A Cheerful Christmas (2019 Hallmark)
Cast: Erica Deutschman and Chad Connell
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Synopsis (via Hallmark)
Lauren and her best friend Colleen think they have landed their dream job – giving people the best and most magical Christmas ever as their personal ‘Christmas Coaches.’ This holiday season promises to be their biggest ever when they land a royal client, the Anderson family, who has moved from England. When Lauren meets James, the eldest son, he wants nothing to do with planning Christmas as he’s busy negotiating a big acquisition for his father’s company. But Lauren won’t be thwarted in helping this royal family embrace the true spirit of Christmas. The more she prods James about their family holiday traditions, the more he opens up. Sparks start to fly, but she faces competition in the form of an old childhood friend and business colleague of James. Now Lauren must win his heart while giving the Andersons their best Christmas ever.
Thoughts
Two event planners (no, wait Christmas Coaches? They look exactly the same.), Lauren, and her friend Colleen is hired by a royal family named The Anderson’s. They go to the mansion and talk to a stuffy house caretaker who isn’t into their stupid ideas. (Make a Christmas playlist? Homemade shortbread instead of storebought? Who is paying these women to do this?) Lauren meets James Anderson, and this man is SO fine. (Wow!) He seems to think about what they do for their business is pretty straight forward. (Because it is.)
The Anderson family doesn’t celebrate Christmas and has abandoned their traditions since they moved to America from London. The family has lost its Christmas spirit. Lauren is determined to give them new traditions, whether they want them or not. I would venture to say Lauren is a Christmas bully.
James starts to come around and giving Lauren tips about how he remembers Christmas from his childhood. They make snowmen together, and he names and genders the snowmen. Afterward, they drink hot cocoa and talk about Lauren’s business and dead mother.
Lauren gets stuck with selecting Christmas presents for the whole family. She is a professional and very good at choosing the perfect gift. James joins her for some shopping and explains each family member to Lauren. He is very grateful for her help and impressed with her skills and somehow not annoyed by her unrelenting cheerfulness. (Which is borderline manic.)
They chop down and decorate a Christmas tree together and then sneak cookies. The vibe here is genuinely bizarre. Lauren speaks to James like he is a child, and her mannerisms are overdone and forced. I’ve seen Erica Deutschman in other TV movies and thought she was okay. I think the director is to blame here and let her be too broad with the performance.
Lauren and James spend more time together. They go iceskating on ariver and dance in a ballroom. I feel bad for Colleen, why isn’t she more involved in the biggest client they have ever landed? Why is Lauren getting to fall in love with James?!? Colleen doesn’t even get to be in the same room and is religated to skype calls.
Since James is suber British he plays polo and we get to see a real live game! (Which is exciting and diffrent.) Lauren cheers on the sidelines and is still annoying. After the game Lauren is invited to an afterparty. Lauren yells “HI JAMES!” and waves like an idiot. He is standing 2 feet away from her.
The Andersons comeback into town and they are excited for all of Lauren’s ideas. Expecailly having he Christmas party in their ballroom. The party happens and everyone is dressed up very fancy. They all put envlopes in the tree, which has some meaning to the Andersons. Lauren gets sad (for the first time in the movie.) when she sees James dancing with a brownhaird lady who keeps popping in and out of a British accent. James isn’t into the brownhaired lady and just wants to be her friend.
James runs after Lauren and thanks her for everything. He has found his Christmas spirit by donating lots of money to charaties. He also gives a gift to Joyce the housekeeper. It is a flight home to visit her sister.
With the event is over, Lauren goes back to Colleen and her families house for Christmas. Lauren’s dad makes to back for Christmas and Lauren is happy to have her Christms wish. She annoying starts planning Christmas things that they can do together. James stop her insanity and tells her that she made his Christmas so special and they kiss. Then they go outside and kiss while it is snowing.
Side Note
Minority Report: NONE. Fail, Hallmark. Unacceptable.
Written and directed by women.
Makeup in this movie was off. Eveyone looked exausted and yellow tinted.
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Overall rating
🎄 (1 Christmas Tree)
🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷 (5 glasses of wine required)
*Photo Credit: © 2019 Crown Media United States, LLC
The lead character, Erica Deutschman, has got to be the worst actress ever. She is an awful “actress” and annoying in every way imaginable. I found myself cringing and actually embarrassed for her “performance” and lack of acting chops. If she was asked to play a character who was a terrible actress, she could not even pull off that role. Erica Deutschman cannot act herself out of a paper bag. Dump her, Hallmark! It was painful to watch! Erica Deutschman, Cindy Busby and Jessica Lowndes should never be hired again – At least not where the job description requires acting.