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| Image: Crown Media, United States, LLC |
Starring: Jesse Metcalfe and Autumn Reeser
Released: 2019
Summary: An investment banker gets fired from his job in the middle of the holiday season, so he decides to take a job at a Christmas tree lot.
Missing: The Proverbial Spark
Did anyone notice the lack of chemistry between Nick Bellwith (Metcalfe) and Julie Gibbons (Reeser) in this movie?
I laughed out loud at the kiss in the parting scene--it was so robotic, cold, and uncomfortable. It felt like two people just met 30-seconds ago and shared an awkward kiss with a total stranger. What makes this so surprising is that the pair starred together back in 2015 in Hallmark's
A Country Wedding and were amazing together.
I expected more!
Does it have anything to do with Metcalfe looking like Eddie Munster's distant relative (though he's still hot) or Reeser's sassy hairdo? Hallmark women are supposed to have long, curled locks like Reeser had in
A Bramble House Christmas.
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| Image: CBS |
Movie Title All Wrong
Julie Gibbons is a science teacher who secures unexpected school funding to organize a star gazing S.T.E.M. activity for her higher-achieving students during the Winter Solstice, but this activity takes a half-second of airtime.
Aside from Clem Marshwell's business being called Star Top Christmas Tree Lot, the movie doesn't focus all that much on stars.
Instead, the sub-plot is what resonates the loudest. Clem and Gracie's love story is much sweeter than the hasty, uncoordinated pairing of Julie and Nick.
A better title would have been Memories from a Christmas Tree Lot. After all, Clem and Julie often reminisce about her growing up at the lot and refer fondly to the friendship and business partnership Clem shared with her father before he died. Julie's parents first met each other at the lot as her mother chased a stray dog, which she and her husband named Bethlehem.
Gracie--Clem's deceased wife--is the real focus of the story. Clem is aging, making it a challenge to keep up the pace the tree lot requires. The city has sold the lot to a developer, so this is his last Christmas selling trees. He's not ready to let it go, but after he has a "spell," he realizes it might be time.
Clem spends the movie sharing memories of he and his wife and how much she loved Christmas and the tree lot. It was a business they started after he retired from the military. Theirs was quite a love story, and Clem keeps the picture of a young Gracie and himself close.
Ultimately, the developer gets a tax break through a city incentive program by agreeing to designate the tree lot a pocket park so Clem can keep selling the trees for as long as he is able--with the help of Nick and Julie, of course.
Positive Themes
Nick loses his job but it ends up being a blessing in disguise. In fact, he explains in the movie that losing his job helped him learn to stop making life all about himself.
Don't we all fall into that trap from time-to-time? We get caught up in our jobs, our family, exercise, hobbies, and we forget to think outside our own little box to see where we can lend a hand to someone who needs it.
Nick realizes his previous job didn't always lead to ethical outcomes, so he finds a job where he can use his talents in a way that makes life better for others, starting with Julie. Through his new connection with Ellen Wardstone's company, he's able to give Julie debt forgiveness for Christmas, since she is responsible for her father's medical bills.
We also learn that Julie's son, Matt, is adopted. This is the second Hallmark movie this season to promote foster parenting and adoption--the other is Candace Cameron Bure's
Christmas Town.
Nick's dad gives him the gift of approval. He admits he didn't know how to raise a boy by himself when Nick's mom died, so he taught Nick all he knew about business, making Nick feel he would only be accepted if he attained the same level of success as his father. His dad shares that he is proud of Nick just for the person he is. We are reminded how much our own children need to know we love them and are proud of them, not just for what they achieve, but for the people they are.
Clem takes a genuine interest in people. He remembers all his customers from one year to the next, and he remembers the details of their lives. Do you see your life's work as just a "job," or do you put your heart into it like Clem does? People aren't numbers to process, and Clem shows us how to make them feel like family.
Difficult to Believe
Julie tells Nick that guys usually tell her they are okay with her having a son, but in a short time, they realize it's not what they want. Nick acts like he's totally fine with her being a package deal. How realistic is that? Horror stories of coping with ready-made families are prolific!
What are the odds a cultured and polished guy like Nick would accept a job at a tree lot? Clem says he knew Nick needed a job, but most of us would assume a dashingly handsome and manicured man wandering in the street is just lost, not in need of employment.
Although Nick and Julie vow to help Clem run the tree lot next season, when are they going to find the time for that? Nick is starting a new job, and Julie teaches school. Are they going to work every night and weekend at the lot? Doubtful. Can Clem handle the days by himself? Nope.
I'm compelled to watch all Hallmark Christmas movies, but this one does not crack my top ten.
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| Image: Crown Media, United States, LLC |
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