Autumn Reeser ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Hugh Tull
Autumn Reeser’s Junebug character, Juniper, loves the film Say Something — however the actress wasn’t that aware of the ‘80s basic.
“Weirdly sufficient, I truly had not seen it till I used to be getting ready for this [Hallmark] film,” Reeser, 43, solely instructed Us Weekly of her connection to the rom-com. “I simply thought I had as a result of the boombox scene is so iconic. I assumed that I had seen it in some unspecified time in the future in my childhood or teen years. So I began watching it with my children and realized I’ve by no means seen this film!”
Reeser famous that the selection to pay homage to Say Something, which starred John Cusack and Ione Skye, was as a consequence of author Summer time Isreal Johnson’s love of the movie. “That was her private contact,” she stated.
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In Hallmark’s Junebug, which premieres on Saturday, August 3, Juniper (Reeser) is at a crossroads as she approaches her fortieth birthday. When her mother and father deliver her childhood want field over, Juniper is magically reconnected with the 8-year-old model of herself (known as Junebug and performed by Mila Jones) — who just isn’t glad that the grownup model of herself gave up her dream to write down her personal books.
Say Something, however, got here out in 1989 and adopted Lloyd Dobler (Cusack) on his quest to make the highschool valedictorian, Diane Court docket (Skye), fall in love with him earlier than they go away to varsity.
Whereas the films aren’t the identical, Reeser’s Juniper is on the same journey to search out herself and alongside the best way possibly the proper romance.
John Cusack in 1989’s “Say Something.” Cowl Photographs
Throughout an early scene in Junebug, Juniper learns that her boyfriend plans to provide her a pen for her birthday … minutes earlier than he cuts the date quick with none dessert.
“I gave you my coronary heart and also you gave me a pen,” Juniper says in response, giving a nod to the memorable quote from her “favourite film” Say Something.
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Elsewhere within the Hallmark movie, Juniper wonders why she doesn’t have a “man in my life holding up a boombox to serenade me” like Lloyd does within the rom-com.
Like Lloyd earlier than her, Juniper makes an attempt the romantic gesture in one of many pivotal scenes in Junebug — and in response to Reeser it’s not as simple because it appears.
“The primary time I attempted it, the 2 finish items of it fell off,” Reeser instructed Us of lifting the boombox over her head on set. “I virtually broke our key prop. I’m sorry! They needed to scorching glue the boombox collectively as a result of the top items apparently come off and switch into audio system.”
Autumn Reeser and Aaron O’Connell ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Hugh Tull
The O.C. alum revealed that she had no clue the top of the boombox may transfer. “Apparently, I’d by no means had a boombox in my life,” she teased, admitting she discovered concerning the detachable audio system solely after “it fell aside in my fingers!”
Along with the nostalgia for Say Something, Reeser recalled having a good time filming the throwback scenes as she was interacting with her 8-year-old self.
“There are a whole lot of scenes with Raspberry Swirl ice cream, and I didn’t hate that,” she stated, referring to her child self’s love of the flavour. “That was a completely pleasurable childhood second each time that occurred. And a few of them, I don’t even assume ended up on the display screen.”
One scene that did make the minimize was the rosé float debacle, which Reeser described as “consuming the Raspberry Swirl ice cream in rosé” wine. “That was fairly an expertise,” she stated with amusing.
Autumn Reeser and Aaron O’Connell ©2024 Hallmark Media/Photographer: Hugh Tull
Whereas Junebug may be very foolish at instances, Reeser is hoping viewers take house a extra significant message of loving oneself after watching.
“One of many causes I used to be obsessed with this story is the deeper idea of therapeutic the inside baby,” she stated. “That’s the kind of work that actually can result in a whole lot of emotional freedom and liberation if you’re prepared to try this sort of labor to go in and produce extra love to those earlier components of your self. And that’s actually echoed within the story.”
Reeser, who can be an govt producer on the challenge, added: “It’s so thrilling as a result of I used to be there from the bottom up. I really feel actually pleased with what all of us created collectively is very a lot a collaboration, and that’s my favourite strategy to work.”
Junebug premieres on Hallmark Channel Saturday, August 3, at 8 p.m. ET.
