The 5-Year Christmas Party (2024 Hallmark Channel)
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Cast: Katie Findlay, Jordan Fisher
Director: Peter Benson
Writer(s): Zac Hug
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Synopsis (via Hallmark)
Over five years, Alice (Findlay) and her old theater school rival, Max (Fisher), reunite each holiday season to work at a Chicago catering company’s Christmas parties. While their undeniable chemistry grows, the timing is never right for romance – until the company’s final season pushes them to confront their true feelings. As they say goodbye to the job that brought them together, they might finally find love in the most unexpected way.
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Recap/Wine Thoughts
The movie starts with stock photos of appetizers, which makes me nervous. Stock footage?!?!
Alice wears a chunky scarf and is late to the cast party for A Christmas Carol. Her gay roommate is a thespian and theater major in college. Alice also directed the play, and her professor (who was also at the party) congratulated Alice on a job well done. Alice goes up to the roof and is followed by a handsome guy named Max. He wasn’t in the play because he will be playing Hamlet on the main stage, and he has let it go to his head. The conversation they have on the roof is the most they have ever spoken to one another during the three year program. Alice calls him out, and he takes it as foreplay and goes in for a kiss. She awkwardly shuts him down.
Alice’s mom misses the play because she is closing the family business, a bookstore. (We should just give up on bookstores by now, right? It is time.) Alice’s mom can’t pay rent or help her daughter financially anymore. Alice asks Professor Lisa for a job and volunteers in the box office for free instead?!?! (Ummm, what? Typical theater business do not pay their workers and rely on volunteers to get into the industry.)
Alice’s friends work for a catering company, so she does that for her job that makes money. (But probably not much.) She attends a lot of holiday parties and is surprised to see Max working the bar. (His sister, Pam, owns the catering company.)
They become friends, and they reenact their first meeting on the roof. This time, they go through with the kiss and agree that kissing doesn’t mean they are dating.
Time jump!
- Graduation
- Summer
- Fall
- Next Christmas
Year too, Max and Alice are back working at the catering company for Pam. They are tasked with picking out a Christmas tree. They have trouble getting the tree into the car. They end up tying the door shut and jump through the window.
They must dress up in costume and sing Christmas carols at the party. (Good thing they are theater majors.) Well, it is terrible, but it is done with jazz hands. Then they juggle at another party and dance around. It is all ridiculous and doesn’t have much to do with catering. Professor Lisa showed up at the party, and Alice has to admit that she had failed at the box office. Alice needed more money and picked up catering full-time. Max also shares that he hasn’t booked a single job in LA but has been auditioning.
More time passes, and only holidays mark the passing of time. St. Patrick’s Day, 4th of July, Halloween.
The people at the party were so impressed with Professor Lisa’s party that they became donors to the theater. Alice starts working for the theater again by the time the holidays roll around for year three. It is time for Max and Alice to reunite at the catering job again. Max has landed a national commercial, and Alice is considering moving to New York when her friend announces they are going.
Max has to leave early for a major movie role audition, and Alice is so proud of him. Alice gets a paid job at the theater as the assistant director for the year. They make out at the good news but are just friends.
Another year goes around; this time, it is indicated by a jazzy little ditty “Spring Turning to Winter.”
Max isn’t working catering this year because his parents are throwing him a premiere party for his new space film. Daphne Day, Max’s co-star, comes with him, and Alice and the catering staff are overwhelmed. Alice spills some wine on Daphne Day and gets the wrong idea about them. She thinks Max and Daphne are a couple, but they are just pretending for the press.
Alice invites Max to Christmas dinner with a cute gay couple. They play a game of Christmas questions. Max shares that he loves coming home for Christmas, and Alice talks about how weird she is. They fall asleep on the couch together.
Back on the rooftop where Alice and Max first met, Max fumbles around with a guitar, and Alice tells him she likes the way he sees her. Max invites Alice to come with him to LA and live with him. He is in love with her. Alice agrees to go and rushes off. On her way to meet up with Max, Alice gets a call. She is offered the Artistic Director of the theater and ditches Max for the opportunity because they can’t keep waiting for one another.
Year Five!!!! Finally.
Max is catering Alice’s party this year. It is closing night for her successful version of A Christmas Carol. Alice pulls Max aside and tells him she is sorry for choosing a job over him.
They finally enjoy some sliders in an alley with a watered-down pavement. They kiss and agree to spend the next year together.
Note/Stray Thoughts
Cute couple. They totally fit the Hallmark model.
The entertainment industry movie thing is so tired and not interested in fake depictions of “movie stars.” It isn’t longer a thing; the Hollywood star machine is long gone.
Overall rating
Put a Cork in It
Christmas Feels
🎄🎄 (2 Christmas Trees)
Enjoyment Level: 🍷 (1 glass of wine.)
What did you think of the movie? Let me know in the comments or on social media @LifetimeUncorked
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*Photo Credit: © 2024 Hallmark
