A Christmas Exchange (2020 Lifetime)

A Christmas Exchange (2020 Lifetime)

Cast: Laura Vandervoort, Rainbow Sun Francks, Yanic Truesdale

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Synopsis (via Lifetime)

This holiday season, Molly Cooper swaps her snow-covered farmhouse for Patrick Kensington’s posh London apartment. While enjoying Christmas time in the UK, Molly begins to look forward to every communication with Patrick. Likewise, Patrick finds Molly’s warm emails and texts charming and compelling. Sparks fly between them as they get to know each other and fall in love as they live in each other’s spaces. Coming home for Christmas Day, Molly is greeted to a new life and a new love.

Thoughts

Molly grew up reading romance novels and watching Hallmark romance movies with her Gran. When her mother passes away, she watches the movie alone and cries. Molly throws herself into work at the local newspaper. The only problem is, they are closed from the holiday, leaving her without a way to distract herself.

She finds a list she made when she was a child with her life goals with include.

Go to London
Find her dad’s childhood home
Marry a British man.

Molly decides to pursue her dream and heads to the most romantic city in the world… PARIS. Nope. London. Insert some shots of London and cue the British accents.

Londoner, Patrick, is busy with work and neglects his girlfriend, Angela. She breaks up with him, tired of his overworking. Patrick spins a globe and lands on Connecticut for his getaway.

Molly and Patrick swap home for the holidays via a website called Sawpyourhouse.com. The correspond on the messenger function on the app. (Which explains the emojis in the cover photo.)

Kate welcomes Molly to London and gives her the keys to her flat. (Which is a nicely decorated bachelor pad with a view of the Tower Bridge.)

Patrick arrives and can’t find the key under the mat. Molly accidentally put the key in her purse. He calls Molly, who advises a black man to break into the house via a rickety window. (Not a good idea!) He gets into the home and falls asleep jetlagged. (Molly inexplicably left her dog in the house for him to take care of???)

Molly walks around London and takes photos of Big Ben and other tourist destinations. She messages Patrick to see his recommendations for Fish and Chips. Then she stops by publishing houses looking for jobs. (Running into the iconic author of romance novels, Jules.) Patrick writes on a typewriter secluded in his snowy Connecticut home.

In a coffee shop, Molly runs into Jules again and makes a pitch for a novel idea. It is the plot of The Holiday. Jules hires Molly as an intern to help her look over a few pages of a new modern romance novel to appeal to millennials. Molly passionately advises Jules. Then she walks into a bar and where the bartender knows her father. She learns that her parents met in the bar and not the romantic way she thought. Molly is heartbroken.

Patrick and Molly send messages back and forth. Patrick continues to struggle writing his novel on a typewriter. Molly suggests he take a walk through the woods and muck the horse stables to free up his writer’s block.

Molly goes to a holiday party and is hit on by a few handsome men. Patrick goes to a party too, and Molly’s friend Jim and Andy are a couple?!?! Yay!

Patrick returns to London for Kate’s wedding and is encouraged to confess his love to Molly. When he shows up with a Rose, Molly thinks he is at the flat to see Patrick. Patrick lies and says his name is Peter. I’m not sure why… They go on a date under false pretenses. Molly thinks Peter is too good to be true and messages Patrick about his friend. They are, of course, the same person. So it is weird. Why is he lying?????

They kiss, and Patrick decides that AFTER they kiss is the time to come clean. He wanted to give her the ideal date. Molly is upset and can’t trust him anymore. She kicks him out of his own house. Molly is VERY dramatic. Molly sadly looks at photoshopped photos in the bar.

Patrick goes back to Connecticut since she kicked him out of his house. Patrick tells Andy and Jim what happened. They call Molly and try to talk sense into her. Then they get the news that their adoption went through. Patrick celebrates with Jim and Andy.

Molly gets a job with Jules and heads back home to collect her things. She sees post- its that Patrick left around her home and forgives him. They kiss. The end!

Side Note

Minority Report: Patrick, Andy, Jim, Angela, Luc,

Laura Vandervoort‘s wardrobe in this film was on point.

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Overall rating

🎄🎄 (2 Christmas Trees)

🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required.)