A Christmas Tree Grows In Colorado (2020 Hallmark)
Cast: Rochelle Aytes, Laura Bertram, Mark Taylor, Dolores Drake
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Synopsis (via Hallmark)
Erin is planning the town’s Christmas celebration and must win over Kevin to get his spruce tree for the festival.
Thoughts
The movie starts appropriately with shots of mountains. We are in Brooklyn… CO! Erin works for the mayor’s office due to nepotism; her dad is the mayor. Erin is tasked with planning the town’s Christmas festival. While visiting her friends, Erin notices a hunky neighbor and his adorable daughter building a snowman by a beautiful tree in his yard that would be perfect for the town’s Christmas tree.
Erin visits the handsome man, whose name is Kevin, at his place of employment. Kevin is a firefighter, which makes him 1000% hotter. He and all his sexy firefighter co-workers are confused about why Erin is visiting and wanting to cut down his tree for the mayor. Kevin refuses to give her his tree but agrees to select the town Christmas tree and make sure it is safe.
Instead of look at Christmas Trees, Erin and Kevin make snow angels, decorating, visiting Santa, and build gingerbread houses. Erin makes friends with Kevin’s adopted daughter Claire. Kevin shares that he adopted Claire at age five because he was adopted when he was young. The budding romance is stopped cold in its tracks when Neil (Erin’s co-worker) hit on her in front of Kevin.
The chemistry between these two can’t be denied. They almost kiss in a firetruck and are interrupted by an overzealous horn honking Kevin. Then they do kiss in the MIDDLE OF THE MOVIE?!!? Neil sees them and realizes he is out of his league. Well, actually, Neil turns out to be gay! (Yay!)
Erin invites Neil to a caroling event as friends, but Kevin hasn’t gotten the memo about Neil being gay. Kevin apologizes for kissing Erin, calling it a “mistake.” Kevin will catch on soon enough because Neil starts hanging out with his co-worker/gay firefighter Mitch.
Since no one has been looking for a tree the whole movie, the mayor looks like he might lose his job over this no tree business. They send a letter to Kevin stating they are going to take the tree due to eminent domain. Erin is not involved and offers to babysit Claire and makes him cookies. The night is ruined when Kevin opens the letter and gets angry at Erin for keeping it from him.
Maggie, Erin’s assistant, comes through and finds a loophole. Kevin’s land is a historical landmark. The tree cutters stop just in time.
Erin shows up at the town square, sees a heart-shaped marking on the trunk, and realizes that it is Kevin’s tree. She tells her father that she is resigning from her position and plans to become a teacher instead. Kevin watches Erin give a speech on TV. Then he rushes down to the square and apologizes for the MANY MANY misunderstandings. Kevin donated the tree and Erin did put the call in in time. Kevin is happy the tree is giving so many people joy. The only thing that gives him joy is… Erin. They kiss as the Christmas tree is lit. The end!
Side Note
Minority Report: Erin, Kevin, Marsha, Mary, Mayor,
Dolores Drake makes her first 2020 TV movie appearance here as Maggie. The real KWEEN of Christmas is back. Move over CCB.
Loved this one. From the top-down, everyone involved brought their A-Game.
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Overall rating
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 (5 Christmas Trees)
🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required.)
*Photo Credit: © 2020 Hallmark Crown Media
I absolutely hated the concept of this movie & Lifetime should be shamed for promoting the idea that cutting down an iconic beauty of nature for commercial benefit is admirable. I actually teared up when that tree appeared in the town square. Why not an alternative ending such as decorating the tree where it stood & having the ceremonial lighting at that site…no imagination nor appreciation for the gift it took our earth more than half a century to create😢