I am thinking that this year Hallmark is trying to push out all the movies that they know aren’t all that great early, in order to build us up to something really good coming our way. I refuse to believe anything else or I am just going to be very disappointed. Everything Christmas was anything but good.
Because this movie was just not hitting the spot for me.
I have a theory, that Hallmark is giving us one good movie a weekend in order to make us appreciate the good ones more. Yes, I am sure that is really harsh, but here we are. I feel like there are a lot of good intentions, but what it feels like is that we’re getting movies that move Hallmark forward and then we’re getting repeats of the same stories that have been done before.
I think that Everything Christmas had every intention of being innovative. It just fell short for me.
WHAT IT’S ABOUT: Lori-Jo, “LJ” (Busby), is a Christmas enthusiast who is excited to travel to Yuletide Springs over the holidays to honor her late grandmother. They had always wanted to take part in the town’s tradition of making a wish while placing a special ornament on the town tree. She talks her friend Tory (Barrell) into travelling with her, though Tory’s work obligations have her feeling stressed and not in the Christmas spirit. During their journey, they cross paths with a very friendly town Santa named Kris Kringle (George Masswohl), who may be the real deal and seems to appear just when they need some extra help. Along the way, they meet Zach (Sevier) – a tow truck driver whose passion for everything Christmas rivals LJ’s – and Jason (Wells), who helps Tory see that there is more to life than work. The road trip merriment continues, with stops along the way at small-town Christmas attractions, and it’s clear there are sparks of romance. But when a series of events puts a damper on their plans, a little Christmas magic may put their trip back on the right path.
IT’S GIVING: Santa Claus is real and drives Bella’s truck, but he’s not in Forks. He’s everywhere. And he’s not saying ho, ho, ho.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCE: Katherine Barrell. She’s the person that is most relatable to in the show.
SCROOGISH THOUGHTS: When it comes to work, I am a workaholic. I admit that I don’t know how else to be and if my boss came to me and said that I have to cancel my vacation because of work…
Well the possibility I would do that would be high.
But for Lori-Jo, who takes Christmas spirit to a whole new level, she’s not having it. She’s got a mission – to hang an ornament that her and her Grandma made on a tree in a town that she’s never been to. And I do get that she wants to honor her Grandma’s memory.
Now, that’s a beautiful thing for anyone to do. Honoring memories and traditions, in my opinion, is what the holidays are all about. It can bring a sense of healing and can also bring a sense of regret.
For Lori-Jo, nothing is going to stop to her from taking this road trip. She even talks her workaholic bestie/roommate into going with her.
While I love the entire aspect of the road trip and them influencing each other, I have to admit, to a certain point, it was kind of boring. I didn’t like the fact that both of them only seemed to find themselves when they found a man. Now, while I am all for the prospect of love and finding it, I do have to admit, that I would have probably liked this movie more if it wasn’t them making it through because of men or men influencing them in any way.
Why? Well, because for me – Lori-Jo making this trip was about the girl that her Grandma showed her that she could be and the strength that she has. It was about these two women were finding a life outside of work and a way to be able to balance their lives.
I always love a hint of Santa Claus, because I do think that the spirit of Santa Claus is always alive. While it was never said the man with the beard, red truck, and who gives gifts with purpose was Santa, that’s what I am going with. Why? Because all implications point to the way that is what is.
While Everything Christmas was filled with a lot of Christmas spirit, it falls short because of what I consider a poorly executed script. My Scrooge heart remains as cold as ice.
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 but the movie over all is just 🎄.