Boyfriends of Christmas Past Plot Summary
Leading up to Christmas, Lauren is visited by the ghosts of four ex-boyfriends. She must learn to open her heart or risk losing her best friend, Nate.
Starring: Catherine Haena Kim and Raymond Ablack
Released: 2021
Image: Crown Media
Unique Twist on a Classic
A Christmas Carol has been retooled countless times through the years to give a classic story a modern twist. Sometimes, this has resulted in cringe-worthy reproductions, and other times, the viewer has been pleasantly surprised.
Boyfriends of Christmas Past is based on a novel by Edie Grace, and the story is fun. Imagine your past loves coming back to help you with hindsight so you don't ruin another relationship.
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Unfortunately, Hallmark ruins a delightful and creative story by basing their casting choices on affirmative action instead of talent and audience appeal. We are left with a Skittle-studded cast that makes no sense and distracts from the story.
No matter what your race, think back to your past romantic relationships. Didn't most of the people you dated look like you? Maybe there was an occasional exception, but as a general rule, you most likely were attracted to people like yourself. This isn't racist--it's just human nature. Did you know when The Planet of the Apes was being filmed, those in costume, no matter what their race, segregated themselves by species? The apes, gorillas, chimps, orangutans, and humans not in costumes ate with their own kind instinctively. Pretty weird, huh?
Yet, we're supposed to believe that Lauren had a total of five men fall in love with her despite her odd, Picasso-esque features and uncharismatic personality, and those men included two whites, a black, and two Indians? Hallmark threw a gay couple into the friend group for giggles, too. What a motley crew!
Image: Crown Media
It doesn't matter to me what race Hallmark chooses to make our lovebirds, but why not surround them with a majority of people who are the same race to make it more believable? Hallmark claims to be pushing diversity so everyone can see themselves in the characters, but this sounds like hokum to me. Most likely, Hallmark doesn't want to be cancelled, so they bow to the radical mob for self-perseveration. Hallmark may be more interested in "diversifying" their earnings. If they appeal to a larger audience, they can rake in more money. Based on comments from viewers, however, this strategy seems to be backfiring. The political agenda eclipses the story, and fans are demanding more heartfelt movies like Hallmark used to be lauded for producing.
One could argue Hallmark isn't celebrating diversity--they are behaving like racists. Take Boyfriends of Christmas Past, for example. Why couldn't the majority of the cast be Korean? Is Hallmark assuming no one would watch? In the USA, there are 1.8 million Koreans. Hmmm.....not enough for the Hallmark bottom line; better include other races to carry the movie. The more races that are included, the more boxes can be checked for political correctness.
Raymond Ablack Saves the Movie
Katherine Haena Kim is simply awful in this movie. To boot, the hideous wigs Hallmark plops on her head to make her look younger only make her look like an even more dreadful Yoko Ono.
Raymond Ablack, by contrast, is a total hunk whose sweetness is ultra charming. When he jokes around, his delivery is genuine and entertaining, rather than forced and phony, which could be a result of his study in stand-up comedy and improvisation.
Ablack gives a heart to this movie, and I hope to see him again. It's just a shame he wasn't surrounded by a better cast so he could shine even brighter.
Image: Crown Media
Hallmark Abandons Family-Friendly Reputation
In addition to the token gay couple, we learn Lauren was asked to move in with Henry; clearly, hanky-panky was happening there. She vacationed regularly with Logan, the guy who proposed, so that wasn't innocent either. For those of us teaching our children to abstain from sexual immorality, Hallmark has ceased creating movies that support our values.
Image: Crown Media
With the obvious decline in Hallmark movie quality, why do we keep watching them? Our collective voices of protest continue falling on management's deaf ears. We tell ourselves, "Maybe this movie will be good, just like the old ones!" It's this type of wishful thinking that keeps us coming back for more.
Lucky for us, GAC Network, run by former Hallmark CEO, Bill Abbott, is gaining steam. He listens to the fans. If you visit
GAC's website, you'll find a place where you can communicate your thoughts and be heard. The site states:
We're a new community that's committed to joyfulness, happiness, and kindness. Here we always want you to feel right at home. So join us and share your thoughts with us. Tell us what you like. Tell us what you don't like. Viewers are encouraged to sign up and then given this promise:
We'll listen and evolve as we grow together.
And there we have it.....hope.
Good analysis, I agree. Hallmark has been trying too hard and although I did like about half of the new movies, the unknown 20-something actors, the disjointed scripts, the CGI falling polka dot snow in every scene is annoying. After trying to watch Coyote Creek with the angry female and the wimpy male trend, I'm re-watching my favorites. Then I tried GAC. An Autumn Romance was excellent, unhurried, terrific acting, and had familiar themes handled in a different way. An ethnically diverse cast that had a natural vibe, not strained or overdone. The whole cast shined and one could tell they had fun making the movie. Well done, GAC!
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