A University of Connecticut professor was recruited to work on the Hallmark movie “You, Me and the Christmas Trees,” which premiered last week.
Julie Sherman Wolfe, the movie’s screenwriter, sought the help of UConn Plant Science and Landscape Architecture professor Dr. Mark H. Brand for his knowledge on evergreen Christmas trees and their growing process.
Initially, Wolfe reached out to the UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, where she was given Brand’s name, according to a UConn Today article.
Wolfe and Bran began communication months before the movie’s premiere date to ensure the information was accurate and understandable to the general public.
“I worked with Wolfe in early March of 2021. My initial concern was simplifying the science sufficiently so a general movie audience would be able to relate to it, without it becoming inaccurate or misleading in some way,” Brand said in an email interview.
Brand worked in close collaboration with Wolfe and said that she was adaptable and open to incorporating Brand’s knowledge into the movie.
“I only worked with the screenwriter, and it was easy to do. She listened to the information I was able to provide and was going to do her best to get it properly worked into the story,” Brand said.
The movie was set in Avon, although it was filmed in Vancouver, B.C., according to UConn Today.
Wolfe was interested in learning about problems in the growth of Christmas trees in Connecticut and ways those problems could be addressed.
“She wanted to know information about what plant problems were plausible to have arise [sic] for a Christmas tree grower in Connecticut. Also, what possible solutions would work to fix the problem in the timeline that the story would allow,” Brand said.
Brand emphasized the importance of being able to communicate complicated information to the general public.
“It makes you think about the importance of being able to successfully convey complex science concepts to a general audience,” Brand said.