Starring: Jen Lilley and Carlo Marks
Released: 2019
Summary: A book editor must work with a former rival to help a potential writer find her way, and an angel reminds them about the Christmas spirit and the value of community.
Image: Crown Media
Jen Lilley Had a Baby 8 Weeks Before Filming
Did you know Jen Lilley is a foster parent? In 2019, she and her husband adopted the son they had been fostering for three years, and they continue to foster his half-brother with the intent to adopt. Meanwhile, after two miscarriages, Jen became pregnant with a baby girl who was born in July 2019. They named her Julie Evangeline. (Update: Lilley also gave birth to another girl, Jackie Grace, in May 2022).
Image: People Magazine
Baby Julie spent a lot of time on the set as her mom filmed Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday. Co-star, Carlo Marks, refers to Julie as the angel of Angel Falls saying, she was so good, didn't cry or anything. Sounds like she's a sweetheart, just like her mama!
Our Couple Has Great Chemistry
Jen Lilley might have a husband and three kids under age three while Carlo Marks has been in a relationship since 2017, but the two definitely shared a connection in this movie.
Did you feel the sparks?
Image: Instagram--Carlo with long-time girlfriend, Shivani Rupareli
Taking Risks
Hannah Pressman (Lilley) wants to expand her family's business at The Printed Press to include a fiction department and sign new authors to their roster.
All that's at stake are her family's finances and the future of the company. No stress there.
Ryan McDonald (Marks) helps Hannah develop a game plan to make her dream a reality, but she initially struggles to take his advice.
As is typical in romances, a misunderstanding clouds Hannah's judgment of Ryan's character. After college, she aspired to work at Pages, but Ryan took the position she had dreamed of landing for herself. She held a grudge against him ever since, only to learn from Ryan that Pages thought she was fantastic but assumed she planned to return to the helm of her family's company. Ryan was really second choice.
With that issue out of the way, it's okay to fall in love!
Dealing With Loss at Christmas
Ryan has a difficult time being in Angel Falls because the town holds so many memories of his parents, who have both passed away. In fact, he rents out his childhood home rather than live in it himself because the memories are too painful.
We all deal with this type of loss at some point in our lives, too.
Growing up, I was fortunate to live next door to my grandma. When she died, my parents relocated to be near my family, and my uncle turned grandma's house into a rental. He offered to show me the changes he made to the house, but I never took him up on it. I wanted to remember her house the way it used to be, complete with my repertoire of happy memories. Seeing her house any other way would hurt my heart. Nostalgia is bittersweet.
Can you relate?
Ryan isn't the only one facing ghosts from his past.
Renowned author, Tina Finnegan, rents Ryan's childhood home. A dark cloud hangs over her, and she drops the bombshell that she's retiring from writing. We learn her husband died six months previously, and Angel Falls was his hometown. Tina remembers all the happy memories her husband shared about growing up in Angel Falls, so she hopes being there will help her feel closer to him. Turns out, the pain she feels intensifies, and she tries to leave town.
Two "Almost Left Town" and "I Misunderstood" Scenes
When her deep feelings of loss cause her to bolt, Tina heads for the bus station, only for Ryan and Hannah to convince her to stay. Though Tina feels like she doesn't belong anywhere with her husband being gone, the two make her feel loved and welcomed in the town, and the sense of community they create for her changes her mind. She even decides to return to writing and agrees to be one of the new fiction authors to join Hannah's business venture.
Soon after, Hannah, once again, misunderstands a situation concerning Ryan (she thinks he accepted a job elsewhere), which causes her to react badly. Ryan is miffed and tells everyone he's leaving town.
C'mon, Ryan--take the same advice you gave Tina!
Not to worry, as Hannah meanders down the street, Ryan appears. He hadn't left after all.
So, twice in the movie, Hannah is upset with Ryan due to a misunderstanding, and twice, two of our characters supposedly leave town but are hailed down before they actually leave town.
It's a sweet Christmas movie, but when you have to recycle two different scenarios twice in the same movie, it's a reflection of unimaginative writing.
How Much Help Did the Angel Give?
Your first thought is Anthony is on an angelic assignment to bring Hannah and Ryan together. We later learn this is an added bonus. The real intervention is to help Tina find the right path for her life.
Aside from giving some wise advice when it's solicited, the angel of Angel Falls doesn't seem to have much of a significant impact on anything that happens.
On one hand, you could say this is a good thing because angels only gently prod while humans have free will to make choices. On the other hand, it would have been nice to see more angelic involvement, other than temporarily freezing time and dropping a few profound truth nuggets.
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