A Homecoming for the Holidays premiered on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries' Miracles of Christmas December 5th and stars Laura Osnes (Charlotte) and Stephen Huszar (Matt).
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄🎄
General Movie Details: Charlotte is a rising star in country music who comes home for Christmas to Montana so that she can rest and work on some new material. Matt is former military and close friends with Charlotte's brother. He is working in town helping to build a home for the widow of a veteran while he explores future job opportunities.
Meet Cute Moment: Matt picks up Charlotte's guitar pick and they start talking and connect and realize they are both Dolly Parton fans. While there is a spark between them he is shipped out along with her brother.
Unfortunate Wardrobe Choices: Charlotte is seen walking around in Montana in the middle of winter wearing outfits with short skirts paired with high-heeled boots. While this is totally normal for a musician while on tour, I'd imagine that she'd be freezing in the Montana cold.
Giant Decoration Sighting: There are giant toy soldiers in front of Big Sky Christmas.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: So let's give some kudos to the writers for their handling of male machismo and jealousy in this script. Matt makes a misstep when the reporter confronts Charlotte to get a quote for her story. It was REALLY nice to see a women who knows how to handle the various aspects of her career and even nicer to see the guy apologize for making assumptions and trying to be a knight in shining armor. Also LOVE that Matt is completely fine and not jealous when a picture of Charlotte and Taylor is posted online because she was upfront and honest about their past relationship. I really appreciate that they (read he) can be level headed and honest. I like the idea that she starts a scholarship as a way to give back/pay it forward. It's incredible that she was able to work out the deal for the concert to be filmed in her hometown and that there were able to include the organization, it's mission and to showcase Hadley and highlight her scholarship program. That's a lot to work into a very short window but it seemed reasonable and not too outlandish. The job offer to Matt to run the scholarship foundation was where the concert/evening went a step too far for me, but there you go. One recommendation is that if anyone is thinking of setting up their own reindeer games, there should be 1 suit for each team and the team members need to change in and out of the suit for each leg of the relay instead of each team member having their own suit.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Laura Osnes is making her Hallmark debut but she is well known for her work on the Broadway stage. I'd imagine that we'll be seeing more of her in the future in roles where she also has a chance to sing as well. Stephen Huszar was previously seen this year in My One & Only (2019) which starred Pascale Hutton and Sam Page.
I'm curious if Charlotte's job offer to Matt bothered you as well, let me know.
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Friday, December 13, 2019
Christmas Town - Premiere #26
Christmas Town premiered on Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas on December 1st and stars Candace Cameron Bure (Lauren) and Tim Rozon (Travis).
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄🌟 This might increase to 3 trees but unfortunately I didn't get a chance to see the last 30 minutes or so. Totally my fault, I was putting it off because... I typically dislike the movies starring Candace Cameron Bure. So I waited until the very last minute and so much so that it is temporarily not available to stream so I'll have to catch it next week when they replay it so that I can see the ending.
General Movie Details: Lauren is leaving Boston and moving to Springfield to take a permanent teaching position. Her train gets waylaid in Grandon Falls (aka Christmas Town). Travis is the local handyman, foster parent and all around nice guy in Grandon Falls.
Meet Cute Moment: Lauren is looking for a ride into town from the train station and Travis happens to be standing under the taxi sign. So of course she assumes that he's a taxi driver and has him get her bags and is prepared to get a ride from him until she realizes her error. He's too nice of a guy to say anything and offers her a ride anyway and luckily even the ticket collector from the train vouches for his character.
Giant Nutcracker Sighting: There is a giant Nutcracker in the Christmas Cafe.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: I am not totally sure about the chemistry between the leads on this one but the last 30 minutes might set my mind at ease on that account. I appreciate that her ex-boyfriend isn't a complete jerk and he understands her love of letters which shows that at some point in their relationship he was attentive. The Grandon Falls Christmas festival lasts the 12 days before Christmas with a different event each night. While it sounds kind of fun it also sounds exhausting especially if you imagine coming into the home stretch before the holiday. The point I was in the movie was when all of the loose ends were getting tied up in time for the happily ever after finale. It always seems like things get tied up a little bit too easily and prettily. It would never be that easy or clean in real life. Based on what's happened so far it is pretty easy to see how the movie concludes but I'm willing to see it to completion.
Hallmark Movie Connection: If the Hallmark company had an actual Hall of Fame, Candace Cameron Bure probably would be the first inductee. She was previously seen in Christmas Under Wraps (2014) with David O'Donnell. This movie appears to be Tim Rozon first Hallmark movie. He seems to be working pretty regularly on TV but nothing that I usually watch.
You'll have to let me know if I'm the only one who doesn't look forward to a movie with Candace as the star.
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄🌟 This might increase to 3 trees but unfortunately I didn't get a chance to see the last 30 minutes or so. Totally my fault, I was putting it off because... I typically dislike the movies starring Candace Cameron Bure. So I waited until the very last minute and so much so that it is temporarily not available to stream so I'll have to catch it next week when they replay it so that I can see the ending.
General Movie Details: Lauren is leaving Boston and moving to Springfield to take a permanent teaching position. Her train gets waylaid in Grandon Falls (aka Christmas Town). Travis is the local handyman, foster parent and all around nice guy in Grandon Falls.
Meet Cute Moment: Lauren is looking for a ride into town from the train station and Travis happens to be standing under the taxi sign. So of course she assumes that he's a taxi driver and has him get her bags and is prepared to get a ride from him until she realizes her error. He's too nice of a guy to say anything and offers her a ride anyway and luckily even the ticket collector from the train vouches for his character.
Giant Nutcracker Sighting: There is a giant Nutcracker in the Christmas Cafe.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: I am not totally sure about the chemistry between the leads on this one but the last 30 minutes might set my mind at ease on that account. I appreciate that her ex-boyfriend isn't a complete jerk and he understands her love of letters which shows that at some point in their relationship he was attentive. The Grandon Falls Christmas festival lasts the 12 days before Christmas with a different event each night. While it sounds kind of fun it also sounds exhausting especially if you imagine coming into the home stretch before the holiday. The point I was in the movie was when all of the loose ends were getting tied up in time for the happily ever after finale. It always seems like things get tied up a little bit too easily and prettily. It would never be that easy or clean in real life. Based on what's happened so far it is pretty easy to see how the movie concludes but I'm willing to see it to completion.
Hallmark Movie Connection: If the Hallmark company had an actual Hall of Fame, Candace Cameron Bure probably would be the first inductee. She was previously seen in Christmas Under Wraps (2014) with David O'Donnell. This movie appears to be Tim Rozon first Hallmark movie. He seems to be working pretty regularly on TV but nothing that I usually watch.
You'll have to let me know if I'm the only one who doesn't look forward to a movie with Candace as the star.
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Sense, Sensibility & Snowmen - Premiere #25
Sense, Sensibility & Snowmen premiered on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries' Miracles of Christmas on November 30 and stars Erin Krakow (Ella) and Luke Mcfarlane (Edward). Kimberley Sustad appears in a supporting role as Ella's sister Marianne.
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄
General Movie Details: Marianne and Ella run their family's event planning business. Marianne is really the driver behind the business and Ella is still learning the ropes. Edward is the new CEO of his family's toy company and is wanting to make the role his own and is hoping to land a distribution deal with a vendor over the holidays. Edward decides that Ferris Wheel Toy Company should have a company holiday party on 12/23 and there are only 9 days before the event. It looks like he's going to need all the help he can get.
Meet Cute Moment: Ella is admiring a piece of artwork at the office of her family's lawyer when Edward comes over and makes some negative comments about the artwork.
Giant Nutcracker Sighting: There are giant Nutcrackers at the party the Dashwood's handled for the ballet. That looked like a party I would love to get an invite to, just saying. There are also giant Nutcrackers with Santa at Brandon's party.
Knit Wear Alert: Ella is known for her holiday scarfs. She has a cndy cane striped scarf as well as a candy cane striped sweater. At the tree lighting there is a passing shot of one of the extras who is wearing a Norwegian star fair isle hat is gray and white. My favorite is Edward's cable knit cream Christmas sweater.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: Let me start off by saying that this movie was written with me in mind. I am a lover of Austen and of the many books, movies, other media that draws on her for inspiration. Beacuse of my affinity for the inspiration material, I think that this movie failed to live up to my expectations. I do not expect that the script will follow the story precisely but I was left scratching my head that the writers decided to switch the personalities of the leads - - Ella is sensibility and Marianne is sense. I know that it shouldn't matter but I wonder why stray so far away from the start and just confuse the audience. I don't think that they really needed the Austen material as a tie-in. I honestly think that I would have liked the movie more if they only made the smallest of homages to Austen's material. I always find it funny when you see a character interacting with the fake snow without the proper winter weather gear. In this case, Edward was making a snowman with his bare hands. I am just saying that he'd have had a serious case of frostbite if that was real snow. I wonder about the success of a toy company in this day and age that wasn't doing focus groups with kids to help determine their future toy lines but instead just asking parents. I think that I missed something towards the end of the movie because I thought that the party was going to wind up being hosted at Edward's house but that's not where they are when they are at the party. Not sure what I missed but I'm glad I wasn't invited because I wouldn't have made it. Finally, the party was supposed to be on the 23rd. This is completely fine, but I wonder what happened to the 24th? It seems like the morning after the party is Christmas Day.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Erin currently stars in Hallmark's series When Calls the Heart. She was previously seen in A Summer Romance (2019) with Ryan Paevey. Luke Macfarland was previously in The Mistletoe Promise (2016) with Jaime King.
I hope that you enjoyed this one more than I did and you'll have to let me know if the switching of character traits bothered you.
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄
General Movie Details: Marianne and Ella run their family's event planning business. Marianne is really the driver behind the business and Ella is still learning the ropes. Edward is the new CEO of his family's toy company and is wanting to make the role his own and is hoping to land a distribution deal with a vendor over the holidays. Edward decides that Ferris Wheel Toy Company should have a company holiday party on 12/23 and there are only 9 days before the event. It looks like he's going to need all the help he can get.
Meet Cute Moment: Ella is admiring a piece of artwork at the office of her family's lawyer when Edward comes over and makes some negative comments about the artwork.
Giant Nutcracker Sighting: There are giant Nutcrackers at the party the Dashwood's handled for the ballet. That looked like a party I would love to get an invite to, just saying. There are also giant Nutcrackers with Santa at Brandon's party.
Knit Wear Alert: Ella is known for her holiday scarfs. She has a cndy cane striped scarf as well as a candy cane striped sweater. At the tree lighting there is a passing shot of one of the extras who is wearing a Norwegian star fair isle hat is gray and white. My favorite is Edward's cable knit cream Christmas sweater.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: Let me start off by saying that this movie was written with me in mind. I am a lover of Austen and of the many books, movies, other media that draws on her for inspiration. Beacuse of my affinity for the inspiration material, I think that this movie failed to live up to my expectations. I do not expect that the script will follow the story precisely but I was left scratching my head that the writers decided to switch the personalities of the leads - - Ella is sensibility and Marianne is sense. I know that it shouldn't matter but I wonder why stray so far away from the start and just confuse the audience. I don't think that they really needed the Austen material as a tie-in. I honestly think that I would have liked the movie more if they only made the smallest of homages to Austen's material. I always find it funny when you see a character interacting with the fake snow without the proper winter weather gear. In this case, Edward was making a snowman with his bare hands. I am just saying that he'd have had a serious case of frostbite if that was real snow. I wonder about the success of a toy company in this day and age that wasn't doing focus groups with kids to help determine their future toy lines but instead just asking parents. I think that I missed something towards the end of the movie because I thought that the party was going to wind up being hosted at Edward's house but that's not where they are when they are at the party. Not sure what I missed but I'm glad I wasn't invited because I wouldn't have made it. Finally, the party was supposed to be on the 23rd. This is completely fine, but I wonder what happened to the 24th? It seems like the morning after the party is Christmas Day.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Erin currently stars in Hallmark's series When Calls the Heart. She was previously seen in A Summer Romance (2019) with Ryan Paevey. Luke Macfarland was previously in The Mistletoe Promise (2016) with Jaime King.
I hope that you enjoyed this one more than I did and you'll have to let me know if the switching of character traits bothered you.
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Christmas in Rome - Premiere #24
Christmas in Rome premiered on Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas on November 30th and stars Lacey Chabert (Angela) and Sam Page (Oliver).
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄🎄
General Movie Details: Angela is an American expat living in Rome and working as a tour guide of the city. She is passionate about Rome to a fault and her passion is contagious (and believable). Oliver is an American executive who finds himself in Rome right before Christmas trying to close a deal to buy an Italian ceramic company. As is often the case, this deal could land him a big promotion. The fact is that Oliver is going to need Angela's help if he wants any chance to make this deal happen.
Meet Cute Moment: He's trying to find his bearings on his phone and literally runs into Angela. One thing I found odd was that her initial reaction (in Italy) is to speak English to Oliver. Since he realizes that she is American, he asks her for directions and she helps him by walking him to the restaurant. Angela is asked to join the meeting to help navigate their cultural differences.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: While the timing is quite expedited since he is only in Rome for a few days, the connection is believable since they spent so much of the time together. They are both experiencing and growing over the course of their encounters. I enjoy the way that her tour goes beyond just the typical tourist sites. I'd love to experience tours like that in a foreign city. I'll have to keep an eye out for experiences that go beyond the surface in the future as I travel around, even in my own backyard. The ornaments that we see are beautiful and what a great way to decorate for the holidays and remember those we love and the joy we've shared. I have a bit of an issue with Angela's expectation that Oliver would say no to the work expectation that he'd need to be home for a meeting on 12/26. I think that while he would like to stay, it's not easy to completely change from being a workaholic overnight. I do appreciate that Angela is written to be upfront and honest regarding not wanting a long-distance relationship. I also appreciate that there were no random appearances of exes as a plot device. I did have to laugh at the end of the movie when there is a comment about an issue about traffic on Christmas Eve but Angela finds a way where there is no one on the roads.
Hallmark, I'm Looking At You: It's nice that they used a destination that didn't require the use of fake snow during filming. I think that they might be able to do that more frequently. I can attest that even in the Northeast there are plenty of times when we don't have snow around Christmas but it is still pretty cold. Bundling up in coats, gloves, scarfs and hats will do a lot to set up the premise that it is cold and they can reduce the use of faux snow. Just saying.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Lacey Chabert is one of the featured actors appearing in Hallmark films and series. One of my favorite Christmas movies starring Lacey was Matchmaker Santa (2012) which co-starred Adam Mayfield. Sam was previously seen in The Perfect Christmas Present (2017) with Tara Holt.
I was afraid that I was going to dislike this movie but Lacey didn't steer me wrong. Not only does she appear in many Hallmark vehicles but most of them are very enjoyable. You'll have to let me know your thoughts regarding this film and about the "Lacey" factor.
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄🎄
General Movie Details: Angela is an American expat living in Rome and working as a tour guide of the city. She is passionate about Rome to a fault and her passion is contagious (and believable). Oliver is an American executive who finds himself in Rome right before Christmas trying to close a deal to buy an Italian ceramic company. As is often the case, this deal could land him a big promotion. The fact is that Oliver is going to need Angela's help if he wants any chance to make this deal happen.
Meet Cute Moment: He's trying to find his bearings on his phone and literally runs into Angela. One thing I found odd was that her initial reaction (in Italy) is to speak English to Oliver. Since he realizes that she is American, he asks her for directions and she helps him by walking him to the restaurant. Angela is asked to join the meeting to help navigate their cultural differences.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: While the timing is quite expedited since he is only in Rome for a few days, the connection is believable since they spent so much of the time together. They are both experiencing and growing over the course of their encounters. I enjoy the way that her tour goes beyond just the typical tourist sites. I'd love to experience tours like that in a foreign city. I'll have to keep an eye out for experiences that go beyond the surface in the future as I travel around, even in my own backyard. The ornaments that we see are beautiful and what a great way to decorate for the holidays and remember those we love and the joy we've shared. I have a bit of an issue with Angela's expectation that Oliver would say no to the work expectation that he'd need to be home for a meeting on 12/26. I think that while he would like to stay, it's not easy to completely change from being a workaholic overnight. I do appreciate that Angela is written to be upfront and honest regarding not wanting a long-distance relationship. I also appreciate that there were no random appearances of exes as a plot device. I did have to laugh at the end of the movie when there is a comment about an issue about traffic on Christmas Eve but Angela finds a way where there is no one on the roads.
Hallmark, I'm Looking At You: It's nice that they used a destination that didn't require the use of fake snow during filming. I think that they might be able to do that more frequently. I can attest that even in the Northeast there are plenty of times when we don't have snow around Christmas but it is still pretty cold. Bundling up in coats, gloves, scarfs and hats will do a lot to set up the premise that it is cold and they can reduce the use of faux snow. Just saying.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Lacey Chabert is one of the featured actors appearing in Hallmark films and series. One of my favorite Christmas movies starring Lacey was Matchmaker Santa (2012) which co-starred Adam Mayfield. Sam was previously seen in The Perfect Christmas Present (2017) with Tara Holt.
I was afraid that I was going to dislike this movie but Lacey didn't steer me wrong. Not only does she appear in many Hallmark vehicles but most of them are very enjoyable. You'll have to let me know your thoughts regarding this film and about the "Lacey" factor.
Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy - Premiere #23
Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy premiered on Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas on November 29th and stars Maggie Lawson (Katie) and Paul Greene (Ben). There are a number of recognizable actors from the prior two movies in the series that make cameo or supporting role appearances.
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄🎄🌟
General Movie Details: Katie is a freelance writer who needs a vacation and is looking for the spark to get her writing her second novel. She had read about the world renowned Christmas festival in Evergreen, VT and is hoping to experience the magic of the place herself. Ben is a former journalist who has made Evergreen his home and serves as one of the town's librarians. This years festival is bound to be extra special since it is the 50th anniversary of the first festival and there have been stories told over the years of a time capsule to be opened this year.
Meet Cute Moment: They are traveling on a train together and are jostled into each other while she is looking for a plug to charge her phone. In chatting they realize that they are traveling to the same destination and Katie gets an insider's view of Evergreen and the Christmas magic.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: The Christmas time capsule/advent calendar is pretty phenomenal but it doesn't look 50 years old and seems like it would be hard to get so many people in town able to make it each morning of the month. I really enjoy and appreciate the cameo appearances by the stars of the prior two movies in the series and allusions to the Christmas traditions highlighted in those plots. It makes it seem like Evergreen is a real community. While mentioning the sense of community created in the movies, I want to commend the writers and producers for the diversity in casting and highlighting women-owned business and leadership in the plot. The director makes good use of the musical montage to keep the story moving by showing the passage of time with the opening of the advent calendar days. The Christmas Eve event has returned but this time it is a community Christmas Eve Festival that is meant to be enjoyed with family. The best is that it appears that in the evening at the end of the festival they proceed to the church. It's also fun that while there is a proposal, it isn't among the main characters. I really enjoyed the ending plot device of the flash forward so that the viewer can get a sense of the conclusion of the story... or is it really a preview of what's to come?
Hallmark, I'm Looking At You: There was a comment in the movie about Eisenhower and the advent calendar, so of course I found myself going down an internet search rabbit hole. And yes we do owe Ike some thanks for the widespread popularity of the advent calendar. My favorite find in my searching is an advent calendar posting to Twitter that highlights images from the Hubble Space Telescope. I recommend checking them out @TheAtlPhoto.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Maggie and Paul previously co-starred in My Favorite Wedding (2017). Maggie previously appeared in Christmas Encore (2017) with Brennan Elliott. Paul was seen in Anything for Love (2016) with Erika Christensen. Additionally, Paul can be seen playing Dr. Carson Shepard in When Calls the Heart.
I admit that based on the treatment of the first three stories of Evergreen, I'd watch any other Evergreen-based stories they tell in the future.
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄🎄🌟
General Movie Details: Katie is a freelance writer who needs a vacation and is looking for the spark to get her writing her second novel. She had read about the world renowned Christmas festival in Evergreen, VT and is hoping to experience the magic of the place herself. Ben is a former journalist who has made Evergreen his home and serves as one of the town's librarians. This years festival is bound to be extra special since it is the 50th anniversary of the first festival and there have been stories told over the years of a time capsule to be opened this year.
Meet Cute Moment: They are traveling on a train together and are jostled into each other while she is looking for a plug to charge her phone. In chatting they realize that they are traveling to the same destination and Katie gets an insider's view of Evergreen and the Christmas magic.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: The Christmas time capsule/advent calendar is pretty phenomenal but it doesn't look 50 years old and seems like it would be hard to get so many people in town able to make it each morning of the month. I really enjoy and appreciate the cameo appearances by the stars of the prior two movies in the series and allusions to the Christmas traditions highlighted in those plots. It makes it seem like Evergreen is a real community. While mentioning the sense of community created in the movies, I want to commend the writers and producers for the diversity in casting and highlighting women-owned business and leadership in the plot. The director makes good use of the musical montage to keep the story moving by showing the passage of time with the opening of the advent calendar days. The Christmas Eve event has returned but this time it is a community Christmas Eve Festival that is meant to be enjoyed with family. The best is that it appears that in the evening at the end of the festival they proceed to the church. It's also fun that while there is a proposal, it isn't among the main characters. I really enjoyed the ending plot device of the flash forward so that the viewer can get a sense of the conclusion of the story... or is it really a preview of what's to come?
Hallmark, I'm Looking At You: There was a comment in the movie about Eisenhower and the advent calendar, so of course I found myself going down an internet search rabbit hole. And yes we do owe Ike some thanks for the widespread popularity of the advent calendar. My favorite find in my searching is an advent calendar posting to Twitter that highlights images from the Hubble Space Telescope. I recommend checking them out @TheAtlPhoto.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Maggie and Paul previously co-starred in My Favorite Wedding (2017). Maggie previously appeared in Christmas Encore (2017) with Brennan Elliott. Paul was seen in Anything for Love (2016) with Erika Christensen. Additionally, Paul can be seen playing Dr. Carson Shepard in When Calls the Heart.
I admit that based on the treatment of the first three stories of Evergreen, I'd watch any other Evergreen-based stories they tell in the future.
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Christmas At The Plaza - Premiere #22
Christmas at the Plaza
premiered on Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas on November 28th
and stars Elizabeth Henstridge (Jessica) and Ryan Paevey (Nick). Bruce
Davison (Reginald) and Julia Duffy (Amanda) appear in supporting roles.
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄🎄
General Movie Details: Jessica is researching the Plaza to put together a legacy display for the holiday season. Nick is the head Christmas decorator for the Plaza this year.
Meet Cute Moment: Jessica is meeting her contact at the Plaza and accidentally moves his ladder and literally leaves him hanging while decorating and of course it turns out they will be working closely together over the coming weeks.
Notable Knitwear Alert: Nick takes Jessica to his home for an ugly sweater party where they wrap gifts and make cookies for the veterans and the party ends with a round of karaoke.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: I generally dislike when the female characters are portrayed as having a lack of confidence and part of the plot is to build up the character to believe in themselves. However, it is a common device among many movies marketed towards women. I also dislike when the always present moment of confusion/misunderstanding pivots around a barely even mentioned ex. So you'd think that I wouldn't like this movie but I did. I really liked the inspiration for the exhibit being the Christmas tree toppers over the years. I found much of the storage of the Plaza's archives to be unbelievable, I guess that comes with this fictional world. I did like that Jessica dumps the jerk of the boyfriend but it is sad that the script had to make him such a stereotypical unsupportive male counterpart and that to him she was merely relatively intelligent eye candy. The associated mystery of the 1969 tree topper was an interesting twist but I found it odd that Jessica and Nick wouldn't just go online to see if the East Village store was still in business instead of going to actually find the store on foot. I didn't buy the fact that after 50 years Reginald could just go back and finish the finial he started back then. I also didn't buy the tidy bow that the Reginald storyline is tied up in the end. I did enjoy that the movie's conclusion at the Plaza on Christmas Eve. By the way, I would totally attend the Plaza's exhibit at the Oak Room. That sounds totally up my alley.
Hallmark Movie Connection: This is Elizabeth's first foray in a Hallmark movie. She is known for her role on the long-running Marvel's Agents of Shield TV series. I hope to see her other Hallmark movies as her schedule allows. Ryan has appeared in several Hallmark movies with a mixed approval rating my me. He was previously seen in From Friend to Fiance (2019) with Jocelyn Hudon.
Let me know if you enjoyed this movie as well despite some of the bothersome tropes.
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄🎄
General Movie Details: Jessica is researching the Plaza to put together a legacy display for the holiday season. Nick is the head Christmas decorator for the Plaza this year.
Meet Cute Moment: Jessica is meeting her contact at the Plaza and accidentally moves his ladder and literally leaves him hanging while decorating and of course it turns out they will be working closely together over the coming weeks.
Notable Knitwear Alert: Nick takes Jessica to his home for an ugly sweater party where they wrap gifts and make cookies for the veterans and the party ends with a round of karaoke.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: I generally dislike when the female characters are portrayed as having a lack of confidence and part of the plot is to build up the character to believe in themselves. However, it is a common device among many movies marketed towards women. I also dislike when the always present moment of confusion/misunderstanding pivots around a barely even mentioned ex. So you'd think that I wouldn't like this movie but I did. I really liked the inspiration for the exhibit being the Christmas tree toppers over the years. I found much of the storage of the Plaza's archives to be unbelievable, I guess that comes with this fictional world. I did like that Jessica dumps the jerk of the boyfriend but it is sad that the script had to make him such a stereotypical unsupportive male counterpart and that to him she was merely relatively intelligent eye candy. The associated mystery of the 1969 tree topper was an interesting twist but I found it odd that Jessica and Nick wouldn't just go online to see if the East Village store was still in business instead of going to actually find the store on foot. I didn't buy the fact that after 50 years Reginald could just go back and finish the finial he started back then. I also didn't buy the tidy bow that the Reginald storyline is tied up in the end. I did enjoy that the movie's conclusion at the Plaza on Christmas Eve. By the way, I would totally attend the Plaza's exhibit at the Oak Room. That sounds totally up my alley.
Hallmark Movie Connection: This is Elizabeth's first foray in a Hallmark movie. She is known for her role on the long-running Marvel's Agents of Shield TV series. I hope to see her other Hallmark movies as her schedule allows. Ryan has appeared in several Hallmark movies with a mixed approval rating my me. He was previously seen in From Friend to Fiance (2019) with Jocelyn Hudon.
Let me know if you enjoyed this movie as well despite some of the bothersome tropes.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
The Christmas Club - Premiere #21
The Christmas Club premiered on Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas on November 27th and stars Elizabeth Mitchell (Olivia) and Cameron Mathison (Edward).
RATING (out of 5): 🎄 This is only the second movie that I didn't finish watching this year. I watched all but the last 20 minutes but I just wasn't enjoying the movie enough to finish it. See the rant section for details on my issues.
General Movie Details: Two strangers, Olivia and Edward, meet and help an elderly woman, Gertrude, whose Christmas Club savings ($80) is blown away. Olivia and Edward decide to pay it forward and give their own money to Gertrude but tell her they found her missing money. Gertrude goes on about fate and Christmas magic which will continue to be a theme throughout the movie.
Meet Cute Moment: The premise of the movie and the premise opening scene is their meet cute.
Giant Nutcracker Sighting: There are several places with large nutcrackers. They are at Miss Maggie's Dance Academy and on the street. They are also in front of the store where Gertrude lost her money.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: I found that this movie had a number of things that really just left me scratching my head and pulling me out of the story (really preventing me from being drawn in). At the holiday festival in the park there is a randomly placed wooden swing that they sit on and talk. This just seems very out of place seasonally and at the park since it looks like it was just placed there (with a cushion, really?). One of the main plot lines is that Maggie decides to retire and sell her business suddenly and puts the building up for sale in a few days because it is the best time to sell. I really wonder who told her that 2 weeks before Christmas was the best time to sell. I am sure that they are trying to get a commission and would say anything. Apparently, it works because with 5 days to Christmas a buyer is found and they are closing on the sale and the dance academy must vacate the premises before Christmas. Edward encourages her to open her own studio in a space for lease down the street and thinks she can get the business loan and be open by January. There is some serious time-bending going on in this story that just leaves me with more questions and issues. The tradition of the impractical Christmas Eve event is back in force with a Christmas recital at Miss Maggie's Dance Academy. Don't get me started on the fact that most dance academies host a ballet like The Nutcracker in December and not a recital... Also, the dance studio has lit and decorated Christmas trees throughout the space so I don't see how dancers can easily take class in the space forget about trying to perform. The only dancers we see (before the last 20 minutes) are the 5 and under crowd. I get that the theme is fate and Christmas magic but this movie could easily have been called Godwink Christmas 3: The Christmas Club. You'd just need Olivia's mom to make a comment using the term Godwink. The situations and timing were just taken too far too fast for me to follow and appreciate this movie.
I will point out two small things that I found refreshing and enjoyable. I liked the scarves on the eggnog glasses that Olivia's mom uses. I also appreciated that there was a Jewish character and a reference to Hanukkah and the lighting of the menorah. While the media related to the holiday season is overwhelming associated with Christmas it is nice to see some religious diversity. How about a holiday movie where Hanukkah gets more than a passing mention?!? How about something about Kwanzaa?!? Both holidays would be material that has not really been explored (read exploited) in holiday movies and the stories would lend themselves to greater diversity in talent and stories.
Hallmark Movie Connection: It appears that this is Elizabeth Mitchell's Hallmark debut but she has appeared in many TV series. I know her from Revolution but you might know her from another show. Additionally, she has an impressive Christmas movie connection as Carole/Mrs. Claus in The Santa Clause series (2 and 3). Cameron Mathison is in some ways the face of Hallmark. He has been in a multitude of movies and now is the co-host of Hallmark's Home & Family show since 2018. My favorite Christmas movie starring Cameron is The Christmas Ornament (2013) with Kellie Martin.
If you were able to sit through the entire movie, please let me know what I missed and if the resolution was worth it.
RATING (out of 5): 🎄 This is only the second movie that I didn't finish watching this year. I watched all but the last 20 minutes but I just wasn't enjoying the movie enough to finish it. See the rant section for details on my issues.
General Movie Details: Two strangers, Olivia and Edward, meet and help an elderly woman, Gertrude, whose Christmas Club savings ($80) is blown away. Olivia and Edward decide to pay it forward and give their own money to Gertrude but tell her they found her missing money. Gertrude goes on about fate and Christmas magic which will continue to be a theme throughout the movie.
Meet Cute Moment: The premise of the movie and the premise opening scene is their meet cute.
Giant Nutcracker Sighting: There are several places with large nutcrackers. They are at Miss Maggie's Dance Academy and on the street. They are also in front of the store where Gertrude lost her money.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: I found that this movie had a number of things that really just left me scratching my head and pulling me out of the story (really preventing me from being drawn in). At the holiday festival in the park there is a randomly placed wooden swing that they sit on and talk. This just seems very out of place seasonally and at the park since it looks like it was just placed there (with a cushion, really?). One of the main plot lines is that Maggie decides to retire and sell her business suddenly and puts the building up for sale in a few days because it is the best time to sell. I really wonder who told her that 2 weeks before Christmas was the best time to sell. I am sure that they are trying to get a commission and would say anything. Apparently, it works because with 5 days to Christmas a buyer is found and they are closing on the sale and the dance academy must vacate the premises before Christmas. Edward encourages her to open her own studio in a space for lease down the street and thinks she can get the business loan and be open by January. There is some serious time-bending going on in this story that just leaves me with more questions and issues. The tradition of the impractical Christmas Eve event is back in force with a Christmas recital at Miss Maggie's Dance Academy. Don't get me started on the fact that most dance academies host a ballet like The Nutcracker in December and not a recital... Also, the dance studio has lit and decorated Christmas trees throughout the space so I don't see how dancers can easily take class in the space forget about trying to perform. The only dancers we see (before the last 20 minutes) are the 5 and under crowd. I get that the theme is fate and Christmas magic but this movie could easily have been called Godwink Christmas 3: The Christmas Club. You'd just need Olivia's mom to make a comment using the term Godwink. The situations and timing were just taken too far too fast for me to follow and appreciate this movie.
I will point out two small things that I found refreshing and enjoyable. I liked the scarves on the eggnog glasses that Olivia's mom uses. I also appreciated that there was a Jewish character and a reference to Hanukkah and the lighting of the menorah. While the media related to the holiday season is overwhelming associated with Christmas it is nice to see some religious diversity. How about a holiday movie where Hanukkah gets more than a passing mention?!? How about something about Kwanzaa?!? Both holidays would be material that has not really been explored (read exploited) in holiday movies and the stories would lend themselves to greater diversity in talent and stories.
Hallmark Movie Connection: It appears that this is Elizabeth Mitchell's Hallmark debut but she has appeared in many TV series. I know her from Revolution but you might know her from another show. Additionally, she has an impressive Christmas movie connection as Carole/Mrs. Claus in The Santa Clause series (2 and 3). Cameron Mathison is in some ways the face of Hallmark. He has been in a multitude of movies and now is the co-host of Hallmark's Home & Family show since 2018. My favorite Christmas movie starring Cameron is The Christmas Ornament (2013) with Kellie Martin.
If you were able to sit through the entire movie, please let me know what I missed and if the resolution was worth it.
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