Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek) plays George McCray, Linda Emond (Julie & Julia) plays his wife Mary Ann, and Noel Fisher (The Riches) plays their son Todd in the 237th Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation, A Dog Named Christmas. Based on Greg Kincaid's novel, the special premieres on CBS Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, 9-11 p.m. ET/PT. The McCray family is anticipating a happyif uneventful Christmas on their Kansas farm, when an unexpected visitor enters their family. Todd the McCray 20-year-old developmentally-challenged son hears that the local animal shelter is looking for families to foster a pet for the holidays, hoping that some will be permanently adopted. Todd's father, George, is firmly opposed to bringing a dog into the McCray household, either temporarily or permanently. George says he's concerned that Todd won't be able to adequately care for the dog, and that it will be traumatic for him to return the animal to the shelter after Christmas. The real reason for George's stubborn refusal? Bruce Greenwood says, He's had two dogs in his life that he loved deeply, one when he was a child, the other when he was serving in Vietnam. Both experiences ended badly, wounded George psychologically, and he's afraid the same thing will happen again, this time involving his son. Mary Ann, George's insightful wife, understands. Linda Emond says, Mary Ann starts out feeling that a foster dog would be a great thing for her challenged son Todd, but pretty quickly comes to realize that a dog would actually be a great thing for her husband, George. Mary Ann knows that George is in his own way a wounded animal, and that bringing a dog into their home could be a real gift, a real agent of healing.
