A Throwback to the Olden Days

This was a typical old-school standard issue dyed in the wool “Hallmark Christmas Movie”. It hits all of the buttons and no trope is left behind. Abby is an ambitious successful New York City home designer who is all about “go go go” and taking her company to the top. She has just snagged a huge contract to design a condo and retail development in the New York City area. We meet the corporate mogul who has just hired her for her devotion to work and profits. She has adopted her father’s motto, ” You don’t stop when you’re tired you stop when you are done.” And, of course, she has no problem working through the Christmas holidays. This developer guy, Antonio, exudes menace and ruthlessness. There is no need for him to twirl a non-existent mustache because it’s all in his eyes and tone of voice. Actor Ray Galletti does a very effective job in his role.

Abby receives a call from her sister, whose husband’s grandfather has just died, and left them his old Victorian house. She needs Abby’s help and expertise to renovate and flip it because they need the money. The two sister’s mother has recently passed and their devastated father has come to live with her because he also lost his company and his pension. So much for that motto. He lives in the family’s made-over garage and she wants the profits from the house to expand the family home so Dad can get out of the garage and live inside the house. Plus they are living paycheck to paycheck. This is a little more depressing than usual for Hallmark, I have to say. Abby is a good person in spite of her big-city workaholic ways and is happy to come to the picturesque and idyllic small town to help out over the holidays. She will work on her new big-city project remotely.

What her sister does not tell her is that Grandpa’s will left half of the house to the local carpenter/handyman/do-gooder who does not want to sell the house but turn it into a B&B because it will be more of a benefit to the community. Also, Bo doesn’t really have any other visible means of support as he never sells anything but is always donating his projects and working for free. So just the opposite of Abby. They both start to renovate the house at the same time hoping to work it out mid-job (?). In addition to their opposite philosophies and personalities, the initial antagonism between the two plays out pretty well. The conflict between them is for good reason, not some stupid high school misunderstanding that has festered for years. Both of their plans for the house are worthy, and both will not give an inch. (When they can’t agree on a paint color the room ends up in alternating stripes. Those crazy kids.). There was plenty of tension and I was semi-engaged in their struggle of wills when all of a sudden all of the drama left the building like air out of a balloon. They start to like each other for no apparent reason. We know this because they start to smack each other playfully with their paintbrushes. The flirty shenanigans commence and continue unabated with Christmas activities thrown into the mix. Cue Christmas tree cutting and the snowball fight.

The rest of the movie follows the formula to a “T” involving Abby embracing small-town values, saving a park from the evil developer. The word “gentrify” is used many times in this movie with the same tone one might say “salmonella poisoning”. And of course we have the last minute temporary break up because it’s Abby’s fault the park is in danger in the first place. Sound familiar?  Must I go on?

I can’t be too hard on this. The stars, Ashley Newbrough and Marcus Rosner are attractive Hallmark veterans. I have no problem with them. The comfortable formula has its place, and, indeed is treasured by a certain segment of the Hallmark audience. There is no controversy, No gays (that we know of), and only the lightest smattering of diversity. For GAF devotees who still sneakily look at Hallmark movies, it’s just what the doctor ordered for the hectic and stressful Holiday Season.