Hallmark's Open By Christmas Plot Summary
Hallmark describes the plot of Open By Christmas this way: When Nicky finds an unopened Christmas card from a high school secret admirer, she and her best friend Simone search to find and thank the anonymous author.
Starring: Alison Sweeney, Brennan Elliott, Erica Durance, and Michael Karl Richards
High School Can Scar You For Life!
Unless you were in the elite class of popular kids who sailed through high school unscathed from emotional trauma, the majority of us had our share of painful moments that stuck with us throughout adult life.
Once you graduate and are released into the real world, you realize the microcosm of high school is a very small pond in the big ocean of life. At the time, however, the whole world seems to exist inside the walls of your high school. You are judged, branded, and categorized by others who have the power to accept or reject you. Classmates decide whether you will fit in or not. High schoolers place far too much emphasis on the opinions of others when it comes to their self-worth.
With high school behind you, you quickly find that the new people you meet in college, at work, or other social constructs have no pre-conceived notions of you. It's like starting fresh with a clean slate, and you get to leave all the haters far behind you.
If you have any bad memories from high school, they will fade, but they are never entirely forgotten. A little of that hurt remains stuck in the deep recesses of your heart and can be a source of insecurity, if you let it.
What negative experience(s) do you remember from high school? Feel free to share them in the comment section so readers can support you and raise a middle finger to those who are responsible for them!
In Open By Christmas, Nicky is brought to tears when she finds the loving card from a fellow student. Being a math genius with a load of math awards under her belt, Nicky never felt like she belonged in high school. Had she known someone, like her secret admirer, held her in high regard, it would have given her a much-needed boost of confidence.
Nicky's dominant memories of high school include not fitting in and humiliating herself during her valedictorian speech. Despite achieving her career goals and owning her own company, Nicky is still nervous about attending a Christmas party with Simone and Jeremy because it's being hosted by one of the high school cheerleaders.
Why would Nicky be intimidated by an old cheerleader? You know why! While we certainly can't judge all cheerleaders by the antics of some, there is a stereotype that fits all too often. Do you remember the cheerleaders from your old high school? They were the snobs who stuck together and looked down their noses at everyone else. In retrospect, you learn they were popular because they were banging the football team, but at the time, a clear divide existed between the cheer team and everyone else.
Nicky gives the cheerleader the benefit of the doubt, assuming her former classmate has also grown up and changed for the better. She's wrong. The cheerleader drops snarky remarks, all with a fake laugh, and only serves vegan-type foods at the party, proving she's still a shallow goody two-shoes. This time, however, Nicky is the better person and doesn't let it get to her.
Relatable "Mom" Moment
One thread throughout the movie all of us moms can relate to is Simone's anxiety over only having three years left with Anthony before he's grown and gone.
When your children are little and require a ton of time and attention, it seems like they will need you forever. As they grow older, however, you realize they've become the independent people you've trained them to be. It's a catch-22. You've done a good job raising them, but then you have to let them go. Of course, many kids leave home and still remain close with their parents. Others, however, move far away, and moms are lucky to ever seem them.
Parenting is not for the faint of heart.
Understanding the importance of maintaining communication between a parent and her child is what finally helps Simone and her soon-to-be-mother-in-law find common ground.
How Will Long-Distance Work?
Many Hallmark movies include the conflict of figuring out how to make a relationship work when the leading lady and leading man both live in different cities. The one with the most portable job usually moves, though that is not always the case.
In Open By Christmas, Hallmark doesn't try to solve this dilemma for us. Nicky's parents sell their house, so we know Nicky isn't buying it and moving her business there from New York. Derrick's real estate business is well-grounded, so it's hard to imagine he'd want to leave, though he could. We may never know. Still, we can rest in the confidence that one way or another, Nicky and Derrick will live happily ever after.
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