The Story
A cheerful stranger invades the home of a frustrated author and his wife. He proves to be more than an inspiration, he emboldens a timeless gift for generations.
A new Christmas classic film that will be enjoyed by all ages!
The time is late 1823. Catherine and Clarke run a boarding house in New York City. Clarke struggles with writer’s block. He is an unconfident failing author under a deadline. When a derelict enters their lives, he brings joyful charm but also a well-earned suspicion. How will Clark and Catherine cope with his surprising intrusion?
The Location
August temperatures in the SolCal desert average 115f/46c.
So why not create a holiday story set in 1823 New York City!?
That required some set-building movie magic.
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The design for our soundstage took months of planning to keep things on schedule. While the majority of the scenes are in the apartment household of Clarke and Catherine, we also needed to transform the set into an Alm's house, but do it quickly.
​Construction took five days, with three days to put in place furnishings and props. The next seven days our soundstage at the Borrego Springs Resort and Spa was home to table reads, rehearsals, and the shoot.
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Borrego Springs, CA, the location for A Gift For All Ages, is a small town surrounded by the Anza-Borrego State Park, the largest state park in the continental USA.
​Our cast and crew had the chance to explore the small town and its environs. In summer the area is home to 3000, but in winter months it jumps to 13,000.
What’s the attraction? The same thing that brought Hollywood stars to the area back in the day; wonderful nature, enchanting sights (both natural and man-made), and, once again, some joyful movie making fun.
That’s all part of Borrego Springs Life.
The Golden Era
Is it a movie made in the 21st century, or a movie from the Golden Era of Hollywood?
We wanted a timeless story to have that timeless classic feel.
Watch our film and be convinced you’re viewing a forgotten flick from the 1940’s.
Films that inspired us: His Girl Friday, Hobson’s Choice, Great Expectations, The Bishop’s Wife, and Holiday Inn.
Details about our shooting style is found on our blog. Cinematographer, Matthew Nothelfer, is writing a series about Hollywood’s Golden Era techniques used throughout our film.