Full Transcript for Love Under the Mistletoe

And uh let's do uh a few fun facts with Rich before we uh get into our actual review, if you don't mind. 00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:05.680 All right, of course. 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:17.360 So this one uh was filmed up in North Bay, Ontario, which is a lakeside uh town about four hours north of Toronto, and it was filmed in the summer in August, and it was really, really hot. 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:20.080 So, yes, a lot of fake snow in this movie. 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:32.639 Uh writer Ainsley Gordon, she wrote the character of Grace with Jen Lilly in mind, which is kind of interesting because a lot of times we know that writers sometimes might have somebody in mind, but they rarely get the actor or actress that they they want. 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:35.360 So, but uh she got Jen Lily in this one. 00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:41.120 And speaking of Ainsley Gordon, the writer, she is actually, in addition to being a writer, she is a Juilliard-trained actress. 00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:44.479 So she's done a lot of acting uh as well as writing. 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:45.120 Wow. 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:50.560 Jen Lil Jen Lilly was an executive producer on this movie as long as uh as well as our lead actress. 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:55.280 And speaking of Jen Lily, she still has the burgundy dress that she's wearing at the end of the movie. 00:02:55.360 --> 00:02:58.479 She liked it so much they let her keep it when the film was done. 00:02:58.639 --> 00:02:59.520 So very cool there. 00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:00.400 It was a beautiful dress. 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:01.680 I really like that look on her. 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:03.360 Yeah, it was really nice. 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:09.439 If you notice a little size difference between uh Nick Bateman and Jen Lilly in this movie, it was real, just to give you an idea. 00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:13.199 Jen Lily is five foot two, Nick Bateman six four. 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:13.919 Oh wow. 00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:16.159 So yeah, big height difference. 00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:23.280 And I think if you you saw that final kiss or whatever, you notice uh yeah, he he was he was he was a good foot taller than her plus. 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:26.240 And here's something I found really interesting. 00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:28.400 Uh some people might not have catch this. 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:29.199 I I did. 00:03:29.360 --> 00:03:36.479 There are only six speaking roles in this entire movie: Grace, Ryan, Olivia, Jack, Quinn, and Mayor Sammy. 00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:36.879 That's it. 00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:39.520 Nobody else has a speaking role in the film. 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:40.879 I did not catch that. 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:41.199 Wow. 00:03:41.439 --> 00:03:42.560 Yeah, yeah, pretty cool. 00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:44.000 And those are the fun facts. 00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:46.240 All right, let's dive into it, Renee. 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:48.159 Overall thoughts on this one. 00:03:48.719 --> 00:03:53.039 You know, I love the characters, you know, and I like the actors. 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:59.280 And I thought the story is is cute on paper, but I I had some slow moments for me. 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:04.719 You know, I was I was watching it and I look at, you know, I was like, okay, what time, how how many minutes am I into it? 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:08.560 I felt like I was, you know, I gotta be an hour into it, and it was 28 minutes into it. 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:09.439 I said, okay. 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:15.520 I mean, but I I was liking it, I just felt it ran, it just felt slow to me. 00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:25.759 You know, I I it's tough for me to say this because we gotta keep it real, but I you know, I like the actors so much, and I like the you know, uh the idea of this story, I think, is really cute. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:28.240 But yeah, it it dragged a little bit for me. 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:34.639 So we've we've thrown around the terms formulaic and throwback, cookie cutter. 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:42.720 I I have to say this is maybe the most formulaic Hallmark Christmas movie I have ever seen, and I'll explain why. 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:43.279 Yeah, okay. 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:46.879 So, first of all, we got the big the big business person, you know, in the big city coming home. 00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:49.360 That's Ryan coming back home. 00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:55.120 We have got the old crush there, you know, they're high school crushes, they bump into each other, of course. 00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:58.000 Uh, we've got you know, they they're planning an event. 00:04:58.079 --> 00:05:06.560 The town needs them to jump in and plan the Bows and Ribbons Festival because they're old, you know, they're not getting as much money from another cherry that they used to. 00:05:06.639 --> 00:05:08.399 So now they've got to plan an event. 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:11.600 Always in those formulaic uh Hallmark movies from 10 years ago. 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:20.480 And then, of course, we got what Hallmark fans call the BBD, the big bad developer that wants to come in and turn grandma's historic house into a condo tower. 00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:33.199 I mean, it's just that old formulaic on top of formulaic, and I mean, I just don't think in 2024 we see very many movies like this anymore. 00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:34.720 And that's when this movie was made. 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:36.240 It was made in 2024. 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:45.279 Uh we got it in 2026, and I started thinking what the heck happened here because you know you have two good actors, you have Jen Lilly and Nick Bateman. 00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:47.600 Um, you have a good director, Bradley Walsh. 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:51.600 She's done Hallmark movies like Catch Me A Few Claws and 'Twas the Day Before Christmas. 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:52.800 Really popular movies. 00:05:53.040 --> 00:06:00.639 But Angley Gordon, between November of 2025 and August of 2026, she's written four Hallmark movies.

00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:06.959 I mean, you've got to be a darn good writer to have four Hallmark movies written in f in nine months. 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:09.279 So you had a really good team here. 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:12.959 I just I'm going, why did this just fall so flat? 00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:19.360 And yeah, for me, I just like you say, it was slow, and and I I definitely couldn't get into this one at all. 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:22.560 Just the the the storyline didn't do much for me. 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:24.399 Their chemistry didn't do much for me. 00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:29.279 I like the actors, but uh boy, it's uh yeah, this one was a struggle. 00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:33.839 Yeah, and I wanted to like this one more than I did, but it just is what it is. 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:34.240 Yep. 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:36.399 All right, but we can always find things we liked in a movie. 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:37.040 And uh how about you? 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:39.040 What you uh what are some likes in this one? 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:43.600 Yeah, I like what I'm gonna call a re-meet cute moment. 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:47.439 You know, I liked when they remet again for the first time in I don't know how many years it was. 00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:49.360 I think it was 15, they said, yeah. 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:50.720 That's amazing. 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:59.199 So, you know, she looked cute, kind of fidgety with herself, nervous, and you know, and uh I I liked that interaction when they first met again. 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:05.920 I thought that was a really cute scene, and her silently mouthing either wow or woe after their interaction as she's walking away. 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:07.120 I thought that was kind of cute. 00:07:07.360 --> 00:07:11.199 Little simple things I liked, lots of Christmas colors in the outfits and decorations. 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:14.959 It was lots of greens, lots of reds, and it was odd. 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:23.759 The the main character I hit even had uh some purple, which I thought was an odd choice, but it was kind of interesting colors to have in the movie. 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:27.040 Uh, I also liked Mary Mary, excuse me. 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:28.160 I liked Mayor Sammy. 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:30.959 I thought her character was good, very likable. 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:39.279 Um, she's it was a nice move using the decorating contract for her in the storyline as a carrot stick to get Grace to decorate the house for the fundraiser. 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:39.519 Right. 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:41.360 And she's also very well put together. 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:42.720 I liked her a lot. 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:46.800 And Olivia's placement of mistletoes throughout the place. 00:07:46.959 --> 00:07:55.759 But in particular, in the restaurant where she's trying to set it up, and they all go there for lunch, or and then the table's already taken, and she's like, oh, you can see her face frustrated. 00:07:55.920 --> 00:07:57.279 I just thought that was so funny. 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:00.879 And just Olivia's scheming in general cracked me up. 00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:07.120 And she, you know, she uses the word operation mistletoe, which is what it's called in Hulu, on Hulu, and uh I thought that was kind of funny. 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:12.000 I just you know, there's a few other things, but I'll let you uh hit viewers uh see what you got. 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:16.000 Yeah, I I I thought it was really cute that they keep talking about how Grace likes rom com. 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:18.639 That's her favorite genre of uh of movie to watch. 00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:21.680 And of course, you know, we are watching a rom com ourselves. 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:24.800 I thought that was kind of a neat little angle to throw in there. 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:26.720 Uh, I like the decorations in this movie. 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:32.000 I thought they were really solid, uh, you know, all over the place, trees, garland hanging everywhere. 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:35.840 And one thing I specifically liked is I really like the look of the Christmas market. 00:08:36.159 --> 00:08:42.879 So sometimes some of the movies we've seen lately, it kind of looks a little cheap, little tables in that one Christmas construction. 00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:44.960 You know, it was kind of pop-up white tents. 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:47.279 These actually look like real market booths. 00:08:47.360 --> 00:08:50.879 I think they did a really good job with the uh the the Christmas market there. 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:55.279 I know it's gonna be tough to get much snow in the middle of August. 00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:59.360 Um, so they had to use Smart Official, but I really thought the market looked well done. 00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:01.360 So yeah, those are some of the things that I liked. 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:02.639 Yeah, I'm with you. 00:09:02.879 --> 00:09:07.759 All right, and this is where I I I had a few more than a couple, but things we'd fixed in a rewrite. 00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:10.480 Well, the the first thing for me was the pacing. 00:09:10.720 --> 00:09:12.639 It seems so slow, like I said at the beginning. 00:09:12.799 --> 00:09:15.039 As I said, I like the actress, but I was a little bored. 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:17.279 And I I don't know how to quite fix that. 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:23.200 I'm not a writer, I'm just kind of a super casual fan who watches Hallmark every week. 00:09:23.440 --> 00:09:30.639 And uh the the the other one, and this is you know me, I sometimes pick up things in shots, and it's continuity for me. 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:39.279 When they're making sugar cookies, there was a shot where he rolls up his sleeves, and the next shot is him rolling up his sleeves again, right? 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:41.759 So that's like a bad continuity thing. 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:56.000 And there was another one similar to that, where he holds up a sugar cookie

and he says, Oh, I'm gonna take a bite out of this, and then they show it again, and it has a bite taken out, and then he goes, Okay, here I am, gonna take the bite, and then they show the cookie again, and it's a full cookie. 00:09:56.159 --> 00:10:04.080 So these are not like rewrites as a story, this is just sort of continuity things that I that just kind of like I said, come on, you guys can. 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:08.000 I mean, 2024, Hallmark's usually very good at this stuff. 00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:10.240 Uh, the other one is in a rewrite. 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:14.320 I'd like to know how they got all those fears for the Christmas prank into that vehicle. 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:16.320 There were so many, they were so large. 00:10:16.480 --> 00:10:17.279 I don't know. 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:19.840 Under I don't understand how they did that. 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:25.120 And the last one for me is the scene where he tells her that he loves her. 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:28.559 Her reaction to me was just so bizarre. 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:36.639 She just kind of stood there, just kind of blinking her beautiful eyes at him, and I just kind of I did not understand her reaction. 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:44.159 If I had said that to her, I mean, aside from the fact that it kind of, you know, I don't know why that came out in that story at that time. 00:10:44.480 --> 00:10:47.120 But her reaction to me just blew me away. 00:10:47.360 --> 00:11:01.440 I didn't I don't know how I would have felt if I was on the receiving end of like watching a girl just kind of stare at me blankly like she did, and it's kind of not really react or respond in a way that I would have liked to have seen. 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:12.159 Uh, you know, those are I think I would have liked to have written that a little bit better to have a little bit more of a natural, at least what I would consider a natural reaction, considering that she loved Sim, you know. 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:15.679 Yeah, and I guess it'll be part of the mistletoe meter, I guess, when we get to it. 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:20.320 Uh since we consider dialogue and stuff like that for our mistletoe meter segment. 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:22.399 But yeah, that was I I caught that as well. 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:23.600 I'm sure you got tons. 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:24.080 Let's hear them. 00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:24.639 All right. 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:29.840 So the first thing is Olivia was trying way too hard to get Grace and Ryan together. 00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:36.720 Like it was cute the first couple times, but it went on the whole movie to like to the point where it was getting annoying there towards the end. 00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:39.039 It's like, oh, please just drop it, Olivia. 00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:52.399 Um, when when Ryan calls the mayor Madame Mayor instead of Madame Mayor, I I gotta think that was an air either in the script or he's just saying it wrong. 00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:55.840 But you you don't call someone Madame a mayor, it's it's Madame Mare. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:11:57.759 So I would have fixed that in a rewrite. 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:03.440 Um, you talked about the pace, and I noted this at the 31-minute mark. 00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:09.120 There's a scene that starts with Grace and Ryan, just the two of them, at grandma's house. 00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:15.919 That scene goes on for 10 minutes, just the two of them, literally, an entire like in-between commercials. 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:18.399 Um, no, they they never leave the house. 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:20.480 It's there's no other characters in there. 00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:22.639 To me, that slowed the entire movie. 00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:27.200 It wasn't super fast, anyways, but it just kind of came to a standstill there. 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:32.720 No scene with two people in one location should ever take 10 minutes. 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:35.440 And that that definitely needed to be rewritten somehow. 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:37.679 Break it up, shorten it up, whatever. 00:12:37.919 --> 00:12:44.399 And then my last one here is mistletoe does not have red berries, mistletoe has white berries. 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:47.440 What they showed in this movie wasn't mistletoe at all. 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:49.200 It was actually it was actually Holly. 00:12:49.759 --> 00:13:03.039 And and usually I'm gonna let that slide with Hallmark movies, but if you have the name mistletoe in the name of your movie and it's kind of central to the movie, which it was, you gotta at least get the mistletoe right and have mistletoe and not Holly. 00:13:03.279 --> 00:13:05.360 So those are my uh those are my rewrites. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:07.200 I did not know this about mistletoe. 00:13:07.360 --> 00:13:07.840 I'm glad. 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:08.240 Thank you. 00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:09.039 I learned something. 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:10.399 All right, favorite moment. 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:18.960 So this is where my I had a really a big struggle with this because I didn't really have one, you know, watching this. 00:13:19.039 --> 00:13:20.240 Nothing really stood out to me. 00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:28.000 So I just went with something kind of silly that I thought, unlike you, I got a kick out of Olivia's just going on about it. 00:13:28.080 --> 00:13:28.879 I just found it. 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:31.679 I the more she did it, the more I got a kick out of it. 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:36.960 So I have to say, when Olivia said Operation New Year's engagement, I lost it. 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:38.320 I was cracking up. 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:40.000 That just made me laugh so hard. 00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:42.720 And that would have been a funny second movie. 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:48.720 You know, they could have actually done one fairly quickly and had another one come out like that, you know, maybe this Christmas or something. 00:13:48.879 --> 00:13:56.159 But uh, you know, I had a I had a struggle

picturing finding something else that was a favorite moment. 00:13:56.240 --> 00:14:01.440 There's likable moments, but a favorite moment, you know, Olivia just saying Operation New Year's Engagement. 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:02.080 That's funny. 00:14:02.320 --> 00:14:08.399 So my favorite, I can't believe I think this is the third time that I'm using somebody getting dumped, but it's when Grace dumps Quinn. 00:14:08.720 --> 00:14:08.960 Okay. 00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:14.320 So first of all, Quinn brings her a coffee with five creamers and nine sugars, which I found. 00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:14.960 No one. 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:16.399 Yeah, yeah, come on. 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:24.320 But then, you know, she basically says, you know, she tells him Quinn, you know, I'm I'm looking for something more serious, and she kind of points over to Ryan. 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:31.840 And then Quinn, he either he doesn't get it, or he he just he's kind of clueless. 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:38.159 He goes, Well, you I'm sorry, I I can't help you there because I I don't think I'm at the point in my life where I uh I'm looking for anything serious. 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:40.720 So he doesn't understand that he's really getting dumped. 00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:47.600 And um, you know, it she's kind of looking just kind of like nodding, like, okay, yeah, we're in agreement then. 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:50.240 Okay, let's uh let's just be friends. 00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:56.399 But I thought he was trying to save face, like like saying, Oh, like, yeah, I wasn't looking for anything anyways. 00:14:56.480 --> 00:14:59.360 I I kind of thought he was, but yeah, well, I think I kind of misread that. 00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:00.159 I think that's what he does. 00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:08.320 He's basically saying, I'm not looking for things serious, but she's dumping him, but I don't think she re he really actually realizes that he's getting dumped for another person. 00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:09.519 Yeah. 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:12.879 So yeah, I thought I don't I I found that one funny. 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:16.000 Starting off with the coffee, and then uh just kind of the confusion. 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:18.879 I I'm not sure exactly what Quint's intent was there. 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:19.279 So yeah. 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:24.480 And I'm I'm bummed because that guy and I share the same name, so he's a Renee in real life, I think. 00:15:24.559 --> 00:15:27.600 So all right, best supporting character. 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:29.840 Uh, who could have had a little more screen time in this one? 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:39.840 Well, I was you know, Olivia's pretty awesome, but I went with her husband Jack, or Grace's brother, played by Stephen Belford, which we've seen before. 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:41.440 Uh, he's a good actor. 00:15:41.679 --> 00:15:47.039 I would have liked to have seen a little see a scene where he and Ryan reminisce more. 00:15:47.200 --> 00:16:03.440 I know they were talking a little bit about the old days, but I would like to have seen a little bit, not that guys talk this way, but maybe talk about Grace and more along those lines of like how he liked her back in the day and maybe things he would have done, or asking, you know, how come you left or why didn't this work out? 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:05.600 You know, I would have liked to have seen more of that. 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:11.120 Uh so he was the guy for me that I wanted to see a little bit more of because we did see plenty of Olivia. 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:12.559 So he was my guy. 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:17.759 I I really struggled because we only had six characters in this one that actually said anything. 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:20.480 Okay, so I'm going really rogue here, okay? 00:16:20.720 --> 00:16:30.320 I'm going with Mayor Sammy's husband because he was on he was on screen for like three minutes at the end of the movie, standing just right behind her, but never said a single word. 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:33.039 She never introduced her anything. 00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:38.720 And then she just the podium doing her little thing, she's standing right behind her again, but poor guy doesn't get to say anything. 00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:39.759 It's like, come on. 00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:45.039 So I'm going to rogue on this one, and I'm going to Mayor Sammy's husband, uh, who deserved a little more screen time. 00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:50.559 And let's let the guy speak a couple words while we're at it, and we can have we can at least afford seven speaking credits in this one. 00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:56.320 No, I must be tired from my flight this morning because I didn't even know she had a husband. 00:16:56.480 --> 00:16:58.879 I didn't even pick up on the poor guy in the background. 00:16:58.960 --> 00:16:59.519 Oh my god. 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:05.359 When the when they when the when they come to the ribbons and bows uh festival party at the very end there, she see they come in together. 00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:09.920 He's standing right behind her for like two straight minutes, but like he's he's just eye candy, I guess. 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:14.160 So I'm gonna have to rewatch that part just to see him because I honestly don't remember him. 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:14.880 Oh my gosh. 00:17:15.119 --> 00:17:16.079 All right, people love this segment. 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:23.200 It's called Are We Sure we call that the logic checks, uh suspension of disbelief that was just a little too crazy that that needs to be called out here. 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:27.039 And I I had so many in this one, I narrowed it down to three, but what you got? 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:33.759 Yeah, so the first major one for me, like that big tree that they decorated, like that tree was so so to me. 00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:38.720 Like, could have like, are we sure that's like how Hallmark would have a tree decorated? 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:41.920 I could have used more

decorations, it was crooked on the top. 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:44.799 You couldn't place I forget what that thing's called on the top. 00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:48.400 You know, you I thought it was just me, but it it was crooked, right? 00:17:48.559 --> 00:17:49.839 Yes, it was crooked, yeah. 00:17:49.920 --> 00:17:53.200 Okay, yeah, and it didn't have a singular point on top, it had like four or five. 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:58.000 So you couldn't put like a you know, you'd normally put like an a star or an angel up there or something like that. 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:01.200 You know, that had to just kind of be tied up there. 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:09.680 So I thought they could have done a better job decorating, considering they have these decorations, they've done it hundreds of times looking magnificently. 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:13.279 I don't know why this tree looked funny, like it was I reminded me like a Dr. 00:18:13.359 --> 00:18:17.440 Seuss tree, it was just like leaning forward, and I mentioned it already. 00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:20.799 Like, like, are we sure all those spheres would fit in that car? 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:21.920 That's you know, yeah. 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:25.759 And I don't quite get and you mentioned it just now. 00:18:25.839 --> 00:18:28.559 Like, are we sure that Quinn getting friend zone? 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:32.640 Like, I don't get why he had thoughts that he and Grace were more than they were. 00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:39.839 She always would was saying, you know, oh, you're a good friend, and I'll call you when I have nothing, you know, no one else to go with me. 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:42.400 Like, those are very obvious friend zone words. 00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:47.759 Any guy should recognize this if you're out there, you know, for all our male homework listeners. 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:57.279 But yes, you know, those words, like if those words aren't enough, then ladies pick a different word and you know, let that guy know you're deep in the friend zone because he did not get it. 00:18:57.440 --> 00:18:59.359 So I don't know why he didn't get it. 00:18:59.839 --> 00:19:00.720 Those are it for me. 00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:01.119 All right. 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:05.519 So my first are we sure is are we sure that Ryan would be wearing a suit every day while back home? 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:09.519 The guy the night never just puts on like a sweatshirt or a sweater or anything. 00:19:09.680 --> 00:19:12.400 He's literally in a suit and tie, and he's back home. 00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:14.960 He's not doing business, he's not working, he's just kind of hanging around. 00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:18.319 Even when he was baking the cookies, he was wearing a suit. 00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:21.039 I'm going, what I I just never you don't see that. 00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:23.519 I mean, you people change, they kind of go a little more casual. 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:25.279 So that's my first are we sure? 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:28.720 Are we sure their high school mascot would be called the polar bears? 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:30.880 Because and they they say it so many times already. 00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:41.119 I'm sorry, but unless your high school is in Alaska in the United States, you do not get to call yourselves the polar bears because Alaska is the only place in this country where we have polar bears. 00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:42.720 So it's another are we sure? 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:44.000 It might be someone, okay. 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:47.359 Are we sure that they would turn grandma's house and they take an aerial shot? 00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:52.480 It's like in the middle of this residential neighborhood amongst all these other kind of single-family homes on big lots. 00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:55.519 Are we really sure they would turn that into high-rise condos? 00:19:55.839 --> 00:20:01.599 I gotta think there's gonna be some zoning laws in this town that are gonna say, yeah, I don't think so. 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:04.559 Um, that that was just ridiculous. 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:05.440 Agreed. 00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:06.000 Yep. 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:08.079 All right, is this couple gonna last? 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:09.119 I don't know. 00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:19.119 Uh, I'm kind of taking a page out of your one of your recent reviews where you said, you know, they'll last about six months, and then he's gonna miss his work, he's gonna be bored there. 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:20.799 He left there for a reason. 00:20:20.960 --> 00:20:23.279 Uh he loves his work, he says. 00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:26.640 So I'm I hate to say this because I you know me. 00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:31.440 I love the hallmark spirit, but they're gonna last six months, maybe a tiny bit longer. 00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:34.720 I don't I like them, but I don't think they're gonna last 12 months. 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:36.400 Yeah, I don't see them lasting either. 00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:40.160 I first of all I like I I mentioned, I don't think the chemistry was that great between them and all. 00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:42.160 They haven't seen each other in 15 years. 00:20:42.400 --> 00:20:46.799 They've had a couple fun days together, but like you say, his business is back in New York, he's really good at it. 00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:49.039 I'm sure that's where all of his clients are. 00:20:49.200 --> 00:20:52.079 I'm interested, I don't think they ever said New York officially, did they? 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:57.359 Um but it was implied to me that it was New York because somebody said that back from New York or something. 00:20:57.759 --> 00:20:59.279 So, you know, that's where all of his clients are. 00:20:59.359 --> 00:21:01.599 And and yeah, he's that that's his home. 00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:03.599 Yeah, I don't I don't think these guys are gonna make it. 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:04.319 Yeah, 100%. 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:12.319 All right, this is probably the uh the favorite segment of

everybody out there where we rate the kiss on a letter grade A to F and we call it the mistletoe meter. 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:14.480 Let me know, let me know what you think of this one. 00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:16.079 Okay, it was a good kiss. 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:19.519 Uh, she went in for it, which always to me bumps that rating up. 00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:22.880 I love it when the lady initiates the kiss. 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:28.559 I would have liked to see a little bit more camera work in on the kiss, but overall I thought it was a really nice kiss. 00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:29.359 It looked very real. 00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:30.160 I gave it a B. 00:21:30.720 --> 00:21:32.319 So that you only give that first kiss a kiss. 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:36.799 So I can't know I'm I'm taking the whole thing in totality here because I I didn't think it was that great at all. 00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:43.440 But first of all, we first of all we got the I'm in love with you that he gives her, and then she gives him back an I love you, Ryan. 00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:46.400 Again, you know, that that's gonna ding it for me right off the bat. 00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:50.720 Keep in mind, these guys only had a crush on each other in high school and they haven't seen each other in 15 years. 00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:53.279 You don't get an I love you, so that dings it from the get. 00:21:53.680 --> 00:21:55.119 I I thought it was okay. 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:57.359 I th I I I gave it a B minus. 00:21:57.440 --> 00:22:04.640 I thought it was a little bit on the short side, but what What wrecked the rest of it for me, that first one, maybe even a maybe I'll give it a middle of the road B. 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:06.960 I'll probably give it a B minus because of the I loves you. 00:22:07.119 --> 00:22:13.039 But after that is when the camera work just went crazy because it shot her from the back. 00:22:13.279 --> 00:22:18.799 And remember, Olivia and Jack are having their little conversation about the New Year's New Year's proposal kind of thing. 00:22:19.119 --> 00:22:30.559 And and they're showing it like you're supposed to pretend you know uh assume that they're still kissing, but you could totally tell they weren't kissing, and those are the kind of the only angles that we got for the rest of the kiss. 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:34.400 Um, and I just thought that was yeah, I think the first kiss was a little bit short. 00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:41.680 I'll I'll go ahead and bump it up to a B, but the the camera work uh for the rest of the kiss, um, the I loves you. 00:22:42.640 --> 00:22:44.799 C C plus at best for me. 00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:47.119 Yeah, I just went down to C plus. 00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:47.680 Okay. 00:22:48.160 --> 00:22:52.559 Yeah, I mean well, no, like I said, that I'm taking more than just that first kiss. 00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:53.519 I'm taking the whole kiss. 00:22:53.599 --> 00:22:59.519 You know, you had the first kiss, but then you had the rest of the kisses that I don't even sure if they were kissing because the camera work was so bad. 00:22:59.680 --> 00:23:01.279 And then again, you throw in the I loves you. 00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:02.960 So I think I think C plus overall. 00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:09.039 Yeah, I'm gonna have to start looking at it the way you do because I just look at it the kiss, you know, by itself, in and of itself, right? 00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:09.440 The kiss. 00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:14.319 Yeah, but if I take it in with the whole scene, then yeah, I think I would be closer to your rating. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:15.759 All right, I circle to this one. 00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:17.119 Who or what won the movie? 00:23:17.440 --> 00:23:20.559 Oh, hands down, Melanie Leischmann as Olivia. 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:22.640 I I know you kind of got tired of her. 00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:23.359 I didn't. 00:23:23.519 --> 00:23:28.160 I just loved them the more she went in, the more a kick out I got out of her. 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:30.319 I thought she was hilarious and charismatic. 00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:32.799 Every scene she was in, I just wanted more of her. 00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:36.720 Uh, she's the reason the movie was originally titled Operation Mistletoe. 00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:37.359 She was great. 00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:38.559 I could not get enough of her. 00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:40.240 She cracked me up every scene. 00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:43.440 I hope she's uh you know, gets her own movies soon. 00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:44.720 I I just really like her. 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:47.119 Yeah, none of the actors really jumped out at me. 00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:50.079 I'm I'm I'm going I'm a little different on this one. 00:23:50.160 --> 00:23:53.279 So Greg Chown, C-H-O-W-N. 00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:56.000 I don't know if he's ever been shouted at on a podcast before. 00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:57.920 He was a production designer on this one. 00:23:58.000 --> 00:23:59.119 I liked the decorations. 00:23:59.279 --> 00:24:00.799 I really liked that Christmas market. 00:24:00.880 --> 00:24:04.480 I'm assuming when all was said and done, he was in charge of all that stuff. 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:12.160 Um if there's one thing I kind of liked about the movie, I I really didn't like the story, the writing that much, the characters, whatever. 00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:15.920 But I I did like uh I did like the the decorations. 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:17.839 I did like that look at that Christmas market. 00:24:18.160 --> 00:24:19.839 Um shooting an ox is always difficult. 00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:21.839 You gotta use fake snow, but I think they did okay with it. 00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:24.240 So Greg Chown, congratulations. 00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:26.000 Uh, you've won the movie for me. 00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:26.880 That's awesome. 00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:34.559 All right, so we uh we always try to find something to uh that's you know part of the movie here, identifies with the movie to give our rating.

00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:38.160 And we're gonna go since they didn't use mistletoe, we're gonna go Sprigs of Holly. 00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:41.759 How many Sprigs of Holly that's funny uh won this movie? 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:47.599 Yeah, I thought that'd just be a little uh a little cute here since they couldn't get the mistletoe right, but uh sprigs of Holly, how many do you got? 00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:52.799 I had struggles picking this between a 2.75 Sprigs of Holly or three Sprigs of Holly. 00:24:53.119 --> 00:24:57.200 I did like the characters, but I was not blown away by the story or the pacing. 00:24:57.359 --> 00:25:01.759 So I I hate to say this, I'm gonna give them 2.75 Sprigs of Holly. 00:25:02.079 --> 00:25:02.480 Wow. 00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:04.000 You're you're higher than me. 00:25:04.079 --> 00:25:05.839 I I was kind of going back and forth, okay. 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:10.079 This or Christmas under construction, which one did I like better? 00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:11.839 And and I struggled coming up with an answer. 00:25:11.920 --> 00:25:12.880 So you know what, Renee? 00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:14.079 I gave that one a 2.0. 00:25:14.240 --> 00:25:15.440 I'm gonna give this one a 2.0. 00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:18.000 I I don't know if one was better than the other. 00:25:18.079 --> 00:25:19.359 I really couldn't get into this at all. 00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:20.559 It was really slow. 00:25:20.720 --> 00:25:23.279 I didn't find much chemistry uh between the characters. 00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:27.359 It was so over-the-top formula, so bad. 00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:31.359 Just that we shouldn't see movies this formulae in 2026. 00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:38.319 Um, I you know, I'm I'm I'm even confused why Hallmark picked this one up for a Christmas July movie. 00:25:38.480 --> 00:25:41.279 I mean, they saw that this had a 5.3 rating. 00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:45.839 Obviously, other networks didn't pick it up back in in 2024 when it was filmed. 00:25:45.920 --> 00:25:56.319 So I I I don't know the business side of obviously like the executives at Hallmark do, but I'm kind of confused why this one got picked up uh uh as a Hallmark Christmas in July movie, and because yeah, it just didn't do much for me. 00:25:56.799 --> 00:26:03.279 You know, I didn't check our our scores against this one this time, but is 2.0 your lowest, or do you have a 1.75 out there? 00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:06.559 No, no, 2.0 is my lowest, and that was Christmas Under Construction. 00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:12.400 Like I said, that I can't really decide if if I liked one better than the other, this or Christmas Under Construction. 00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:13.440 I think they were both pretty weak. 00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:16.480 And they were both two that were on the Hulu channel two years ago. 00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:20.880 Um so yeah, I'll I'll give it a 2.0, Sprigs of Holly. 00:26:21.119 --> 00:26:21.920 Wow, alrighty. 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:24.000 All right, well, the next movie belongs to me. 00:26:24.079 --> 00:26:37.279 Um now that we're back doing our our golden oldies here, and we're gonna go to 2012, and we are gonna do a movie called Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade, starring Autumn Reaser and Antonio Cupo. 00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:43.920 And there's a little bit of a debate about this movie, and not a debate about like is it a good movie or not? 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:53.039 I think most Hallmark fans consider this to be a pretty solid movie, but the debate is is this a Christmas movie or is it a Thanksgiving movie? 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:56.000 Does this belong kind of on Countdown to Christmas? 00:26:56.240 --> 00:27:07.039 And when Variety and Entertainment Weekly came up with their like top 25 lists back in 2025, I heard people comment that, you know, why isn't this movie on those lists? 00:27:07.359 --> 00:27:16.880 It should be, and maybe the reason it isn't is because the writers of those lists from Entertainment Weekly and Variety don't consider it a Christmas movie. 00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:22.559 So I think you and I kind of need to uh to be the judge of this, watch this movie and kind of give our two thoughts. 00:27:22.799 --> 00:27:24.720 You know, yeah, is it Christmas enough? 00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:27.200 Obviously, Thanksgiving is kind of Christmas, Jason. 00:27:27.279 --> 00:27:28.799 Do we consider this to be a Christmas movie? 00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:38.400 I'm actually gonna reach out to some other people kind of in the Hallmark Instagram space, kind of content creators, uh Hallmark community fans, and and maybe Oh yeah, ask Gary and Amy for sure. 00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:39.200 I want to know what they think. 00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:47.440 If anyone who's seen it to see what they think about this, uh uh if they agree with us or disagree, just you know, their feelings, is it a uh a Thanksgiving movie? 00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:49.039 So, or is it a Christmas movie? 00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:49.759 And we'll see. 00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:56.799 Well, tune in next week and hopefully we have a definitive answer unless you and I go split on it for some reason. 00:27:57.200 --> 00:27:57.839 Yeah, we'll see. 00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:03.359 And then uh obviously it'll it'll just stay up in the air as uh uh you know as one of those unanswered questions, I guess. 00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:07.119 But uh until next week, so uh you can uh find us on Instagram Forever Hallmark Christmas. 00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:12.480 You can drop us a g uh uh an email, uh Forever Hallmark Christmas at gmail.com. 00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:14.880 And uh let's just keep it for the love of Hallmark. 00:28:15.119 --> 00:28:16.640 For the love of hallmark.