2023, John Putch (American Housewife) -- download
Of note, you have not actually ever seen a Lenz Hallmarkie.
HERstory: OK, so Lucy Hardgrove (Bethany Joy Lenz, ) has been given the privelage of writing the remake of a classic 40s Xmas movie called "His Merry Wife". In fact this movie starts with a black & white clip of the movie! They are diving whole heartedly into the cheese! But the studio exec (booo, not in a purple suit) is not happy with Lucy's bittersweet re-do of the ending. "Everyone wants a happy ending!" he claims.
"Yes, but...." she counters unsuccessfully. To further inspire her, he gives her a plane ticket and sends her to the actual Biltmore Estate, where the original movie was shot. She is expected to be influenced into providing the familiar popular happy ending. No buts lady! And yes, you'll be back by Xmas.
Of note, the Biltmore Estate is a thing, IRL, one of those chateau inns I was referring to in my Chateau Christmas writeup. Its a huge huge estate that is known for going all out at Xmas. I am surprised this is the first Hallmarkie shot there. So, Lucy shows up, and is instantly given the special treatment by concierge extraordinaire Winston (Jonathan Frakes, Picard). She is even shown an off-tour room where a special hour glass has been pulled out of storage just for her visit, to show her more props and items that were shown in the original movie.
So, she touches the hour glass and POOF, she's back in 1947, in the hotel, on the same date, and the movie is being made! She's in her own clothes and she shouldn't be on set, and she's quite confused, so she pretends to be an extra, and ends up in a scene, but also catches the eye of leading man Jack Huston (Kristoffer Polaha, Backstrom). When the hour glass runs out, she returns back to the current day.
Lucy is freaked out but catches on pretty quick, and so for her next trip, which she controls this time, she makes sure she has money (ummm, that money would be prop money...) and proper clothes, and an alibi. She's telling people she's on the set because the studio has sent her there, due to some tension between the leads.
And then she accidentally breaks the hour glass, which strands her in the past. But she recalls that the hour glass she touched in the current day had been repaired, so she is desperate for the props guys to fix it. Trouble is, it will take a while. So, she's stuck. And she'a also stuck with dashing Hollywood actor Jack following her around. Despite initially rebuffing him, she actually finds him charming and let's him make his moves.
Lucy is also aware that the movie had a different ending, closer to her ending, but as time goes by and she interacts with people on the set, and the making of the movie, she sees that the happier ending is more appropriate. She also accidentally causes the lead actress to quit the movie in a major misunderstanding, and has to chase her down at the train station to convince her that the movie needs her, and nobody else will do!
Eventually everything leads to the final scenes being shot and big party held on Xmas Eve to celebrate the closing. She's in a dashing silver age of Hollywood dress and dances with Jack but suddenly the studio head (Robert Picardo, Star Trek: Voyager) shows up and wants her head! She dashes off, but not before she learns that the hour glass has been fixed and its out in the parking lot. She explains to Jack who she is, and how she has to return home, and he distracts everyone so she can run out to the parking lot and .... POOF, disappear.
Now, she's back current day, and she completes the movie and its back to a happy ending and everyone is happy.
Buuuuut, she knows that Jack died a year after the movie was made, so she returns to the Biltmore Estate a year later to ... find Jack. He tells her he has been trying to figure out for a year how to make it all happen, and just did so. He tells her that his supposed "death" would have been a studio cover story for his disappearance. They kiss and will live happily ever after, after she is able to set him up with a fake identity and teach him him how to live in the 21st century.
The Formulae: Not as much as one would expect. But there is a tree lighting ceremony, and an Xmas Event, in which there is dancing. And there is hot chocolate. There are tales of parents gone: her mom left her when she was a child, and his parents are dead (dead in the 40s as well as 2023). There is the classic misunderstanding that the leads have to resolve.
Unformulae: Well, I would say that time travel is not normal for Hallmarkies but there have been a few, right? But it doesn't do the formula of PST and Big City and lost job opportunity and old flame, or any of that standard bit. Also, they kiss loooong before the end of the movie, coming to a realization that they care for each other IRL. Also, while the silver number was stunning, I wants me red dresses !!
True Calling? Yeah, as its Christmas and it happens at the Biltmore, IRL.
The Rewind: More a snort and a chuckle as we see the final seen of Lucy's remake movie being shot, and it stars Rachel Boston and Wes Brown, who are both Hallmark Royalty. So.... the movie Lucy was writing was a.... Hallmarkie?!?!
The Regulars: Of course, Bethany Joy Lenz and Polaha has done a few. I am very disappointed that Picardo and Frakes have not done more, and that I was just not aware.
How does it Hallmark? This is Hallmark "trying to be different" so from my point of view, not so much. I want our tropes, gawddammit !!
How does it movie? This might be the closest I have seen to a well done, properly done scifi romcom. Its still stuck in low-budget Hallmarkie land, but Lenz is just so easy with the role that this could have easily been done as a "proper" movie starring her and Polaha and it could have been good. I also have to say it pulled off the fun of the time travel hijinx rather well, especially when His Merry Wife uberfan sees Lucy in one of the set shots.
How Does It Snow? A decent amount of .... fake snow.
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