The Magic of Ordinary Days (TV 2005)

Pregnant out of wedlock, an educated young woman is pressured by her father into an arranged marriage with a lonely farmer in this drama set during WWII.

Director:

Brent Shields

Writers:

Ann Howard Creel (novel), Camille Thomasson (teleplay)

Stars:

Keri Russell, Skeet Ulrich, Mare Winningham

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Keri Russell	...	Livy
Skeet Ulrich	...	Ray Singleton
Mare Winningham	...	Martha
Tania Gunadi	...	Florence
Gwendoline Yeo	...	Rose
Stephen Strachan	...	Hank (as Steve Strachan)
Katie Keating	...	Ruth
Ken Pogue	...	Reverend Case
Eric Winter	...	Walter
Jane McGregor	...	Abby
Daryl Shuttleworth	...	Reverend Dunne
Brayden Bullen	...	Hank Jr.
Sam Dyer	...	Chester
Mary Black	...	Marian Case
Jacqueline Robbins	...	Mrs. Pratt (as Jackie Robbins)

Storyline

Pregnant out of wedlock, an educated young woman is pressured by her father into an arranged marriage with a lonely farmer in this drama set during WWII.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

CBS [us] Hallmark

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 January 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hallmark Hall of Fame: The Magic of Ordinary Days (#54.2)

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Empire Pictures, Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 120 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When the main characters are pulling into the barn dance, you can see a modern white mini-van sticking out from behind the barn.

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Connections

Edited into Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)

User Reviews

Russell and Ulrich shine in "The Magic of Ordinary Days" to raise my opinion of Hallmark movies

I liked "The Magic of Ordinary Days" very much because of a combination of things. Set in Colorado in 1944, the movie follows Livy, wonderfully played by Keri Russell. After a brief relationship with a soldier, Livy finds herself pregnant. Her father, a minister, arranges for her to marry a farmer who lives in rural Colorado, but Livy is not happy with the situation, especially since she was pursuing a masters degree in Denver. Ray, the farmer, is willing to marry her and raise the baby with her though. Skeet Ulrich is the shy Ray and is also absolutely wonderful in the role. Russell and Ulrich are great together, even though Livy and Ray seem quite mismatched in the beginning. The movie shows the progression of their relationship as Livy's eyes are opened by the love that surrounds her: from Ray and from his sister and her family, but especially from Ray. Ulrich gives his character a love for Livy so deep that he would do anything for her. Their relationship is tested though when Livy's sister visits and offers to take her back to Denver.

I usually find Hallmark movies to be quite cheesy, but "The Magic of Ordinary Days" is a love story given great depth and played out beautifully by Russell and Ulrich. I recommend it to anyone looking for a cute, feel-good movie with very good acting.