Take Me Back for Christmas

This is one of those "my life sucks and I wish it was different and then instantly I wake up and it is!" movies, which could have felt stale or derivative...but somehow feels fresh and that is in large part thanks to it's lead played by Vanessa Lengies. She was fantastic! At first I thought her reactions to waking up in her new life were campy and over the top...but I am not so sure I wouldn't freak out if I woke up a ceo in New York, with my deceased mom alive, having a chic haircut, amazingly stylish wardrobe and apartment...in fact I just might have passed out seeing the closet alone! I have total wardrobe envy still!

Renee has a rough day in her real life and wakes up in her dream life...only it's not as she and her husband aren't together. Can she figure it all out before it is too late?

I really liked that there were no real villains in this film, I loved that they picked an actress who could really have been her mom (Paula Boudreau) and I appreciated that from beginning to end she loved her husband Aaron (Corey Sevier). But what really makes this film is Vanessa Lengies as Renée. The adorable elf Cici, played by Kimberly-Ann Thuong, was a nice touch and added to the holiday theme. The sets and wardrobe were amazing and deserve a note, as does just the right touch of holiday decorations...even in her corporate office there is a tasteful blue, white, and silver Christmas tree. I love the fun that she had with her opportunity in this new life. I also really appreciate her idea to save her company and what she does with her last moments with her mom. The end is precious. I wouldn't change a thing.

This was a totally delightful entry in the Hallmark Holiday vault and I highly recommend it to my fellow romantics and independent women out there.

Vanessa Lengies has come a long way from the beauteous but spoiled airhead Joanne Charis character she inconsistently played in 2006's Stick It (with an intimidating Jeff Bridges as co-star). She has matured gracefully both physically and professionally in her acting skills. This is highlighted in this most recent starring turn in a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie. It is shown in the onscreen chemistry she has with her romantic co-star and director, Corey Sevier. It is most apparent in her surprisingly sensitive and earnestly sympathetic portrayal of a character that might have been given an over-the-top simpering touch by other actresses in Hallmark's roster.

The movie itself is derivative with the usual tropes and cliches but Sevier kept the pace and balance evenly to focus on the movie's characters (thankfully no caricatures) and themes. Every year Hallmark has at least 1 home run of a movie. I haven't seen all of Hallmark Channel's 2022's Christmas offerings and this one's for 2023 but I think it may be a top contender. I'm giving it a solid 8.

PS.

I think Vanessa Lengies might be Alan Rickman's daughter.

There's so much to love about this particular Hallmark movie. I was pleasantly surprised how much I genuinely enjoyed it. The story is very well written and well thought out, which cannot be said for many TV romcom movies. The acting is topnotch as well. Vanessa Lengies and Corey Sevier are perfectly matched and pull off their roles with aplomb and then some. Their easy chemistry and comedic skills are particularly notable. Kudos to Kate Pragnell for crafting such a terrific script and to Sevier for his directing skills as well. Lengies really shines and connects, with Sevier, with the actress who portrays her mom (Paula Boudreau) and with the audience. This one is worth watching over again for its message and all-around enjoyability. It won't be a surprise to me if it ends up being one of Hallmark's most successful movies of 2023.

This movie is very much centered on the heroine, Renée. Both of the leads were charismatic, and I appreciated that the elf wasn't an old white guy.

The heroine was a bit of a wimp in the workplace, in both scenarios. That seems especially unfortunate in the fantasy, where she is supposed to be an über-successful businesswoman.

For much of the movie, this very fact frustrated me. However, I think it was necessary in order for the ending to have all the emotional resonance that it did.

Several recent Hallmark movies have been, shall we say, cluttered with multiple couples and several subplots. This script does not have that issue; since we always follow Renée, the plot is very unified.

Christmas aside (it was a minor part of the story and actually could have been Thanksgiving or no holiday at all), this is a sentimental story about balancing family, friends, work, and personal ideals.

Our protagonist has a lot going on: work, husband, mother, and house--as well as fear.

I love the genre of going back in time or into an alternate dimension. It's always fun to see the individual in flux while getting familiar with the new setting into which they have been magically placed.

Self-discovery is always interesting to me and I found the ways of the protagonist's learning in this film to be unique--we're talking tear-jerker potential.

Endings and new beginnings. Love and loss and love. A romcom happy ending.