Christmas Around the Corner (2018 Lifetime)

Christmas Around the Corner

Stars: Alexandra Breckenridge and Jamie Spilchuk

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Synopsis (via Hallmark)

Claire (Alexandra Breckenridge), a savvy venture capitalist from New York City, escapes to a quaint town in Vermont for the holidays and becomes a guest of the Fortenbury Bookstore. Upon arrival, Claire finds Christmas celebrations have been canceled by the town after a flood and the bookstore is in a dire state of disrepair. She immediately takes on the challenge to revitalize the store, but clashes with the owner, Andrew (Jamie Spilchuk), who initially rejects all her proposed improvements. Eventually, sparks fly as the two begin a budding romance, and Claire’s infectious optimism inspires Andrew to join her in reviving the yuletide spirit. But everything comes to a screeching halt when Claire discovers that Andrew is planning to sell the bookstore in the New Year. Will the spirit of Christmas be enough to change Andrew’s mind and encourage him to follow his heart?

Thoughts

Claire created an app called Mistle-Toe an app that has on demand mani pedi service. It goes public and fails. She should have just listened to her instincts. Her sister comes over for wine and to plan a much needed vacation from work. Claire wants to go to Vermont to a place where her mom talked about when they are kids. She rents a air BNB that is above a bookstore, you even get to run the store during your stay. (Seems like a way to not pay a manager.)

Ernie (Like It’s a Wonderful Life) gives her a ride to the inn. He tells her that all the Christmas traditions have been canceled. The owner of the BNB is an old lady who works in the bookstore which is dilapidated. The town has really gone downhill since the floor. The guest house is beautiful and the owner tells Claire about her nephew who owns the building and hates Christmas.

The shower freak out and Claire has to run to get Andrew (the nephew) he is in the back shed hammering an anvil. He fixes the shower and they change numbers.

The town isn’t all Christmas and welcoming. Barb from the baker is straight up rude to Claire. Claire gets a drip coffee (instead of her fancy latte) and heads over to the bookstore to “work.” (Which means cleaning and talking Andrew into decorating for Christmas.) There are no customers.

After she organizes the bookstore, Claire pitches her ideas to Andrew and the negotiate a deal. She is planning an open house in the evening and posts about it on posts it on social media. She even gets cookies from Barb. No one shows up to her party and she is bummed. Andrew takes her to church to drop off the food she made as donations. Church is packed, they just aren’t into her NYC vibe,

The bookstore is getting decorated and it is actually bringing in a few customers. One customer steals and Claire catches her, she tells her to take the book read it and bring it back. Claire hires her as an intern and she can help around the store. Claire is taking this running a bookstore a little too seriously. Andrew is angry with Claire for being too pushy with ornaments. (She makes a deal for everyone that he vetoes, she gets to put out two. Haha.)

Claire goes to town hall and appeals to them to reinstate the Christmas Festival or at least decorate main street with luminaries. The President of the Chamber of Commerce or whoever denies Claire, shuts her down mid speech actually. The Christmas spirit can’t be tamed and Barb decorates her shop too and make Christmas macarons. (Which keep selling out.)

At the bookstore party, the priest shows up with his husband (who is black) and their adopted son. (Hallmark’s head would explode.) They talk about living in a small town and how great it is breaking people’s stereotypes of gay men.

The church has a holiday party, Andrew and Claire talk about their dead parents and how they miss them. They agree to be friends and no just co-workers, she decides to extend her stay.

The intern overhears Andrew talking about selling the bookstore. She tells Claire who goes and confronts Andrew. He tells her he can’t run the store himself and the bookstore is not selling down. He is just selling the building to the chamber of commerce president who said he won’t change a thing.

Maybe the President of the Chamber of Commerce isn’t a bad guy after all. He reinstates the luminaries and midnight madness.

Before midnight madness the building springs another leak and Andrew is so angry. This is why he is selling the building. Barb and other townspeople come over to repair the bookstore. Claire speaks at the Midnight Madness and thanks everyone for an amazing month. On her way out of town she stops by the chamber of commerce and finds plans for condo rentals. Claire tells Andrew that he shouldn’t sell and Andrew tells her to mind her own business and stop trying to fix his life. She tells him that she isn’t invested in the bookstore she is invested in him. Andrew doesn’t know how to make it work, so Claire is on her way back to NYC.

Claire is with her sister in NYC and she isn’t happy. Andrew is in Vermont and he also isn’t happy, he even bans everyone from mentioning her name. Claire tells her sister that she wants to work with books and help kids! She heads back because she misses them so much.

When she shows up Andrew kisses her and they apologize. They realize that they really care about each other and will run the bookstore together. He isn’t selling. They go to church for Christmas service. The town is thrilled to have her back and Claire finally got what she really wanted. Andrew and Claire kiss again in the snow. The End.

Side Note

Minority Report: Co-Worker & Gay husband!

In real life, Glastenbury, Vermont is a ghost town in the southwestern part of the state, near Manchester. It was chartered in 1761 as part of New Hampshire, and had a population of 34 when Vermont became a state in 1791. The population began growing after the Civil War, topping out at 280. The biggest industry was lumber. The trees had disappeared by the late 1880s, and the population soon followed. Glastenbury was officially unincorporated in 1937. The 2010 census counted a population of 8.

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Overall rating

🎄🎄🎄 (3 Christmas Trees)

🍷🍷🍷(3 glasses of wine required)