Lacey Chabert Previews Hallmark Movie Channel's The Color of Rain

You might want to have a box of tissues handy before checking out this week's Saturday-night Hallmark Movie Channel original, The Color of Rain.

Based on a true story (chronicled in a New York Times best-selling book of the same title) The Color of Rain explores the emotional struggles that overtake two families when each loses a member to cancer within weeks of each other. Gina Kell — played by Mean Girls' Lacey Chabert — loses her husband, Matt (Matthew Kevin Anderson), on Christmas Day, while Michael Spehn (Warren Christie), loses his wife, Cathy (Allyson Grant), six weeks later.

Despite living in the same community, and their combined five children attending school together, Gina and Michael don't meet until after their losses. Connecting over Godfather references and the struggles of single parenthood, they realize that neither family can survive alone and combine to form a supportive unit. "It's poignant and personal, and I wanted to make sure the family was happy with what was happening," Chabert says. "I spoke with Gina, the woman that I played, before we filmed and she was really supportive."

The most touching scene for Chabert is one that many families will find relatable. "One of Michael's children, asks, 'What should I call her?' referring to my character," Chabert says. "'Should I call her mom?' It's when they're really discovering whether it's OK to move on. Are you not betraying the person that you lost by loving someone else and opening your heart to someone else?"

The Color of Rain premieres Saturday, May 31, at 9/8c on the Hallmark Movie Channel.

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