Trading Up Christmas (2024 Hallmark Channel)
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Cast: Italia Ricci, Michael Xavier, Paul Popowich, Taylor Love
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DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearlySynopsis (via Hallmark)
Michelle (Ricci) is the dreamer of her family, always brimming with imaginative ideas to make the world a better place. This Christmas, her sister Keri desperately needs a new home, and Michelle hatches a creative plan to help. Starting with just a Christmas stocking, she sets out to trade her way up to something far greater—a house for Keri. While Keri dismisses it as a far-fetched idea, local reporter Dan (Xavier) is intrigued. Assigned to cover Michelle’s story, Dan follows her closely, and as her plan gains attention, he starts to see the world through her hopeful eyes. As Michelle and Dan grow closer, so do their feelings for each other. But when it seems her plan has failed and she fears ruined her relationship with Keri, Michelle is ready to give up. It’s Dan’s love and belief in her that reignites hope just when she needs it most.
Recap/Wine Thoughts
Michelle is a crazy new-age influencer who rants about “Magical Stockings” on her YouTube channel with three followers. Her single father is in love with a boat, and her sister is a divorced sleep-eater named Keri. The sister has to move apartments and feels like she isn’t giving her daughter a stable upbringing.
Michelle googles “Free House” and comes up with a story about a kid who started with a rubber band and ended up with a house by trading up. Michelle promises to “TRADE UP” by Christmas, which is less than two weeks away.
Dan is a journalist who wants to write a story with MEANING! (He should be thankful he has a job working for a newspaper.) His co-worker Portia tells him that the boss has a story idea. The story of trading up the stocking to a house by Christmas. Dan isn’t into the story, but he has to write it OR ELSE! (Michelle isn’t interested in media coverage and declines his story request.) He then offers an ugly Christmas sweater to trade… and later harasses her via text to see if she has got her house yet.
The sweater is traded for egg nog-tasting tickets. Dan joins Michelle for the trade because he has to work on the story. They decided to do an egg nog tasting while they pick up the tickets. Michelle admits she is dyslexic, which is a weird flex.
The egg nog tickets are swapped for a Christmas wreath, and Dan worries they are making sideways trades instead of trading up. (He isn’t wrong!) Dan picks the next trade. He picks a deranged Santa robot.
Michelle learns that Dan’s brother is the top realtor in town! He tells her he didn’t think to bring it up, with her goal of getting a house and everything. Dan and his brother stopped speaking after their mother died, and they fought over money. Dan thinks it over and calls his brother Jack.
The Santa robot trades up for a snowmobile. Dan meets Keri, and the secret is out about her being the person in need of a home. Michelle asks Dan to keep it confidential.
Speaking of Keri, she tells her sister to stop the trading because it is giving her daughter false hope that they will have a house for Christmas and not a crappy apartment. Dan talks with Keri and asks her to reconsider. (NOT for the story! But probably for the story. )
The trading is back on, and so is Dan’s relationship with his brother. He will help them get a house!
They trade the snowmobile for a trip to Hawaii and the trip for an RV. (Pretty sure Keri could just live there!)
Dan introduces his brother to Michelle, and they hit it off. Keri does utter a live about “sitting on his face.” (Because of the bench ads) They find a house! Yay! Dan’s boss wants the story to reveal who the house is for, and Dan says no. The editor goes through Dan’s phone and gets the info he needs to publish the story.
Michelle and Dan get into an argument, as do the brother and Dan, as well as the sister and Michelle. Everyone says things they will regret. Dan returns the magical stocking, and Michelle feels like she messed everything up.
The house eventually works out when the girl’s dad trades his house for the RV. It isn’t a boat, but that is ok!
Dan proposes at the end, I think. They kiss. The end.
Side Note/Stray Thoughts
I really hate text-building relationships, I understand it is how people communicate in 2024, but it isn’t interesting to watch in a RomCom.
This movie should have been called The Magical Christmas Headband cause the lead wears exclusively festive headbands in the entire film.
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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