Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy (2019 Hallmark)
Cast: Paul Greene, Maggie Lawson, Barbara Niven, Holly Robinson Peete, Rukiya Bernard, Colin Lawrence, Ashley Williams, and Jill Wagner
Listen to the Lifetime Uncorked Podcast here!
Please buy me a coffee (or glass of 🍷) Support Lifetime Uncorked by leaving a $3 tip.
Synopsis (via Hallmark)
As the town searches for a rumored Christmas Time Capsule, a skeptical writer arrives in Evergreen to get the story on the town’s “too-good-to-be-true” Christmas-fever.
Thoughts
I’m glad the director is keeping with the same storybook opening and narrator. They switch it up with a female narrator (Played by Maggie Lawson.) Katie/Narrator of the movie meets Ben on a train on its way to Evergreen for Christmas. He is from the town, and she is a writer looking to get away to clear her head. She gets off the train, Katie tells Ben “Merry Christmas,” and everyone on the platform aggressively shouts “Merry Christmas” at her. Welcome to Evergreen!
Katie has no cell battery and has to be that person going around town looking for an outlet. We see the townspeople from the previous movies, and LOL they expect me to remember who any of these people are! Holly Robinson Peete is the mayor, Jill Wagner has a dog, Barbara Niven is still running the diner, and Ashley Willians is going to Paris.
After charging her phone, Katie gets a call from her mother. The mother is looking for a cover story for her magazine and asks her daughter to write the story. (Neppitisem at its finest!) Katie thinks the town might inspire a story. She does some research on the town of Evergreen, and Ben sees her and isn’t pleased she is reporting on his village. (He has a journalism degree and used to write in Chicago.) Ben reluctantly takes Katie around town.
The town is uncovering a mystery of a 50-year-old time capsule. The townspeople know it exists but don’t know where to find it. (Or maybe some people do? Like, the librarian.)
Christmas things happen. Decoration making, cookie baking, and Christmas tree chopping. David, the neighborhood child, finds a new key under a sled; this one won’t turn on the church bells like last year. What could it do?! Barbera Nevin finds a key hold on her barn, and they try it out. It reveals a HUGE Christmas advent calender time capsule. The Librarian and Town Santa tell the story of the town coming together to make it.
In the first box, contains recipes from her parents for Barbara Nevin to try out in the cafe. The second box contains ice skates and scarfs. (Are we going to have to endure all 25 days of this LAME time capsule?) No, thank God we get a montage. Boxes open while Katie does interviews, and Paul Greene looks delighted and adorable.
Kaite and Ben become closer as she is working on her story. He found some early notes and thought she was writing a piece to slam the town. They grow close, but she has to spend the holiday with her mother. Katie’s mom tells her the story isn’t right for the paper, but she should write a novel.
Ben gets encouraged by his nana to take a job in the city and leave Evergreen? Blasphemy
In the city, Ben and Katie have a nice dinner. (Oh wait, they are eating pancakes and RED WINE?) Katie invites him to a party and tells him that the article is not happening. Ben writes a cover story about Evergreen, and it’s all female-run business owners. He doesn’t get the job and has to go back to Evergreen, even though Ben and Katie love one another, and they kiss in the street.
Back in Evergreen, they open more boxes, and the town receives bonds that are worth a lot of money. The 50th Christmas Festival happens, and they open the final box. Katie and her mother show up to be with Ben for a holiday. Katie’s mother purchases Ben’s article and asks him to interview for a position.
Carrie Underwood Christmas music plays while everyone’s romances wrap up. Katie writes a story about Evergreen, and Ben lives in the city with her. They kiss as the storybook closes, hopefully forever.
Side Note
Minority Report: Holly Robinson Peete, Hannah, and Elliot, David, Thomas.
I really like Zac Hug as a writer. I thought he did a nice jod juggling the many storylines.
Don’t forget to listen to the Lifetime Uncorked Podcast available on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Donate to keep the blog and podcast going 😊
Overall rating
🎄🎄 (2 Christmas Trees)
🍷🍷🍷🍷 (4 glasses of wine required)
*Photo Credit: © 2019 Crown Media United States, LLC
