Jolly Good Christmas Plot Summary
When an architect hires a personal shopper, he finds himself in London in search of the perfect Christmas gift but finds something he wasn't looking for.
Starring: Will Kemp and Reshma Shetty
Image: Hallmark Media
The Most Popular Comment Made About "Jolly Good Christmas"
Scroll through any social media group to see how Hallmark fans are reacting to Jolly Good Christmas, and you will quickly see the consensus is this: Will Kemp should not have used an American accent. To his credit, he sounds quite American, proving his versatility as an actor, though from the way he drawls out the end of his sentences, one might think he perfected his dialect from watching old Westerns starring John Wayne. I found myself wanting to add "pilgrim" to the end of many of his lines. My husband, who tries to tune out romcoms when I'm watching them, even piped up with, "Why is that guy slurring his words?"
Will Kemp's British accent is what charms fans--it makes him so classy and debonair, especially when he's suited up and clean-shaven (in real-life, he is usually quite scruffy!).
Rather than Kemp's character being an architect from New York who relocated to London, script writers could have just made him a British architect without it altering the plot at all.
The Gift Whisperer
It's rare to see anything unique in Hallmark movies these days but placing a character in the occupation of a professional shopper building her brand while writing a book on the subject is a much-appreciated twist from the norm.
The movie may have you reassessing your gift selections for this coming Christmas! Many families rely on wish lists now to guarantee recipients will like what they receive, but gifts that come from the heart based on how well you know each person are always the most meaningful. Although Angi Patel never gives up trying to score the perfect gift for each person she shops for, she ultimately concludes the perfect gift for everyone is one-size-fits-all: love!
Another Obligatory Gay Couple
Hallmark continues to pollute their movies with LGBTQ characters to normalize perversion, and Jolly Good Christmas is no different. The character of "Callum" is David's co-worker at Fitzsimmons + Associates, and he's married to another man. David even consults Callum on finding "the one," as if someone given over to a reprobate mind would be the one to ask.
There's more than a brief glimpse of the gay couple, so if you find this offensive and not family-friendly, as many do, then avoid this movie. Callum and his, cough, husband, host a Christmas party, support David throughout the movie, and share a kiss. 🤮
My Christmas Tree Rating
Kemp reached the pinnacle of Hallmark success in his role as "Roman" in
Christmas Waltz. Fan expectations are high, and
Jolly Good Christmas can't deliver. It's an "okay" movie aside from the gay element.
The movie is a comedy-of-errors at times, which is entertaining, and Kemp's and Shetty's roles are skillfully performed, but magic is lacking. The London setting is beautiful and the plot veers in a unique direction, but it's not a movie worth watching more than once, earning it only two out of five Christmas trees. Overall, it's jolly disappointing.
Image: Hallmark Media
With such incredible talent I feel Hallmark should have given him an amazing story and role. This one was just ok.
ReplyDeleteMy jolly good reaction involves that Mack Sennett--type chase through the streets of London as the couple is pursued by store detectives for supposed theft. And has there ever been a funnier 'Ah-ha' than Will's when the shopper asks whether he is purchasing a gift certificate for his girlfriend. The trailer haf me laughing each time I saw it.
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