Hot Teachers and a Hanukkah Crossover Event...Week EIGHT Hallmark Christmas movie review!
I’m not sure I’ve ever said this before, but this week we had quite a variety of movies! It was a break from our usual holiday meet cutes and quite frankly that was MUCH needed.
We are getting close to the end with only a handful of movies left. Even though this season has been mediocre at best, I’m going to miss this when it’s over.
A Dance in the Snow: 8/10 ⭐
File this under…a lovely surprise! Melanie is a single mom to Jenny, who is a senior in High School and has autism. Melanie is determined to make her last year in school memorable, and partners up with handsome Lit teacher Daniel to throw a fantastic Christmas Dance that is inclusive and accessible for all the high school seniors.
Melanie starts catching feelings for Daniel while Jenny starts catching feelings for a new in town classmate. This movie is really beautiful because mother and daughter are both figuring out their independence as they get closer to Jenny’s last days in high school.
I really didn’t expect to love this because I just don’t love the movies with lots of adulting and real stuff, but this movie is just FILLED with so many people looking out for one another and putting good into the world. Also, handsome Lit teacher + Single Mom is an epic pairing!
Private Princess Christmas: 3/10 ⭐
This movie was a TOUGH HANG and without the last half hour I don’t think it would have even cracked 3 stars. This is really the worst offender of “not a Christmas movie” and there is very little that held my interest, except for idea of a fictional European country names “Wingravia.”
Violet is next in line for the Wingravia throne but lacks any direction, so she goes off to a ten day “leadership bootcamp” in America to learn about service and community. She trauma bonds with Captain Ryan while also finding her sense of purpose.
There’s absolutely NOTHING Christmas-y about this movie until some very feel good scenes with veterans the last half hour. It all very slow and boring though - this is a skip.
Sugarplummed: 8/10 ⭐
I think some folks will be shocked that I rated this so high, but hear me out. Emily is a mom of two constantly working to create the perfect Christmas for her family. She’s overworked and overstressed and one night makes a wish for her Christmas to be as wonderful as “a Sugarplum Christmas,” one of her favorite made for TV movie series. Low and behold, “Sugarplum” shows up IRL and helps Emily cross off all her Christmas tasks. Sugarplum’s festive antics backfire spectacularly in the real world, and Emily learns that the perfect Christmas is really just about the people you love, not the stuff you do!
I have been waiting for a Hallmark movie like this for a LONG time. This comes very close to breaking the fourth wall, and is chock full of Hallmark making fun of Hallmark. If you’re deep into these movies, you’ll understand that most of this movie is an inside joke and very self aware. It’s a much different “finding the meaning of Christmas” story than anything in recent memory.
Leah’s Perfect Gift: 8/10 ⭐
A Hanukkah/Christmas crossover event! A first for Hallmark. Leah is Jewish but has always loved the festive fun associated with Christmas. She finally gets the chance to experience a big family Christmas when her boyfriend Graham invites her to Connecticut to meet the family.
Awkward moments ensue when Graham’s parents are FROSTY (at best,) and keep a tight schedule of Christmas that require mandatory participation. I actually think this is more of a “real world” type movie because a lot of things that unfold would happen in a typical “first time meeting the family” gathering. We get uptight parents AND THEN the return of an ex girlfriend….all situations that Leah navigates with more grace than I could ever muster up.
Besides the parents being SO UNLIKEABLE, there is a lot to love in this movie. Connecticut at Christmas, family traditions, a very funny little sister, NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP! The end is the icing on the cake - I loved it!