Mystic Aquarium is the setting for a new Hallmark Christmas movie. Here's how to watch.

Described as a "love letter to Mystic," the new Hallmark Christmas movie "Mystic Christmas," filmed in the Connecticut village, packs in the coastal destination's charm.

Holiday spirit at Mystic Seaport Village? Check. Cute restaurants? Check. Cuter marine mammals at Mystic Aquarium? And check. A will they, won't they love story meant to remind you about what's important during the holiday season? Check. This is a Hallmark Christmas movie after all.

A little different than some of the other Hallmark films out there, this story showcases one of the real-life missions of the Connecticut aquarium: rescuing and rehabilitating stranded and sick marine mammals. In this story, an aquarium higher-up Candice calls on her best friend, a traveling marine veterinarian Juniper, to help a seal recuperate so it can be released in time for Christmas. As it just so happens, Juniper had a whirlwind romance ten years ago with Candice's brother Sawyer that ended in a miscommunication and lingering awkward feelings.

Will they rekindle their romance? You'll have to watch to see, but keep reading to get your questions answered about what spots in Mystic are in the movie and the real story about the seal.

Who stars in Mystic Christmas?

The film stars Jessy Schram (“Chicago Med”) as seal world-traveling marine veterinarian Juniper; Patti Murin (Anna in Disney's "Frozen" on Broadway) as aquarium executive Candice and Chandler Massey (“Days of Our Lives”) as Candice's brother – and owner of a local pizza shop – Sawyer.

There's a lot of places you might recognize Schram from. Currently, she's playing Dr. Hannah Asher on Chicago Med. She's also been in "Mad Men," "Once Upon a Time," "Nashville" and "Lizzie Borden," to name a few of her credits. She's also a regular in Hallmark movies.

Murin is best-known for her role as Anna in Disney's "Frozen" on Broadway. Her credits also include several Hallmark movies, “Chicago Med” and “Chicago Fire.”

Massey has played Will Horton on "Days of Our Lives" for 13 years.

Is there a Mystic Pizza connection to the Hallmark film Mystic Christmas?

Arguably, the most famous movie to ever be filmed in Mystic is the 1988 "Mystic Pizza." While the Mystic Pizza restaurant is not one of the real-life locations to make a cameo in the movie, one of the actors from that cast is in the new movie.

William R. Moses, who played Tim in Mystic Pizza, is seen bopping around Mystic in the new Christmas movie. People who are very familiar with the '80s film will also recognize that the two movies filmed in some of the same locations.

What's the real story of the seal in Mystic Christmas?

One of the stars of the movie is the stranded seal in need of medical attention, named Peppermint, that Juniper cares for during the film.

Peppermint is played by one of Mystic's permanent residents, the very cute harbor seal Cork.

Like in the movie, Cork was rescued in Maine before coming to Mystic's rescue and rehabilitation program, which covers over 1,000 miles of coastline in Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York, in addition to sometimes taking in marine life from farther away. Cork was not able to be released because he was too comfortable with people, so he's lived at the aquarium since 2013.

His love of people - and apparently the camera - is what landed him the prime role in the movie.

Originally, the director and producers of the show had picked a different seal in Mystic's care for the role, Pearl. But when the seal auditioned, Pearl turned out to be camera shy, executive producer Dustin Rickert said.

"In casting, there are always those stories you hear of actors that will not be denied," Rickert said.

Cork was one of those actors. When it came time for the film's director, Marlo Hunter, to audition the seals, Pearl wasn't into performing for the camera.

"Pearl was camera shy, but Cork was always like, 'Look at me. I'll do the moves,'" Rickert said. "He was constantly stealing the show."

When Hunter was talking to the producers, Rickert said he turned to Hunter and said, "Cork has got to be the one. It's got to be Cork."

Cork's trainer, Kim Podesta, trained him ahead of production to find out his tolerance for cameras and lights, as that's outside his normal wheelhouse as an aquarium seal. Podesta stressed that whether or not Cork cooperated with filming was his choice, but overall Hunter said Cork was very easy to work with.

There's only one scene when a stunt double was used for Cork.

Where did they film when making Mystic Christmas?

Many real places around Mystic are featured prominently in the Hallmark movie.

Since two of the main characters work at Mystic Aquarium, that's the most obvious and easily recognizable spot in the film. There are scenes in many spots regular aquarium guests will recognize, like the main indoor aquarium space, the sea lion show stage, and the entrance gate. But what people might not know is that some of the behind-the-scenes shots were also shot at the aquarium, including in the Milne Center for Ocean Science and Conservation, in their seal unit, and in the veterinary facilities.

Beyond the aquarium, the characters often stroll through the picturesque Olde Mystick Village, one of the main shopping areas in Mystic. Sawyer's pizzeria, Mango's Wood Fired Pizza Co., is a real business you can grab a slice from during your next visit.

The characters also head downtown, strolling over the iconic drawbridge, getting baked goods at Sift Bake Shop and taking on a trivia night at Friar Tuck's Tavern.

Mystic Seaport, including the Mystic Printing Office, the Treworgy Planetarium and the cafe Anchor Mystic, also pop up. The characters also go to the very real event, Lantern Light Village, at the Seaport, which people can buy tickets for if they want to step into the movie.

Another real event they go to? The annual boat parade.

There is one cameo for a business that's technically not in Mystic, Abbott's Lobster in the Rough, which is on the other side of the river. To make up for what it lacks in geographic accuracy, the movie gets quite the dig in about how Connecticut lobster rolls are superior to Maine ones.

When can you watch Mystic Christmas on Hallmark?

Show times are subject to changes, but according to Hallmark's website, this is their schedule for airing the movie:

• Premiere: Saturday, October 28, 8 p.m.

• Sunday, October 29, 6 p.m.

• Thursday, November 2, 8 p.m.

• Saturday, November 11, 2 p.m.

• Friday, November 17, 6 p.m.

• Sunday, November 26 Noon

• Friday, December 1 Midnight

• Monday, Dec. 25 8 a.m.

Want to know the story of a real-life seal rescue?

In real life Mystic Aquarium's Rescue Program is responsible for animal rescue efforts along 1,000 miles of shoreline covering Rhode Island, Connecticut and Fishers Island, New York. Since 2018, Rhode Island has seen a 47% increase in annual marine mammal reports, which includes whales, dolphins, turtles and seals. And the seals on Block Island generate about 29% of the Rhode Island calls, according to the aquarium.

In June into early July, The Providence Journal followed the aquarium's efforts to rescue a 6-month-old seal named Cranberry. People were calling in reports of a sluggish seal with fishing line wrapped around its tail. Sarah Callan, the Animal Rescue Program manager who has a job very similar to Juniper's in the film, was desperate to rescue this seal.

More: Block Island is a popular place for seals. Here's what happens when one needs rescuing.

Despite Cranberry's lethargic state, it took a week to catch her and bring her back to Mystic Aquarium for treatment. When she arrived at the aquarium, the initial examination revealed a severe wound and bone infection in the hind flipper, accompanied by additional puncture wounds, a ventral abscess, and a respiratory infection.

In the end, part of her hind flipper had to be amputated.

But after months of care, on a very cold morning in December Cranberry was released on Blue Shutters Beach in Charlestown, hesitating slightly before heading back into Rhode Island Sound. Cranberry was outfitted with a GPS tracker so researchers will be able to learn from her movements.

Read her full story here.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Hallmark's 'Mystic Christmas' filmed and set at real Mystic Aquarium