The Road Home for Christmas (2019 Lifetime)
Cast: Marla Sokoloff, Marie Osmond, Jacob Young, Rob Mayes
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Synopsis (via Lifetime)
Two rival musicians, Lindsay, and Wes who perform in a dueling piano show, suddenly find themselves without a gig on Christmas Eve and decide to road trip to their neighboring hometowns together.
Thoughts
New Orleans at Christmas time. Lindsay is a perfectionist musician, and Wes is a laidback musician. They put on a Christmas dueling piano show for a bigshot. They play for tips, and Marla Sokoloff is totally fake playing the piano. Rob Mayes, on the other hand, totally playing. They end the show with a Christmas medley. (Which is not as impressive as you would hope for.) Wes wins the dual, and Lindsay is personally insulted and upset. The big shot manager is a total misogynist. He only talks to Wes and invites him to play golf, while totally ignoring Lindsey.
Lindsey needed to win the money to go see her pregnant sister, Alli. The pregnant sister is considering the name Rudolph for a boy and Rudie for a girl. After a big Christmas gig is canceled, Lindsey and Wes decide to road trip home. They conveniently are both from Akron, Ohio, and went to rival high schools. Somehow, it has never come up!
On the road trip, Lindsey has a detailed scheduled plan/route. Wes makes fun of her. Cue a driving montage. They argue over Christmas music in the car. Lindsey wants to Listen to Cassie, and Wes wants to listen to Jazz. (He does happen to know Cassie’s guitarist.) Lindsey takes a detour to random a Nativity Play. We, unfortunately, we have to watch the whole thing. The CD player skips, and Wes saves the day jumping on the piano cueing the child actors. Since they stayed too long at the play, their car gets stuck in the parking garage. The two have to rent a room with ONE BED! Hijinks ensue.
In Nashville, Wes runs into his friend Mark. Mark is the guitarist for Cassie, the piano player on tour got ox flu or something. Wes is going to replace him, and Lindsey gets a backstage pass. Lindsey plays a terrible rendition of “Up on the Chimney” on the stage while no one is looking. Cassie (Marie Osmond.) hears her and asks Lindsey to replace one of her backup singers, who also has come down with, the ox flu. The performance happens. Marie Osmond sings “Sleigh Ride” in tight red dress and tighter facelift. Mare Osmond goes on to sing three more songs.
Lindsey and Wes grow closer and have actual meaningful conversations. At the end of a magical evening, they almost kiss in the hallway of the hotel.
Wes has an offer from the big shot manager, and he will be going on tour. Lindsey is happy for him, but he doesn’t seem to be very happy about it. More road trip montages happen. Then they hit Inclement weather and run into a show drift. While trapped in the car, Wes opens up about his mom’s Alzheimers (but not that), and Lindsey talks about her dead dad. They do not seem concerned about being trapped in the middle of nowhere and are more focused on getting to know one another. They almost kiss but are saved by a passing van full of Christmas nun carolers.
The sisters have to stop by a school to sign Accapella. They recruit Lindsey to sing with them and Wes to be Santa Clause. Lindsey and Wes sing “Jolly Old Saint Nicolas.” in a very jazzy way. (Wes dons sunglasses, to make the performance extra rad!) The nuns drop Lindsey and Wes off at a bus station and give words of wisdom.
The bus station only has one ticket. Lindsey and Wes fight about who needs to in Ohio more. Wes tricks Lindsey into getting on the bus so she can make it home. Lindsey calls him crying and wishes him well on his tour. They promise to keep in touch after the holiday. Don’t worry about Wes. He gets a ride from Cassie and her tour bus. They are going to drop him off along the way. Marie Osmond can’t be on screen and not sign, so she graces us with a rendition of “Silent Night.”
In Ohio, Lindsey’s mom tells her daughter to go after what she wants. The pregnant sister has her baby and decided against naming the baby Rudolf, she goes with Owen Paul. The hospital where the sister has the baby is the same hospital that Wes’ mom is at. She looks like she is dying. Wes sings her favorite hymn, and his mom remembers him. I guess she is not dying. (Lindsey is there to witness the whole thing.)
On Christmas day, Wes comes over to Lindsey’s house. He tells her that he canceled the tour and wants to spend his time making music with Lindsey. They realize that they have a feeling for one another and kiss in the kitchen.
One year later, Wes and Lindsey aren’t playing dueling pianos. They are playing the same piano side by side on a world tour with Cassie! Instead of taking a road trip, they fly home for Christmas this year. Lindsey’s family all wear matching PJs (except for Lindsey’s mom) and eating Lindsey’s famous Christmas sandwiches for breakfast.
Side Note
Minority Report: Erica, Manager Robbie, Carolers
Rob Mayes is exceptionally sexy.
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Overall rating
🎄🎄🎄(3 Christmas Trees)
🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required)
*Photo Credit: © 2019 Lifetime
