Christmas at Graceland
Stars: Wes Brown & Kellie Pickler
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Synopsis (via Hallmark)
Laurel (Kellie Pickler), a Chicago-based business executive travels to Memphis to secure one of the city’s oldest family-owned banks. While in Memphis, Laurel reunites with old flame Clay (Wes Brown), a local music promoter with loftier aspirations. Though Laurel tries to keep her eye on the prize of the business acquisition, Clay is very persuasive reminding her of the days when they were a performing duo on the brink of stardom. Now Laurel’s focus turns to the home of the Blues and dreams of making music again.
Thoughts
Real footage of Chicago! Christmas train! Christkindel market.
Kellie Pickler works in an office and listens to Elvis Christmas music. Her boss is sending her to Memphis to seal the deal with a client by using her southern charm. Kellie was supposed to go home and help her daughter build a very important snowman, but the boss wants her to stay late and go over her presentation in his office.
Kellie Pickler is VERY country. Everything she says is dripping with southern molasses. Kellie Pickler has to bring her daughter, Emma on this trip for some reason. They flight into town and drive by Kellie Pickler’s childhood’s home and then go to her college friend Sally’s home. Sally is married and has a hot husband and a cute daughter Emma’s age. Sally is also a POC and used to help Kellie with her band with her ex Clay.
Speaking of Clay, Kellie and Sally run into him outside of Elvis’ house. Turns out Clay used to bemarried???!!! (To his work, a concert promoter.) and Kellie Pickler couldn’t make it work with Emma’s dad AND her mom died. So, Kellie hasn’t been back in town since her band broke up. Clay hooks Kellie Pickler up with a suite in the hotel
Apparently Kellie Pickler’s daughter has never heard her mom sing. Clay sends a guitar to the hotel room and Kellie Pickler sings a little ditty to Emma to get her to go to bed. Then she gets out her laptop and pretends to type, like Tyra Banks in Life Size.
Kellie Pickler goes to meet Mr. Franklin. He is the owner of the back that she is trying to get their business. Instead of talking about work he just wanted to talk about BBQ and where in town has the best Christmas lights. Mr. Franklin invites Kellie Pickler to his work Christmas party.
Clay arranges a private showing of Elvis’s house at Graceland. While they are walking around Elvis’s actual house. Clay and Emma try to convince Kellie Pickler to get the band back together. When Emma asks WHY Kellie Pickler doesn’t sing anymore. Kellie Pickler tells Emma “That when people are young they have dreams and as they get older they have responsibilities.” She then goes on to tell Emma, that her responsibility is to be her mommy. SHE BALMES EMMA!
At the Christmas festival, Kellie Pickler calls Pecan Pie “PEE-Kahn” pie and that is when i knew she over studied her lines. There is NO WAY a southern ass girl like, Kellie Pickler would say it like that, she is definitely a Pee-Can gal.
Kellie Pickler and Clay go back to Graceland and play his piano while lip singing “Silent Night.” (Let’s just say if this was an Episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Kellie Pickler would be sashaying away, OK?) Clay is slowly convincing Kellie Pickler to get the band back together for the Christmas concert.
Kellie Pickler goes to Mr. Franklin’s Christmas party, where she talks briefly about work and then plays Pin the nose on the reindeer & opening presents from strangers. Kellie Pickler’s boss is kind of worried that the deal isn’t going to happen. Understandably.
Kellie Pickler and Clay sing “Silver Bell’s” & “Silent Night” at the same time. The two draw a cheering crowd and Emma begs her mom to do the Christmas concert. (“Please, Please, Please, Mommy.”) This child actor is THE WORST. Kellie Pickler agrees on one condition, hey decorate a tree in their hotel room together.
When Sally’s has to make posters for this Christmas Concert, Clay offers to babysit. As Kellie Pickler gets into her car to go to her presentation. Clay and the kids start a snowball fight!!!!
At the presentation. Kellie Pickler’s boss and Mr. Franklin aren’t seeing eye to eye. Kellie Pickler is too busy looking a pictures that Clay is sending her pictures of her daughter with a snowman again, what is with this girl. Her boss is mad because she isn’t focused on work. Kellie Pickler doges a work call to make snow angels.
In case you didn’t hear Kellie Pickler singing, Clay and Emma join her to go Christmas Caroling. Emma is very nervous to sing in front of people but gains confidence that no one will hear her over Kellie’s over singing and clays booming bass.
Ice skating happens. And, it appears, the two actors have more talents than just signing. They also seem to be decent skaters!
Emma can’t sleep so her and Kellie Pickler sing “Silent Night” this is the third time in the movie this has happened.
Kellie Pickler is considering moving to Memphis and she even finds a house down the road from Sally’s. She tells Clay that she might be moving back to town. Kellie Pickler then gets a call from her boss who found out that she is performing in a Christmas Concert and she is being forced to go back to Chicago on Christmas Eve or lose her job.
Before she leaves, Kellie Pickler stops by Mr Franklin’s house and tries to win him over. He passes on the opportunity and Kellie Pickler tells him that she would do the same thing. She gives him a proposal on how to cut cost for his business. He gives her BBQ sauce.
Emma tells a joke: “What do Snowmen like to do on vacation? Chill Out.” WHY IS SHE SO OBSESSED.
Clay gets the news from Kellie Pickler and is angry with her for not performing in the Christmas Concert. Then we get a montage of scenes from the movie set to Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas.”
While driving to the airport, Kellie and Emma hear Kellie Pickler’s dead Mom’s favorite Christmas Carol. “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.” They pull over to make a call…
It’s the Christmas Concert and a country guy is singing said Christmas carol. Clay is surprised to see Kellie Pickler decked out in a red dress. She is ready to sing one last song, for the road. With Emma’s support Kellie Pickler goes on stage and sings “Silent Night” for the FIFTH TIME. It’s a mash up this time with “Silver Bells” For all the build up it is very underwhelming. Until the gospel choir arrives to sing “Joy to the World.” Emma jumps on stage too and hogs the spotlight, like the annoying child actor that she is.
Mr. Franklin offers Kellie Pickler a job. Kellie Pickler seems indifferent to the job, but accepts. Clay also gets a job, but in New York. He rejects the job and they tell each other they love one another and kiss in the snow. Good thing they do, because Clay has already lined up a gig for New Year’s Eve. The band is back together.
Side Note
The first movie to ever be filmed in Graceland
Wes Brown is pretty charming.
Line only a skilled actors could make work: “We could Boost online sales to millennial customers.” or “You know the old stating. You don’t know what you miss… till it’s gone.” Not to say Kellie Pickler isn’t a good actress. For Hallmark, she is good.
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Overall rating
🎄🎄 (2 Christmas Trees)
🍷🍷🍷🍷 (4 glasses of wine required)
*Photo Credit: © 2018 Crown Media United States, LLC
