Hoppy Christmas!

As is often the case when a Hallmark has no one in the cast I am a big fan of, and the plot seems the usual standard fare, I did not hold out much hope for this one. But I sucked it up and devoted 2 hours to it last night. Although it did not not exceed my expectations, it had a few aspects that rescued it from utter mediocrity. First, I liked the craft beer angle. Wine has been overdone (in the movies) as has confections. They leaned into the process pretty well, and it added some interest.  Second, the main antagonist provided some tension and suspense. He was a curious and layered character. Ultimately he was a bad guy who behaved atrociously, but who was, at times, rather sad and pitiable. It also managed to avoid some bad behaviors that plague Hallmark couples. Specifically, conducting the romance under a cloud of lies and obfuscation. Of course, one of them is accused of lying, but it he wasn’t. Lies and romance are hard to separate in any fiction, not just Hallmark.

Katie Leclerc plays Joy, a former champion skier, who is trying to keep her family’s small craft brewery and bar from being absorbed by the corporate meanies trying to buy them out. Her main competitor, Frosty’s, I think, is owned by her former ex-boyfriend. He is all about the bottom line and only sells mass market national brands. So a clear definition between Good and Evil according to Hallmark. The ex seems to be working against Joy constantly while trying to get back together with her. It’s confusing. Our Hero, Zac, is a lover and connoisseur of craft beers but is a representative of one of these national brands and is there in Vermont on some kind of business related to Frosty’s. He is also meeting his formerly estranged father there later to cement their new found bond by going skiing. Zac is a terrible skier and he gets Joy to give him lessons. So between the Craft Beer and the skiing, the romance happens. Also a contest happens for the best craft beer, the winner of which will receive a national distribution deal from Zac’s beer company.  When Joy’s recipe for the beer she is entering in the contest is stolen, she blows up her romance with Zac by accusing him of the espionage, completely forgetting that she left her weasel of an ex and long-time adversary who has a history of bad behavior alone with the recipe. Needless, and I do mean needless, to say, Joy prevails with Zac’s help, and skip skip skip, her brewery/pub is saved and Zac decides to stay in Vermont.

I like Katie LeClerc all right. She gets the job done and looks younger than her years. And, bonus, her forehead wrinkles when called for.  John Forrest,  who played her ex-boyfriend really brought the creep factor, which was compounded by the fact that he was supposed to be her same age, but looked a lot older than even the 6 years that separate the two actors. Funnily enough, Ryan McPartlin, who looked very age appropriate for Katie, is actually 5 years older than John Forrest. Somehow, it all worked. This is one of those Hallmarks which telegraphs everything that happens well in advance but that chugs along to the end without anything to really love or hate.