Matchmaker Christmas (2019 Lifetime)
Cast: Emily Rose & Corey Sevier
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Synopsis (via Lifetime)
As the Christmas party for a book publishing company approaches, editor Maggie volunteers to help her boss Amanda find a date. Matchmaking is a bit of a hobby for Maggie, but she is thrown off her game when Jaxson, her old boyfriend from her college years, shows up at her work-as a newly signed, successful author. Maggie would love to deny she feels anything for him still, but Jaxson isn’t making it easy. She’ll have to face her decisions of the past, along with Amanda eyeing Jaxson, to bring together the perfect matches at Christmas
Thoughts
A very white couple makes a toast and then makes out in front of all their guests thanks to Maggie. Then they make Maggie take a picture of them. It is a good thing Maggie is a excellent event planner and not just some random party guest. (Or maybe she is? She works for a book publishing company? IDK.)
Maggie works for an event planning company with some POC co-worker. In her free time Maggie likes to play matchmaker. (Hence the title of the movie.) and set up her boss named Amanda. A new writer named Jackson is assigned to Maggie to plan a book planning event. (He is also her ex fiancé and will not be set up with Amanda.)
While shopping with her lesbian sister (Lifetime acknowledges LGBTQ+ people are worthy of love. Unlike, Hallmark.) Maggie brainstorms ideas for a date for Amanda to bring to the work Christmas holiday party. She also goes to lunch with her co-worker and talks shit on Jackson.
Jackson and Maggie think it is weird to be working together but, agree to start over leaving the past in the past. Maggie goes home and looks through an old shoebox, finding an old engagement ring and failing miserably. She is also failing at setting up Amanda and sets her up with an awkwardly tall man. (Maggie keeps a book and x’s out the guys as she goes through them… it is very serial killery.) Amanda eventually starts dating a cafe owner who is in amazing chef. (And strangely very attractive and charming, not not the normal TV movie hunk.)
To do research for his new Christmas book, Jackson takes Maggie on a one horse open sleigh. They talk about him movie back from New York and her sister who still hates him for how he treated Maggie. They start spending more time together doing winter things like ice skating. (Cue one of them being bad and the other one helping. All while talking about the past. Next they bake gingerbread and make houses while flirting.
Amanda is done dating the cafe owner and wants to go on a date with Jackson. Maggie is hesitant to set them up, but kind of has to do it. Amanda goes on a dinner date with Jackson and it goes well. (According to Amanda who invites him to the work Christmas party.) Maggie is upset and gets into an argument with Jackson. She is even contemplating quitting her job.
She does resign and Jackson tracks her down at a bookstore of all places. Maggie tells him that she thinks he is vindictive and trying to get back at her for breaking off their engagement by dating her boss. Jackson tells her to basically fuck off. (Not really, but kind of.) Maggie goes home and reads Jackson’s manuscript and realizes that he loves her.
Nicole, the sister, admits to being selfish and jealous. She sabotaged the relationship and is horrible. WTF, Nicole.
The Christmas party finally happens and this movie is almost over. The party is pretty lame. Like, no Christmas music is playing and they eat off cheap plastic plates. Amanda tells Maggie that she thinks of Jackson as just a coworker. Maggie asks Amanda why she isn’t dating Chester in Accounting. (Who Amanda used to date, but they broke up.) Amanda and Chester dance to no music.
Maggie runs after Jackson and stops him outside of the party. She begs him to give her another chance because she never stopped loving him. Maggie has been wearing the engagement ring around her neck on a necklace all night. He makes her happy and she misses him. He kisses her and tells her that he could love her again!
Flash to next Christmas and Jackson’s book is a hit! Maggie and Jackson are engaged and apparently his name is spelled Jaxson??? Movie ruined.
Side Note
Pretty boring!!!!
Minority Report: Dean
This female protagonist gave me a low budget Julia Stiles vibe… and Julia Stiles is already pretty low budget.
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Overall rating
🎄(1 Christmas Tree)
🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required)
*Photo Credit: © 2019 Lifetime
