Hallmark Movie Script Quietly Changed Due to Unexpected Deaths

Getty A memorial candle is lit.

A Hallmark director quietly made last-minute changes to memorialize the family members of two stars in “Love in Glacier National: A National Park Romance.” The stars had both lost their loved ones in unexpected accidents that were closely related to the theme of the movie. When the director learned what happened, she changed the script at the last minute to honor the family members who had died.

Ashey Newbrough’s Character Was Renamed After Her Cousin Who Died Months Earlier

In an interview with the Everything About Hallmark podcast, Newbrough shared just what director Christie Will Wolf had done for her.

“(My) character’s name was originally Hannah and I asked Christie if we could possibly change it to Heather after my cousin who passed away this past July,” Newbrough shared.

“Love in Glacier National” is about two avid outdoor enthusiasts who fall in love after they both had to deal with tragic deaths of fellow outdoor enthusiasts.

“She lived in Red Deer, Alberta and was an avid skier, loved the outdoors, was very athletic, and also involved in community theater,” Newbrough continued, speaking about her cousin. “So I thought it would be amazing to do this as sort of a tribute to her… There are so many similarities with the character and the story… If it was possible it would be amazing to do that for my aunt and uncle… To have her name live on and be part of this.”

Even though the request was a last-minute change, Wolf quickly jumped at the opportunity.

“Luckily Christie was amazing and said right away ‘absolutely,'” she recalled. “…Even though it was the day before we were about to shoot. … When I told my mom and my family, they were all really emotional about it and it meant a lot to them.”

Wolf Did the Same for Tegan Moss, Who Played Newbrough’s Sister

In an interview with the Hallmarkies Podcast, Wolf shared how she changed the names of both Newbrough’s and Tegan Moss’s characters to honor loved ones who had died. Moss played Newbrough’s character’s sister in the film.

First, she shared the story about changing Newbrough’s character’s name.

“When I met Ashley, we were talking about her character and I was reworking the script …” she recalled. “I said, ‘Is there anything that you’re bumping on or any kind of wish lists?’ … Long story short, she lost her cousin … [who] was a big outdoor enthusiast. She was very young, she was in her early 20s. And so we changed the name of the character to her cousin’s name which was Heather as kind of an homage.”

They did the same for Moss, too.

“And then … Tegan also lost her cousin just a couple years ago who’s also an outdoor enthusiast on a backpack trip, and we changed her name to Riley…” Wolf said. “So we kind of did this little nod to young women who we’ve lost too soon who are outdoor enthusiasts who died…”

The movie ended with a simple message remembering outdoor enthusiasts who had died.

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