Netflix films holiday movie at Manchester Memorial Hospital

Jun. 28—MANCHESTER — Part of Manchester Memorial Hospital was transformed into a winter scene over the weekend for the filming of a new Netflix holiday movie.

Titled "The Noel Diary," the movie stars Justin Hartley, who is best known for his role in the NBC series "This Is Us," and is set to be released in late 2022.

The filming took place at the hospital Friday and Saturday, and required covering a portion of the parking lot with fake snow, spokesperson Nina Kruse said in a news release.

The film is an adaptation of the best-selling novel by Richard Paul Evans, and also stars Bonnie Bedelia and James Remar.

The story follows a romance author, played by Hartley, who returns to his childhood home for the first time in 20 years after his estranged mother passes away just days before Christmas.

He returns to settle her estate and attempts to reconcile the pain and abuse he suffered as a child. However, he discovers upon his arrival that his mother had become a hoarder, forcing him to sort through decades of clutter.

Among the clutter, Hartley's character finds a diary owned by someone named Noel, who he doesn't remember, but who supposedly stayed with his family at one time. Meanwhile, he receives a visitor, a woman looking for her mother who put her up for adoption 30 years earlier.

Together the two search for Noel.

Kruse said the film crew used a nursing unit, the parking lot, and the rooftop of the hospital in their filming.

"We look forward to seeing the film once released and celebrating our participation," Kruse said.

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