Une invitation inattendue pour Noël

I enjoyed this 'Christmas in July' Hallmark movie. The plot was a bit more 'grown up' as another reviewer has pointed out, and the acting was very strong. The underlining message too was warm and heartfelt, which is what one might expect when watching a Hallmark movie. The storyline revolves around Maggie Collins (played by Amy Acker), who is awkwardly invited by her ex-husband Jeff's (played by Kristian Bruun) girlfriend Kate (played by Brooke Nevin) to spend Christmas with them and the children at her parents' estate in Aspen, Colorado. The plot thickens when Kate's brother Sam (played by Warren Christie) shows up for Christmas. Noticing that Maggie is struggling with seeing her daughters spend time with the new girlfriend/family, he makes her an offer to help her 'beat' his sister in the 'competition to win Christmas'. Little did they know that such a partnership would lead to something much more. Though the plot was very 'Hallmark' (predictable), it dealt with real-life issues common in the US; i.e., how parents and children deal with blended families after divorce, especially during the holidays. The script was strong, though I would have liked a bit more development of a backstory as to why Maggie and Jeff divorced. The dialogue between the two leads (Maggie and Sam) was engaging. Indeed, the chemistry between Amy Acker and Warren Christie was quite convincing on screen, I felt. The hot springs scene towards the end, for example, felt authentic. Warren too had some nice warm scenes with the daughters. Overall, both had excellent performances. The supporting cast was strong. The two daughters (played by Summer Howell and Myla Volk) both had very cute performances. If I am being honest, it did take me a while to get used to Kristian Bruun's performance as Jeff (the ex-husband); it seemed awkward at times. The movie too had a bit of your typical Hallmark festive cheer and Christmas spirit. In particular, I enjoyed the Reindeer Relay. The wrapping paper ornaments were a new one for me as well. And, of course, it would not be a Hallmark movie without the building of a gingerbread house. The music in this one was also done well, especially during the reindeer relay scenes, something that Hallmark and Lifetime don't always get right. All in all, it was a wonderful way to begin the 2021 Christmas season (in July). I highly recommend it.

The very fact that the premise is so unlikely for any of the participants to actually go along with is the strength of this movie. What mom would agree to this? Even more so, what new girlfriend would create the invitation? So many people complain (including me) about Hallmark's lack of fresh stories - this one is different.

At first, Kate is too perfect. And Brooke Nevin handles this quite well and even more so as the cracks in her façade appear.

The self-deprecating, clumsy, insecure Maggie is right in Amy Acker's wheelhouse. Many of us first knew her as Angel's Winnifred, but Acker has since been so many other personalities. Hallmark has used her, twice I think, but I think they should do so even more going forward. Actually, Acker probably overdoes this role slightly, but this personality is important in the story, so it's not surprising she has to really sell it.

Yes, Angst. The situation is unlikely because it's awkward and full of angst, and all the main actors bring this out. The insecurity of a mother afraid of losing her daughters to a step mother. A possible step mother afraid of competing with the real mom for both her possible husband and the girls. An ex-husband and boyfriend caught in the middle trying to reconcile them all but making mistakes that only make things seem worse. Isn't all this realistic?

There is a little more depth in this story than the usual Hallmark Christmas movie. It's not quite up with Two Turtle Doves, or Holly & Ivy, but this movie isn't the same old fluff like so many we get between late October and the first of the year.

I liked that there were no villains. In so many movies where there is a rival girlfriend or rival boyfriend, that person is developed into a villain. Often, the writers turn that character at the end to make them into an understanding and forgiving person. I never like either trope. It doesn't feel natural. But there doesn't have to be a true romantic rival here and thus there doesn't have to be a villain. These are real people trying to do the best they can for themselves and for two young girls. It's true that Jeff is wrong in a few ways including blaming Maggie for the situation, but it's only because he too is trying to dig himself out of a mess, and everyone's first reaction to a mess is to find someone to blame.

I thought the ending was a hair anti-climatic so maybe not a perfect score for this movie.

Very nice to see a realistic scenario with divorced parents and dealing with the holidays. They are way too nice to each other (must be the Christmas magic), but it makes the movie sweet. Really enjoyed it.

Maggie (Amy Acker) is a single mother of two daughters. When her ex (Kristian Bruun) asks if the girls can spend Christmas in Aspen with his girlfriend Kate's (Brooke Nevin) family, it upsets Maggie's holiday traditions. When they ask if she wants to come too, it means some unusual relational dynamics will be at play. Things really get complicated when Kate's brother Sam (Warren Christie) unexpectedly comes for the holidays and is attentive to Maggie's needs.

Each of the characters is dealing with strong feelings, which ebb and flow with each happening or revelation. There really are no villains in this story, just miscommunications and realistic interpersonal concerns.

The cast is uniformly strong, giving each character its due in the emotional dance that envelops them all. The ending is satisfying, but open enough that a sequel could even make sense. I would watch it.

For a made for TV Christmas rom-com that didn't even come out on Christmas this was pretty great. There are many shortcomings due to the way it is produced but despite all that, it is much better than it has any right to be. An awkward family gathering and a romance around it is not a new concept but the family dynamics that are kind of entirely new with the exes prospectively going for siblings while thinking about their kids have been dealt with nicely. Amy Acker was so charming that even some of the over the top moments became much more believable. I wish this was an actual Hollywood production with a few cast changes which would've really made this a great Christmas rom-com.