Christmas on Ice (2020 Lifetime)

Christmas on Ice (2020 Lifetime)

Cast: Abigail Klein, Ryan Cooper, Caroline Portu

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Synopsis (via Lifetime)

Courtney Bennett, a former US figure skating hopeful, runs the city’s public skating rink, but when the mayor announces its closing, Courtney is heartbroken but determined to save it. After Courtney’s attempts to warm the Mayor’s Scrooge-like heart fail, she enlists the help of Noah Tremblay, a former professional hockey player and single dad, who owns the new indoor skating center, to help her, and together they find more than just the spirit of holidays on the ice.

Thoughts

Courtney works at an ice skating rink called “The Skate Shack” and helps kids find confidence on and off the ice. She comes off a little desperate when trying to get families to sign up for skating lessons. The Zamboni driver, Trevor, wants to date Courtney’s roommate.

Courtney gets a call from the mayor and is worried he has bad news. Her roommate, Sylvie/Beth, her name changes throughout the movie, tells Court not to worry because IT’S CHRISTMAS! At the meeting with the mayor, Courtney literally runs into a man named Noah. He is opening an indoor skating rink that will shut down her FREE outdoor rink and canceling the Christmas Carnival. Courtney tries to win over the mayor with cupcakes, but he still will shut her down.

An ice-skating scene happens because Courtney used to be a figure skater. Noah’s daughter Grace wants to take lessons, and it serves as an opportunity for him to see the work Courtney is doing at the rink. Courtney thinks he is a jock loser and wants nothing to do with him, but is curious where the mother is? Widowed? Divorced? What’s the deal? When she sees his massive fancy ice skating rink, she feels threatened and tells him she doesn’t want to compete. He doesn’t understand why they have to! (Come one man.)

The competitive business owners meet at a bar and have some coffee. Noah tells her that his daughter Grace loves her class, and he offers her a job working for his skating rink. Courtney is suspicious and counteroffers him a position helping her save her skating rink… AND CHRISTMAS.

Time to talk to the best friend and recap everything we already know. Caroline Portu is cute in the role and adds some lovely comedic moments.

Noah and Courtney skate together and talk about their failed professional athletic careers. (Figure skating and Hockey.) Courtney abruptly asks him about what happened to his wife, and he says she died five years ago.

Then a montage of raising money happens set to a random cheesy song. She raises a couple of hundred dollars in pledges. Noah and Courtney come up with the idea to write Christmas Cards to the mayor to “save the oval.” Cue the montage of Courtney’s flyering set to terrible Christmas music. Then we see the mayor getting the cards set to the same cheesy. Then he looks at a picture of his daughter, sadly.

Noah invites Courtney over to decorate the tree. Grace loves having Courtney around, and so does Noah. He opens up about his wife’s death in a heartfelt monologue. They make Ginger People (to be inclusive), and a baking montage happens. (No flour fight here.) They put the angel ginger person on the top of the tree, which Grace says is her mother. (Awww!)

After talking to the mayor, Noah and Grace go MIA. Noah agrees to host the Christmas Carnival at his indoor skating rink. Courtney finds out from the newspaper and freaks out on him. Then she stress skates and falls on the ice and cries. Zamboni guy rescues her and helps her home, like a gentleman. Then he sleeps with her roommate, which isn’t so gentlemanly… because this is Lifetime after all, and people have sex.

Courtney visits Grace and Noah on crutches to give her a Christmas present and notices the mayor’s daughter in a picture in their home. Courtney and Beth piece it together that Noah and the mayor’s daughter were married. Oh wait, they have to do some online research to verify and then learn she not only had cancer. It was melanoma.

Courtney appeals to his softer side in the mayor’s office, deciding to tribute the Christmas Carnival to his daughter Sarah and raise donations for melanoma. Courtney makes a passionate pitch to the city council, using the city’s memorial and statue budget to fund the event and raising money for a great cause. The plan is approved, and the mayor’s heart warms. The mayor gives Noah his blessing to date Courtney.

It is time for a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE. Courtney, Zamboni Guy, Brthm, and Noah work to get ready for the event. Courtney and Noah almost kiss but are interrupted by Grace. (Come on, Grace, you were cute until you did this.)

It is time for the Christmas Carnival. We see Grace and other skaters do a routine. It is the most impressive figure skating I’ve ever seen in a TV Movie. The mayor gives a speech and gives Courtney all the credit for a beautiful event. Noah also makes a speech about Sarah and is touched that the oval is now her namesake. Noah raises $100,000 check for youth skating from his former NHL teammates. He also credits Courtney and her efforts. Courtney takes the ice and thanks Noah for his generosity.

After the event, Noah, Grace and Courtney roast marshmallows by the fire. Noah tells Courtney it is his best Christmas in a long time. They kiss as “Deck the Halls” blares in the background. The end!

Side Note

Abigail Klein used to be a Dallas Cowboy’s Cheerleader. I really liked her in this movie.

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Overall rating

🎄🎄🎄🎄 (4 Christmas Trees)

🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required.)