A 'Christmas Vacation' reunion? Behind the scenes of 'The Christmas Letter' movie in Utica

LAMA Entertainment will continue to film “The Christmas Letter” in Utica – a movie penned by Ilion native Michael Cunningham– through the end of January.

The motion picture has already gained attention on social media with locals deeming it a “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation reunion.”

Oscar-nominated actor Randy Quaid will co-star alongside Chevy Chase and Brian Doyle-Murray once more. While it’s still unclear what roles they will each play, “the story wouldn’t be the same without them,” confirmed Director Tori Hunter.

“The Christmas Letter” is being marketed as a family comedy.

Lead character Joe Michaels gets a “boastful” holiday card each year from his friend in the U.K. After losing his job he cashes in his 401k and invests in a year of adventures– bound to make his pen pal envious, explained Hunter.

“It’s a film that extends past the holidays,” added Hunter. “Joe spends a year searching for joy to find it was in front of him the whole time. The story is about appreciating what you have and not getting caught up in the pursuit of material possessions and status.”

Angus Benfield, producer and owner of LAMA Entertainment, will star as Joe Michaels. He said the goal is to set a release date for this upcoming holiday season.

“The Stanley Theater looks great for a premiere,” hinted Benfield.

Film Utica Board Chair and Stanley Theatre Executive Director Lisa Wilsey is ecstatic about the project.

“While the film and television industry may have overlooked Utica in the past, it will no longer. We have put Utica on the Hollywood "map" and we are excited for what we have planned for the future.”

Small town charm

The movie will be a “first” for both Hunter and Cunningham.

As script supervisor, Hunter has worked on a variety of short films in the past including the 2020 Lifetime movie “A Welcome Home Christmas,” and 2023 release “The Great Turkey Town Miracle” (also starring Benfield).

This project will be her first full-length directorial debut.

“I’m from a small town – like Utica – myself,” said Hunter. “It’s in filmmaking that I found “me” and I’m so grateful to have the morale boost from this kind town.”

Cunningham graduated from the former Ilion High School (now Central Valley Academy) in 1980 and went on to study marketing and communications at St. John Fisher University.

This film will be his first produced screenplay.

Cunningham said he had no particular intention to feature historically significant locations, but rather was driven by a desire to “bring something back to the areas where he grew up.”

Local film sites across the Mohawk Valley will include the Utica City Hall, Hotel Utica, Fort Schuyler Club, Valley View Golf Course, and the Woods Valley ski area.

'Controlled chaos'

The Observer Dispatch was able to visit one of the set locations in downtown Utica. What crew members called “controlled chaos” was a home chock-full of family photos and literary classics, like George Orwell.

“It takes all hands on deck,” Hunter joked, “even Mother Nature is helping us out with all this snow.”

Hunter noted that while the movie pays tribute to holiday comedies from the 80s and 90s it also challenges the idea that said movies are prevalent during one season of the year. The approach is “fresh” because it’s reminiscent of the classics, she said.

Director of Photography Chase Bowman expanded on this idea.

“The goal is to create something new that evokes the same beloved feelings," he said. "Christmas movies are cozy and familiar. We plays into that nostalgia while adding some absurdist humor. The message– not comparing yourself to others– is very modern, with the advent of social media, but it’s conveyed in the film using old-school technology: letter writing.”

To that respect, Social Media and Marketing Coordinator Ruth Benfield chimed in.

“Love, marriage, friendship and family come in such varying forms. The beauty and shininess of something is not always found in the new, a million cautionary tales tell us so, and so does this one."

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: 'The Christmas Letter' film will reunite 'Christmas Vacation' stars