It’s very rare that it’s difficult for me to talk about a movie that I both loved and felt meh about. But it’s not for the reasons that you think. Honestly, Hallmark, I don’t know what happened – because I both wanted more and I both wanted different. I was confused. Under the Christmas Sky is that movie that did this to me. But lets just dive into it.
It’s About This: Kat (Kennedy) was an astronaut on the rise until a car accident left her with a blind spot, halting her promising career. With Christmas being her favorite holiday, her parents and brother Andy (Andrew Bushell, “The Spencer Sisters”) try to lift her spirits, filling her time with cookie making, tree decorating and holiday shopping, but Kat is still missing her driving spark. When Andy learns of an exhibit at the local planetarium he immediately thinks of Kat, and with a little nudging, she agrees to consult. Kat is paired up with curator David (Paevey), who isn’t thrilled to have outside “help.” When tasked with incorporating community involvement and Christmas into their planning, their different approaches – and personalities – cause them to clash. Eventually, Kat and David find some common ground amid the magic of Christmas and their shared love of space, and their holiday exhibit opens as a resounding success. Riding the wave of their big win, and not wanting to part ways just yet, David and Kat are inspired to create an additional event – a Santa tracking party on Christmas Eve. As their time working together comes to a close, and Kat is presented with a job opportunity and a fresh start out of state, their new connection and growing feelings for one another are put to the test as they try to decide just what the future could hold. But, a little Christmas spirit will help these two find their way to happiness on Christmas day.
Standout Performance: Andrew Bushell who played Andy, was too much fun. He captured every scene that he was in. He made me laugh and quite honestly he was great. I loved his enthusiasm
My Scroogish Thoughts: Lord, I wanted to love this movie. I truly wanted to love it. After all it’s got Jessica Parker Kennedy and Ryan Paevey – who couldn’t love and want to see them in all the movies. They are two of my favorites. The issue is, I am not sure that I did love this movie. I am conflicted.
Where do I begin?
Under The Christmas Sky wasn’t a bad movie. The thing is that it is so unlike anything that Hallmark has done that I don’t know how I felt.
Kat Butler has spent her whole life wanting to be an astronaut. She was set to go into space, but an accident has left her with a grey spot in her vision. She can’t go, because it is permanent and she has to have 20/20 vision.
When you spend your whole life wanting to be something and it’s taken away from you, what do you do? Personally, I would crawl into a hole and stay there. Depression would overtake me. But Kat, she’s not going to let that happen. She keeps trying to improve her vision and her coordination. She listens to her best friend, Jenna, who suggests that she helps at the planetarium.
The planetarium had contacted the National Space Program to have a consultant. It’s lucky that Kat’s specialty is the sun and that’s what the whole thing is about.
Enter the sexy, brooding curator, David. He’s hesitant to have someone help him, but he doesn’t have a choice. David loves his job and he loves his daughter. Lily is the sweetest and most amazing kid. She loves space and is entranced that Kat is an astronaut. She is enamored with her knowledge and her way of communicating with her.
Kat and David have to find a way to work together. David seems to be a little hesitant to what Kat wants to do, but the way that the find a way to work together is great. Jessica and Ryan have chemistry on the screen and are endearing. I loved them together. I loved the way that they were on the screen together.
I loved them and I loved the storyline. I loved the way that they were together and the way that they played off each other. I loved the fact that every scene that they were in together, I loved.
The thing that I didn’t love was that it felt like – to me – Christmas was forced into the movie and it would have been better as just a movie where Kat and David worked together.
This movie wasn’t bad. It wasn’t bad at all. It just didn’t feel like a Countdown to Christmas movie, and that is what is holding me back from giving it a great rating. If it wasn’t the Christmas part in the movie, I would have loved it. Or maybe if they found a way to take us out of the planetarium and give more Christmas. I don’t know.
The whole conflict with David and Kat at the end, I was just so taken out of the situation, because I was so focused on the fact that this movie would have been better without the Christmas aspect. I would have loved more of the National Space Program, what Kat went through, and more about David and his daughter.
I truly wanted to loved this movie. I don’t know.
It just feels odd to me. I don’t know.
It just is very hard for me to review this movie, because I did love it, I just didn’t feel the Christmas cheer from it.
Holiday Cheer Factor: 🎄🎄
