Take Me Back for Christmas (2023 Hallmark)
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Cast: Vanessa Lengies ,Corey Sevier, Paula Boudreau
Director: Corey Sevier
Writer: Kate Pragnell
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Recap/Wine Thoughts
Renee makes gift baskets for Christmas, I guess. Her hot AF husband, Aaron, is a chef/baker. He wants to make a legitimate business and make more money since the couple struggles to make ends meet.
While dropping off a gift basket for her pregnant friend/co-worker, Tasha, Renee’s car’s check engine light comes on. The store Santa asks the workers what their Christmas wish is. Renee refuses because she is kind of no fun. Cici, the Christmas Store Elf, gives her a bell. (For whenever she is ready to make her Christmas wish.)
Renee leaves the store after a disappointing conversation with her boss Jeff, who isn’t retiring. She slips on some ice, and her car won’t start, so Renne rings the bell and wishes for “A Different Life.” Then she falls asleep in the car as the snow falls.
Renee wakes up with a new short “career woman” haircut. She is impeccably dressed and in a fancy New York office. Renee tries to call Aaron, but his number belongs to someone else. Then she is called into a meeting where she has no idea what is happening. All of the marketing is there, and they are confused about why Renee isn’t sitting in the boss’s chair. She works for a meal delivery service called Maria’s Meals.
Renee’s mother is alive in this world, and when Renee sees her dead mother, she faints and is terrified. Then she cancels the rest of her meetings to figure out what is happening.
Renne goes to the house she shares with Aaron and uses the key under the mat to get inside. Aaron runs into her while wearing a towel. (His butt looks amazing.) Aaron is confused because they broke up. He has worked as a successful chef at a restaurant for five years. Renne rushes out of the house and runs into Cici, the bell elf. (Who drives a car with Jingle1 on the license plate.)
Cici tells Renee that she wished for this new life and that she should LIVE IT. If Renee needs Cici, she just has to ring the bell; otherwise, she should try to enjoy her new life.
Renee stops at a diner for some food and runs into Tasha, who doesn’t know her in this life. Renee opens up about her mother and her relationship with Aaron being over. Tasha tells Renee that she can have it all and should get Aaron back if she wants to.
Renee’s mother gives her the idea that will save the business. She wants to send Christmas meal boxes for the holidays and donate a box for everyone sold. Renee decides to ask Aaron to help come up with the menu. (The pitch is awkward, but Aaron can’t help anyway because his restaurant is closing.)
Renne goes to her posh apartment and is thrilled to see she is wealthy and has an elaborate designer wardrobe. Cue a trying-on clothes montage, creating a hideous ensemble of clashing colors and patterns.
Renne finds a way to save her business and the restaurant and strikes a mutually beneficial deal. She tells Jerry, her co-worker, the idea, and he is nervous about her working with an ex-boyfriend.
Instead of working on the menu, Renee and Aaron play ice hockey and talk about what happened in their relationship. (Which we don’t get an answer to, really.)
Aaron invites Renee to work in his kitchen, and she brings a Christmas gift basket for him, including a Santa hat and apron. That means it is time for a cooking montage. Renne and Aaron devise a hearty winter dish and re-spark their romance. (Almost! They almost kiss but stop themselves. Aaron plans on leaving the city and restarting somewhere else.)
Renee asks Aaron not to leave and says she wants to start over. Aaron declines, but he considers stopping by her holiday party.
Renee’s mom is leaving after Christmas to travel the world, and she is selling the family home. Renee is upset but tries to find more ways to spend quality time with her mother.
At the holiday party, Renee has to give a toast in front of the whole company. It turns into a love speech to Aaron. He shows up and hears the speech, and realizes that he has feelings for her. Jerry interrupts them and congratulates Renee on landing a promotion in London. Aaron rushes off upset because he doesn’t want to do long distance.
Brokenhearted, Renee goes back to Tasha’s diner on Christmas Eve. She cries to her friend over a slice of pie. Tasha talks about home being more a feeling rather than a place.
Renee rings the bell, and Cici comes back. Renee wants Aaron to know that she loves him, and Cici sends Renee back home to her real life at midnight. Renee is happy at first until she realizes she must leave her mother.
Renee rushes to see her mother before midnight and tells her she wishes they had more time together. Renee’s mom says they will always have love and can feel it, even if they aren’t together. Goodbyes are a part of life and cherish every moment. They watch a Christmas movie together until the clock strikes midnight.
Renee wakes up in her bed with long hair and normal life. She runs downstairs and finds some freshly baked bread. Renee brings a gift basket to Tasha and quits her job. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
When Aaron comes home, Renee jumps on him like she is on The Bachelor. Renee enrolls Aaron in culinary school with the money she receives from selling her family home so they can start their new life together and become unstuck.
They kiss. The end! (Oh wait, she burns pancakes because she is a bad chef. )
Side Note
Minority Report: Cici, Jerry, Tasha, Maria, Ashley,
The choosing between the mother or the man, that was icky.
The gold nail polish was 100%
Corey Sevier directed, and I thought he did a great job.
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I will use the following tags for those who want to know if they should watch or skip: Pour it Up (Would Recommend) or Put A Cork In It (Would Not Recommend).
Overall rating
Enjoyment Level: 🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine.)
Christmas Feels🎄🎄🎄 (3 Christmas Trees)
Should you watch it?
Pour it up! (Give it a shot, maybe not if you recently lost your mother.)
Put a Cork in It (Skip It)
What did you think of the movie? Let me know in the comments or on social media @LifetimeUncorked
*Photo Credit: © 2023 Hallmark Crown Media
Live tweet along with @LifetimeUncork using the hashtag #CountdowntoChristmas #Hallmark #TakeMeBackforChristmas
Tweet
“The choosing between the mother or the man, that was icky.” Truer words never spoken.
That part broke me.
But this was super cute. At first I thought the actress would annoy me, but she was adorbs. Every scene with her and her mom broke my heart. She did such a good job emoting. The way she would look at her mom’s whole face when she talked was so realistc. Taking in every movement of her face. Great job. And the tears, I believed it. It was super sweet. The husbad was a little dry comparatively, but glad they didn’t make him a jerk.