I don’t know about you, but as the holiday season winds down, I find myself scrambling to cram in viewings of my favorite Christmas movies, both older classics like “Miracle on 34th Street,” “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” as well as newer releases such as “Love Actually,” “Four Christmases” and “Happiest Season.” The latter, a 2020 Hulu original directed and co-written by Hollywood multihyphenate Clea DuVall, sees Pittsburgh native Abby Holland (Kristen Stewart) heading to the nearby suburban childhood home of her girlfriend, Harper Caldwell (Mackenzie Davis), for the holidays with the intention of proposing on Christmas morning. The only glitch? Harper has yet to come out to her conservative family and, at the last minute, decides to pass Abby off as her orphaned roommate, with the latter only reluctantly agreeing to the charade because, as she says, “It’s five days. How bad can it be?” The answer? Very, very bad, of course, as the couple stumbles their way through a succession of highly-awkward family functions, severely testing the limits of their relationship.
Though the storyline can be sad and frustrating at times – and the ending is somewhat contentious – “Happiest Season” makes for an enjoyable watch, thanks mainly to Stewart’s deeply engaging performance, as well as those of Dan Levy and Aubrey Plaza, who shine in standout supporting roles as John and Riley, respective friends of Abby and Harper.
Produced by Sony’s Tri-Star Pictures, the flick was shot in early 2020, shortly before Covid shut down the film industry for the better part of a year, and was originally “poised to make history as the first holiday romantic comedy about a same-sex couple from a major Hollywood studio,” according to Variety. While the pandemic derailed those plans, as well as the movie’s theatrical release, “Happiest Season” didn’t miss a beat! Sony instead sold the production to Hulu and it made its streaming debut to record numbers, “attaining the best viewership for any original film on the service in its opening weekend and attracting more new subscribers than any other previous feature title.”
“Happiest Season” is notable for its Steel City backdrop, as well. Initially set in New York, the filmmakers were forced to switch gears due to budgetary concerns, ultimately opting to utilize Pittsburgh and its environs to stand in for the Big Apple instead. Once the team arrived on the scene, though, plans changed once again. DuVall tells the Set Decorators Society of America, “Though the original idea was that we would shoot Pittsburgh for NY, once I started getting the location photos back, I was like, ‘Wow, Pittsburgh is such a cool place, and we don’t see it very much, so why not embrace all of the gifts that Pittsburg has to offer? Let’s shoot Pittsburgh for Pittsburgh.’”
The city provided some idyllic holiday scenery, with the production making use of such spots as The Vandal in Lawrenceville, where Abby grabs coffee with John early in the story. The eatery was actually a fateful find for DuVall. As she recounts to SDSA, “We had gone to a bunch of coffee shops that didn’t quite feel right, and then we stopped to have lunch during our scout, and while we were sitting in that restaurant, I suddenly realized, ‘Obviously, this is the perfect place.’” The Belmont Complex in Kittanning also makes an appearance as the site where the Caldwell sisters engage in a highly competitive skate. The intersection of California and Cleveland Avenues in Avalon was transformed into Duboistown’s famed Candy Cane Lane, where Abby and Harper take a tour of Christmas lights in the film’s opening. And the two women grab dinner with Harper’s family at Tudor Hall at the Chartiers Country Club shortly after arriving in town.
-
Image Credit: Hulu -
Image Credit: Google The film’s true star, though, is the massive Georgian-style brick-fronted estate belonging to Harper’s wealthy parents, city councilman/mayoral candidate Ted Caldwell (Victor Garber) and his Instagram-obsessed wife, Tipper (Mary Steenburgen). Situated at the end of a circular driveway on a verdant 10-acre parcel, the gorgeous residence can be found at 257 Scaife Rd. in Sewickley, about 15 miles northwest of downtown Pittsburgh. (Please remember this is a private home. Do not trespass or bother the residents or the property in any way.)
Known as Cherry Hill, the two-story mansion was originally commissioned by prominent financier Jerome Hill of the Jerome Hill and Company investment securities firm and his wife, Adelaide, in 1935. To carry out the handsome design, the couple hired École des Beaux-Arts-trained architect Benno Janssen, who was also responsible for the Pittsburgh Athletic Association, the Omni William Penn Hotel, the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research and the Washington Crossing Bridge. Renovated and expanded upon in the eight decades since, today the spacious pad measures seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms in 7,982 square feet.
And for a cool $3.995 million, it can now be yours, just in time for the new year! Last sold in 2014 for $1.525 million, the estate is currently listed with Carroll Ferguson of the Sewickley branch of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services.
-
Image Credit: Hulu Cherry Hill’s stately exterior appears extensively throughout “Happiest Season.” With its sprawling grounds, attractive façade and stone accents, the abode serves as the ideal onscreen homestead for the affluent, image-obsessed Caldwells. As DuVall told SDSA, the pad’s well-manicured aesthetic effortlessly reflects the “everything is perfect” vibe that Ted and Tipper so ardently seek to project to the outside world.
The production team had some help from Mother Nature when it came to the picturesque coating of snow cloaking the property in the film, which was a mix of both fake flakes created by the crew and authentic flurries provided by Pittsburgh’s wintry skies. The Kristen Stewart Daily website reports, “The weather sometimes played the trickster. Nothing says Christmas like a white Christmas, and shots of the Caldwell house needed a blanket of snow . . . which wasn’t always there. The special effects crew would help out, then move to an interior shot . . . just as the skies dumped three to six inches of the real stuff on the ground – pressing a need to get back outside to shoot the winter wonderland.” Regardless, the end result is thoroughly festive. The Caldwell residence is a spot anyone would be lucky to call home for the holidays – well, except for Harper and Abby, that is!
-
Image Credit: Hulu Only the exterior of Cherry Hill appears in the film. The interiors seen onscreen were part of an elaborate, multi-room set constructed at 31st Street Studios in Pittsburgh by production designer Theresa Guleserian, who was also behind the looks of “The High Note,” “Like a Boss” and “Friends from College.”
Guleserian’s design differs significantly from that of the actual house (photos of which can be seen here). While Cherry Hill’s interior features a contemporary feel with sleek slate flooring, colorful accents and modern touches, the Caldwell home is all traditional warm woods, muted wallpapering and classic furnishings – embellished, of course, with a tasteful dose of Christmas trimmings.
-
Image Credit: Hulu The Caldwells’ kitchen is the biggest departure from its real-life counterpart. While the former is a bit farmhouse chic in style, the latter is monochromatic and traditional, featuring all-white cabinetry, an authentic Aga cooker, a French-door lined breakfast nook, a professional stainless range, a wet bar and a Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer.
Cherry Hill’s remaining living areas are a nice mesh of modern and classic, as well, with each room seemingly more welcoming than the last. The darkly-paneled dining enclave is especially inviting with built-in shelving finished with strié, a marble fireplace (one of nine that can be found on the premises) and a hidden wet bar. Formerly serving as the home’s library, the narrow space was reenvisioned by the current owners, who told Pittsburgh Quarterly, “We weren’t interested in having the traditional large table for 16 people, and instead were attracted to a more intimate scale for dining and entertaining.” To accomplish the look, the room was outfitted with two smaller tables offering a more flexible configuration and allowing for unimpeded views of the adjacent terraced gardens.
Awash with brilliant foliage, the home’s expansive lot comes complete with a pool, three flagstone patios, manicured lawns and both a four-car and two-car garage.
Cherry Hill is a true gem of a property. Picturesque, warm and replete with a film history – what more can a buyer ask for?