T&K's Xmas Advent Calendar: Day 11

A Toast to Hallmarkent

Christmas in Evergreen (2017, Hallmark)

Opening narration. Let's transcribe
"In Northern Vermont, so far north that on clear days that on clear days you might even be able to see the North Pole..."

[CUT! Jesus ... like yeah, Canada doesn't exist apparently, or Vermont has somehow annexed a pathway through Quebec, Baffin Island and the rest of Nunavut... I wanna tell this movie to fuck off already and it's only 17 seconds in.]

"... lies the magical town of Evergreen.  Some say it was the decorations that make this little town so special, but others believe it was  because of something else entirely...something you wouldn't expect at all.... A snowglobe!  But this wasn't just any snowglobe. No, they say that if you shake this one just so, and make one wish, the true wish of your heart, Christmas magic will make it come true.  Now I know what you're thinking, 'Could a snowglobe really grant wishes?', well maybe the story of Christmas in Evergreen will help you believe."

Cut to Evergreen Veterinarian Care and the town vet, Allie is carrying a basketful of pugs.  We learn that she is planning to move to DC because of a big opportunity.  But her hot mom is very upset about Allie leaving, and very selfishly doesn't condone the decision. Plus, some dude named Spencer is there, in DC, and he and Allie have been in an on-again/off-again/long-distance relationship.

"You're going to be spending Christmas with him Allie, and that is a very big deal" hot mom says. But before Allie leaves she makes a wish upon the snow globe...silently.  Then she runs into a man with a big, bushy white beard who is either Jesus, God or Santa.  You never know with these things.  Santa God makes a dire prediction about Allie's flight getting snowed in.

Spencer calls (he's envisioned as your typical bigwig douche with slicked back hair) talking about Christmas Eve in the Hamptons at his boss' cabin.  They can even use the helicopter to get there.  Oy vey.  Allie's still driving her grandfather's old ass old truck (that looks mint condition), which keeps breaking down, with a Christmas wreath and garland hanging off the front, because everyone in Evergreen lurves Christmas.  A quick stop-in at the local Christmas Festival being set up (which Allie used to always organize), and we get a sense of how tied-into the community Allie is with all the businesses.  Then she gets a call that farmer Henry's cow is in labor, so she has to check in. False alarm. Everything keeps delaying her getting to the airport.

A dude and his tweenage daughter are driving to the airport to catch a flight to Florida, but make a pitstop into Evergreen to catch lunch, and they have a brief encounter with Allie and her won't-start-again truck.  Allie recommends her parents diner, where the daughter gets the backstory on the magic snowglobe, and she makes a wish.  "I wish we could have Christmas here...in Evergreen," she thinks. And the Santa God, sitting in the diner, gives a little "make it so" nod.

At the airport, Allie encounters dude (Dr. Ryan) and his daughter, Zoe, agian as they're waiting for their planes. Allie encourages Zoe to wish even harder as the snow globe's power is far-reaching, and as she does, the airport announces that, due to heavy snow (which until now, looked like a light dusting), they are closing all runways and cancelling all flights. No audible cursing is heard, and while all the extras do have apt pained expressions on their faces, it's certainly not the rage-inducing furor it should be.  Everyone is going about their business as if it's all cool.  Allie and Dr. Ryan both exchange a meaningful glance   The doc and his girl get a hotel, Allie decides to head home, but her truck-with-a-mind-of-its-own decides not to start again.  She heads back inside and has lunch with her inevitable boyfriend and step-daughter, telling Zoe all about Evergreen.  More meaningful glances.

LOL, the exterior shots of both the Airport and the Hotel are different parts of the same building, and at the hotel they find out that everything is overbooked.  So, back to Evergreen they go and because they're all going together the truck starts.  (As they're driving, it's that same dusting of snow, definitely not a storm worth shutting the airport down).  Side trip to birth a calf for some real bonding time, and Allie feeling a pang of regret about leaving town.  More meaningful glances.

Allie books Ryan and Zoe in her BFF's brand new (not quite finished yet) B&B which she has decorated to the nines, except no tree...you know what that means... the hunt for that perfect Christmas tree! (But it happens off screen! What!?!)   But before that, deep conversation about Ryan's dead wife.

The next day the Airport is open, but the road is closed, because the "storm" caused a rockslide.  Not only can't people get out, but people can't come into the festival.  What a disaster.  And Spencer is mad-sad because Allie's going to miss out on douchebag Christmas (looks like things are about to be off-again).  Allie takes Ryan and Zoe out for fun in the snow, you know, snowmen and snow angels and selfie photographs with strangers.  Oh and the town mayor lets Ryan know that the town is on the hunt for a new doctor.

While decorating the Christmas tree at the B&B, some real fire starts happening between Allie and Ryan... and just as it starts to get really sexy and intimate they get interrupted. Some helping set up the Christmas festival, followed by a cookie baking montage and more meaningful glances.  Ryan needs to get pick up more cookie supplies and Zoe gets some quality "new mommy" time with Allie.  In town Ryan gets supplies from Allie's hot mom and has a run in with Santa God.  Allie and Zoe's talk is interrupted by the doorbell...

... OH SHIT! IT's SPENCER!!!

Uh, we don't want any, thanks.

I totally didn't see that coming.  He took the helicopter in.  I mean, in a different story that would be a huge romantic gesture, but here, it's made out for him to keep appearing like a huge douche.  The first encounter between Spencer and Ryan is awesomely awkward, because Ryan is obviously smitten (with Allie not Spencer...but what would that movie be like?), and Spencer is suspicious.  Ryan and Zoe go back to the B&B, and Allie and Spencer are walking over (because she's going to check if they can get Spencer a room there... that delights me, the thought of Spencer and Ryan bunking up in the same house -oh man, how awkward that breakfast would be- and also that Allie doesn't want her boyfriend staying in her house is so "Hallmark"...like not even entertaining the thought that there would be any unwedded boning happening).  On the walk over Spencer, disparages both Allie's hometown and Christmas then basically says to her "I know what I want, do you?"  We, the audience know what she wants, but she's just not there yet.

YES! Awkward breakfast! But cut too short by Allie showing up.  Boooo! More awkward Spencer and Ryan time please?  But, word from the mayor is the roads won't be open for another day.  Santa God suggests ice skating might be a good idea, and since Spencer has a conference call he sends his lady off with the competition.  At skating, Allie and Ryan have a deep conversation and even deeper staring into each others' eyes.   A medical emergency in town sends Ryan into action (just a panic attack, nothing too serious).  Ryan's delightful bedtime bedside manner sends Allie deeper into the smitten hole.

When the roads are open earlier than thought, the complication enters both Ryan and Allie's frame of view.  Ryan needs to decide if Florida or Evergreen is the right place for Zoe (and him) to be happy at Christmas, and Allie, of course, needs to decide between the home she loves and the boyfriend she doesn't even like enough to bone when he takes a helicopter to be with her.  Tough choice there Allie.  But Santa God talks her through it.  That guy is everywhere, and in everyone's business.

The breakup scene between Spencer and Allie is very, very mature, and well written.  Allie is staying home and committing to a life in Evergreen.  Meanwhile Ryan and Zoe get delayed at the airport, leaving them just enough time to reconsider their decision to fly to Florida, especially after a chance encounter with Spencer where Ryan learns they broke up. But Ryan, STILL waffling (Jesus, Ryan, get your shit together!), has the decision made for him when the flight is cancelled altogether due to technical difficulties.

Ryan and Zoe make it back to town for the festival, Zoe gets to sing in the choir while Ryan and Allie kiss and smile outside, with Santa audibly hohoho-ing and jingling bells overhead.  Then Santa narrates an epilogue which affirms the happy ending.


The Draw:
In preparation for our Advent Calendar I was perusing the schedule for upcoming Hallmark movies and noticed there were three "Christmas in Evergreen" movies.  While there are a few Hallmarks that have sequels, I haven't watched any of them.  But all three Christmas in Evergreen movies were playing back-to-back-to-back... so curiosity, really, was the draw.  Plus this first one co-stars Teddy Sears, who played Earth 2 Flash on The Flash Season 2, and people I know from CW superhero shows are, like, an easy entrance to Hallmark movies for me.


The Formulae:
Hmm... well, Allie needs to decide between small hometown life or the new life/career/romance in the big city, which is a common trope, but usually it's going from the big city back to the small town, not leaving the small town.  The single father is also a common trope, and the town Christmas festival/pageant/celebration is a staple. Mothers pushing their daughters towards the guy they're already thinking about getting together with, also fairly common.  Plus, the "is that *really* Santa" question (it almost always is) crops up a lot in these, and the jerky/douchey current boyfriend/girlfriend isn't always a staple, but it is pretty common.

Unformulae:
I like the paintings of Evergreen each time we come back from commercial.

Opening and closing narration is also not too common and is handled pretty well here.
So many Hallmark movies have the leading lady being so involved with finding family with the children of single fathers (or uncles or whatever) that the romance seems secondary, almost an afterthought.  But here the connection between Allie and Ryan is foremost in the story, while still finding room for Allie and Zoe to connect.

Well geez, they didn't even go Christmas Tree shopping on screen. Twice they bought trees off-screen. Wow.

True Calling?
It certainly is Christmas in Evergreen.

The Rewind:
 I spent a lot of time rewinding the opening narration, but mainly for the purposes of transcribing.

The Regulars:
 So many regulars.
-Ashley Williams is another Hallmark favourite.  She's in a bunch of these things (not just the sequels to Evergreen).  We just saw her in Holiday Hearts a few weeks back, which wound up winning me over despite having a pretty dumb setup. Williams has a cheerful effervescence that seems very natural and very winning, and she has a naturally big, wide smile that conveys warmth and friendliness.  She's a treat.

 -Teddy Sears doesn't really spend much time in these things, returning only for this year's second sequel.

-Holly Robinson Peete plays Allie's best friend Michelle, who takes over for her coordinating the Christmas Festival.  She's the star of Hallmark's Morning Show Mystery series of movies and the wife and I just watched her in the horrifying Angel of Christmas.

-Spencer is played by Marcus Rosner, a regular in these types of movies for Hallmark, Lifetime and others.  He's all over them.  He does a good job of being both kind of a dick but not really all that bad.

-Hot mom Barbara Niven lives in Hallmark land, spending much of her time as supporting cast in the mystery department.  She should really be romancing Dean Cain or someone like that in these.
-I thought for sure Rukiya Bernard's character was going to wind up in love with Peete's Michelle at the end, as they seemed kind of fated to be together but the movie chickened out and gave her a very lame happenstance run in with another dude wearing the same sweater at the Christmas festival, and he said "hey, let's get some hot chocolate".  So lame.  Poor Michelle.  Anyway, Bernard's been in a few of these Hallmarks as well as supporting characters.

Which one's the star and which one's the hot mom. So hard to tell.

Most of the cast wind up back in the sequels actually, so that's cool.  Kinda looking forward to watching them.

How does it Hallmark?
Really, really good.  This one is really quite enjoyable.  Sitting near the top of the Hallmark heap.  Even though Christmas is omnipresent it never quite feels like it's beating you over the head with any sort of Christmas messaging, and it really does center around Allie and Ryan's burgeoning affection, which sometimes Hallmark movies just forget to do.

How does it movie? 
Well, it never feels like a theatre-worthy movie, but it does feel like a legit TV romance/Christmas movie.  There's this thing Allie and Ryan do, which is an attempt at playful banter, that, out of everything,  is the only thing that feels forced... not by much, mind you, but it doesn't seem quite natural, whereas the rest of their chemistry does.  In a proper movie they would have more time to nail those takes.