LIFETIME Rings in the Holidays With the Romantic Comedy 'A Christmas Wedding' a Lifetime Original Movie Starring Eric Mabius ('Ugly Betty') Sarah Paulson ('Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip') and Dean Cain ('Las Vegas')

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 8 -- Eric Mabius ("Ugly Betty," "The L Word"), Sarah Paulson ("Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," "Deadwood") and Dean Cain ("Las Vegas," "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman") star in the Lifetime Original Movie "A Christmas Wedding," a heart-warming holiday comedy about a young couple whose plans for a glamorous Yuletide union unravel in a series of unexpected events, leaving the frantic bride stranded in a blinding snowstorm as the hours count down to their Christmas Day nuptials. The two- hour movie premieres Monday, December 11 at 9 PM (ET/PT) on LIFETIME Television.

In "A Christmas Wedding," Emily (Paulson), a multi-tasking real estate developer from a wealthy family, falls in love with Ben (Mabius), an aspiring writer who shares his ex-hippie parents' (Louise Pitre, Broadway's "Mama Mia"; Richard Blackburn) easy-going approach to life. Since they met and became engaged on Christmas, they want to marry on December 25th in a perfect, Winter Wonderland ceremony that Emily has planned for months. But suddenly her arrogant, workaholic, "art-of-the-deal" boss, Tucker (Cain), rushes her away from Denver to an island off the coast of Florida on a business trip that unfortunately lasts until just days before the knot is about to be tied. As the wedding date nears, Ben's future mother-in-law (Mimi Kuzyk) meddles in the arrangements, while Ben tries to reassure a frantic, far-away Emily who sees her dream wedding start to spin out of control. Then, mere hours before the big event, everything begins to go cataclysmically wrong. Tucker insists Emily stay longer on the island, only to have a tropical storm ground all flights. Frazzled but undeterred, Emily embarks on a wild cross-country odyssey to get back home, careening into close encounters with a lost child at the airport, a biker named Big Daddy and more, until a blizzard maroons her in another state. With the clock ticking and only minutes left before the ceremony, will Emily make it to the altar?

"My character, Emily, looks forward to her wedding as the biggest day of her life," Paulson said. "She's incredibly competent and accustomed to being in charge, and when everything gets crazy she feels helpless because she has no control. A big surprise, to her, is what she learns about herself and about Ben."

Added Mabius, "Ben is the calm amidst Emily's storm. He can take things in stride and he's resourceful. Ben and Emily both change, and at the same time grow towards each other. It's a romantic, hopeful movie."

Dean Cain insists his character does not change at all. "For Tucker, it's all about his ego," Cain said. "What's interesting is how the movie reflects the shift in our lives today. The fact that it's a woman, and not a man, who's stuck at work and trying to get home is certainly a sign of the times."

Executive Producer Matt Dorff revealed that his inspiration for the story came from an Elvis Presley song. "It's one of my favorite Elvis holiday songs, a romantic ballad called 'If I Get Home On Christmas Day' about wanting to get home to your lover by Christmas," Dorff said. He added, "In the movie, we're rooting for this bride and groom to be reunited despite all the obstacles and comic craziness."

"It's basically a love story mixed with the John Hughes comedy 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' that happens at Christmas," director Michael Zinberg commented. "It's about two people who have everything come apart on them, and how they figure out the next step to take."

"A Christmas Wedding" is produced by Jim Head & Matt Dorff in association with Robert Greenwald Productions and Apollopromovie for Lifetime Television. Jim Head (Lifetime's "Intimate Stranger," "I Dream of Murder,"), Matt Dorff ("Nowhere to Land," Lifetime's "Lies My Mother Told Me") and Alys Shanti (Lifetime's "Beach Girls" and "Plain Truth") are executive producers. Michael Zinberg ("Lost," "Gilmore Girls") directs from a teleplay by Richard Cray ("Animal Attraction," "The Watcher") based on a story by Matt Dorff.

Lifetime is the leader in women's television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women, Lifetime Home Entertainment and Lifetime Online are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of The Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

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