Christmas movie viewing season starts for us on 10/31. As a result, we get to fit in quite a few fun, sweet, and (very often) cheesy movies. It's not about the quality of the movie per se, but the spirit, and as such, I like to make memes to represent all the silly plots lines and faux pas. Here is this year's list.
The Art of Christmas—Liv James, teacher turned artist, is live with excitement about her first gallery show. A fire started by the caterers ruins it all, though, and she has to return to teaching. There she meets Mr. Jake Hartley, a man she actually first met at the gallery. They form a connection, but there is the problem of Bradley, Liv's very wealthy boyfriend. There is certainly lots of cheesy pick-up lines and stilted acting here. Messages about the art of love, supporting kids, and being yourself carry the film, though, and make it a worthwhile watch.
Candy Cane Christmas—Floral designer Phoebe and veterinarian Eric are each struggling to recover from last Christmas's breakups.They keep surreptitiously meeting, but their perceptions of each other are all wrong. Fortunately, Eric's Aunt Maggie keeps bringing them together, and it all works out. This is a sweet movie about the power of mistakes, making up, starting over, and making the Christmas season count. I recommend it!
-Christmas à la Mode—Emily White is trying to save her family’s dairy form. Meanwhile, her sister and co-inheritor Dorothy is trying to sell the farm to the highest bidder. Caught in the middle is Charlie, Dorothy’s coworker and Emily’s frenemy turned love interest. Things are down to the last wire in fundraising, and somehow things come through. It's a Christmas miracle—maybe expected, but still sweet as can be!
Christmas in Scotland—New York window designer Emma McKenzie goes to Scotland with her father to uncover their family lineage. She is shocked to find that Glenrothie doesn't celebrate Christmas. When a competition for best Christmas village comes around, though, she rises to the occasion. While the plot for this movie has some unexpected twists and turns, the acting, especially on behalf of Alex Glenrothie, is stilted. Do the Scottish accents and beautiful countryside make up for it? It's a maybe for me.
Christmas for Three—Cinematography? Meh. Ethics? Borderline. Cute storyline with a child actor that brought me multiple laughs? Check. Benito Luaces might not be ready to be a dad, but he takes on the role of guardian for his high school best friend's son Jason joyfully. Jason knows just all the heartstrings to pull to get the adults to bend to his wishes. This is a sweet story, even if Sophie Walker really shouldn't be involved with an adult from a recently closed case.
Christmas in the Pines—Ariel and Mark both want to make Christmas perfect for their families. The only problem is that they both bought the same “perfect” cottage, and now they have to share it, or at least until one of them leaves the property since “possession is 9/10 of the law.” Of course the cottage is already outfitted, and their families bring more goods. Of course there is a story of love and loss. Of course, the main characters fall in love, but then there is a misunderstanding. Of course, there is just a little bit of Christmas magic and matchmaking. All in all, though, this is a sweet film, with nods to the true Reason for the Season, and a reminder that Christmas is not about things, but about the people and the memories.
A Dash of Christmas—Advertising consultant Megan loses her job just before the holidays and decides to go home for Christmas. Before she even gets home, she literally runs into Aaron from Hometown Bakery. When she needs to film a cooking promotional video for a new job, of course Megan goes to Aaron for help. They work well together, but then there is the crisis of whether or not they will be able to handle a long distance relationship. This is a cute, clean movie with nods to the value of family, love, military, and trying new things. I enjoyed it!
A Furry Little Christmas—New York City veterinarian and widow Dr. Scarlet Miller goes home to Vermont to visit her dad. There she gets back into farm medicine, and meets a local doctor (Josh Foster). He is from New York, but likes the country. Nevertheless, he and his adopted dog Banjo try to bring the feel of New York to and her son Milo. This story is more about the people who care for the animals than animals, and the ending is a bit hasty. Of course, no Christmas movie could be complete without some stilted acting. Still, there are lots of warm fuzzies to be had from this movie, and it’s worth watching at least once.
A Perfect Christmas Carol—Handyman Max meets Pastry Chef Carol when he keeps the Christmas tree from falling on her. Of course, they fall in love, dinners with wine, feathered couch pillow fights, and all. From Los Angeles, Carol goes home to Redbridge, Vermont with Max in hopes of learning his mother's Christmas kringle recipe. She is a Christmas grinch. His mother is overprotective and a Christmas zealot. There are a few sweet spots in this movie, but also a lot of cattiness, what feels like a forced a nod to a homosexual relationship, and overall just too much drama. This was far from a perfect Christmas movie for me.
Together at Christmas—Artist Ava travels from New York City west to Tinsel, California over Christmas. There she meets widower Dr. Mason, and his adorable daughter Mia. She doesn’t plan on falling in love—with the town, or with the family, but she does. There is the complication of her boyfriend Dean, but he asks for a break, and then breaks things off. I’d rather that have happened at the beginning of the plot, but alas, it’s at the end, as everything is coming together. Rylie Coe is fantastic as Mia. The rest of the cast, well, some of them are a little stilted. Overall, this is a cheesy Christmas movie, but still one that’s fun to watch together to start the Christmas season.
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