GRANBURY, Texas — If Granbury’s historic town square looks like the set of a Christmas movie, that’s because it actually is.
The small town, which has been the set of previous film and television projects, including "Yellowstone" prequel "1883," finds itself as the backdrop of an upcoming film yet again.
“A Christmas Heart,” a film about faith, forgiveness and new beginnings is currently filming in Granbury.
The Christmas drama, written and directed by Aledo’s Bill McAdams Jr., stars former "Hercules" actor Kevin Sorbo and McAdams Jr. himself. The film also costars Nashville recording artist Sarah Reeves, who recently released her Christmas album “More the Merrier.”
“This town of Granbury is perfect for a Christmas film,” McAdams said. “It’s got a message, and it’s not feel-good or fluffy… it ends up with a great powerful message but it’s a reality: Tragedies happen during December.”
“A Christmas Heart,” an independent film, follows Jack Gilmore (McAdams Jr.), a firefighter and man of deep faith whose wife and son are killed in a texting-and-driving crash weeks before Christmas.
The film’s story of loss is personal for McAdams, who lost his brother in a motorcycle accident.
“My mother forgave the driver 10 days later and invited her to the funeral,” McAdams Jr. said. “Forgiveness is massive. It’s powerful. It’s hard to forgive, but it’s needed.”
His goal is to convey that strong message through the film, which features many of his own family members as actors.
Off-set, the crew has found community.
“You can’t make a movie like this without the help of the town,” McAdams said.
McAdams credited the city for welcoming the crew and making its historic buildings available for filming. The film will include scenes from the town’s courthouse and the Granbury Live Theater.
Beyond featuring the town’s sights, the McAdams Jr. included local residents in the film. Granbury Mayor Jim Jarratt plays the role of mayor in the film. Granbury’s police and fire department personnel also played roles in the film.
“It’s been a community event,” Jarratt said.
Jarratt welcomes film projects in his city, crediting them for providing small businesses, restaurants and hotels in the area with an economic boost.
“They’re our guests,” Jarratt said. “We recognize the added value that they bring to a very historic community,”
“A Christmas Heart” is expected to be released around Christmas 2024.