It’s Christmas, Eve (2018 Hallmark Channel)

It’s Christmas, Eve

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Synopsis (via Hallmark)

Interim-school-superintendent Eve trims budgets, and she’s in her hometown where it’s personal. Her handsome neighbor Liam is a music teacher, and Eve feels his program must be cut. Luckily, her friend is married to an IT guy, who has created a website for donations specifically to save the Arts program. The website is launched during the tree-lighting ceremony—where Liam’s students will perform. The website could provide the Christmas miracle the town needs. Already, the universe is cooperating; Eve is back home and she, Liam, and his daughter look like they might be celebrating many a future Christmas.

Thoughts

LeAnn Rimes is driving home to visit her family for three weeks, listening to her own terrible Christmas music.( “I Still Believe in Santa Clause (North Pole Mix)”, available on itunes!) LeAnn Rimes’s mom owns a bakery and remarried. (LeAnn Rimes’s Dad is dead.) Mom is concerned because LeAnn Rimes only takes temporary jobs and temporary men. While mother and daughter are talking, they notice the neighbors, Liam and his daughter, Abby, playing in the snow.

Outside the family bakery, a handsome stranger almost runs into LeAnn Rimes. She dodges him, and he runs into the woman behind him. While the two randos are having their meet cute, Liam (handsome neighbor) walks up and narrates what is happening. Hallmark has gone fully META. Turns out Liam is a movie buff and knows all the romance movie cliches (because of his daughter).

LeAnn Rimes is no-nonsense at her job and proposes to cut all arts and music programming to save the school district’s budget. Did we mention that LeAnn Rimes stopped singing after her dad passed away? Did we mention that her dad was a musician? Did we mention that Liam teaches and writes Christmas music, and that his students are terrible singers????

While Christmas tree shopping, LeAnn Rimes and Liam pick the same tree. LeAnn Rimes concedes and lets Liam have it for his daughter, but she is not happy about it. Liam tells LeAnn Rimes that he plans the Christmas festival and used to be in a rock band. For some reason LeAnn Rimes goes over and helps Liam decorate his Christmas tree, she learns he is separated from his wife (who is a heart surgeon in Chicago).

John, LeAnn Rimes’s stepdad, is working on a song for her mom—for their anniversary. He is going over to Liam’s to work on the song. LeAnn Rimes was suspicious but eventually comes around. John somehow inspires LeAnn Rimes to come up with a solution to the budget shortfall. Her plan? Put together all the district’s music programs at the tree-topper lighting ceremony for a Christmas concert. Liam agrees to help put together the program. LeAnn Rimes’ friend and friend’s husband put together a donation website, and the mayor supplies the venue—as long as her nephew (a tuba player) gets a vocal solo in the show…

Once “the board” approves the plan, we get an event-planning montage: LeAnn Rimes making calls, everyone handing out flyers, business things! VERY Christmassy! We have an hour left in this movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LeAnn Rimes finds an old song her dad was working on. Liam and his daughter sing it for LeAnn Rimes, and she pushes them to perform at the Christmas Concert. Little does LeAnn Rimes know that SHE will most likely end up singing at the concert too.

It’s the night of John’s big romantic gesture to LeAnn Rimes’s mom. The bakery is aglow with fake candles—like a lot of them—and John comes out and sings a simple song while strumming chords on the guitar. Of course, LeAnn Rimes and Liam helped pull it off and ride back home in a car together while listening to LeAnn Rimes’s song “Gift of Your Love” available on Amazon Music…

Finally, the Christmas concert is happening! Just as the Christmas tree is lit, LeAnn Rimes gets a call from another school district and Liam sees. Will she take the job or stay in the town, I wonder????

When the tuba-playing nephew is up, he kills it! (Well in the movie he does, he is alright.) Liam and LeAnn Rimes hug and then Liam abruptly asks if LeAnn Rimes is leaving. She is like, “yeah.”

Abby (Liam’s daughter) is up for her big solo, but she gets stage fright and needs LeAnn Rimes to come on stage and over sing her, the whole song. Everyone seems pleased with how the concert went. It raised all the money they needed, and LeAnn Rimes even gets a job as permanent superintendent. (It won’t pay as much as her SF gig.)

LeAnn Rimes is torn and doesn’t know what to do. She cried to her mom and then gets some Christmas cards from Abby and Liam. His reads:

Eve, (That is LeAnn Rimes’ name in the movie, haha I haven’t written it yet.)

I’m Sorry I didn’t get to meet your dad. If he’s anything like you, he must have been wonderful. I only hope this would have made him proud. And thank you for encouraging me to write again, and being in my corner.

Merry Christmas, Liam

Along with the cards, Liam sends the completed song LeAnn Rimes’s father was working on before he died. She sings it acapella while walking around her living room and crying. LeAnn Rimes runs next door to Liam’s house and tells him that she is staying and loves him. They kiss and, it is all underscored by LeAnn Rimes singing “It’s Christmas, Eve” available… oh well you get it!

Side Note

I need to know how Dean Sheremet (Leanne’s ex husband) is handling all this.

My fav Hallmark actress (Dolores Drake) is BACK! This time as school secretary Joan. (One scene only though!)

The soundtrack to this movie really is available for purchase: It’s Christmas, Eve by LeAnne Rimes (2018)

Set in Franklin, PA (Filmed in Canada)

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Overall rating

🎄 (1 Christmas Tree)

🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 (5 glasses of wine required)