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
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Hallmark's "The Nine Kittens of Christmas" Trivia QUIZ!

The Nine Kittens of Christmas Plot Summary

Zachary and Marilee are thrown back together at Christmas when they're tasked with finding homes for a litter of adorable kittens.

Starring:  Brandon Routh, Kimberley Sustad, and Gregory Harrison

The Nine Kittens of Christmas
Image:  Crown Media

Hallmark Throws an Interesting Curve Ball

One thing is guaranteed with every Hallmark movie:  the guy always gets the girl.  In 2014's The Nine Lives of Christmas, Zachary and Marilee ended up together, and until 2021, fans assumed their happy ending continued.

The Nine Kittens of Christmas begins with an unexpected twist--Marilee has moved away from home and has a new boyfriend, Miles.  In addition to being romantically involved, the couple co-own a veterinary practice.  

The biggest hurdle facing Marilee and Miles is that he is a workaholic who doesn't make time for her and the things that are important for a healthy romance.  When Miles reneges on joining Marilee at her sister's house for Christmas, she pulls the plug on their relationship.  Marilee has reconnected with Zachary anyway and realizes she still has feelings for him.


When fans love a Hallmark movie, they often ask for a sequel.  Sometimes, Hallmark delivers.  A sequel usually picks up from a budding romance and progresses to marriage--just think of Lacey Chabert and Brennan Elliott in the All of My Heart trilogy.  The Nine Kittens of Christmas gives us a broken couple who must find their way back to each other, which isn't as common, though it's not unheard of-- Taking the Reins and Cranberry Christmas are two examples that work the same way.



The Movie Has Several Funny Moments

Did you catch Paul Campbell's cameo in this movie?  Campbell and Sustad have starred together in A Godwink Christmas, Wedding Every Weekend, and Christmas by Starlight; fans adore them as a couple.  Even Zachary senses Marilee is drawn to Mason (Campbell), but she passes their "moment" off as just answering Mason's questions about adopting a cat since she is, after all, a vet.

One of the most laughable moments is when Marilee loads ice cream into her grocery cart at the store.  Marilee is the stereotypical female who likes to drown her stress and sorrow in ice cream, but when Zachary spies her in the store and calls her name, she pushes the cart far away from her so he can't see what she is doing.  


Zachary and Marilee have a "Cat Café" to unload more kittens, and as they mingle with the crowd, they deliver some funny remarks to help their cause.  For example, Zachary tells people, "I tell my cat everything.  What I spend on cat food I save in therapy."  Cat owners can relate!

The tree lot scene is filled with amusing double entendre.  Zachary and Marilee use the same metrics to pick the perfect tree, so it's no surprise they both land on the same tree in the lot.  Marilee is decisive, however, and Zachary is not, so she walks away with it, leaving Zachary a bit deflated.  She delivers the barb, "Next time you find the one, don't drag your feet."  Ouch!

Whether you're a cat person or not, The Nine Kittens of Christmas is pretty "paw-some!" 

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