Christmas Waltz (2020 Hallmark)
Cast: Lacey Chabert, Will Kemp, Lane Edwards
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)
A woman dumped by her fiancé a month before her storybook Christmas wedding decides to take the series of ballroom lessons intended for her wedding dance.
Thoughts
The movie starts, not surprisingly, with incredible ballroom dancing. Avery watches dance videos and dreams of an elaborate wedding dance. Then she rushes off to meet her fiance David to taste wedding cakes during their lunch breaks. David is preoccupied with work and barely pays attention to the cake. (Who ignores cake?) He doesn’t even book the dance lessons for the big day. David wants to table the wedding for now as he takes a job out of town. Avery tells him not to bother and breaks up with him.
While recapping to her BFF, Avery gets a call from the dance studio about her upcoming appointment. Avery stops by the dance studio and tries to cancel her wedding dance rehearsals because the wedding is off. The hunky dance instructor offers for Avery to keep the classes, and after thinking about it, Avery decides to make the time for something for herself. After taking a class, though, she gets frustrated and quits.
After a talk with her BFF (while decorating a Christmas tree.) Avery decides to go back to the studio and tries again with the hunky dancer/dance instructor. She walks in on him, impressively rehearsing with his dance partner/studio-co-owner.
Roman, the dance instructor, takes Avery out for a figure staking lesson instead of a dance lesson. Once they are outside, they quickly start snowball fighting… because this IS a Christmas movie. Avery slips on some ice and knocks Roman unconscious, sending him to the hospital. The ER doctor mistakes them as husband and wife, discharges Roman into Avery’s care, and warns he could have a concussion. Avery takes him home and cares for him the next morning with homemade breakfast. They talk while Roman plays with Christmas nesting dolls. Then he dances around like Charlie Chaplin. I guess he is better!
Dance lessons resume, and the sparks fly when Avery and Roman start to feel something brewing. The dance lessons begin to open up Avery to new experiences. She is more confident and self-assured. (Especially for just ending an engagement.) Roman invites her to his family’s Christmas party, and she agrees to join him.
At the family gathering, Avery and Roman share some wine and help cook in the kitchen. (Even though Avery is not a chef.) Everyone is welcoming to the new guest. Roman walks Avery home, and they have a “LaLa land” style dance in the street. It is very fun.
Roman invites Avery to his Christmas Waltz performance, which happens to fall on the same night as her old wedding date. Is it a sign? She invites her parents to join her and leaves the tickets with the doorman. Roman takes Avery to look at a space for his potential new dance studio where they dance around. Since things are going well, David shows up and asks her to take him back. Leaving her dozens and dozens of roses in her office. David THEN goes to the dance studio and talks to Roman and says he is going to get his fiance back. This machismo display deters Roman from pursuing Avery further.
Avery notices that Roman is acting cooly when she attempts to book ten more dance classes. The final dance session is lifeless, and without the passion she felt before. Avery rushes out of class upset. Then she meets up with David, who proposes again, this time with light-up ring box!!! Avery declines and learns that David talked with Roman. (Which explains the shoulder.)
It is the night of the performance and Elina is stuck in traffic. Roman calls Avery backstage and asks her to go on with him. Avery clears things up about David and they go onstage to perform. It is incredible. Then they kiss! Then end!
Side Note
Minority Report: Dancers, Elina, Darna, Stage manager,
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
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 (5 Christmas Trees)
🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required.)
*Photo Credit: © 2020 Hallmark Crown Media
