2024, Marni Banack (Everything Christmas) -- download
That said, it doesn't look like I will clear out the cupboards (the downloads folder), as I originally intended so maybe persevere through and do a few Boxing Week posts?
And THAT said, I did actually enjoy this one, which blew the format away entirely and I always enjoy a good time travel episode, even if its in the "in your younger body" theme, which often is kind of creepy. I mean should a 44 year old woman be making googley eyes to a 19 year old boy, even if she is in her 19 year old body?
The Draw: Time Travel ! And the 90s, the one time period I look back on fondly via the rose-coloured glasses of memories.
HERstory: The Big City, the Big Law Firm Xmas Party but Female Main, Lucy (Eva Bourne, When Calls the Heart) is all about the work work work. She doesn't celebrate Xmas at all, not parties nor the time of the year. She has so much to do, and that means no trip home for Xmas, and saying No to her (gay) assistant who invites her over for the holidays. She has a brief moment with her (gay) sister where they bring up Dead Dad and then she quickly shuffles away to work work work some more. Buuuut she's just been given the promotion to Partner she always wanted, so not sure why she has to work wo... well, you get the idea.
Of note, the Big City is Chicago. There has been a lot of Chicago in my Hallmarkies of late.
She's off to celebrate her promotion by eating pancakes alone in a diner. Wow, much sad, much pathetic. And who does she bump into, but her old crush from high school, Matt (Chandler Massey, Days of Our Lives) who was supposed to be a Big Actor now, but more much sad, he sells insurance. He is very up front about how much sadder her life is, as she moved away 25 years ago and pushed away everyone in her life. Dick move, Old Friend Matt, but to be honest, she doesn't seem to care much. And to drive home a point, the waitress (OMG, its "Way" Haught from Wynonna Earp, Katherine Barrell) sits at her table (the presumption!) and repeats how sad & lonely she must be. There is a trend that the only way for people to be successful in Hallmarkies is to give up all the rest of their lives.
Of note, I know the trademark work work work outfit is a very tight suit dress, but... cough... Lucy wears it well.
Anywayz, post-pancakes, Lucy steps out and calls an Uber and who pulls up, in a rather quaint looking, very Xmas decorated British car, but the waitress, who "has lots of jobs". "Take me home, " Lucy says from the back seat just before nodding off. Boink !! The Magic Uber has driven her all the way to Milwaukee, her family home. Lucy gets out, tries to complain, but The Magic Uber drives off with Lucy's laptop, phone and glasses.
Of note, we know what the movie is about, and what is happened, so that is why I already say Magic Uber.
Anywayz, Lucy steps on the creaky board near the front door, is challenged by her mother about coming in so late, but is told to just go to bed. Her bedroom is exactly as it was in 1999, which is on the ground floor (???), and very very decorated in pictures of boys.
Next morning, Magic Uber is sitting outside. Lucy has woken up with bangs and no need to wear glasses, but of course, she has to complain to the Xmas Wizard about her predicament. I mean, why is she there? Is she supposed to change some element of her past to fix something in the future? "NO, DO NOT DO THAT !! BUTTERFLY EFFECT !!" warns Xmas Wizard Way Haught. And no, she cannot have her laptop, but sure, the Wizard will arrange for her to have a Palm Pilot --- nice call out to what was pretty much the first smart phone. Anywayz, she doesn't really give her much direction, just tells her to figure out things but don't change the past.
She's adjusting rather well to being 19 again and living at home with her mom & sister. This is the first Xmas they had without their father and grief is a BIG thing in this house (see what I mean about Unprocessed Grief being a Thing in Hallmarkies?) and Mom is going overboard on everything Holidays including baking --- why are there three cakes sitting on the counter?
2024 - 1999 = 25 years ago; which means Lucy is supposed to be 44 in 2024 (math!!). Adult Lucy does not look 44 but I guess it was easier to have a younger actress (late 20s? early 30s?) play a 19 year old than have an actual 40ish actor appear 19.
Anywayz, Lucy runs off to her Best Friend's place, Nadine the Nerd (Jenny Raven, Hudson & Rex), who is into science-fiction so Lucy assumes should be able to figure out this whole time travel thing. I think that was a Bad Idea, which is proven true when she sees the first line of her Promotion Letter fade out. Nadine also adjusts well to the whole "I am from The Future!!" thing, and suggests the age old, "You are here to Fix Something." Buuut the fading letter suggests otherwise?
Cute line after mentioning "ride share", which Nadine hears as "ride square" -- "why not a ride octagon?" They should have had Nadine tag along more and constantly spout one-off's.
No matter, she was supposed to meet up with old friend / neighbour Matt, and like maybe finally kiss the boy? Maybe that will get her (and yes, they name drop) Back to the Future. And thus we begin the usual plot line of meeting up and doing stuff together like Reindeer Games, where the two were teamed up to do Xmas themed stuff, like play hockey, three-legged race. Cue the montage with the terrible 90s music they could afford to license. In general, the movie doesn't seem to know how to play up the 90s -- not a single reference to Grunge or other pop iconology, but at least they get a chuckle out of me when they use The Internet (dial-up, CRT) to look up property laws. Don't ask. Aaaand she keeps making changes, seeing Matt more clearly than she did when she was originally 19, and the letter keeps fading. Yeah, and Xmas Wizard Way Haught keeps on warning her off, "OK, Lucy don't end the world."
Eventually, as Xmas looms closer, she has a tear filled dinner with her grandparents, whom she probably didn't see much before they died, and Lucy keeps on having very adult heart 2 hearts with her sister and her mom. This again-19 Lucy is very much more self aware than 40ish Lucy and she is really warm & caring when dealing with her family. I guess having 25 years to deal with her grief helped her? Problem is that the more supportive & caring she is, the more the future changes, and the more the letter changes. But no matter, every time she is about to Kiss the Boy, the Xmas song plays and Way Haught shows up soon after.
Later, because Matt was always supposed to be an actor, they end up at his production of A Christmas Carol which is painfully terrible, and its not done by middle school kids. But the goal was to show hsi parents what he wants to be when he grows up, so they will support. which works but fades Lucy's letter even more. P.S. Closest thing the movie has to an Xmas Event, and Lucy does wear a red coat. But it is also the last straw for her fading letter, so instead of joining Matt in a triumphant dinner with his parents, she pushes him away and runs off. That one act brings back the letter. Pushing people away is what got her started down the Law Firm Partner road in the first place, which is what she wants, right? RIGHT?
Ohhhhh, Xmas Wizard Way Haught is using reverse psychology, so that Lucy will see what she is giving up. So, fuck the letter, she runs off to Matt's house on Xmas Eve to confess everything to him, love and grief and they admit they care for each other and .... well, its really heartfelt and done in the non-ironic reason why I watch these movies -- my heart can use some growing a few sizes bigger.
Anywayz, that wipes out her Original Future and the whole thing comes rushing in, in a montage of flashes. Sister has come out to her mother and married her highschool GF, Lucy married Matt, started up a state law firm, had kids, helping her mom start a bakery, basically had a happy life.
Yay!
I assume that Nadine also made it big by investing in Apple but its not mentioned.
The Formulae: Time Travel / 30 Going on 13 is not a strictly new thing in Hallmarkies but it does sort of derail the formula I want. That said, it is about love not consummated, a trope not as often used anymore (the ex left behind in the PST) and it is definitely about Dead Family, in a rather raw, painful way also not often seen. But we do get some of the Xmas Tropes like an Xmas fair, and tree decorating and baking galore.
Unformulae: Time Travelling? This movie is less the normal formula, and more the Why Am I Back in Time formula of many a TT movie, but also ... not quite.
True Calling? Meh. Beyond not wanting to have either a too short or a too long period between the two time periods, there isn't a lot of callback to the era. The title is "technically" correct though.
The Rewind: Nothing really. And there was ample opportunity to play on the era, alas....
The Regulars: Main Eva Bourne has not done any other Hallmarkie Xmas movies, but she is a regular in one of Hallmark's murder mystery movie series. Male Main Chandler Massey has done a few, as has mom Kate Drummond. All in all, this is not a regular line up.
How does it Hallmark? Beyond doing a get-together romance, this is more a cute romantic comedy with time travel. That said, dispensing with the need to follow the formula, it is really good at the Caring About the Characters, even milquetoast Matt and Bourne really pulls off the shift-to-caring bit.
How does it movie? All it needed was a bit more of the playing up of the era and the foibles of playing with the past to become a proper genre romcom, but that's not in the Hallmark budget.
How Does It Snow? Honestly, didn't even notice.
No comments:
Post a Comment