Vermont (and the Green Mountains) Gets A Christmas Movie Upgrade
- Lars Hasselblad Torres
- Dec 12, 2024
- 2 min read
The last really great Christmas movie set in Vermont may have been WHITE CHRISTMAS starring Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Vera-Ellen. They sure looked great in VistaVision! That or MOONLIGHT & MISTLETOE, depending on your preferences. Enter a new contender for your holiday heart, the improbably named CHRISTMAS COWBOY (not to be confused with A COWBOY CHRISTMAS, both of which trade in New York City bigwigs). Anyway, released in November, this one's kind of goofy and fun, with all the trademark tropes you could wish for. And heck yeah, the Latinx's are a movin' in!
Produced by Spanglish Media and Kvibe Studios, the shoestring film follows Mary (Eliana Ghen) who must return to her family home in Jericho, Vermont for the same reason that a lot of people come to Vermont: a real estate opportunity that's too good pass up. Spoiler alert: along the way she learns about love, forgiveness, and horses.
First, big props to anyone who brings a film production to Vermont. We're a small state with an outsized creative community. We're not one of the states wooing the production industry with tax incentives, sound stages, or flagship hotel experiences. What we lack in infrastructure we make up in scenery, indie talent, and some of the best food on earth. Though according to Eliane's "thank you" video to the film's viewers, shooting in Vermont still turned out to be "the hardest, most freezing" experience she's had acting, writing and executive producing.
Seven Days reports that CHRISTMAS COWBOY was made for about $250,000, likely a direct to streaming proposition. From the sound of the star's promotional video, much of the film's funding was raised through Eliana's social media connections and Patreon crowdfunding efforts. So, more props for pulling it all together in a state where resources are diffuse. It can be hard to get those Hollywood good looks to pencil out with those numbers. For native Vermonter, casting director, and associate producer Shayna Sherwood, it was probably a tall order. So while CHRISTMAS COWBOY is no YELLOWSTONE despite its rocky mountain promo, its got enough charm and swagger to round out its 118 minute runtime.
(And don't forget, Cowboy Carter is gonna want a piece of your Christmas too. Merry Merry and here's to cowboys, big and biggerer mountains, and small towns!)
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