A Christmas Movie Christmas Review

“Oh, it’s so nice to have you girls come on back to your hometown from the big city for the holidays. Maybe you can help us plan our annual Christmas bakeoff while we decorate the tree and figure out who is sending Millie all those gifts from the 12 Days of Christmas. So many birds!”

Eve and Lacy are sisters who live together and work together. They’re both struggling – Eve at work and Lacy in her personal life.

One night, while out for a walk because their power went out, Eve makes a wish as they walk past Santa: to have a perfect Christmas like in a Christmas movie – with beautiful decorations, a grandma who cooks, and a handsome beau.

The next morning, she and Lacy wake up as the stars of that very Christmas movie in UPtv’s 2019 movie, “A Christmas Movie Christmas”.

Our Review: A Christmas Movie Christmas

Welcome to Holiday Falls. Population: Perfect.

“A Christmas Movie Christmas” is simply amazing. The movie manages to both make fun of and celebrate Christmas romance movies at the same time – no easy feat.

There are so many funny references throughout the film – read on to read some of our favorites. The writers really know their Christmas movie cliches and tropes. The writing is sharp and there were no groan-worthy attempts at jokes.

Even though much of the film is parody and comedy, like every good Christmas movie there is some serious heart to it.

Eve and Lacy essentially personify “nice” and “naughty” – but to the extremes, as Eve is so nice that everyone passes her over her at work (her boss doesn’t even know her name); meanwhile, Lacy is naughty, destroying relationships intentionally and burning bridges at every opportunity.

Even how the sisters react to their new circumstance (being in a Christmas movie) is telling – Eve calls it a Christmas dream, but Lacy thinks it’s more like a Christmas nightmare.

Their individual journeys lead to a great ending that wraps up everything – Eve and Lacy learn lessons from their Christmas movie experience and apply them to their real lives. Both learn to believe in themselves, with Eve becoming brave and Lacy becoming a better person.

“A Christmas Movie Christmas” is both wildly original and yet also incredibly similar to every Christmas movie you’ve ever seen and loved on Hallmark, Lifetime, or elsewhere. The closest comparison we could think of is that it’s like a much funnier version of “Christmas Perfection” (2018).

The Nice List

Great Acting & Chemistry

Eve and Lacy have great chemistry as sisters. Both did a great job with their characters, making us truly care about them.

In terms of romantic chemistry, it was cool how it was set up for Eve to be in love with Russell, her dream man (the celebrity rich guy), until she actually meets him. And she discovers that she’s actually in love with Dustin, the average Joe (and innkeeper) whose potential has been staring her in the face the whole time.

Paul and Lacy also had good chemistry. Paul was great overall.

Not to mention Gram Gram. She is amazing!

And London, too – the “token adorable child”.

All the Christmas Feels

You’d have to be a “scrinch” to think this movie didn’t feel Christmasy. It was a visual overdose of Christmas.

The funniest detail was the fake snow. It was super obvious that it was all fake. But even the “fake” things in the movie seemed staged intentionally for an over-the-top funny effect.

Other magical moments: the scene where Eve decorated as if by magic and later when Dustin and Eve carol perfectly, much to Eve’s surprise (“Wow I sound amazing here!’), was just awesome.

Basically, just imagine anything you’ve ever seen in Christmas movie, and it’s probably in this movie. Happy shoppers, carolers, a hot chocolate stand, snowball fights, Christmas cookies, gingerbread houses, a wish-granting Santa – even a random gift-wrapping station. (And that’s just a very small sampling).

Our Favorite Scene

The ending. Eve stands up for herself at work to her boss and is happy to be reunited with Dustin in the real world.

Lacy was also genuinely changed and seemed so happy to see Paul.

You’ll Laugh…

So much! There are so so many funny moments.

Among our favorites:

• The newspaper headline: “Christmas Wedding: Prince of Norgravia to Marry Commoner!”
• The poinsettia / Christmas tree farm discovery (and squee!).
• Paul is super funny – he’s perfectly cast to play that stalkery but sweet Christmas movie boyfriend. The running gag of the hand-made cards in the red envelopes with her name on them is hilarious. His dancing, his ugly crying, even the way he walked with her, he just nailed it.
• MONTAGE! (Plus, after the montage, when Lacy says she can’t believe they got everything done so quickly is doubly funny, considering the pacing issues of so many Christmas movies).
• “Thank you, token adorable child.”
• When Gram Gram tells Eve to “KNOCK. IT. OFF.”
• Lacy: “Is the entire economy of this town based on giving things away?”
• When Noele introduces herself – “Noele Saint Vanderkloot of the Solen Vanderkloots.” (Such an obscure/deep cut reference from “Coming Home for Christmas”! Love it!)

Too Many Christmas Movie References!

Speaking of references, so many times in “A Christmas Movie Christmas” they reference or parody something else that happened in another Christmas movie. So go watch them all and you’ll see. 😀