“So What You’re Trying to Say is This Town Makes You Feel Like You’re Living in a Christmas Movie.” “Isn’t It Awesome?”
We’ve made it! The final Christmas movie I recorded in 2024. I saved a fun one for last with Believe in Christmas.
This movie follows Beatrice (Meghan Ory) and her best friend Emilia (Lindura). The two have spent Christmas together for years doing their own traditions, but this year, Emilia wants to shake things up. The Christmas lover of the two, she’s excited to have won an all-expense paid trip for two to Christmasland, a town in Massachusetts that goes all out to recreate that Christmas movie experience. Beatrice tolerates their traditions, but she gets talked into going along.
While there, Beatrice starts spending time with Ethan (John Reardon), the inn owner’s son. Despite her best efforts to remain skeptical, Beatrice begins to fall under the charm of the town and fall for Ethan in general. But where does the act the town puts on end and real feelings begin?
Emilia is a fan of Christmas movies, so she provides the commentary as we go along. While this isn’t quite a wink and nod laugh fest like Galaxy Quest, there are some laughs at the analysis of the Christmas movie cliches. The movie leaned into them when it suited and then commented on them when it suited as well. I will say this particular aspect provided a nice twist on the act three complication, which I appreciated. And yes, there are some nice laughs along the way at the commentary.
But the movie really does tell a great story. Since the leads are married in real life, their chemistry pops off the screen. It was easy to root for them to figure things out and get together in the end. Watching Beatrice slowly melt as she experiences the joys of the town was also great.
I do have a nitpicky question. Emilia wins a contest for two. Yet they have separate rooms. Wouldn’t a contest be for two people in one room? I mean, would this inn really have two extra rooms waiting for guests, depending on who won the contest? As I said nitpicky, but that did bother me.
This may have been the most decked out Christmas movie I watched, which is understandable given the town. And it was fabulous. I enjoyed seeing all the lights and decorations.
The acting was good, and the writing was pretty believable. This didn’t fall too far into the low budget cheese that some of these movies can.
Really, Believe in Christmas is a typical Hallmark Christmas movie elevated by the knowing wink to the cliches of the genre. But, if you are a fan of the genre, you’ll appreciate that wink.
Will I do this again? I hope not. This was a bit much. So I just need to not pay any attention to the movies that come out in the future, right? Because I don’t know if I could just do one or two a year. Too many with stars I like or fun sounding premises.
This movie is part of this DVD set.
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