Jessica Cooper (Elizabeth Henstridge, Marvel's Agents of SHIELD) is hired by the Plaza Hotel to decorate one of their rooms in an Xmas themed, historical Plaza focused array. They want museum meets art gallery meets Xmas Event. By "they" we mean Ms. Clark, (don't call her Amanda, Kenny!) who gets the role of Dick Boss for this movie. Jessica will be working alongside the handy guy whose ladder she stole when first walking in. Nick (Ryan Paevey, Harvest Love) is actually the hired decorator, some sort of job that is a mix of holiday designer, handyman who strings up lights and in charge of ALL the Xmas themed decorations in the Plaza, including those massive trees.
Jessica is a history person from the local university where her Dick Boyfriend also works. Nick runs his own Xmas decorating business, which I cannot imagine surviving the entire year in NYC considering it seems like just him and a truck. The Peanut Gallery pointed out that he likely would have been the owner of a interior decorating company, but that was not manly-man enough for the Male Lead, so he comes off more like the Plaza custodian assigned the job of putting up trees. Despite some initial, as required take-a-shot tension, Jessica is almost immediately making moon-eyes at Nick, who also almost immediately returns them.
Jessica, who Henstridge plays with a terrible (TERRIBLE!) American accent ("whiiir to begin"), is challenged by her task until she catches on that the Plaza does a unique Xmas tree topper for their main tree, every year since they opened. Oh, sorry, Final Dabra (d'arbre, actually) "A what?" "A tree topper!" -- I believe we hear that phrase about five times. She dives right into the theme but is stumped by the lack of one in 1969. Nobody knows why, not even Maybe Magic Santa, Grampa Bellboy (Bruce Davison, X-Men) who is the old, wise man of the Plaza who encourages Jessica at her task.
Meanwhile Jessica is challenged by her Dick BF not actually showing any signs of marrying her. Jessica's Best Friend believes she should be meeting his parents by now. Alas, he is a snobby academic surrounded by other snobby academics, that she doesn't feel very at home with. So, one night after a disastrous party, she ends up back at the Plaza and bumps into Nick, and then ends up back at Nick's parents place. Peanut Gallery stated nobody would hang icicle lights professionally without attaching weights to them, so maybe he isn't such a good decorator after all. BUT he has a big Italian family with silly, fun Xmas themed parties, such as wrapping gifts for charity and horrible karaoke. Jessica loves this, and Nick is actually honest that he is trying to make a play for her. But they acknowledge, she has a boyfriend, and that's a no no.
Then comes the subplot, the story of Grampa Bellboy being the original creator of many of those Final D'arbre ("the what?!?!" tree toppers!) that adorned the Plaza trees. But after a tragic love that is lost, he abandons his art and ends up the lowly bellboy, which he retains even fifty years later. To be honest, I assumed he was the owner of the Plaza playing the Magic Santa, but no, he is just a sad, sweet story. He doesn't really want to dig up that part of his past, but after hearing how Dick Boss threatens Jessica if she doesn't complete The Story, he heads back to his workbench, and with with the help of the elves (OK, I added that part) he completes that 1969 Finial D'arbre ("The whaaaaat?!?!") and sends it off to Jessica.
Thus comes the Xmas Event, but (booooooo!) no Red Dress on Jessica, but she does have a great success, and ... well, this little bit actually brought a tear to my eye, and made me forget the leads, but Grampa Bellboy, who was driven away from the Love of His Life back in '69 is approached by a sweet old lady who, well who else could it be, is his True Love. And we know where that will go. Ahhh Old People in Love. Swooon.
Oh yeah, and Jessica breaks up with Dick BF and gets together with Nick. And they Christmas'd Happily Ever After. THAT ! They actually wrote that at the end of the movie. Hee.
The Draw: Elizabeth Henstridge really, and also because it was actually one of the 2019 roster of actual Hallmark movies.
The Formulae: NYC opening flyover, decently done with a classic Xmas song. Initial meeting with misconception and tension, which TBH, is not my favorite trope for these movies. Don't try and start a thing between people by showing how big of dicks they can be. There is no real Xmas Fair, but there are chestnuts roasted, on the streets of NYC. Which was played by Winnipeg of all places, and ... didn't have any snow? They must have shot it off season. There is a Hunting of the Xmas Tree, which is supposed to be the Perfect Real Tree, but is sooooo obviously a fake one. And there is an Xmas Event, alas not a dance event, and no Red Dress. Also, Nick was Dumped around Xmas Time, but that plays so little in the movie.
Unformulae: Booooooo, no Red Dress.
True Calling? The movie is shot in Winnipeg and NYC. As all exterior shots, and other building interiors must have been Winnipeg, I am thinking the only real NYC scenes were the steps of the Plaza. So, yes?
The Rewind: Final D'arbre! The whaaaaat? The tree topper.
The Regulars: Oh, Paevey is in a TON of these movies, when he is not doing soap operas. And nobody else. In fact, other than Bruce Davison and Julia Duffy (Newhart), there is almost no Real Actors in this movie. There are so many local talents, and sorry but Winnipeg is no Vancouver, I was wondering if they spent all their money on the few front-steps shots at the Plaza.
How does it Hallmark? It is pretty typical, but the speed at which these two were making mooneyes (in case you were wondering, my brain made this phrase up; I probably meant "cow eyes" but in for a penny...) at each other, in another movie, there would have been the Waking Up In Bed Together After Drunken Night scene.
How does it movie? Nope, nada. Nuttin honey.
(Bonus) How does it snow? Booooooo !!! Considering this was shot in Winnipeg, there should have been TONS of real snow. Alas.... all we got was some fake spray on, TONS of Central Park stock film shots filled with real snow, and a bit of the cob webby stuff. (D-)
The Regulars - you haven't seen enough of these yet but Nelson Wong's character Kenny Kwan has appeared in about 20 of these things. Basically every one that Ron Oliver writes and/or directs (including his non Hallmark movies... Kenny is like the Det. Munch of the Hallmark-verse)
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