But a few weeks ago, I watched a couple of them when I was home sick. And now I'm complete trash for them especially for the ones on Netflix which leads me to this post.
Yesterday, I watched The Holiday Calendar and swooned the whole time. This movie is about a young photographer named Abby (Kat Graham) who wants to be taken seriously in her career, but her parents don't approve and want her to get a "real" job. (She works as a photographer in a JCPenney type store taking pictures of kids with Santa Claus.) Then her BFF, Josh (Quincy Brown) comes home and she has to choose between him and this perfect single dad (Ethan Peck) all while trying to figure out the magic behind the titular Holiday Calendar she receives from her grandfather (Ron Cephas Jones).
Did you guys know that Ron Cephas Jones from this movie and This Is Us is the father of Jasmine Cephas Jones from Hamilton? I am probably the last one to cross this finish line, but I had to get that off my chest that I found that out after watching this. Please don't judge me.
Anyway, I thought this movie was really cute if not again completely predictable. Both male leads were definite eye candy and I think they both had their merits, but I was extremely happy with how the romance turned out. I do wish that the movie had ended on an engagement or something. This movie is about a magical Advent Calendar so I don't think that plot point would have been too unrealistic.
I loved how this movie featured an interracial family and a biracial main character. There are so many Christmas rom-com movies out there that focus on mainly white characters and it was a refreshing change. I thought Kat Graham played a relatable lead character struggling to work at something she considers her passion. In the middle of the movie, she hits a rough patch and I definitely could see myself in her in the midst of her pigging out and smelling of "Cheez Doodles and sadness" as her sister tells her.
The magical Advent Calendar idea was done well, in my opinion, and I need one like now.
In conclusion, The Holiday Calendar was a cute one and definitely got me into the holiday mood.
Yesterday, I was again home sick, so took the time to watch The Spirit of Christmas.
Tough as nails lawyer Kate (Jen Lilley) is given the job to appraise an old inn after the owner has died. There's just one wrench in the plan: the inn is haunted by the ghost of one of its former owners, Daniel (Thomas Beaudoin).
I came into this one extremely skeptical and watch completely prepared to hate watch it. I thought the synopsis sounded too cringy, but I was surprised...in a good way. This may have just become one of my favorite Christmas rom-coms ever.
The movie wasn't predictable at all. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, it took me in the opposite direction. I thought the plot (the characters trying to figure out why Daniel became a human in the 12 days leading up to Christmas) was original and wanted to solve the mystery just as much as they did. The chemistry between the romantic leads was through the roof, and every time they were on screen together, I wanted to melt. This is another movie where the magic of Christmas is at the forefront, and I don't think it's too saccharine or cliche. Well, okay, maybe it's the tiniest bit cliche. There were some spooky bits in this movie, and I actually jumped a few times. I mean, it's not The Haunting of Hill House creepy, but I am a scaredy cat who jumps when my dog jumps on my bed in the middle of the night so there's that.
The only thing I didn't like so much is how the main character, Kate, is portrayed as being unavailable and unopened to love. Why is it that career women are portrayed that way? Yes, she's a borderline workaholic but does that really have to mean she's emotionally unavailable?
I don't think I can say much else, because I don't want to give anything away, But just suspend your disbelief for an hour and half and give this movie a chance.
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