Warning: spoilers ahead When Christmas was young CBS movie.
Karen David has come to CBS to star in her first Vacation movie, And When Christmas was young saw the previous Galavant Najma plays an actress and singer. She played Melody Douglas, a talented singer-songwriter who gives up on her Nashville dreams after she isn’t given the chance she deserves, opposite Tyler Hilton as music director Luke Dawson, who turns from arrogant to serious over the course of getting to know Melody. David spoke with CinemaBlend about what he loved about playing her character, and the “serendipity” of Melody having a happy ending in more ways than one with Luke.
Melody and Luke don’t get off to the strongest start after making a bad impression, then start harassing her for the rights to her Christmas song — of course it’s called “When Christmas Was Young” and written in real life by none other than Sheryl Crow — so she can that country star, Lindsay Wyatt, from her performance at her holiday concert. It didn’t help that she had any more reason to hold a grudge against him, which he didn’t know at first: she’d tried to meet him as a potential manager before giving up on her dreams and losing her mom, only to be brushed off and finally become his go-to when Lindsey heard her song by pure coincidence after he’d lost all Almost something.
Luckily, it wasn’t Melody who let some bad memories spoil the magic of Christmas, sparks were flying with Luke showing his true (softer) colors and even bonding with her daughter, Billie. Of course, something went wrong before they could get their happy ending, but Melody was able to launch her music career by dueting “When Christmas Was Young” with Lindsay at the concert, and capping off the night with a kiss with Luke.
Karen David (who attempted country music for the first time When Christmas was young) she opened up with her thoughts on Luke’s persistence and what I love about Melody’s reactions to him trying to win her over:
She remembers her experience when she first tried to meet him as a manager years ago. This is before she gave birth to her family, before she had her daughter. This was when she was really pursuing her dreams, and she didn’t even glance at her. It was a little naive, which is something I can relate to at first when you’re starting out on this journey, you’re like, ‘Oh, I want to sing, I want to write songs. Well, what are we going to do? We just go to a record label and get totally turned up and say, hey Sign me?” There’s a little bit of that, but it’s part of the learning experience, and that’s part of Melody’s journey.
Melody’s life might have gone in many different directions if Luke had just met her all those years ago. She built a strong life for herself and her daughter even after her ex-husband dumped her, but she didn’t get the shot she deserved… as Luke had to admit when he finally listened to her song. Karen David followed:
You remember very well the Luke character and he was known as a hot music director, and that just went to his head. He was a little full of himself. So I think for her at this point, when she’s Melody and she’s been through a lot — she’s a single mom, husband left the family — that’s a trauma in itself. Then she loses her mother. She’s been through the worst of the worst! So her tolerance for BS is really minimal.
Luke makes no progress with Melody until he slowly but surely gives up his bachelor’s degree, from helping spread Christmas cheer to having a nice dinner with her and Bailey, all while easing relentless demands for the rights to her song. It was obvious that the song was too personal for her to give up just because she was making so much money, and it would take most of the movie for him to understand what she went through. Karen David shared what she saw as flattering about her character at first, as well as how she’s changed:
So what I love about Melody is we get to see Melody very rude at first. She doesn’t throw out who he is, and she’s just who she is, and I love that about her. It is very inherent. It’s very real. She knows who she is, and so anyone who comes into her space that isn’t, she will call them out. And she is not afraid of it. I guess this is something Luke is not used to, [is] It said! He wasn’t used to having someone stop him like that. But I like the dynamic between the two, and how that develops.
Melody went through a lot to get to where she could be sassy and grounded, what she needed to stick to her guns until she found the right reason to let Lindsay sing her song, and what Luke needed to realize some truths about himself. duo that started When Christmas was young As a completely mismatched pair finally came together to deliver a classic happy holiday movie ending.
And while romantic Christmas movies can usually be counted on to end on a happy note, often as a kiss (with Amanda Kloots loving that ending for… Fit for Christmas and Lisa Lapira share what changed at the end You must love ChristmasBig kiss), Melody didn’t just get a romantic win. She also earned a professional win by showing the world her talent with the duo, all while staying true to herself. Karen David weighed in on Melody’s win in more ways than one, saying:
It’s always when you’re not looking for something, and you don’t expect something like that to happen. It’s funny how serendipity plays a role, and how that plays a huge part in the trajectory of our lives. There are things we never think about, but maybe that’s the magic of life, how wonderful things can happen to good people. This is a song and demo that I sent out years ago and somehow made its way into this pile of CDs in Luke Dawson’s box when he leaves the office and how [it’s] the right place [and] The right time, and you never know. I am so glad someone as good as Melody was able to shine and she had her time to shine.
Serendipity sure played a part in bringing the music manager and singer who had once dreamed of working in the music business together! If Luke had listened to her song and signed it all those years ago, Melody Bailey might never have had and built the strong bond with her friends and family that she had When Christmas was youngBut she still made her dreams come true. If Luke had signed on with Melody, he might have a star other than just Lindsay as a client. Melody finally gets her big break, and she rises to the challenge when she gets the surprise of her life on stage. Karen David followed:
She doesn’t quite expect to get on stage to sing. So when Lindsey White called her out on stage, she was absolutely shocked, and completely petrified from going on stage. But she turned and looked at the two people she loved, adored, and cared for: her daughter and Luke. I think what is very cool [is] We can only hope that we find a partner in our lives who truly sees and appreciates us and appreciates all the wonderful things that we may sometimes not be able to see in ourselves. This is what I love so much not only in her daughter, but also in Luke. He sees her and cheers for her, which is the real trigger to make Melody really take stock and stop for a moment and say, “Hey, you have something really special, and you have to love yourself and believe that you can do that because we all believe in you.” And now we want you to believe in you and go and shine.
Melody sure shone as soon as she took the stage, showing that she really does have star power as she kept it while singing along with Lindsey as a top country star in When Christmas was young Globalism. Karen David likens the moment to what happens on a popular reality competition show:
It was kind of like America’s Got Talent moment. You know, when you see this character walking on stage and you’re like, “Oh my God, I’m on stage in front of all these people.” And you really want to encourage it. I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, do this! This is so great. Melody, shine! That was a magical moment, especially with a song that came with such a great emotional connection with her mother, her love for her mother and the celebration of the mother-daughter relationship and seeing her father in the audience, and her close friends. The people you love behind the scenes I couldn’t have hoped for a better ending. [laughs] I’m kind of like, “Wow, I just want that happy ending with everything right now in my life.” [laughs] He was so charming.
If this America’s Got TalentI know I would have hit the golden buzzer for Melody Douglass! The NBC competition show often highlights singers, with one coming close to winning in the most recent season. Melody got her moment in the spotlight on stage reliving her dream before the big kiss with Luke that ensured that this Christmas movie supported more than a happy ending in the final moments, and what better way to end a holiday movie?
If you want to come back again When Christmas was young (Opens in a new tab) With Karen David as Melody Douglass, you can find streaming the movie with a Paramount+ subscription now. Days are running out in 2022, so start planning ahead for the New Year with our 2023 TV premiere schedule now.
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