Yahoo Lifestyle The Best & Battiest Moments From This Past Weekend’s Holiday Movies
Once again it’s the season to be merry and watch every new holiday movie as it debuts! Each Monday, we’ll take a look back at the previous weekend’s premieres to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with a new list of superlatives.
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Worst Example of Spycraft
I’m no expert, but in the age of Ring cameras, I don’t believe The Christmas Charade’s FBI Agent Josh (Corey Sevier) should be talking through his plan to gather intel on a suspected jewelry thief while on the man’s doorstep. Nor should he pause there upon leaving to lament not finding anything incriminating and announce that he’ll now focus on catching him in action at the ball!
Biggest Laugh
Bless The Christmas Charade for its low-budget climactic stunt in which Agent Josh miraculously tossed that rope over a flimsy rooftop flag pole, grabbed hold of librarian Whitney (Rachel Skarsten), and slid down multiple stories in the position pictured above. How strong do you have to be to support your weight with one hand each and not get rope burn? “Jump first, think later,” Whitney said. Indeed!
Best Twist
For this, we do need to give The Christmas Charade credit. We did not see “Whitney’s home-security expert parents being retired FBI agents” coming. Clever to have them be suspicious of Whitney’s new “boyfriend,” call an old colleague to have him look into the guy, and piece together the plan to swap out the $10 million necklace and do it themselves. And the suspected thief’s wife being the real mastermind? Well done.
Best Pop Culture Reference
We love when Hallmark Channel goes meta. So while we enjoyed The 5-Year Christmas Party’s excellent Friends “Pivot!” reference while maneuvering a Christmas tree, we’ll go with aspiring theater director Alice (Katie Findlay) devotion to watching Ashley Williams’ holidays movies: “Listen, Ashley Williams is about to go and find love in a small town that may or may not be in a snow globe or a painting or both, I haven’t figured it out yet,” she said before inviting actor Max (Jordan Fisher) to join her. Fun fact: Christmas Party writer Zac Hug also penned Williams’ Sister Swap films.
Best Crier
Bravo to The 5-Year Christmas Party’s Jordan Fisher for having that tear fall right on cue, as Max told Alice that he’d spend Christmas with her — only if they could spend the rest of the year together as well. Katie Findlay also applied the perfect amount of waterworks, brushing tears from her cheek and chin while not missing a beat of dialogue.
Worst Cliché We’ll Begrudgingly Allow
Jim Cantore should look into this weather phenomenon: Why does it always start to (CGI) snow right when a couple is about to kiss? You know The Christmas Charade won’t be the last time we see it. (We’d suggest having it snow from the start of the scene, and using some kind of practical fake flakes that come to rest on the actors’ hair and coats, as seen in The 5-Year Christmas Party’s first balcony tête-à-tête.)
Debate of the Week
What is the best traditional holiday song to play for a romantic dance? Is it “The First Noel,” which separated couple Lauren (Alison Sweeney) and Kevin (Niall Matter) consider their song in Hallmark Mystery’s This Time Each Year? Or “O Christmas Tree,” which plays on a phonograph as Prince Alexander (Mitchell Bourke) and his love Olivia (Rhiannon Fish) share a “perfect Christmas moment” outdoors in Great American Family’s A Christmas Castle Proposal?
Most Unnecessary Flex
We’re all for Hallmark movies acknowledging that situations sometimes arise in life when men are shirtless. But Kevin rolling up his T-shirt sleeves to change a tire in This Time Each Year was distracting, in a bad way. If he had to be practical, he should have just worn a muscle tee.
Most Consistent Headscratcher
The Time Each Year was full of questionable choices: Kevin working at a bar when he’s in recovery. Lauren asking Kevin (and their young son, who loves pretend!) to act like they’re still a couple and stage Christmas with her mother (Laura Soltis), who hadn’t been told the couple separated 10 months ago. Lauren’s mother suggesting her priceless angel be displayed for a high-traffic open house. All that to get to the admittedly moving moral: Treat life like kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing and embracing imperfections in pottery.
Travel Tip Most Worth Remembering
If you are transporting a rare nutcracker for auction, and you’re told you need to check your bag at the gate, as Tristan (Christopher Russell, only briefly bearded) was in Hallmark Channel’s Operation Nutcracker, you take that nutcracker out of the bag and carry it with you. We saw the name tag fall off Tristan’s suitcase. How did frequent flier Dave (Darryl Hinds) not have one on his or check that he was leaving the airport with the correct luggage?!
Surest Sequel Coming Our Way
We’d be up for Whitney joining the FBI officially in The Christmas Charade 2. But it’s safer to assume Great American Family will be hosting the royal wedding of A Christmas Castle Proposal’s Prince Alexander and Olivia, turning that franchise into a trilogy.
Sexiest Xmas Sweater
We’ll say it: Olivia’s silver fox father Henry (Andrew Buchanan) made us swoon with this cozy cardigan in A Christmas Castle Proposal. He also looked great in a tux. So let’s make sure that royal wedding is a winter one.
Christmas Time Is Here! Your Guide to 90+ Holiday Movies on Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix and More in 2024
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