T&K's XMas (2023) Advent Calendar: Day 5 - Christmas in Scotland

2023, David Lumsden (Meet You in Scotland) -- download

The Draw: Cuz its in Scotland, duhhhh. Really, that is the only reason. I was kind of keen on seeing how badly they would represent a PST in Scotland, and whether it would actually be shot in Scotland or just use a handful of stock videos / images, but do the actual movie on a set somewhere in .... Vancouver?

Also, of note, this year's theme in Hallmarkie land seems to be "movies set in other countries". Just a bit of perusing for "the next thing to watch" led me to: A Heidelberg Holiday, A Merry Scottish Christmas, Christmas in Notting Hill, My Norwegian Holiday, to just mention a few. And that doesn't count Christmas Island which is set in Nova Scotia.

HERstory: Yay, we open in The Big City. Haven't done this for a while. NYC lit up fly over. Emma McKenzie (Jill Winternitz, The Sandman) decorates store windows and is hoping her acclaim at doing so will land her the Big Job. Bzzzzzzt, she's overlooked for some Man. So when her dad comes suggesting she come to Scotland with him, because he's been researching their family ancestry, she jumps at the chance. BUT before I get there, we have to mention that Dick BF Brad (Adam Bond, The Sandman) has already booked a luxury hotel room for the two of them to spend an uncomplicated Xmas together, totally missing/ignoring the fact that she LOVES the whole complicated mess of getting ready for Xmas, which is why she loves her job. So, kind of a Dick BF move to pull her all away from that, but ALSO a Dick Dad (Toby Rolt, Late Shift) move to suggest pretty much the same thing. And a Dick GF move that she is aghast that Brad suggests his idea (really, he isn't suggesting, he's got it all booked) has no issue suggesting Brad come with her, and Dad, to Scotland... for Xmas, or at the very least, the week before Xmas. So, dick moves all around.

Brad says No, so off the Scotland, Emma and Dad go.

At this point, I have to say, OMG Dad is an unbelievably terrible, I mean stupendously bad, actor. Part of me wants to forgive him as a Brit doing a bad American accent, but he does have a history of working in the US as much as the UK. I think he's just plain old normal bad, and just excelling at the bad-ness.

They arrive in the lovely seaside PST of Glasennaird Glenrothie where Xmas is nowhere to be seen. The cranky Laird of Inchmamuir Glenrothie doesn't mind if people decorate indoors but the village proper needs to show proper decorum, aka none of this Xmas frivolity allowed !! Of course that has Emma all in a dither and she ends up insulting the Laird's son Duncan Alex (Dominic Watters, Outpost: Black Sun). Soon after, like probably seconds, the villagers learn that there is a World Famous Xmas Window Display Decorate in town and start hounding her to help them decorate, so they can win the Best Xmas Village Contest against their rival village, the snooty Inverdarcree (oh, I cannot remember the REAL name but this Random Scottish Place Name Generator is fun!).

Meanwhile Dad is having a grand ol time learning to eat Scottish (Peanut Gallery yelling, "Jam and Jelly are two entirely different things !!"), dress Scottish (he learns all about tartans) and date Scottish. And he is all for his daughter mixing it up with the locals. Alex Lairdson Glenrothie is all work work work, but also beholden to his father, and drags the poor American lass up to see Cranky Santa, the King of the Castle, who then relents at her desire to win the contest, as long as Alex makes sure she keeps to the proper dignity of the village.

They celebrate by with hot chocolate and cream on their faces, and we cut to a montage of fiddle music and decorating ideas. Emma is becoming very popular in town as they share their mince meat pies, their triquetra jewelry and quaint Scottish mannerisms ("My brother in Aberdine can get us a snow machine!!"). Things go well, and Alex is even warming up to her, but then she has a phone call with Dick BF and his wittle face dwops -- got a crush already, laddie? 

Xmas Tree lighting time! QR Code Ornaments (?!?!?!?) !! Giant cardboard triquetra! Caroling !! Hot Chocolate !! Enthusiasm for local cuisine, "Mmmmm, I LOVE these mince pies!" Aaaaand, the Laird hates it all. OK, maybe not hate, but not happy. No matter, the snooty rival village steals all their non-dollar-store ideas and claims, "It will be your word against ours!" so Emma has to come up with a WHOLE NEW IDEA !!

The idea is a Christmas Ceilidh at the Castle. And even Cranky Santa Laird is into it, even offering up his wife's dress to Emma so she can look properly presentable. By now, Alex and Emma are all googley eyes and cream on their noses, and even the Cranky Laird can see that.

Buuuuuut what about Dick BF Brad? Of course, he shows up out of the blue with with Nefarious Plans!! He's here to convince the Laird to sell his castle to a hotel chain and the Laird misinterprets this as Emma's intentions all along. But its too late to cancel the ceilidh or the Laird will also look like a dick, and to top things off, Emma gets the call from Her Boss -- she's being offered the Big Job, but only if she comes home NOW. Sad Emma. Sad Alex. Angry Alex yells at her for being a Stupid American. Sad Sad Emma.

But who cares, there's a Ceilidh !! With fiddle music !! Wait, where's the fiddler?!?! I see a piper and a keyboardist and a bass player on the stage but .... no fiddler?!? GHOST FIDDLER OF XMAS'S PAST !! Of course, Emma has turned down the job, and Cranky Laird has told his son that he will Change His Ways so he can get all smoochy with Emma, if only he shares how he really feels. Emma appears in the Red Dress (HUBBA HUBBA !!) and they kiss, and they will live happily ever after, or maybe once they figure out the immigration red tape.

The Formulae: Big City Fly Over !! I love my fly overs. Emma is really really good at giving Xmas, and has her eyes on a Big Job, which of course, she doesn't get, which allows her to run away to a PST. But this PST is in Scotland! Her initial meeting with the Male Lead is a contentious one, but they quickly warm to each other over hot chocolate. And Emma replaces the Big Job with an Xmas Event, helping the village win their first ever Best Christmas Village Contest. Of course, all of that is interrupted by a misunderstanding, and a conflict caused by a Dick BF, you know, the guy who deserves to be cheated on. There are Dead Moms, and Absent Moms (and Dads) and red coats (the British are coming!) and decorating of Xmas Trees, which is predated by a Xmas Tree Picking at the Laird's own Xmas Tree Farm. And there is Caroling. Castles are mildly tropey, as well are nobility, extremely minor ones.

Unformulae: This one is pretty formulaic, and based on the season, even the non-American locale is part of the Hallmarkie Method. The main non-trope is that it WASN'T SHOT IN CANADA !!

True Calling? Well duhhh, its Xmas and its in Scotland.

The Rewind: Reeeeewind, yep there's no fiddler on the stage, as the entire floor dances to fiddle music.

The Regulars: Absolutely nobody is a Hallmarkie regular cuz they are almost an entirely UK cast.

How does it Hallmark? Pretty damn fine as a Hallmarkie, both in style, and romance and .... ungawdly, painfully, terrible acting.

How does it movie? Oh gawds, no.

How Does It Snow? Not noticeable but there are a few scenes, external shots in actual picturesque Scottish village areas, where the snow is somewhat real.