Our Christmas Love Song (2019 Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
Cast: Alicia Witt, Brendan Hines
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Synopsis (via Hallmark)
When country star Melody Jones is accused of plagiarizing her holiday single, she returns home to spend Christmas with her estranged family and old flame and learns what is important in life.
Thoughts
Melody Jones, a country singer (with bangs!) heads into the Grand Old Opry with her guitar and stands on stage, looking out at an empty audience. Her family, Chase, the ex-boyfriend, and Connie, her musical mentor in Indiana, awaits the television premiere of her new Christmas single. (With varied enthusiasm.) The song is called “Heart of Christmas” and sounds pretty lame. The song is also stolen from Connie’s song “Heart of Tennesee.” Connie sues her ass. Melody says she wrote the song with her deceased father when she was in high school and might have the original sheet music back home.
In Madison, Indiana, Melody’s first stop is the candy store that her family owns. Her sister and mother are thrilled; she is home for the holidays. Her adorable niece is also happy to see her aunt. (Even if her father is away at war,) Everyone in town is more skeptical. They gawk and gossip about her. (Including a random Nancy Grace cameo.)
At the grocery store, Melody and Chase run into one another. He has a cart full of eggnog (he runs the town tavern with his sister.) and shares one carton with Melody. He invites Melody to come to see his new renovations. The bar is decorated for Christmas and even has a stage. Melody stops by flirts awkwardly with Chase.
Melody goes to her mother’s house and looks through old songbooks, but no luck. Her parents loaned out some of her music to a local music shop to help kids learn music. Melody visits Mr. Tyler at his guitar shop. He doesn’t have the music, but Chase is there for her to flirt with some more.
At the town Christmas tree lighting, Chase and Melody walk around drinking out of empty coffee mugs and remember Christmas past. Since Melody is famous, she gets called up by the POC mayor to press the button. Melody takes her niece up with her. After the Christmas tree lighting, Melody tells Chase about her legal troubles. He remembers her writing the song and performing it together. He apologizes for losing touch and wants to reconnect. Just as they are having a moment, the niece ruins the mood. (She performs the plagiarized song, much better than Alicia Witt.)
To distract herself from her legal battles, Melody and Chase start to write a Christmas song together. Melody plays the piano and scribbles down lyrics while Chace strums a few chords. Then sing:
“Every Gift I’ve Wrapped,
Every hymn I know,
Every bake sale,
For Christmas show
I don’t get home much but love this place.
I’m grateful for every smiling face.
Light up the tree, singing carols too, Merry Christmas I’ve missed you.
Just walking in the snow, like we used to do. Merry Christmas I’ve missed you,”
I actually didn’t hate this song! They decide to bring back the town Christmas concert and perform the song. Melody will pay for the event, and Chase will provide the venue. They have five days. They vaguely plan, decorate, and almost kiss, and put up posters around town.
Next, Melody goes to the church to advise the chorus. She tells them to sing from the heart. (Oh and not to lip-sync.) She asks the pastor if he has her sheet music. He tells her that “anything lost can be found again, especially if it is in your heart.”
Piper, Melody’s manager, is stressed out with all the right things happening. Melody tells her to turn off her phone and spend time with her family. A record producer/country signer is trying to track down Melody and keeps calling but getting voicemails. The man decides to go to Indiana to talk to Melody in person. Hunter Hamington (or something) comes to town and has dinner with Melody and her family. He invites her to come to sing a duet on his show in Nashville. (Which is the same night as the town Christmas concert.)
When Melody tells Chase about the offer, he encourages her to go. Insists on it even. Melody is confused about why he is so eager to get rid of her, and it hurts her feelings. They talk to their human sounding boards about feelings. They realize they are holding onto a lot of hurt from the past.
Back in Nashville, Melody, and Connie have a chat. Melody found the sheet music in her dad’s office taped to the back of a gold record. Melody says she is disappointed that Connie didn’t believe her but forgives her anyway. Connie justifies everything by blaming her age and her star not shining as bright.
At the Christmas concert, they Livestream the event for servicemen and women all over the world. (But specifically her husband.) The sister and her daughter sing. Then Chase sings “Merry Christmas I Missed You.” alone on stage. Of course, Melody joins her, and they sing the whole song and then kiss on stage. They run backstage and tell one another that they love each other. Melody invites him to go on tour with her because he is her favorite duet partner. They sing an encore performance. (Or just kiss more on stage.)
Side Note
I know everyone is going to ask. I’m not sure where you can get a copy of the songs featured in this movie, yet. You can Find Alicia Witt’s Christmas Miracle Song, or I’m Not Ready for Christmas. #Ad
Minority Report: Melody’s manager Piper & the mayor.
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Overall rating
🎄🎄🎄🎄 (4 Christmas Tree)
🍷🍷 (2 glasses of wine required)
*Photo Credit: © 2019 Crown Media United States, LLC
Loved this song would like to have a copy if released.
I’m not sure what no-talent wrote this lame report, but they need to get a life after you fire them. I bet the writer couldn’t sing and do what these people did to make this movie. Oh yeah, they need to learn to proof read, grammar and spell check their work.