A couple of years ago, when Hallmark premiered the first of their Godwink films at Christmas, I had the supreme honor of interviewing SQuire Rushnell, and since that first conversation, I have been an enormous fan of him and his wife and their excellent work. I never tire of chatting with people of faith, especially in the film and television industry, and SQuire is a brilliant spark who has continued to spread the gospel in his own inimitable fashion, thus touching countless individuals all over the world (some of whom we may never know this side of eternity). A couple of weeks ago, the third film in the series, A Godwink Christmas: Second Chance, First Love premiered on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. (It will premiere on December 13th in Canada on the W Network.) In celebration of this marvelous milestone of presenting a third in the series (with more in the works), it is my privilege to share my most recent chat with the “Godwink Man” himself!
RH: SQuire, it’s so nice to chat with you again this year.
SR: Same here, Ruth, always nice to chat with you.
I know we’ve been talking every year since the first of the Godwink films began. I am so glad that you could do another one because I wasn’t sure in light of how challenging this year has been.
Knox Hamilton, Sam Page, Rhys Slack, Michele Scarabelli Credit: ©2020 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen
Yes, we couldn’t be there for shooting because we are Americans, and this is a Canadian production. We didn’t want to sit in the hotel room for fourteen days before going to set. Kathie Lee {Gifford} came to the same conclusion. But the fact is that with the wonder of software and technology these days, we were able to stay more up-to-date than if we had been there in person. If we were there, we would have been less likely to watch the dailies. So we were able to follow the shooting very carefully. We didn’t miss anything at all except the feeling of joy when we’re able to be on set and just be an encourager with the staff and with the crew and with the cast and everyone. It kind of nice to feel like a family and have that kind of feeling when you go to set, but even so, the movie is great and we’re delighted with it. We found it very special.
Oh good, I’m so glad because I have absolutely loved both films, and this one is another wonderful one. Whenever the replay comes for any of the films, my mom is always watching them. I love them, but my mom is perhaps an even bigger fan of the films than I am. I’ve talked to lots of people who didn’t even realize there was a series of films. I know it’s different characters in each of the movies, but some don’t realize there is a series of films. I think you plan to hopefully release one every year at Christmas, right?
Kimberley Sustad, Paul Campbell Credit: ©2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Bettina Strauss
Yes, that is the basic idea. The first announcement that Hallmark made about these movies is the term series, and we like the sound of that because it implies that there’s more than one or two or three. It’s a series. I think as long as the popularity remains high and we continue to do good work, I think we’ll have a home at Hallmark because it’s certainly a very compatible brand with our brand. And we feel as though they contribute so much in the creative process, so that is valuable. We’re delighted–absolutely delighted–to have this partnership. We’re already talking about Godwink 4. I think we can honestly say there are things about each one of the movies that we love.
Benjamin Hollingsworth, Cindy Busby Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Bettina Strauss
Well, before seeing this year’s, I can say we especially loved last year’s movie.
That’s great to hear. Yes, I think this year’s will reach that point with most people that they love it at least as much as last year’s if not more.
There are a load of things I love about the Godwink series in general, but the fact that they are based on true stories always makes them very special. Last year’s was so emotional. In fact, my mom missed the initial replay, and I looked up when it would be on again so she could be sure to watch it. That second one dealt with such a serious subject and did it so beautifully.
Cindy Busby Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Kailey Schwerman
Yes, Hallmark doesn’t traditionally go places like that where people are sick. So I had been a little concerned that we might not be able to jump through the hoops with that story. But Hallmark seems to be pushing back boundaries a little bit, and with this year’s, it seems to be doing that even more and doing it well. So if the one goes forward that we’re planning for next year, that will probably push back the boundaries even more on a dramatic story. I think that the Godwink stories have many aspects to them that we’re faced with, and I like the fact that Hallmark is not afraid of the “God” word. I’m pleased that we were able to lobby and get God into the title. Because obviously, that’s what people would google and search for.
BTS with wife Louise
A Godwink Christmas
And then that we’ve also been able to explain what a Godwink is. For Louise {Duart} and me, that is the most important aspect of this. We want people to come away after they’ve watched the Godwink movie and realize that they’ve had these little so-called coincidences in their own lives too. Maybe they didn’t know what to call them. And if they didn’t or it they didn’t think it was a real thing, and they realize that these are real; hopefully, they realized that we all have Godwinks all the time in our lives. We just need to teach ourselves to sharpen our awareness so that we can see them. Then we will have a more secure feeling about everything we do in life because we won’t feel like we’re on a wobbly staircase without a handrail to hold onto. That’s what a Godwink is. It’s a steadying handrail for each one of us.
That’s an excellent way to think of it. I like that. I remember when we first talked, I had no idea what a Godwink meant. Hard to believe there was a day that I didn’t know what the term Godwink meant. It’s beautiful when someone doesn’t know what that term means, and I can pass that information along to them and have a real discussion with them.
Brooke D’Orsay, Sam Page Credit: ©2020 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen
Yeah, it’s like finding a surprise that was left on your doorstep, and you just didn’t know what was there. Then you opened the door, and you found it, and it was such a joy. I love that joy just in helping people to discover God’s way because these Godwinks are encouraging. And don’t we all need that, especially this year? We need a lot of encouragement.
Yeah, we sure do. So what can you tell us about this third one?
It’s called A Godwink Christmas: Second Chance, First Love. Behind the scenes, we call it Godwink 3. I like to put the number in there so that if we get a Godwink 4, we can put that in, and people will understand that it’s a series, and they will know which one or ones they haven’t seen. But anyway, this one zeroes in on another experience that so many of us have had where the first love we had was a little treasure in our life, particularly if it was in high school or junior high, as it was in real life for Margie and Pat. It started in junior high when they were at a seventh-grade dance, and they were an item all through high school. Everybody always saw both of them together. Margie and Pat. Nobody said just Pat or just Margie. They all said, “Margie and Pat.”
Brooke D’Orsay Credit: ©2020 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen
But as life also seems to do in these situations, it gives us unexpected turns and twists, and in the real story, Margie’s parents moved away. She also had a kind of career path that she wanted to follow. She wanted to be in business and get a business degree and be in the corporate world. And Pat was drawn to music. He had a friend who lured him off to Hawaii after high school. Of course, they made all the promises in the world, where they said they couldn’t wait to see each other again and so on. But as the calendar clicked away and they clicked a little bit further, and further apart, seventeen years later, we see that Margie had never married. She was doing very well in the corporate world. And in this movie, as well as in real life, she was very committed to her job. But she always would think about Pat and the love that they had. She would wish that one day she could have that feeling again with somebody somewhere.
Michele Scarabelli, Sam Page Credit: ©2020 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen
At the time, Pat had gone through some marriage challenges and difficulties in Hawaii. He had two boys. He was a caretaker for the boys. He sold his company and returned to his hometown to hang with his mother for a little bit until he found out where they were now. The real story took place in Los Angeles, but you have to take personal liberties in a Hallmark movie to meet specific goals. Hallmark movies always have to have lots of snow, so Los Angeles movies don’t do so well for Christmas movies. That was one of the small variances that we made. We moved the setting to Boise, Idaho. But other than that, it was pretty much along the track of the real story.
Sam Page Credit: ©2020 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen
The most beautiful Godwink actually happened pretty early in the story and in the film. Pat was looking through a photo album with his mom, and he came across the picture of Margery Southwood. And he said to his mom, “Why did I not marry Margery Southworth in the first place?” Now, in the movie, we decided to collapse the story a little bit by introducing the car. It was central to Pat and Margie in high school, and Pat’s mom had kept that car in tip-top shape. Even had it licensed in the city in the garage, so when Pat decided that he would go and take that car out for a spin, he pulled down the visor and out fell some of those dime-store arcade pictures, the little four-strip, black-and-white of him and Margie as kids. So two really sweet flashback themes were introduced to show the fact that they had a wonderful relationship.
Brooke D’Orsay, Sam Page Credit: ©2020 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen
And then, fairly soon after that in the movie and in real life…this was pretty amazing. Pat actually took the wrong way to work. He went a different way to go to work or to a job interview than he would normally take. Not the shortest way, and he pulled onto the highway, and he heard, “Beep, beep!” It was the day after he had said, “Why didn’t I marry Margery Southworth in the first place?” He looked across, and it was Margery. She was in the car next to him. Then the cars got swallowed up in the traffic, and they pulled off, and they were able to jump out of the car and so forth. We didn’t recreate all of that in the movie, but we recreated the fact that they encountered each other in the car and she saw him, and they had a wonderful reunion. At that moment, she already had a relationship. Of course, it’s a Hallmark movie, and what are we gonna do with that relationship?
Then the story unfolds, and I have to tell you we were so thrilled with the performances of Brooke D’Orsay and Sam Page. I wasn’t familiar with their talent before we tapped them. I was very impressed with them and thought they were great. But I didn’t realize that there was a whole fan base out there, and the Hallmark really loved them.
Sam Page, Brooke D’Orsay Credit: ©2020 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen
Oh yeah, definitely! When I saw that they were paired up, I thought it was a perfect pairing. I know of both of their talents. I’ve been watching them since they came to Hallmark as their careers have grown with the network. First of all, I was just excited that there was another Godwink film. But then when I saw that they were attached to it, I was like, “Oh, that’s perfect!” I could totally see them together. And they did not disappoint. It was fabulous to see them both in a different kind of Hallmark role. It was perfect.
Brooke D’Orsay Credit: ©2020 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen
I was pleased when I got a note from Brooke. She said that she was thrilled when she got the request to do the film. She said the moment she saw Godwinks on the script, she said “yes” even before she read it. She wanted to be in the film. So it was that kind of “love at first sight.” I didn’t get a chance to chat with Sam, but he sure did a great job. Both of them did. And gosh, they have great chemistry together. I mean, there are those things that an actor can do that I always marvel at. It’s when they can take a scene and emote so much more communication, so much more emotion than just the words on the page. They do that with their glances to their behaviors all the way through this movie. We’re really thrilled. We think they’re doing a great job.
Sam Page Credit: ©2020 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen
Oh, that’s so wonderful to hear! I mean, I wouldn’t have expected any less from the two of them, but it’s exciting to hear that. From the moment I saw the brief Christmas preview clip, I knew this movie would be fantastic, and they would be phenomenal. Chatting with you has made me even more enthusiastic about this film. Now, since this is based on a true story, are both of the people still alive?
Yes, they are. There is a part at the end where you can see photos of the real people. There’s this vignette at the end, and I have my voiceover about them and where they are now. In my view, it reaffirms that the movie you just saw was based on a real story. These are the real people, and if they are real, then that means the Godwink was real. Real Godwinks happened to them, and it makes you think that Godwinks can happen to all of us. So that’s our little ministry in that fifteen or twenty seconds at the end. Where did you say you live?
I live in Washington state.
Pat & Margery
Well, the real people live near Seattle.
Oh my gosh, seriously?
Yes, they live in Federal Way.
Oh, my goodness! I was born in Tacoma, so I know where Federal Way is! That’s amazing.
The newspaper did a little story on them. They are living there, and they’re still madly in love.
Now I’m really excited about this movie! To know that they are that close to me! Now when the movie premiered…In the past, I know you’ve done something where when people are watching the movie, they watch for the Godwinks and count them and send their totals to you. Did you do anything like that with this movie?
Pat & Margery
Yes, we had watch parties, and people were very excited. One of the ideas that just thrilled us when we first brought this series to Hallmark was somebody had the idea that just caught on like a house on fire. It was when you’re having the watch party to hand out a basket of little bells. Whenever you see a Godwink, ring the bell. I didn’t really experience that until last year when we had a public screening of the movie here in Martha’s Vineyard. We handed out the bells, and it was great. All of a sudden, you realize that nobody missed a beat, and if they did miss a Godwink, the bells reminded them that there was a Godwink.
Brooke D’Orsay, Michele Scarabelli, Rhys Slack, Knox Hamilton, Sam Page Credit: ©2020 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen
We felt that we were being rewarded with that idea somebody had because it has taken off, and we just love telling people about it. So as people watch, we recommend getting a little bell to keep track of the Godwinks. I mean, if you had ten girls gathered around on Zoom from the sorority house or whatever, they can all bring their own bells. Whenever they see a Godwink, they can ring their bell.
So the other thing that this movie has done is that the Godwinks have a little theme this time. Every time a Godwink happens, there’s a little chime. It doesn’t hit you over the head. It’s subtle, and we don’t tell people about it. But once they start seeing it, every time a Godwink happens, that chime reminds them.
Sam Page, Brooke D’Orsay Credit: ©2020 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen
That’s really cool, and my mom and I enjoyed that addition to the film.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Ruth.
I know it’s a tough time, and there is still a pandemic going on, and people are struggling, but Hallmark has definitely made this season brighter with films just like this one. They have given us hope and reminded us that even though things look really bleak at times and it’s very easy to focus on the negative and what got canceled, hopefully, people will watch this movie and go back and realize there have been Godwinks going on this year too.
Absolutely. No question about it.
It has been so great chatting with you again, SQuire. And thank you for bringing yet another great movie in the series to Hallmark.
My pleasure, Ruth. I’m glad you and the fans enjoyed it. Merry Christmas, and thanks to you and all the fans for their support.
I cannot thank SQuire and Louise enough for bringing such an extraordinary, inspiring film series to Hallmark! For me, these movies are always some of the highlights of the season. Even in a robust period of Christmas movies, A Godwink Christmas: Second Chance, First Love endures as a beacon of joy, beauty, and goodwill when far too many are missing families, get-togethers, theatrical presentations, concerts, parties, and so much more. This film series has the distinction of providing the viewers with the kind of hope and promise that can only come from the Creator of the universe Himself, and chatting with such an upbeat, passionate, joyful person as SQuire is one of the things I anticipate the most during this holiday season.
If you have not had the opportunity to watch this third film in the series, be sure to check your local listings for the encore showings of A Godwink Christmas: Second Chance, First Love. (The next showing is Saturday, December 5th on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.) Also, if you are in Canada, don’t miss the premiere on December 13th on the W Network! Additionally, if you are so inclined, I would invite you to visit all of SQuire’s links below and follow him where applicable. Do you want some genuinely good news and regular reminders of “Godwinks” and encouragement? Look no further than SQuire and Louise! They are a dynamic duo who consistently provide top-notch media in the form of films, books, etc. But they also love people. They put their ministry into action by praying for people worldwide and continuing to inspire and motivate, no matter how this world attempts to indoctrinate us that the opposite is true. Don’t give into the negativity. Try changing your perspective–look for the Godwinks–and you will definitely change your life! FOREVER!
Brooke D’Orsay Credit: ©2020 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Dolsen
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Interview With Producer/Writer SQuire Rushnell, “A Godwink Christmas: Meant For Love”
Interview With Producer/Writer SQuire Rushnell, “A Godwink Christmas”
