The Magic of Ordinary Days
The Magic of Ordinary Days is a Hallmark Hall of Fame drama set during World War II that trades big romantic gestures for quiet moments, emotional restraint, and deeply human storytelling. Starring Keri Russell and Skeet Ulrich, the film centers on two people brought together by circumstance rather than choice, navigating expectations, duty, and the complicated space between kindness and love. It’s a slower, more reflective entry in the Hallmark catalog – one that leans into silence, empathy, and the weight of the era.
The Magic of Ordinary Days originally aired on January 30, 2005, as a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation on CBS. It is currently available to stream on Hallmark+.
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About The Magic of Ordinary Days
- This was directed by Brent Shields. He has just five directing credits – and every single one is a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie: Durango, Cupid & Cate, Brush with Fate, The Valley of Light, and The Magic of Ordinary Days. He also has an extensive producing resume with tons of Hallmark titles.
- Writing credits go to Ann Howard Creel and Camille Thomasson. Creel wrote the original novel in 2001, and Thomasson adapted it for television. Thomasson has 15 writing credits, many of them Hallmark Hall of Fame films, plus a fun throwback: a 1988 ABC Afterschool Special, A Family Again, starring a very young Rikki Lake.
- Keri Russell stars as Livy Dunne. She has more than 40 acting credits and is best known for Felicity, The Americans, and The Diplomat. This movie came about three years after Felicity wrapped.
- Skeet Ulrich plays Ray Singleton. His résumé runs deep – from The Craft and Scream to As Good as It Gets. On TV, he led Jericho and later had a long run as FP Jones on Riverdale.
- Mare Winningham plays Ray’s sister, Martha. She’s an Oscar nominee, an Emmy winner, and has appeared in over 100 film and TV projects. She’s often associated with the original Brat Pack era and most recently appeared in Hulu’s Dopesick.
- Gwendoline Yeo plays Rose. She’s best known for her extensive voice acting work in animation and video games, along with on-screen roles in American Girl: Ivy & Julie and the miniseries Broken Trail.
- Tania Gunadi plays Florie. She’s known for her voice work, her role on Disney XD’s Aaron Stone, and a previous Hallmark appearance in Snow Bride.
- Jane McGregor plays Livy’s sister, Abby. She’s appeared on Snowpiercer, in Hallmark’s MatchMaker Mysteries, and in a 2014 episode of Signed, Sealed, Delivered – the season just before it transitioned into movies.
- Eric Winter appears as Walter. This was an early role for him. He later appeared in more than 400 episodes of Days of Our Lives as Rex Brady and most recently in over 130 episodes of The Rookie.
- Identical twins Jacqueline Robbins and Joyce Robbins play Mrs. Pratt and Mrs. Parker. They’ve appeared together in projects like A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Wicker Man, often cast specifically because they’re twins.
- Supporting roles include Stephen Strachan as brother-in-law Hank and Katie Keating as Ruth.
- Both the film and Keri Russell were nominated for Satellite Awards in 2005 – Outstanding Motion Picture and Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries.
- The movie drew 18.7 million viewers when it aired on CBS in January 2005.
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