Believe in Christmas (2024 Hallmark Channel)
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Cast: Meghan Ory, John Reardon, Lindura, Kevin Hanchard
Director: Christie Will Wolf
Writer(s): Christie Will Wolf, Anne-Marie Meyer, Maggie Dallen
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DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearlySynopsis (via Hallmark)
When Beatrice (Ory) reluctantly joins her best friend on a trip to the enchanting Christmasland, she’s skeptical of the holiday magic surrounding them. But as she experiences festive traditions and meets a charming stranger named Ethan (Reardon), she begins to question what’s real and what’s part of the experience. In the end, Christmasland helps Beatrice rediscover hope, love, and the magic of new beginnings.
Recap/Wine Thoughts
Beatrice is a journalist/former foster child living in the city with a fun friend named Emilia. They decide to have a staycation. Friendsmas and Emilia won two all-expense paid tickets to Christmas Land. It is an entire town devoted to Christmas. It includes a stay at the North Pole Inn in Massachusetts. It could be a good story for Beatrice; she isn’t sold on the idea and calls it CRAZY TOWN.
We cut Ethan Crane, who is home to help his mother for the holidays and who only speaks in ADR, and we inserted the evident network notes that Halllmark gave them. A lot of them are about the father being dead.
While driving to Christmas land, Beatrice caves to write the story, and the friends run over some nails thrown in the road. Emilia is sure that Christmasland is creating an experience. Ethan stops to pick them up and introduces him as Christmas Land’s official serial killer. (GOD, I wish that was true.) He, of course, isn’t, but he has a dog named Jingles in the backseat. Ethan takes them to the inn, and they are impressed with all the Christmas lights.
Emilia has all the Christmas things planned. Feeding Reindeer, impromptu snowball fight and other typical things happen in an old-school Hallmark movie. Ethan offers to show them around, and Emilia bumps into a man who is way too old to be her love interest. He has to be her long-lost father or something.
Ethan and Beatrice ditch Emilia, and they get to know one another. Ethan gives her the Ethan special tour. (Beatrice makes an Axe murderer joke, and I’m like, will someone just kill someone?!?!) They go skiing and eat snow? Then they go to a cupcake store run by the town baker, Shelly. Eric’s mother wants him to date Beatrice or get back with his ex. He tells his mom he wants to find a hometown soulmate, not a city girl.
The man who Emilia bumps into is named Porter. He invites himself to sit with her, and they “enjoy” an Eggnog flight, which sounds disgusting. I think this movie expects me to buy this May/December romance. (I WILL NOT!).
There is a snowman-building competition, and the snowman is wild-looking. Both couples go on a one-horse open sleigh on PAVEMENT. (PETA will be pissed.) The men seem to be set on giving the women a magical Christmas experience, which makes me think they are pimped out by Ethan’s mother in a take on Westworld or something.
A FLOUR FIGHT HAPPENS! (It’s been a while!) Beatrice and Ethan almost kiss but are interrupted by ADR mom, with some lines recorded after the fact.
The friends start to catch on and argue over whether the guys are REALLY in love with them or if they are acting. The nail in the coffin is when Ethan’s ex-girlfriend shows up. Beatrice accuses Ethan of following a script for Christmasland. She tells the ex-girlfriend that she can have Ethan and criticizes her wardrobe. Ethan denies everything, but Beatrice rushes off and runs into the town Baker, Shelly, who admits to being an actor.
We get a montage of all the romantic things between Beatrice and Ethan. (Totally a TV motive trope.)
Beatrice feels like she was tricked and decides to leave. Emilia offers to leave, but she really likes Porter, even if he is an actor and much too old for her. Beatrice is happy for her friend but still thinks it is weird.
Before Beatrice leaves, Ethan makes his case for why she should stay by a VERY CRACKLING FIRE. (Chill out sound guy! We can’t even see the fireplace for most of this scene.) Beatrice asks about who is an actor and who is not. Ethan wants to grow Christmas land and move back home. Porter is a business partner who will invest and is not an actor. Ethan begs Beatrice to stay and give him an authentic Christmas experience. They kiss, and Beatrice is in! (She also finishes her article!)
Side Note/Stray Thoughts
This movie was TOO self-aware, but also a parody of itself? I wanted it to zig or zag, but in the end, it was just a lot of nothing.
So many sound issues with this one.
I was promised a SERIAL KILLER!
Overall rating
Pour it up
Put a Cork in It
Christmas Feels
🎄🎄 (2 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
Believe in Christmas airs Saturday on Hallmark and streams the next day on Philo with DTH
Let me know what you thought of the movie in the comments below or @lifetimeuncorked
