Our Holiday Story (2024 Hallmark Channel)
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Cast: Nikki DeLoach, Warren Christie
Director: Jason Bourque
Writer(s): Joie Botkin
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Synopsis (via Hallmark)
As Dave (Christie) and Nell (DeLoach) recount their love story to their daughter’s boyfriend Chris, we follow them through one special Christmas where fate routinely brought them together – and kept them apart. But as Dave and Nell tried to find one another, they were oblivious to the fact that they were work nemeses paired together to throw a Christmas festival for their town. Meanwhile in the present, Chris struggles with relationship issues of his own as he attempts to say “I love you” for the first time to his girlfriend Jo. As our two couples and storylines intersect, lessons are taught and learned about communication, honesty and the capacity for change — in ourselves and in others.
Recap/Wine Thoughts
Joanna rushes out of the city to meet her boyfriend, Chris, at her parents’ house in Hartford. Chris is meeting Joanna’s parents for the first time alone. Joanna’s phone dies. Just as she offers Chris advice, “Don’t ask them….” the phone cuts off. Joanna is left to ride the train and is surprised to see it is an ugly sweater train.
Joanna’s dad, Dave, and stepmom, Nell, see Chris on the doorstep and invite him in to help decorate. We learn quickly that Chris has a severe nut allergy that would get him killed in a Lifetime movie. Chris asks the one question he wasn’t supposed to ask, how did Nell and Dave meet.
The movie flashes back to when Dave and Nell met on the ugly sweater convention train ten years ago. They struggle to make chit-chat but eventually bond over things that annoy them. The train stops because something is on the tracks. Dave jumps off to get a fruitcake. The train leaves without him.
Dave hopes he and Nell will cross paths again. His daughter tells him he needs to work to find the mystery woman. He doesn’t have a lot of time on his hands. Dave is a woodworker who is planning the town’s Christmas festival without his mother’s help. He gets a letter from the city. He has to call a woman named Eleanor. She is against the festival because it isn’t good budget-wise. It’s also considered a waste of resources. (Eleanor is, of course, Nell from the train.)
Dave and Nell bump into one another on the street and are pleasantly surprised to see one another. Dave gets an SOS text from his daughter and rushes to see what is wrong, leaving Nell behind. She gets a parking ticket for parking in front of a fire hydrant and has to move her car. They didn’t get a chance to exchange numbers again.
The next time Dave and Nell run into one another, they exchange numbers immediately. Then Nell drops her phone and breaks it. So she can’t call. Joanna posts on a missed connections website. (I’m sure Gen Zs do not know what a missed connection is.)
Back in the present, Chris is still alone with Joanna’s parents. Her train is rerouted and then canceled, leaving her stranded. Luckily, Chris is into the story of Nell and Dave because it continues!
Nell finds the missed connection and messages Dave. (Who is really Joanna.) She pretends to be her dad and invites Nell to the annual holiday party. While they are slow dancing at the party, Nell realizes they are the enemies emailing back about the Christmas Festival. She ghosts Dave because it is awkward.
Dave and Joanna go to city hall to confront Eleanor about the Christmas festival. Joanna sees Nell, rushes her dad out before he can see her, and becomes disappointed. Nell realizes she has to come clean about who she is and works on writing Dave an email. They set up a meeting, but Joanna shows up to meet with NelL. Nell lets Joanna set up a truth reveal with her dad.
Speaking of Joanna, she makes it to town and is happy to see Chris. He wants to tell her that he loves her. He explains that he has been having a good time with her parents. Joanna laughs at Chris for asking the dreaded question.
Nell and Dave walk to the town festival. Dave talks about how much the festival means to the town. It also holds significance for his family. Nell struggles to tell Dave the truth. Then Dave tells her his REAL thoughts about Eleanor, and he inadvertently insults Nell.
In the present, Chris will tell Joanna that he loves her, and she squirts him with icing. It’s WEIRD!!! Chris ends up leaving and spends the holidays with his family without Joanna.
The fire inspector shows up and blows Nell’s cover. Dave is pissed that Nell has been deceiving him and made him look foolish. He is embarrassed, and Nell apologizes through tears, but he storms off.
Pep talks for everyone and a Christmas festival happen.
The couples all make up in the end to a country Christmas song.
Chris’ parents show up, and they ask the one question they aren’t supposed to ask…
Note/Stray Thoughts
I notice Hallmark struggling with telling stories with its stable actors and attempting to bring in a younger demographic. This movie did not hit the right balance.
Overall rating
Pour it up
Put a Cork in It
Christmas Feels
🎄🎄🎄 (3 Christmas Trees)
Enjoyment Level: 🍷🍷 (2 glasses 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
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