A Christmas Movie Christmas (2019 UPTV)
Cast: Brant Daugherty, Lana McKissack, Kimberly Daugherty
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Synopsis (via UPTV)
Eve is a Christmas movie fanatic and dreams of having a movie-perfect Christmas with a movie-perfect boyfriend. On Christmas Eve, when Eve and her cynical sister Lacy make wishes to Santa, they wake up in Christmas Town and find themselves trapped inside a Christmas movie where they are the stars. But when things start to go wrong, and Eve’s knowledge of all things Christmas movie fails to fix things, Eve and Lacy try to find a way out of the picture-perfect Christmas and back to reality.
Thoughts
My mom told me this movie was cute, so I popped over to UPTV for a change of pace.
Eve loves Christmas and watches Chad Matthew Monroe Christmas movies while at work. She gets railroaded and is underappreciated by her boss. Her sister, Lacy, thinks Christmas movies are lame and likes True Crime instead. Lacy tells her sister to go out into the world and stop living in the comfort of the movies.
When they lose power, the sisters go out to get hot chocolate and make a wish with a Santa on the street. They fall asleep on the couch and at the stroke of midnight are transported into the TV Christmas movie. Eve and Lacy wake up in full hair and makeup and hear Christmas singing downstairs. They think they have been kidnapped, but the woman downstairs says she is their GrandGram. She serves them snowflake waffles. Eve is on board; Lacy is more skeptical.
They realize that they are in a Christmas move and living in the town of Holiday Falls. Lacy wants to go home, and Eve is excited that her wish came true. The town Santa is the same Santa that they made wishes with the night before. When Lacy confronts him and demands to know how to go back, he tells her that they need to see their wish through.
The Christmas festival needs planners and Eve volunteers. (In this world she is a master decorator.) She also learns that she has a boyfriend named Russell (who is played by her TV Christmas movie fav Chad Matthew Monroe.) She also has a meet-cute with the local Inn owner, Dustin. (Played by my childhood crush, Ryan Merriman. He is still as charming as ever.)
Lacey is not immune to the Christmas movie tropes. She slips in a bakery and is caught by the baker, named Paul. He is adorable and instantly in love with Lacy.
Eve and Dustin plan the festival together. They then go caroling and then ride in a one-horse open sleigh. She realizes that he might not be as happy as he seems, especially when Noel, another woman from “the city,” arrives and serves as an obstacle for their love. Another obstacle is her boyfriend, Russell. (She tries to break up with Russell later, but he charms her in only a romantic lead in a Christmas movie can.)
Lacy agrees to go on a date with Paul. He gets a little stalkery and leaves hand made cards all around town for her. She goes to the bakery to shut him down, but an adorable token child lightens the mood. Lacy is having a good time with Paul and in Holiday Falls.
The sisters talk about boys and fail the Bechdel test.
It is the night before the Christmas festival and turns out Noel has been sabotaging the festival and setting up Eve to be in an awkward situation with Russell and Dustin. Both men are upset with Eve and want nothing to do with her. Noel blows the budget for the festival on fancy hot chocolate. Dustin is done with her too. In a fit of rage, he cancels the Christmas festival.
Lacy tells Paul who she is and tells him that she doesn’t deserve him. Both sisters go home and go to bed, rejected and upset. They both want to go back now. GrandGram tells them to knock it off. They are not allowed to be sad at Christmas. Then she encourages Eve to see it through and save the Christmas festival.
Eve comes up with a plan. Lacy apologizes to Paul and then asks him to help them save Christmas. Cue a save Christmas montage. It is excellent and involves lots of Christmas cliches. The adorable child stops Russell and threatens to cry if he doesn’t play at the festival.
The whole town shows up for the Christmas Festival, and it is a huge success. Noel apologizes to Eve and falls in love with Russell as he performs. The adorable child’s father comes back from war. Dustin comes to Eve and complements her on the festival. He apologizes, and they kiss. Lacy wished to be a better person, and Paul helped her see that she is. Everyone’s Christmas wishes are coming true.
Eve realizes that her perfect Christmas isn’t in a TV movie. The sisters are transported back home. They awake on Christmas morning, and Paul is there making waffles. He wished to be with Lacy. Eve goes to work and tells her boss that she needs to be respected and gives him her proposal for an event. He is receptive to her ideas and knows her name now.
Dustin shows up in the city too. Santa winks at Eve as she passes by.
Side Note
Minority Report: Lacey & Eve. Mr. Petterson (Their boss.)
Brant Daugherty & Kimberly Daugherty are married and also the writers of the film.
I love some good old fashion, Christmas Santa magic.
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Overall rating
🎄🎄🎄🎄 (4 Christmas Trees)
🍷🍷 (2 glasses of wine required)
*Photo Credit: © 2019 UPTV
