Marsha Mason

With a robust slate for Hallmark's popular Countdown to Christmas franchise, this year releasing thirty-four new features from October 16th to December 20th, most movies, like A Bear's Love Story, which is premiering Saturday, October 17th at eight PM, are filmed off-season.

"We try and get as many movies done between November and March when it's really winter," producer Andrew Gernhard tells USA Today, "But of course, they do anywhere from twenty-five to forty movies a year, and a lot of them are done during the summer." In the network's third collaboration with an NFL team, which follows the inaugural Holiday Touchdown: A Chief's Love Story in twenty twenty-four, and our own Holiday Touchdown: A Bill's Love Story in twenty twenty-five, journalist Avery, played by Lindsay Fonseca, is assigned to write a profile of avid Bears fan Darlene, played by Marcia Mason, and gets some necessary coaching about team devotees from Darlene's grandson, Matt, played by Robert Buckley.

Thanks to production's bag of tricks, which rivals Santa's sack of gifts, the network is able to make some Christmas magic at its various locations around Chicago, including the Bears stadium, Soldier Field.

During a tailgating scene, which director Dustin Rikert remembers as a ninety-five-degree day and massively humid, Buckley recalls rubbing his hands together to act as if he were combating the cold.

... uh, with, with not just the leads but the supporting cast is one of... it's one of the best casts I've ever had in a film.

There's g- I, I promise you there'll be some tears shed, and Marsha Mason, who, who, uh, her storyline is sh- you know, I'm, I'm... it's no secret.

Um, it's about her, you know, 500th Bears game.

So, um-

And if you're gonna have a beef dip, don't baptize it, dip it

The movie follows a Chicago Bears super fan attending her 500th Bears game, played by acclaimed actress Marcia Mason.

And she tells me real Bears fans made getting into character pretty easy

Bears fans are very demonstrative, and they're wonderful to be around, so it was ...

it.

The movie follows a Chicago Bears superfan attending her 500th Bears game, played by acclaimed actress Marsha Mason.

And she tells me real Bears fans made getting into character pretty easy.

pretty easy.

I don't know what the appeal of the Bears is, 'cause there's other names in here, you know.

I know who Marsha Mason is.

Marilu Henner is in this.

Mm-mm.

Well, we love Chicago.

Acclaimed actress Marsha Mason plays Darlene, a Bears super fan.

She's about to see her 500th game.

Avery is a reporter covering that milestone, but she knows nothing about football.