This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes. We stand with the SAG-AFTRA. Without them, the movies and television shows we cover would not exist.
When I was a kid, my Grandpa would take me to see The Thunderbirds or The Blue Angel’s air show. I became fascinated with the skies and everything in the air because of how beautiful and fast everything was. Just the way everything seemed so free.
And the way that I could look around and see a sense of pride everywhere I looked.
I’ve never forgotten those days and I don’t think I ever will. They brought me joy.
So now, I am a lot older and have found joy in different ways. One of those things that brings me so much joy is Hallmark movies. They’ve given me a way to hold on to hope when all hope feels overwhelming and fleeting. Never in my life would I have ever imagined two of the things that have brought me joy in my life, coming together.
In a way.
In the upcoming Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie, Come Fly With Me, “Capt. Emma Fitzgerald (Hemmens) arrives at Nellis Air Force Base for her two-year assignment on the famed Thunderbirds team, her shy, 11-year-old daughter Lucy (Pietra Castro) is befriended by Alice (Georgia Acken), whose civilian father Paul (Matter), a widower, is raising her on his own. Alice is in awe of Emma, as she dreams of becoming a pilot someday despite suffering from a heart condition. As the foursome spends time together, the girls decide to play matchmaker in the hope that a romance will lead Emma to put down roots rather than move again when her time with the Thunderbirds ends. Emma and Paul are drawn to each other and a spark develops, but Emma is overwhelmed by the demands of her Thunderbirds training and tells him she needs to focus on her flying. But when Alice’s health suddenly worsens, the thing keeping Emma and Paul apart could be what ultimately brings them all together.”
“Through this beautiful story, Hallmark Media is honored to celebrate and thank the commitment made by members of the military – and their families – as they serve our country,” remarked Elizabeth Yost, Senior Vice President, Development, Programming, Hallmark Media. “It is a long-standing priority for us to create movies set in this world, which resonate strongly with our viewers. We’re so proud to partner with the United States Air Force and DoD to bring this special, heartfelt story to life.”
Starring Heather Hemmens (“Roswell, New Mexico”) and Niall Matter (“Family History Mysteries: Buried Past”), the movie was filmed in cooperation with the Department of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. The Department of Defense provided production access to film scenes on location at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada, the home of the Thunderbirds and the movie features exciting flight footage courtesy of the Department of the Air Force.
“The U.S. Air Force is excited to partner with Hallmark Media and Front Street Pictures to bring a story that loosely showcases the pride, precision and professionalism of our nation’s elite Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds,” said Lt. Col. Darrick Lee, Director, U.S. Air Force Entertainment Liaison Office.
I don’t know about you, but I am really looking forward to this movie. I’m already prepping the tissues for nostalgia’s sake and because well, it sounds like a tear jerker.
What do you think? Come Fly With Me will premiere on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries on September 15th.
