A Godwink Christmas: Meant for Love (2019 Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
Cast: Kathie Lee Gifford, Cindy Busby, and Ben Hollingsworth
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Synopsis (via Hallmark)
Thoughts
Kathie Lee plays a Christmas delegating mother who calls her shop owner daughter, Alice. Kathie Lee is like, “Where are you! You’re missing all the mandatory fun?!” (She pre-sorts the ornaments!) This family is wealthy and very white. They are concerned about franchise stores coming to the towns the main strip in Minneapolis.
Jack lives in Wisconson and is on his way to Minneapolis for work during the holidays. His family is way less high maintenance, pretty sure it is just his uncle.
Alice goes to a Christmas party that Kathie Lee forces her to go to. (And then has the gall to be late.) Leaving Alice time to bump into Jack and have some romantic flirty banter. Jack realizes that he is at the wrong Christmas party. They realize that they are going to the same wedding in Iowa, and when Alice’s ride cancels on her, Jack offers to go on a road trip the next day.
I’m glad this road trip is slightly awkward. They discuss the car temperature and what music to play. (Christmas after Halloween, of course.) One gas stop in, and they get a flat tire. To kill time while the tire is getting replaced, they walk around and find a small shop. While looking at items, they talk about their dead parents. (His in a car crash and her dad when she was younger.) Then they make snow angels.
They get to the hotel and see that their rooms are right across the hall.
At the wedding, Kathie Lee learns about Jack. She is ALL ABOUT IT. Jack sits at Alice’s family table and gets grilled. Afterward, Alice and Jack dance at the wedding and have a fun time. Jack even offers Alice a ride back to the city. Alice is a little freaked out, and Kathie Lee sets her straight, telling her to see the Godwinks.
On the ride back, Jack asks Alice what she would do if she weren’t running the family store. She likes communicating and connecting with people. Will she start a podcast? Once back in town, he drops her off. Her house is right by his hotel that he says when he is in town.
Alice has been experiencing numbness and tremors in her hands and legs. She books an appointment with a doctor, and we see the doctor’s visit, which isn’t a good sign. We never see doctors’ visits unless she is about to get REALLY sick.
While baking cooking, Jack opens up about being a caretaker for his brother, who had a brain tumor. Alice is grateful for him opening up to her. They hold hands and almost kiss, but the timer goes off. He invites her to come to see Wisconson sometime. She cancels work and goes with him the next day.
In Wisconson, Alice spends time with Jack’s uncle while he is in some business meetings. Jack gets a promotion and will live in Minneapolis. He is excited to get to spend more time with Alice. Alice realizes that she wants to be a therapist, and it is Jack that inspired her to take risks in life.
Kathe Lee is concerned about her daughter missing and goes over to her apartment to find lots of cookies. “Where are you?” she wonders.
Alice gets a voicemail from her doctor and goes to see her right away. Alice is diagnosed with MS. (Cindy Busby, again does some excellent acting here finding out the news.) Thankfully Jack calls to distract her and invites her for dinner. At dinner, Jack can tell something is off.
Alice breaks things off with Jack and ignores his calls. (She doesn’t want to put him through what she is dealing with.) Kathie Lee is worried about her daughter and goes to check on her. Alice cries, hugs her mother, and tells her about the diagnosis. Kathie Lee says her daughter is worthy of love and encourages her to tell Jack.
Alice offloads the store on another relative who is better suited for the job. Another one of Alice’s family members tells Jack her health business. The whole family plans a surprise for Alice. Jack holds up signs from across the street of Alice’s apartment. The signs say that he knows about her MS and still loves her.
Alice doesn’t get outraged at her family for meddling. All the Godwinking has got her in a great mood! The family clears out, and they kiss under the mistletoe.
Then we get an update on the true story of which the movie is based.
Side Note
Minority Report: Jack’s co-worker, Some shoppers in the stores, a local baker,
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Overall rating
🎄🎄🎄 (3 Christmas Trees)
🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required)
*Photo Credit: © 2019 Crown Media United States, LLC
