T&K's Xmas (2020) Advent Calendar: Bonus Day 1 - Random Acts of Christmas

This is how Hallmarkies are meant to be watched, in my household. It came on while we were re-heating Xmas leftovers, and we just left it on, as we passed in and out of the living room, and when we sat at the table. We never sit at the table, and if we hadn't most likely it would have been flicked away from.

Note: This is directed by Marita Grabiak, whose name rang a bell, and turns out she was a TV show director from the heyday of Buffy and Angel. She's done a TON of genre TV, and more recently, fell into these Hallmarkies.

OK, as my attention faded in Sydney is a reporter covering something happening in their Big City, someone who is doing Random Acts of Xmas, not quite kindness, but grand gestures of Christmas theme decorating that inspire people to get into the holiday spirit. Tagging along side her is competitive journalist Cole, but he quickly just tags along with her, instead of actually covering the story.

By reporter, I mean freelance journalist, I mean vblogger who basically has someone hold up her phone and record her. And she sells those stories to a local station. Is this really a thing? Of course, in today's age of social distancing, and locked down crew, it could happen, but in the "real world" of Hallmarkies? Whatever, its a premise.

The events continue, including one where a truck arrives with cake. Cole just takes it upon himself to open the back of the delivery truck and grab one for himself, and Sydney. They chow down on a cake by themselves, and nobody screams "THIEF!" so I guess it was alright. And then there is the crew lining the streets with poinsettia, which happens to be Sydney's street, and also arranges to cause magical poinsettias to appear in the sky. Sky writers? Holograms? Is Cole an Xmas Angel?

No, just a rich guy. He runs that world's analog for Hallmark, an ornament company, that makes him Richie Rich. He and his dad.... no business partner... no, personal valet? I never really did figure out what Patrick Duffy (The Man from Atlantis) was playing, but he is Cole's (whose real name is Colin, but I will call him Richie Rich) best buddy and always around. When they did the poinsettia setup, I assumed that was the same crew that decorated Sydney's street with all the cotton batting snow, so commonly used in these movies. 

So, while Richie Rich continues to feed story information to Sydney, he is also getting quite attached to her, and her son, who looks like Dewey from Malcom in the Middle. And there is a competing reporter, a real reporter this time, who is catching on that something isn't right with this guy Sydney is hanging out with. By this time, Sydney is as well, and catches Richie Rich in his Mansion! And Evil Reporter captures their interaction, assuming they were colluding to make the great story. His story will be even better, as he Outs the town's Secret Santa.

Instead, Evil Reporter is given a cookie and some free hot chocolate, and his heart grows three sizes bigger. Sydney forgives Richie Rich, puts on a red dress and they make up. They spend Xmas Day at her place, where Not Dad makes moves on Sydney's mom, played by Jaclyn Smith and Richie Rich, now Colin, gives Dewey a gift that is pretty lame, considering he is a billionaire.

The Draw: It was on. I didn't turn the channel.

The Formulae: Missing Dad? Not sure if he was dead or divorced, but Richie Rich also had Dead Parents. Red Dress! I have been missing the red dresses this year, and I was glad to see this one. I blame 2020 for the dearth. Sydney may not be going for a promotion, but I imagine her exclusive on the Secret Santa will upgrade her from using her mobile phone for reporting, after which 2020 will knock her back down.

Unformulae: Not sure where this was set, but it wasn't a PST. Also, there wasn't really any big Xmas Event, unless you consider the whole Secret Santa thing going on, as one long event.

True Calling? They may have started as Richie Rich's desire to play nice nice with his money, but eventually they ended up being solely for Sydney's benefit.

The Rewind: His last gift is a giant sky writing Merry Christmas message in the sky, but it looked more like a really bad photoshop with a Smoke Brush.

The Regulars: Sydney is played by Erin Cahill, who has over a 100 entries in IMDB to her name. She is one of those hard working, single episode actors who just never stops shooting stuff. And she started as Pink Ranger! I respect her a lot. She also does a lot of these. Richie Rich, played by Kevin McGarry was on the next Hallmarkie (Christmas Scavenger Hunt) when I turned the TV channel, so I guess he does a lot of these.

How does it Hallmark? Its very seasonal, very charming and despite not being about an PST and old BF scenario, I rather liked it, so yeah.

How does it movie? Nopers.