When it comes to movies on The Hallmark Channel at this time of year, you can normally expect that everything is very formulaic – it’s that whole if it ain’t broke don’t fix it vibe. But this year Hallmark has decided that they aren’t going to stick with what is necessarily, but they are going to try and push it a little and really – it’s working.
There are so many things that Hallmark falls a little short at, but they do accomplish one thing – they spread the holiday cheer.
Coyote Creek Christmas stars Janel Parrish and Ryan Paevey. Paevey is a Hallmark staple, and Parrish is making herself well known on the channel. Both are great actors, but I do have to admit, I wondered how their chemistry would be together.
I knew I would watch the movie regardless, because it’s Hallmark and I am trash for holiday movies.
Though I didn’t expect much, I can admit when I am wrong. Coyote Creek Christmas was a heartwarming movie, filled with drama, love, and Christmas cheer.
The Plot
“Paige (Parrish) offers to plan the annual holiday party at her parent’s hotel in the Rockies, the Coyote Creek Inn, which will surely help her score a promotion at the upscale event planning company she works for. She decides on a “Christmas around the world” theme, to showcase the universal magic of the season through the diverse Christmas traditions of the Inn’s guests. Dylan (Paevey), a charismatic real estate developer and single father, is visiting Coyote Creek for the holidays with his son. What Paige doesn’t know is that her parents are planning to sell the Inn and that the potential buyer is her new acquaintance Dylan. The fate of the Inn and Paige’s relationships are both left for the magic of the holiday season to decide.”
As we’re all growing up, we have ideas of what life should be like, because we see people around us. We see the love, the traditions, and the moments that are to set a standard for the lives that we are going to live.
For Paige, the Coyote Creek Inn has been everything. Sure, she’s off living her life, planning events in the city. But heading home every year, her families Christmas party, and the security of the Inn.
And this year, her parents want to scale back on Christmas, but Paige doesn’t want to hear that as a possibility. Christmas is what she looks forward to and what she believes the community looks forward to. So it really doesn’t matter what her parents want. She’s going to talk them into it.
And they give in, because they are hiding their own secret from her. They want to sell the Inn. It takes up all their time and they want to travel and experience the world. They just know that their daughter won’t want that. She won’t want to loose the inn.
But here’s the thing – secrets always have a way of rising to the surface.
One thing that I love about Hallmark movies is that there is always a meet cute or a meet hate. But whatever it is, there is always a connection between the characters that you are watching. And when Paige meets Dylan and his son, there is a connection that I wasn’t sure that I would feet, but that I can’t look away from.
The thing is – it’s a reminder that you really can’t judge who will have chemistry without seeing them together, because these two show you that chemistry is alive and well in this movie.
Paige is trying to be the hospitable, partly because it’s her job at the inn, but mostly because it is her personality.
Dylan is a workaholic, but a devoted father. His son Noah is insanely smart, driven, and wants nothing more than to have adventures with his Dad. Dylan and his brother own a development company and his brother has talked him into going to Coyote Creek to scout the inn.
When he arrives, he’s expecting a short time there, where he does his job, spends time with his son, and the journey onto the Grand Canyon for a Christmas with his son. The wrench in the plan is Paige.
The thing I love and hate about Hallmark movies is how quickly people fall in love. It’s not a bad thing. It’s one of those things that tells you to look at things in a different way – to open your heart to the possibilities. Seeing people through open eyes and having an open heart is something that is beautiful, a lesson that we can all learn.
Dylan is keeping a secret from her – for her parents. He hasn’t told her that his company wants to buy the inn, but here’s the thing, secrets always have a way of coming out. And for Paige, the secret comes out and shocks her.
And she – inevitably – feels betrayed. I don’t blame her, but I also don’t think it was Dylans place to give her the truth. It was her parents and they weren’t ready.
But through the normal twists and turns, she’s angry and then she finds her way back to realizing that Dylan is the best person for her. Neither one of them expected the other person to happen in their lives, but they are glad that they did.
Overall, Coyote Creek Christmas, was a genuine surprise that made my heart swell and fill with smiles. Definitely one of Hallmark’s better holiday movies and will fill your heart with holiday cheer and feelings of love.