T&K's Xmas (2020) Advent Calendar: Day 24 - Christmas Tree Lane

My final official one, but there will likely be a few more before they year is out.

A proper 2020 Hallmark Hallmarkie brings back Alica Witt (woot!) as Meg, the owner of a family run music store in small town... Denver? OK, they split the difference and instead of PST they went for a Picturesque Shopping District in Denver, aptly named Christmas Tree Lane because at some point in its history, it decorated up for Xmas and looked like an Xmas tree. Did they mean "not during the holidays" because I am pretty sure most streets in most cities do that.

Anywayz, she also teaches music and also sings songs, but she never got famous, because (well, because Alica Witt also sings songs and never got famous for them). Also, dead mom. 

 Out of the blue appears Returned to PSD (apologies Adobe), Nate the Business Guy, who was in the Big City but came back to Denver because of Dad. And no, not dead mom. Nor dead dad for that matter. But he loves Xmas, and loves big fancy hot chocolate like coffees, while Meg only likes black coffee. So, she's the Grinchy lead for this movie? No, she just doesn't like Big City Fancy Schmancy Coffees, and Xmas hasn't been the same since Dead Mom. 

Not long after coffee meetcute, flyers are passed out around Xmas Tree Lane, but these flyers are advertising the Eviction Party, because Big City Company is kicking everyone out, and around the holidays because that is the Best Time of the Year for Evictions, because Big City Company is going to demolish the PSD and build a bunch of glass & steel buildings. Because. Of course, we know that Nate is from the Big City Company, but nobody else knows that, not even Nate. No, I am serious, Nate doesn't know he is going to destroy the best thing in Denver, because the report is on the bottom of the pile that Evil Dad wants him to read. I guess all the other hopes & dreams this company has to destroy are even sooner?

Mega (typo, but I am keeping it) and her friends decide that the best way to defeat a Big City Company is via a Xmas Concert, because a bunch of people attending a music event on Xmas Eve will always change the bottom line of a Big City Company just before they demolish your stores.

So, Oblivious Nate has learned that Xmas Street (sorry, Christmas Tree Lane) will be demolished, so instead of reading the pile of reports he is supposed to read, he hangs around with Meg and friends and helps them all drum up business for Xmas Street and name espresso based drinks after her, until he finally reads that report and needs to confess to Mega. But, of course, she catches him not being at fault at anything and is heart broken and forces him to do a big gesture to get into her pants good books again. Nate will design a multi-focus business district that will incorporate the old store fronts into the glass & steel, and he will sell that to the Board of his dad's Big City Company and make all right with Meg and the World. He also reminds dad and mom that they used to love it down there.

Alas his plan fails, so instead they all go to the Xmas Concert even though Xmas Street will be demolished soon after. Meg wears her best red blue dress and sings a song she wrote that is not at all Xmas-y and more just generic pop country, but still, everyone loves it and dad's heart grows three sizes larger and he cancels the plan. Though I am pretty sure the board might disagree. And his investors. And his bank account, as there must be a ton of money sunk into this already. But no, Mega's Blue Dress and Singer Song wins the day.

Of note, the site I often pirate Hallmarkies from is not the best at ripping the audio, so all music comes out a bit warbled and distorted, making Mega's already terribly boring song, a rather off key boring song.

P.S. Why does the piano get poster main billing?

The Draw: Alica Witt and a place called Xmas Street Christmas Tree Lane.

The Formulae: A thin use of the formula, that dispenses with both the PST and the Big City and smooshes them together into a picturesque mid-sized family city. Big City Guy has already come back to home town, so there is that. The street is already one giant Xmas Event, but they are ending on a Concert with an original song, which I imagine has been used on at least a half dozen occasions. And there is the reveal, which leads to pseudo-breakup, despite them not being a couple yet, but is quickly resolved. And a dead mom.

Unformulae: Sorry, but the lack of a red dress is just plain offensive, despite Alicia Witt looking wolf-howlingly hot in that blue number. PSDs are not PSTs, despite sharing all the same features. Also Xmas themed espresso drinks are lame attempts at Hot Chocolate. There is no promotion being sought, as Nate already has the job (his dad gave it to him) and Meg is working where she always has. 

True Calling? The whole point of the movie is to save Christmas Tree Lane, so yeah.

The Rewind: Nuttin, but a brief pause on that blue dress might be in order. Va Va Voom.

The Regulars: Alicia Witt has been doing these for a while, as has Andrew Walker (Nate). 

How does it Hallmark? Despite trying a new stab at the formula, it's rather charming, and very Xmas-y which hit all the right notes for me.

How does it movie? Nopers.