T&K's XMas (2023) Advent Calendar: Day 9 - Under the Christmas Sky

2023,  Séan Geraughty (Follow Me to Daisy Hills) -- download

The Draw: Primarily because my friend Mukey sent me a list of Hallmarkies shot in Winnipeg, but also, kinda, more so, because it stars Jessica Parker Kennedy -- swoooooon.

HERstory: Kat (Jessica Parker Kennedy, Black Sails) is an astro-physicist and was an astronaut in training until a car accident left her with a permanent eye anomaly, basically a blind spot. In fact, its pretty much the same eye anomaly I had that led to my surgery and eventually, after the latest surgery didn't "take", mostly blind in that eye. So, let me say, I sympathize with her, her frustrations and the taking-used-to it requires. Now, mine didn't end a career in the making but...

Anywayz, she's taken a leave of absence from work while she deals with the getting-used-to and the emotional impact, but still wants to keep busy, so she takes her friend's advice and volunteers (takes a job?) at the local planetarium, as a consultant. She is immediately tasked with assisting David (Ryan Paevey, General Hospital), the current curator to help incorporate Xmas into the coming exhibition on The Sun. Her specialty is The Sun. She's also from a family of Xmas experts. David is More Science, Less Fun! Initially he's gruff at this interloper, but Kat immediately bonds with his wheelchair-bound daughter, which warms him up a bit.

Side-Story! Kat's brother Andy (Andrew Bushell, Salvation) is jobless, again (family rolls eyes), and tags along with Kat when she visits the planetarium and ends up volunteering to help the girl who runs the cafe with her Xmas Events, but with ulterior motives in mind. I have a feeling the cafe was supposed to be a gift shop but was late rebranded.

Kat's family loves Xmas. Much of the movie bounces back and forth between Kat and David doing the "walking around to get to know one another, and her family's living room where Mom is constantly baking cookies, and her Dad is trying to sneak the un-iced ones from the tin -- a man after my own heart, as we share the love of un-iced sugar cookies.

The Walking Around begins and David invites Kat out for an actual date... curling. Curling? Did they think they are in Canada or something?!? And its a double-date so Andy and Cafe Girl get to come and look all googley eyes at each. 

Peanut Gallery, yells from the kitchen. "No career in space? Have babies instead !!" Yeah, the encouragement from family and best friend for Kat to embrace her current opportunity (boy opportunity not job opportunity) is kind of annoying, but on point for Hallmarkies.

Time for a planning montage. And then the Tree Decorating Event for the kids, the event that they were planning and Andy volunteered to help with, so he could cozy up to Cafe Girl. But a mean boy bullies David's daughter Lilah, and when Kat tucks her aside to check on her bruised feelings, David loses his shit. Only HE can soothe his daughter. Kat is really hurt. Lilah seemed OK but David overreacts.

Back at the Kat Family place we sit around and discuss David being a stupid head while having even more burgers and shakes from the Winkie's place. Makes me wonder if the catering came from a local Winnipeg place and there was so much on set, they just incorporated it into the movie. And David shows up to apologize and explain how over protective he is with Lilah. Forgiven!

The two end up going to an Xmas Event at the NSP (National Spacey Program) and all of Kat's coworkers express how much they miss her, but there is a coworker in a wheelchair which gives Lilah a lot of inspiration, and is quite the sweet scene.

Back to Kat's place for a pancake breakfast because.... ? 

And now its time for another Xmas Event at the planetarium, this time we get the Santa Tracking so it must be Xmas Eve! And Kat is there is her best Red.... Pant Suit? I am not, in theory, against pant suits, but I want my Red Dress. Post Sexy Kiss, a Boss from the Monarch Space Centre (what they do when they aren't tracking MUTOs) Kat is offered a new job in another city ... at another space agency. I didn't really understand this bit. In theory, there was nothing stopping her from going back to her original job at the NSP after her leave of absence is over. Its not like she was supposed to become an astronaut, right? Whatever, they need some misunderstanding and conflict and a possibility the two will be separated.

Its now Xmas Day and Kat invites David & Lilah over for Xmas Dinner to set the record straight as to her career aspirations which were.... NSP or just be a co-curator at the planetarium? Who knows, its not like the latter job would pay much but at least she could be doing non-stop smoochies with David.  So everything is fine, and the do a sweet, low-key kiss and will likely live happily after.

The Formulae: Xmas Events galore. One for the kids to decorate trees with homemade space related ornaments, one for snooty science types to stand around and congratulate each other for being science type people, and a final one to track Santa. There are tons and tons and TONS of Xmas Cookies. And trees -- OMG, how many frickin' trees does Kat's family have? There is hot chocolate the Santa Tracker, and well tree decorating. There is an opportunity presented which could lead to the growing couple breaking up, which of course, is abandoned cuz careers don't matter. 

Unformulae: Kat is not given a choice between her career and her adherence to PST life, as her dream job was taken away by a medical issue -- well, initially. The random job offer at ANOTHER space agency was probably because they realize the first was not going to meet trope. The PST is not really that small to begin with. Also, Kat's pant suit, while being sexy AF, is not a red dress. 

True Calling? I suppose any sky at Xmas is a Christmas Sky? But it would have been nice if they mentioned a Northern Star. But Hallmarkies do their best to separate themselves from Christian Christmas and stick with Santa Xmas.

The Rewind: When we first are introduced to the NSP, the logo is so obviously Photoshopped onto the Winnipeg building I couldn't help by pause and double-check --- man, that drop shadow is sharp. Secondly, we just had to count trees --- sooo many trees at Kat's place, at least 10. 

The Regulars: Surprisingly, Kennedy has not done any before; weird, as she seems perfect for the genre. But Paevey is a standard in these movies, enough so to be on both the "we like him the most" and the "we like him the least" lists of Hallmark fans. Her brother Andrew Bushell has done a couple, as has Kat's best friend Sarah Luby. And it looks like her mom Candace Smith is an emerging regular. But beyond that, not much. I need to see more movies so that have All of the Above regulars.

How does it Hallmark? It was, from memory, pretty ... standard in its trope choices, but more than a bit bland.

How does it movie? I am already late in posting this, and while sitting in my local pub, getting my take out, I am struggling to write it up from memory, needing to depend on my note-taking to finish the post. That means, it didn't connect with me at all, neither from the Hallmarkie view, nor from the "generic Xmas movie" view. So, not memorable, not endearing despite my swoony attitude.

How Does It Snow? Its Winnipeg so there should have been some memorable snow scenes! Alas, it almost entirely takes place indoors, in the planetarium or in Kat's family living room. Given David's daughter is wheelchair-bound, there are not likely to be any snowball scenes, or sledding (actually, strangely these are rare enough to not even be a trope, but that is explainable by the fact that you need REAL snow for these, and many of these movies are shot in .... JULY) or anything real snow related. Boo.