REVIEW: The Hallmark Sequel "Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up" Is as Silly as the First One

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Emily and Jared are looking forward to celebrating the holidays together as a couple, and they prepare to work with their neighbors on Evergreen Lane to make this year's Christmas celebrations the best yet.  When a house on the block goes up for sale, the soon-to-be-neighbors are holiday royalty, but they are so competitive that they nearly ruin Christmas for everyone. Starring:   Lacey Chabert, Wes Brown, Stephen Tobolowsky, Ellen Travolta, Melissa Peterman, Seth Morris, and Jennifer Aspen Image:  Hallmark Media Haul Out the Holly:  Lit Up Has a Moral When the residents of Evergreen Lane learn that their new neighbors are the Jolly Johnsons--famous holiday reality stars--they are thrilled to welcome them to the block.  Everyone assumes the Johnsons will fit right in since they share their same affinity for elf culture. Emily, Jared, and the rest of the holiday crew quickly realize that the Johnsons aren't interested in joining in on the fun--they plan to take over. Image:  Tw

Hallmark's "My Christmas Family Tree" QUIZ!

 

My Christmas Family Tree Plot Summary 

When Vanessa receives the results from her Family Tree DNA test, she discovers a family she didn't know existed and travels to their home for Christmas

Starring:  Aimee Teegarden and Andrew Walker

My Christmas Family Tree movie poster
Image:  Crown Media

Have You Ever Done DNA Testing?

I don't know about you, but I think having one's DNA extracted and entered into a data base that can draw information from a world-wide network and pinpoint everything about you sounds like the foundation for a scary movie.  While many companies claim your results will never be sold to a third party, systems are always vulnerable to hackers.  I can just image some "Dr. Evil" character acquiring such data for a nefarious and diabolical purpose.

Learning about your ancestral heritage sounds intriguing, but what's the point?  The majority of people are already aware of the locales of their closest family members and at least vaguely familiar with their dominant ethnicity.  It sounds a little crazy to hunt down distant relatives and insert yourself into their lives, unless, like the movie, you are searching for a mom, dad, or child from whom you were separated.


The technology exists to obtain and analyze DNA, so entrepreneurs decided to capitalize on and exploit people's natural curiosity to grow this into a money-generating racket, (cough cough), industry. Companies even have the capability of ascribing you a wellness score.  If you are living well, and then are informed you are pre-disposed to some catastrophic disease, that's all you'll be able to think about.  Sometimes, it's just better off not knowing.

A Different Plot For Hallmark

Fans appreciate when Hallmark generates a different plot instead of recycling the same old ones, so My Christmas Family Tree accomplishes that goal. 

Vanessa Hall loses her mom at a young age and is placed in foster care.  It's no wonder she would be anxious to find her father--she's an orphan.

When Vanessa meets Richard for the first time, she asks him all the questions that would be at the tip of our tongues, too.  How did you know my mom?  Did you know she was pregnant?  Did you look for her?

It's nice to think that Richard's wife would embrace Vanessa and quickly absorb her into the family, but is her reaction to the news realistic?  I daresay such a revelation would deliver an unexpected blow to a marriage and result in an enormous amount of tension.  The reaction of the children to Vanessa is much more practical.  Aiden doesn't hide his feelings that he'd much rather have a brother than another sister.  Amelia is rude and unwelcoming, and Caitlin is initially indifferent.

Hallmark's "My Christmas Family Tree"
Image:  Crown Media

In time, Vanessa wins over the whole family and acts like the mature, big sister she is--except for the fact she's an adult and lets the family do all the cooking and only shows up to dinner when called to the table, like a child.

There is a bit of a plot hole in this movie, despite how well-received it is among fans who are more than happy to overlook it:  When Vanessa learns of her paternal match, her father receives the information as well.  Yet, when the DNA company calls to tell her a mistake has been made and she's not Richard's daughter, Richard does not receive the notification this time.  


Any honest person would have immediately shared the mishap with the family, but we're supposed to believe Vanessa kept this life-changing news tucked away because the moment was never right to bring it up.  Yeah, okay.  

Oops, there is another mistake.  Vanessa is Richard's daughter after all.  Is this someone's first day on the job at the DNA company? 

Despite the hype and accolades this movie has received, with many fans saying it's their favorite 2021 release, it's fairly unremarkable.  The biggest draw is undoubtedly Andrew Walker, who seems to exude an extra healthy glow in this movie and is as handsome as ever.

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