Same Time, Next Christmas (2019 ABC)
Cast: Lea Michele, Charles Michael Davis, George Newbern
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Synopsis (via Lifetime)
A young woman who met her childhood sweetheart during her family’s annual Christmas visit to Hawaii, but circumstances conspire to keep them apart.
Thoughts
Olivia is an architect and impressed her whole company, even the cute guy in the office, Gregg. He is so impressed with her “work” that he asks her on a date. She doesn’t have time for him because she is going to Hawai for the holidays, a family tradition.
Flash to 20 years before when her family first went to Hawai, and she met Jeff Williams and his family. They meet at the same beach house every Christmas and eventually share their first kiss in the ocean after jumping into the sea. Then one year later, the Williams family stops showing up when Jeff’s mother dies.
Current day Hawai, Olivia does yoga with her family. (Including a gay brother, his husband, and their son.) While in Warrior 2, Olivia sees Jeff emerging shirtless from the ocean looking good as hell. He and Olivia reconnect at the luau. The families eat dinner and then Olivia and Jeff dance romantically.
The next day they walk on a pier to see one of Jeff’s boats. He fills Olivia on what his family has been up to. His father re-married, his sister went to college, and Jeff married a woman in Vermont who he has a child with. Jeff is going through a divorce, and this is a messy situation. (Not the typical widower trope in a Hallmark movie, and maybe more realistic.)
Instead of going to a Christmas tree lighting or baking cookies, Olivia and Jeff go on a hike and swim in a lagoon. THEN THEY MAKEOUT at the 30-minute mark?!?!?! I didn’t know ABC was rated XXX. (Seriously though, I am appreciating all the shirtless Charles Michael Davis) Then Olivia goes back to her room and does a happy dance, and so does Jeff. (Haha.)
The romance doesn’t last long because Jeff gets a call from his estranged wife, who wants him to come home for Christmas and be with his family. Jeff breaks the news to Olivia, who is broken-hearted. Jeff goes back to his wife Caroline and daughter Maddie leaving Olivia again.
Flash to a year later, Olivia is dating that jerk from her work, Gregg. He won’t be joining her in Hawai with her family, because he sucks. Who does come to Hawai are Jeff and his adorable daughter. The daughter tells Olivia that her parents are divorced, and Olivia is #SorryNotSorry. Then Olivia gets all dolled up to play with Madison, and she tells her father that she approves. Olivia, Jeff, and Madison have a glitter fight and are looking to be a real family until they are interrupted by Gregg, who surprises Olivia. Gregg is territorial of Olivia and brings gifts for her whole family.
Gregg is not a beach person and works out on vacation. He keeps bringing up work with Olivia, and he wants to be the king and queen of the Ohio Valley real estate and his future wife. He proposes to her in a heart made in the sand. (Which he hates and keeps wiping his feet while proposing, nice touch.) Olivia and Gregg share the good news with her family and the Williams family. (Jeff’s dad is drunk and makes a toast to Olivia and JEFF! Yikes!)
Olivia has a breakdown while talking to Jeff and says that vacation isn’t real life. He tells her that he loves her and asks her if she loves him. Olivia runs off.
Flash to one year later, it is Olivia’s wedding to Gregg. They go on the same hike that Olivia went on with Jeff years ago. He talks about business the whole time and hates the bugs. They don’t swim in the late and MAKEOUT, quite the contrast.
The rehearsal dinner happens, and Olivia’s family makes a toast to true love. Olivia is starting to realize that she is having doubts. She tells Gregg that he is wonderful, but she can’t marry him. She calls off the wedding and then cries to her parents. She recruits her family and Jeff’s dad to pull a hail mary.
Olivia makes it snow in Hawai to at least give her wedding guests something pretty to look at. She thanks Jeff for never let her give up on her dreams, and her dream is to be with him. They kiss to Luther Vandross Christmas.
Then some Lea Michell Christmas song plays as the families open Christmas presents.
One year later, Jeff and Olivia get married on the beach. Then they jump off the cliff.
Side Note
Nia Vardalos looks amazing.
Can we talk about Lea Michell’s face. It is frozen.
Minority Report: The Williams Family, Olivia’s brother’s husband, Hawaiians
I liked that the relationship grew over time.
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Overall rating
🎄🎄🎄🎄 (4 Christmas Trees)
🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required)
*Photo Credit: © 2019 ABC
