Writer Gary Goldstein talks ‘Mr. 365’, PassionFlix & the Female Gaze

Holiday romance lovers, we have a new player in the original holiday movie game! PassionFlix premiered the new original movie Mr. 365 on December 15, starring Chelsea Hobbs and Christopher Russell. 

Based on the novel by Ruth Clampett, Mr. 365 is about Sophia (Hobbs), a reality TV show producer who is assigned to get self-described “Christmas enthusiast” Will (Russell) to agree to be part of fictional show Extreme Holidays. Although he is reluctant at first, Will agrees to be on the show because he is drawn to Sophia – the sparks fly immediately – and sure enough, they fall for each other. But when filming actually begins and the cynical reality of reality TV sets in, he starts to doubt his choice. Sophia tries to keep the focus where Will wants it – on his emotional connection to Christmas and on the charities he works with year-round – but when a promo filled with ridiculous outtakes that make Will look silly airs, their fledgling relationship takes a serious hit. As Sophia navigates the delicate balance of integrity, what it takes to keep her job, and her feelings for Will, she finds a compromise that works for everyone.

Mr. 365 is fairly predictable – you’ll fill plenty of squares on your Holiday Movie Bingo card – but it’s also a somewhat fresh take on the genre. For one thing, we’re not looking at a chaste kiss under the mistletoe as the final act in this romance. According to the PassionFlix rating scale, Mr. 365 ranks as “mildly titillating” which translates to several shirtless scenes with Will, several hot kisses, and a steamy, clothes-shedding makeout scene on the way to the bedroom. We’re not on Hallmark anymore, folks!

PassionFlix is a streaming service founded with a vision to tell stories from the female gaze. This translates to empowering female characters to want more than romance (Sophia is conflicted about her work, but because of her own desires to share honest stories, not because work interferes with relationships), making the female leads multi-dimensional, and, yes, turning the camera on the hot men with the same lingering close-ups women have been subjected to from the beginning of moving pictures. It’s early days yet, but PassionFlix is evolving what it means to shift storytelling to the “female gaze”. I’m looking forward to watching that evolution.

Mr. 365 was adapted for the screen by NGTV fav Gary Goldstein. Gary wrote one of my all-time favorite Hallmark holiday movies, Hitched for the Holidays, so when he has a new project, we like to give it a signal boost. Mr. 365 is Gary’s first project for PassionFlix, and I was curious what the experience was like considering the “female gaze” mandate. I caught up with Gary after watching the movie to ask a few questions. 

NGTV: “Mr. 365” is based on a novel by Ruth Clampett. How did you get involved in adapting the novel for a film? What drew you to the material?

Gary Goldstein: I met Ruth through our mutual friend, Jerry, who mentioned that her books could make great TV movies. When I read Mr. 365, I immediately thought it was the perfect story for a fun holiday film. I optioned the material and began the hunt for a production “home” for the project. I loved the book’s characters and set-up and felt its reality TV angle could make a unique addition to the world of Christmas rom-coms.

NGTV: PassionFlix is committed to telling stories via the female gaze. Did that change your focus when writing the screenplay? If so, how?

GG: It allowed me to lean in maybe a bit more than usual on how our main character, reality TV producer Sophia, sees Will, the star of the show she’s shooting. But it’s not just about how good-looking Will is and her physical attraction to him, but also the emotional connection she develops to this deep and principled guy–to see this, feel this as it happens. And, yeah, maybe I wrote in a few Will-takes-off-his-shirt scenes for good measure!

NGTV: I appreciated that we saw Sophia at work and being good at it without the usual caveats that she’s using work to fill a void left by a man or she’s too driven to see what’s “really” important (e.g. relationships). She’s just…good at her job and finds work fulfilling. I’ve noticed this is a character trait for most of your female leads, that being successful at work is a positive thing. Is this a conscious decision on your part when writing female protagonists?

GG: I hope so. I mean, I try to avoid clichés or retrograde portrayals in any of my writing and, given the many female lead characters I’ve written, want to create women that are strong and independent, but also vulnerable and real. Sophia already existed in similar form in the novel, so, in this case, I had a smart, well-drawn character to start with.

But in general, work is such an important part of most of our lives, especially if we’re doing something we like or aspire to succeed at, that it tends to inform much of our day-to-day existence. I always find the way personal relationships fit into our work lives–or don’t–an interesting thing to explore.

NGTV: What are you most proud of about this script/show?

GG: Well, for starters, that I didn’t give up on getting the book made into a film and was eventually able to move it forward. If you believe in something you’ve gotta hang in there, especially in this business. But I’m also proud that Ruth was so happy with my adaptation and with how the film came out. I really tried to honor her book and satisfy her fan base–and the PassionFlix audience–but also write the best film version of the story I could, which is always a bit of a balancing act. Casting Chelsea and Chris in the leads was also a huge plus here, so very happy about that as well.

NGTV: What do you want audiences to take away from “Mr. 365?”

GG: Maybe that life and relationships are so often about compromise, which is a strength, not a weakness. That you can achieve your goals but also be mindful of the people around you. Oh, and if you care about someone, be honest and communicate with them, it’ll only help.

NGTV: What’s next for you?

GG: There’s another book I’ve optioned called Rescuing Riley: Saving Myself, which is the true-life story of an amazing dog rescue, that I’m trying to get set up as a film; it’s on my bucket list of scripts to write. And I also want to collaborate again with Ruth Clampett, so that’s definitely on the horizon. Plus I’ve written two new stage plays I’m hoping to see produced, so working on making that happen as well. Then there are Christmas movies for 2019…

Mr. 365 is streaming now on PassionFlix.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to Amazon. Commissions earned via affiliate links are used to keep the lights on here at NGTV. Additionally, I was given free access to PassionFlix in order to watch and review this movie. All opinions are my own.