If you’re like us, you’re rereading all of the descriptions of the upcoming Countdown to Christmas movies. We’ve been wondering which ones we’ll watch a million times, which ones we will love, and which ones we won’t. Holiday movies are always hit or miss, even though they all follow the same formula.
It’s about the writing, the acting, the setting. Movies are a collaborative effort – the people on the screen, as well as people behind the scenes are what make a movie great. It all translates to the screen and makes a movie that everyone can relate to.
Some would say that I am the ultimate Scrooge, but that they see something different come out of me when I watch a Countdown to Christmas movie. Maybe it’s an escape from reality (which I think that we all gladly welcome in our lives), maybe its the seeing families go through the hard times and come through it all, maybe it’s seeing dreams come true. I am not sure what it is, but I do know that it’s the time of year that I look forward to the most
So narrowing down the ten movies that I am looking forward to the most – well that isn’t easy. Not easy at all. But who said life was easy?
Joyeux Noel
Stars: Jaicy Elliot, Brant Daugherty
What It’s About: When a romantic painting of a Christmas market captures the imagination of copy editor Lea (Elliot), she is sent to France with pragmatic reporter Mark (Daugherty) to uncover the mystery behind the artist.
Why We’re Looking Forward to It: TBH, it’s all because of Jaicy Elliot. She’s amazing and I love her movies. Plus there is the whole France angle and I love France, especially at Christmas time.
Flipping for Christmas
Stars: Ashley Newbrough, Marcus Rosner
What It’s About: It’s almost Christmas when busy realtor Abigail (Newbrough) agrees to help her sister with the “simple flip” of a recently inherited home. Unfortunately, co-beneficiary Bo (Rosner) has other plans in mind.
Why We’re Looking Forward to It: We love movies that seem like they contain the enemies to falling in love trope. The angst. The intrigue. And hey, flipping a house seems like a lot of fun!
A Merry Scottish Christmas
Stars: Lacey Chabert, Scott Wolf
What It’s About: When estranged siblings, Lindsay (Chabert) and Brad (Wolf) Morgan travel to Scotland at Christmas to reunite with their mother Jo, a big family secret is revealed.
Why We’re Looking Forward to It: We love the original Party of Five, so getting. to see two of our favorites brings back nostalgia, but also makes us so excited for A Merry Scottish Christmas. You know and then there is also the fact it’s in Scotland.
Catch Me If You Claus
Stars: Italia Ricci, Luke Macfarlane
What It’s About: Avery Quinn (Ricci) is an aspiring news anchor who’s finally getting her big break on her station’s Christmas morning newscast. But that’s put in jeopardy when she captures an intruder in her home wearing a red suit claiming to be Chris (Macfarlane), Santa’s son, who is on his first mission. A night of adventure ensues as they find themselves being pursued by the police as well as some
shady characters. Along the way, they connect over living in the shadow of their parents and inspire each other to go after their dreams.
Why We’re Looking Forward to It: Don’t get us wrong, we love Luke Macfarlane, but when it comes to Italia Ricci, we’ll watch everything. We’ve loved her forever. We will watch everything she is in.
Christmas in Notting Hill
Stars: Sarah Ramos, William Moseley
What It’s About: Famous soccer star, Graham Savoy (Moseley), has always been too busy for love, but when he comes home to Notting Hill for Christmas, he changes his mind after meeting Georgia (Ramos) – a visiting American and the one person who has no idea who he is.
Why We’re Looking Forward to It: There is our love of all things British, and then our love of Sarah Ramos and William Moseley that make us excited for this one. Besides the trope of not knowing that someone is famous and falling for them… count us in!
Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up
Stars: Lacey Chabert, Wes Brown, Stephen Tobolowsky, Melissa Peterman, Ellen Travolta, Seth Morris, Jennifer Aspen
What It’s About: As the holidays approach, Emily (Chabert) and Jared (Brown) are looking forward to celebrating the holidays together again, this time as a couple. Emily, now embracing Evergreen Lane’s uniquely festive spirit, is ready to work with Jared, Ned (Tobolowsky), Mary Louise (Travolta) and Pamela (Peterman) to make this year’s Christmas celebrations the best yet – even if being the HOA president’s girlfriend doesn’t stop those dreaded decorating citations. When a house on the
block goes up for sale, it causes quite a stir with residents. When the soon-to-be neighbors turn out to be holiday royalty (Morris, Aspen), it looks like this year’s competition is about to heat up. As the welcoming committee prepares for the new arrivals, only one thing is certain – this Christmas, Evergreen Lane is going to sleigh!
Why We’re Looking Forward to It; The first one was one of our favorite movies of last year. We always look forward to a sequel of a movie we loved.
Never Been Chris’d
Stars: Janel Parrish, Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes, Tyler Hynes
What It’s About: Home for the holidays, BFFs Naomi (Parrish) and Liz (Lamothe-Kipnes) reconnect with high school crush Chris Silver (Hynes). A complex love triangle forms, forcing them to take stock of their lives and find the value of friendship.
Why We’re Looking Forward to It: Look, we love a love triangle. We do. But what we also love is Tyler Hynes and we’ll watch all the things with him. Then, not to mention Janel Parrish. Huge PLL fans over here.
CHRISTMAS ISLAND
Stars: Rachel Skarsten, Andrew Walker
What It’s About: When a snowstorm diverts Kate’s (Skarsten) first private flight en route to Switzerland to Christmas Island, she must team up with an air traffic controller (Walker) to secure her dream job as the family’s pilot.
Why We’re Looking Forward to It: We love a movie about dreams coming true and fighting for them. We love it when it’s a woman that is fighting for a job (and hopefully getting it) because hey, woman can do anything.
And also, from experience, getting caught in a snowstorm isn’t always that bad.
Sealed with a List
Stars: Katie Findlay, Evan Roderick
What It’s About: This holiday season, festive Carley (Findlay) sets out to conquer her list of abandoned resolutions from last year. Aided by coworker Wyatt (Roderick), she finds love and the confidence to chase her dreams.
Why We’re Looking Forward to It: Maybe it’s because we have a lot of resolutions we haven’t gotten to. Maybe it’s because we need to find a way to conquer our resolutions. But the thing is – one movie thing that we always love is a person finding themselves along the way.
A World Record Christmas
Stars: Nikki DeLoach, Lucas Bryant, Aias Dalman
What It’s About: Charlie (Dalman) is an autistic boy determined to set a Guinness World Record by stacking 1400 Jenga blocks. His mother Marissa (DeLoach) and stepfather Eric (Bryant) encourage him to reach for his dream and they all celebrate when he gets the good news that he’ll have get his chance on Christmas Eve. In the spirit of the holiday, they organize a fundraiser giving the townspeople an opportunity to donate and decorate a Jenga block, with the proceeds going to benefit kids with autism. Charlie’s journey to setting the Jenga world record gives them all the chance to learn more not just about themselves, but about what family really means.
Why We’re Looking Forward to It: The premise. Sign us up. We love movies with hope and inclusivity. This premise… we know
What movie are you looking forward to this Countdown for Christmas?
