The Sweetest Christmas (2017 Hallmark Channel)

The Sweetest Christmas

Listen to the Lifetime Uncorked Podcast here!

Stars: Lacey Chabert, Lea Coco (Glenn Coco’s Brother?), Jonathan Adams

Synopsis (via Hallmark)

Struggling pastry chef, Kylie Watson, receives the change of a lifetime when she is accepted into the finals of American Gingerbread Competition. Too bad her oven breaks down right before the contest and she if forced to reach out to an ex-boyfriend from culinary school, Nick Mazannti. (Who gave up on his chef dream and runs the family pizzeria, obviously) The two rekindle romance with gingerbread baking in the pizza oven. But when another ex-boyfriend, Ralphie, tries to win her back Kylie must embrace the Christmas Spirit or risk losing both the contest and her new love.

Thoughts

Hallmark (and arguably elsewhere) superstar, Lacey Chabert (she has been in 11 Hallmark movies) plays Kiley. She is a cool aunt who bakes cookies for the American Gingerbread Competition and loves baking. Her daytime gig is working as a receptionist.

Her all-business boyfriend (who can’t work a Keurig) has planned an anniversary surprise, where everything has to be perfect. Blindfolded and walking through town, business-boyfriend leads Kiley to the five star pizza restaurant where her high school ex-boyfriend is the owner, Nick. Nick actually oogles her when he sees her and then have light conversation about past cooking dreams while the business-boyfriend takes a work call.

Expecting a proposal (due to the champagne and rose petals) Kiley is disappointed to hear that business-boyfriend only wants to promote her to office manager. (She did a really good job setting up that video conference.)

Just when things are looking down with an awkward work environment, Kiley is accepted into The American Gingerbread Competition with a potential prize of $25,000. She runs home to tell her sister the good news and discovers the oven has been ruined by her nieces! (Cooking toys, like idiots.) Kiley runs into Nick and his adorable (but probably gay) son, Bobby. She works up the nerve to ask him to use his oven.

Nick, Kiley, and their token black friend, Ralphie, come up with the gingerbread idea of “Santa’s Village. Cue a Costco shopping montage during which Ralphie gives sage romance advice and Bobby gives sassy one liners.

Now, her ex-business-boyfriend and ex-high-school boyfriend both go out of their way to let Kylie know she is the one for them. Nick delivers pizzas and saves the day at her office work party. (In the middle of the day.) Business-boyfriend plans a grand gesture, or “the grandest gesture.”

Sparks fly when Kylie and Nick start spending lots of time together. They decorate his house, drop off Bobby at school, and, of course, cook together.

Ina Bruchner, a GERMAN and celebrity chef mysteriously entered the competition. Turns out Ina is sponsored by business-boyfriend’s business. The pressure of it all is too much, Kiley scraps the Santa’s Village idea and decides to quit the competition.

Kylie goes to tell Ina that she won’t be competing and gets the proposal she always wanted, but from business-boyfriend. He hired Ina to bake a jewelry store and gets down on one knee. Of course, Nick walks in at the worst moment and is heartbroken. (And he’s a terrible car-parker.)

To win Nick back, Kylie makes a carousel gingerbread and uses Bobby’s invention so it actually turns. It works and the two go back to the carousel where they shared their first kiss in high school and also, of this move.You could say things came full circle…

Side Note

The redheaded best friend is Hallmark’s version of redheaded stepchild. (Three different redheads in this movie.)

Lacey really is a national treasure!!!! Lover her.

Who knew Georgia is so snowy.

Hallmark can’t even say divorce they literally spelled it out “D.I.V.O.R.C.E.”

Don’t forget to listen to the Lifetime Uncorked Podcast available on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

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Overall rating

🎄🎄🎄 (3 Christmas Trees, added an extra tree for Lacey.)

🍷🍷🍷🍷(4 glasses of wine required)