The Christmas House (2020 Hallmark)
Cast: Ana Ayora, Robert Buckley, Jonathan Bennett
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)
Working through some difficult decisions, Mitchell family matriarch Phylis and patriarch Bill have summoned their two grown sons – TV star, Mike Mitchell and Brandon Mitchell – home for the holidays. They hope that bringing the family together to recreate the Christmas house will help them find resolution and make a memorable holiday for the entire family and community. As Brandon and his husband Jake make the trip home, they are anxiously awaiting a call about adopting their first child. Meanwhile, Mike reconnects with Andi, his high school sweetheart.
Thoughts
TV Lawyer, Mike, is the Handsome Justice. His show might not get picked up for a second season. While his show is on hiatus, Mike receives a call from his parents. They are bringing back the Christmas House. (Decorating a house extravagantly for the holidays. A 20-year tradition that stopped for some reason.) Mike flys into town on short notice.
At the airport, Mike runs into his brother Brandon and his husband, Jake. They are secretly trying to adopt a child but don’t want to share the information with the family before the adoption is finalized. When they arrive, Matriach Phylis presents the PowerPoint for decorating. She even has a whistle. Bill (the father) asks his sons to make this extra holiday special. Bill and Phylis try to set Mike up with his high school girlfriend, Andi. Andi is a single divorcee with a son who tells it like it is. She spills the secret that Phylis and Bill are selling the house.
Mike doesn’t take the news well, but his brother Brandon is ready to let it go to a new family. Brandon even invites Phylis for a “girls trip” to visit him in Colorado. That is the first clue that things could be on the rocks with the parent’s relationship. They take subtle jabs at one another for the rest of the movie. Eventually, Phylis comes clean about the struggling relationship and tells Mike that they need space.
Brandon and Jake kiss to get that out of the way and talk about Brandon’s bakery being renovated for the holidays. (Which is the worst time for that to happen to a bakery.) Brandon gives his brother advice and tells him to date, Andi. Mike spends time with Andi and her son. He teaches the kid magic because he is… magic mike? (I wish this man were a stripper!)
Mike is frustrated that so many things are changing. He vents to his brother and Brandon, who flips it and tells him about the adoption. It is lovely to see the brothers have a supportive and real relationship. When Mike tells his brother that he will make a good dad, Brandon responds with, “You’re going to make an okay uncle.” Which is so great.
The good news starts coming in. Brandon and Jake’s adoption goes through, they are going to be fathers, Phylis and Bill are going to renovate a house to rebuild, ugh pun unintended, their relationship. Mike gets a call to reboot the show. Mike declines to go to Christmas House and be with Andi. They kiss under the mistletoe. Phylis and Bill kiss too, just to even things out. Everyone is feeling the Christmas love.
The sale of the house doesn’t go through, They receive a Christmas Day offer from Mike. He wants to buy the house and keeps the Christmas House going. Everyone is happy. Merry Christmas.
Side Note
Minority Report: Noah, Judge, Andi, Andi’s family,
Great first LGBTQ Hallmark movie. Even if they weren’t the central focus of the movie, I’m still appreciative of the family friendly depiction of a married gay couple.
Don’t forget to listen to the Lifetime Uncorked Podcast available on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!
💳 🍾 Your Support is appreciated. You can help by leaving a small $3 tip today! Thank you. 🍾 💳
Overall rating
🎄🎄🎄🎄 (4 Christmas Trees)
🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required.)
*Photo Credit: © 2020 Hallmark Crown Media
