The Christmas Sitters (2020 ION)
Cast: Justin Gaston, GloZell Green, Tristin Mays, Nathan Owens
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Synopsis (via ION)
Facing holiday flight delays on a return trip from Europe, two parents double-book incompatible babysitters: the mother’s BFF lawyer friend, Nora, and the dad’s guitarist half-brother, Max, to look after their two kids and dog. After a rather stormy start, an attraction grows.
Thoughts
Nora is a type-A person who just moved to town. Her friend, Elaine, and her husband are traveling abroad for the holidays. Ted lost his passport, and they will be away longer than expected. They need someone to watch the kids while they are delayed, so they ask Nora to babysit. She agrees to help them watch the kids.
GloZell plays the overwhelmed nanny who is leaving to be with her family. She gives Nora advice quickly while the children, Charlie and Olivia, fight in the background. The house is chaos, and the children see Nora as an opportunity to misbehave. (They are very annoying. It is going to be tough to finish this one.)
As Nora reads stories to the kids, someone breaks into the house. Nora grabs a large candy cane and uses it as a weapon. The man turns out to be Ted’s half-brother, Max. Nora apologizes to him, but then she realizes he plans to stay the night. Nora isn’t sure why she needs to babysit if Max is there; she calls Elaine and Ted. They say that Max is a grown child. They ask her to stay a few more nights to supervise and prep for Christmas while away.
Max and the kids chant, “Sledding, Sledding, Sledding,” over and over and over. It is painful. They don’t even go sledding; they go tubing with helmets on. Max is a fun adult, and Nora is a responsible one. That is the dynamic that plays out for the first half of the movie. It includes a lot more chanting. It is unbearable.
At one point, Max is shirtless and shows off his fantastic body. That is a bonus for watching this movie, at least!
Nora leaves for work, where she is rudely called “new girl,” and comes home to the kids eating cookie dough out of a bowl. Nora threatens to leave because Max isn’t even trying to help take care of the children. He apologizes and asks her what her favorite Christmas memory is. She tells him about her father and her singing Christmas carols. Then he forces her to do that with the kids to show them that she can be fun too. Max brings his guitar, and they sing terribly. Nora vocally flexes on everyone with a rendition of “O Holy Night.” Hey, at least they aren’t chanting anymore!
Next, they go, “SKING, SKING, SKING!” Max is terrible, and the kids pick up quickly. Max almost asks Nora out on a New Year’s date, but they are interrupted by the annoying kids again. Charlie is stuck in a hole, somehow. Nora saves him, unfortunately.
Since the parents are nowhere in sight, Max and Nora take the kids to pick out a Christmas tree. They decorate and bake Christmas cookies together. Max still finds moments to “break the rules,” but he is way more responsible. He even makes everyone breakfast.
Nora and Max put the kids to bed and have hot cocoa out by the fire. They talk about families and past relationships. Nora’s ex-boyfriend broke up with her because he didn’t want to have kids… with her. (Which is so rude!) Max hasn’t had a stable relationship because he is a musician and lives from gig to gig. Max invites Nora to a Christmas Eve party as a date. Then he gets an audition for a big music gig and has to make a tough decision.
Max rushes to the audition, which he does well, but locks his keys in the car and misses his date with Nora and the kids. He runs blocks to find them, but it is too late. Max tries to apologize, but Nora doesn’t have it. He makes it up to her by decorating the house and giving her a music box that plays “Greensleeves” (Her fav Christmas song)
Eliane and Ted make it home early Christmas morning and are thrilled with the decorations… oh, and to see their children. (Sure, yeah, whatever.)
Nora rushes to apologize to Max and finds him playing his guitar on the street waiting for her. She wants to be with him and start a family. They kiss in the middle of the street as the snow begins to fall and freaking fireworks go off. Max and Nora plan a trip to New York.
Side Note
GloZell is in this movie?!?! Good for her.
The leads here were charming AF. I would have loved to see them in a movie without the kids.
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Overall Rating
🎄🎄🎄 (3 Christmas Trees)
🍷🍷 (2 glasses of wine required.)
*Photo Credit: © 2020 ION
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