We Need a Little Christmas Plot Summary
A single mother juggling a grieving child and facing her first Christmas without her husband develops an unexpected friendship with the neighbor.
Starring: Erica Durance, Patrick Sabongui, Lynn Whitfield, and Azriel Dalman
Image: Hallmark Media
Main Characters Are the Least Interesting
Add Julie (Durance) to the long list of Hallmark characters whose spouses have died too soon, leaving her to shoulder all the responsibilities of parenthood and the family business. Yawn.
Peter (Sabongui) owns a popular eatery--The Old Place--that has been in his family for 75 years. When Julie wanders into his restaurant after a hard day and he learns she's an architect, he hires her to modernize his business while leaving enough of its history intact for ambiance and charm. As the two work together, feelings supposedly develop, but none of it can be felt by the audience. Durance's performance is icy, her mannerisms are similar to Eloise Mumford's, and she generates no spark with her co-star who looks like Tony Shaloub from the mystery series, Monk.
Patrick Sabongui
Tony ShaloubThe heart of the movie can only be felt through the next-door neighbor, Irene (Whitfield), and her relationship with Julie's son, Gavin (Dalman).
Gavin is sent to Christmas Camp while his mom works, but he's quiet and too shy to join the other kids. Irene knows just how to bring him out of his shell, but it's a process. He gravitates to her instead of his peers, but eventually, he develops the confidence he needs to open up with other kids and his own mother.
Julie continues their family's Christmas traditions to keep the memory of her husband alive, not realizing this is upsetting her son. The reminders only make Gavin sad. Julie learns this from Irene and then resents that Gavin feels more comfortable talking to her than his own mother. She realizes only her pride is wounded, so she gets over it.
Irene knows all about grief. She lost a child in the military, her husband died, and she had to raise her grandson all alone. She's a dear soul who has learned to stay active in the community and help others to bring her life joy and meaning. When she learns her grandson won't be able to come home for Christmas, Julie and Peter join forces to create their own Christmas miracle by bringing him home--another trope Hallmark has used to death.
The Perfect Gift
One sweet moment of the movie is when Gavin tries to mimic his father's mission of finding Julie the perfect Christmas gift. Gavin and Irene choose a memory chest, which Gavin decorates and fills with memories, like his dad's cologne, a pinecone from the backyard of their old house, and a giraffe from their day at the zoo.
Warning: When Gavin gives his mom the gift, it is a Kleenex moment!
It Does NOT Take a Village to Raise a Child
Julie relies on others to help her with Gavin, so she repeats another progressive ideal of left-wing Hallmark producers: it takes a village to raise a child. This is an African proverb meaning parents can't handle the job alone of raising a child and that they need help from other trusted adults in the community.
This is false. It does NOT take a village to raise a child; it takes a family no matter how much liberals would like the state to take over and indoctrinate while parents play a secondary role.
It's a phrase that sounds nice in a movie, but there is no substitute for parents and family. It doesn't mean parents can't tap resources, but no one should have a say in raising a child or shaping their belief systems other than parents. Period.
My Christmas Tree Rating
The sweet bond shared between Irene and Gavin is lovely, but the chemistry between the leads flatline in this movie. The magic show from Irene the Great is embarrassingly lame, the storyline is redundant, and the Christmas vibe is missing, earning it only two out of five Christmas trees.
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