakery to her ex-boyfriend Jack (played by Patrick Muldoon), so they return to co-manage the store and run the annual cookie bakeoff. Muldoon explained the plot to CBS in 2015:

Our characters grew up together in a tiny town called Chestnut —and we were supposed to be married after high school. But my character got hurt when she moved to New York to pursue a career, so he joined the military.

The movie does not have the best reviews among Christmas made-for-TV aficionados. In fact, it's one of those movies that people love to hate watch while they try to muster their holiday spirit. We've all been there, right? But that's not to say that people won't still tune in to catch another glimpse of this classic tale. Perhaps watching it is even part of a holiday tradition. (After all, there's no better way to spend Christmas time than than spending a day on the couch with an array of Lifetime movies at your disposal.)

Additionally, if viewers are noticing something odd between the two leads, there's a good reason for it. Although the actual premise of the movie is entirely fictional, Muldoon and Richards did date once upon a time, so they're actually real life exes, albeit without the bakery to help bring them back together.

The two dated briefly back in the late '90s and co-starred in Starship Troopers together, but have been spotted together on and off since then on dates, though they've never officially gotten back together.

When A Christmas Reunion first premiered on ION, Muldoon joked on Extra that he had "orchestrated the whole thing" when it came to the romance between the two of them. The two apparently had a good time on set, though, and the producers even fooled around with some of Muldoon's real life insecurities. He told CBS in an interview that, "The producers played a dirty trick on me. If you've worked with me in the past, you know I'm into my hair. So they gave the kid who plays me as a child, kind of an over-the-top, Patrick hairdo. He looks like Elvis. It's funny."

So whether you love this movie or hate this movie (or even love to hate this movie), at least the cast and crew were enjoying their time together on set. But even if the plot and chemistry of the two main characters on A Christmas Reunion is a little awkward, don't let it stop you from soaking up the Lifetime magic on the couch while you sip some delicious eggnog. And just be thankful that you don't have to do anything, real or fictional, with your ex partner this holiday season.

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