In the grab bag, let's see what we have this time, hmm a Hallmark Channel movie. Hmm interesting. Hallmark Channel Christmas movies and their movies, in general, seem to be their own genre in a way. Even the network itself has tried ideas to break away and do slightly different ideas, but also they know what the people come to watch.
This movie The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is from 2008, it's an older Hallmark Channel movie that the network still seems to run. The network seems to bump movies that are older down to their other channels or streaming thing. They tend to go rampant hard with Christmas and introduce a lot of new movies a season. It is interesting that this one still gets repeats on the main channel. I'm not a big Hallmark Channel movie viewer, if anything I watch the channel for their sitcom reruns, but I do like this one.
The movie is simple and seems to set up things that became Hallmark Channel uh hallmarks in their movies later on. The best thing about this movie is Henry Winkler. Winkler plays Uncle Ralph, the protagonist woman's uncle. He a retired police officer who coming to visit his niece, Jennifer, for Christmas. Ralph -and his wife- essentially raised her. He brings a quirky and loveable charm to the movie and makes it a fun trip.
The movie starts with Jennifer Cullen (Jen) played by Brooke Burns. She is a single mother with a son named Brian. She is single, because plot reasons, but she does have a boyfriend whom umm... also plot reasons. Her son wants a bike called a rocket wheel. Also boys at school had Brian think Santa isn't real because that also happens in Christmas movies. Jen is a business woman who does business-y business stuff. She also isn't big into Christmas anymore.
Son, for Christmas, do you want a less boring room? / Copyright Hallmark Channel
We finally see Ralph, our hero. Picking Henry Winkler for this role was great and glad they chose him and he said yes and we have this existing. We see him leave a bar a mugger wants to mug him. Ralph decides that there's going to be need for an ambulance call, not for him, but the mugger. If had put Ralph in Home Alone Marv and Harry would be dead. This is a fun start for a movie about Christmas.
Took him down hard/ Copyright Hallmark Channel
Jen finds out that thing her son wants for Christmas is also very hard to get. I am also concerned that a Chicago newspaper's top story is about a toy. Jen's mother isn't coming over for Christmas because Hallmark didn't get an actress for her. (sure) Jen is bothered because she can't make turkey and Christmas dinner, she's trying to impress her boyfriend's parent. The boyfriend is named Richard. ( A bit on the nose, movie) I'm going to like spoil things in this, so this how these posts go. Richard plays the role of the boyfriend that will not be one at the end. He's not too bad as a character, he's not evil or over the top. The characters in this do feel like people, maybe a little different too many others you'd meet since they are more business-y business people, minus uncle Ralph and the kid. He also doesn't seem to like Ralph. (He must have been mad how Happy Days changed later on)
They created the most stiff guy they could/ Copyright Hallmark Channel
There's a neighbor woman who wants Jen to put up her Christmas lights and what kind and how, because reasons. Jen thinks about running her over with her car. (that would be a different movie) She goes to a toy store. She wants to buy the rocket wheel bike in the window the guy uses to bait and switch and she makes a deal.
Ralph is taking an airplane and a man named Morgan Derby helps him. Morgan is played by Warren Christie. Ralph takes an instant comradery with the man. He gets them both on the plane quickly and first class. (Henry Winkler should always get free flights) Ralph and Morgan getting along on the plane is good and again I like how they mesh. Morgan is also a more a free spirit but not over the top and strange. Ralph doesn't like her boyfriend either, he doesn't trust people with 800 dollar shoes.
So, do you know Laverne and Shirley? / Copyright Hallmark Channel
There's a strange running gag in this movie of the wreath being too big and falling off the front door and Jen going it's not too big. I'm sure someone thought that was funny. Morgan can't go to Denver because flights are canceled (typical) and he is able to somehow bump into Jen and Brian and creeps them out by knowing their names and what they look like. Ralph asks Jen if Morgan can stay the night. She, of course, is against the idea but he wears her down. Also saying that Morgan is a chef might be of help.
more after the jump
The neighbor lady intrudes again by telling two random men that her house needs lights up. Again is nosy. Jen's interactions with her are funny. We also get Brian and Morgan getting along because the way to the woman's heart is the kid. I'm going to say, many will already know or can figure out where this movie will be going with Morgan if you look at the screen bug and kind of know the feel of Hallmark Channel movies. This one is an early one so it's less slathered on, but it's coming.
Hmm yes, I too like cropped basketball players/ Copyright Hallmark Channel
The light guy shows up and I think he's acting shifty because yeah, he might be shifty. Morgan sees the guy and calls Ralph over and this movie has become Law and Order: Christmas light theft patrol. They find him taking some stuff from the garage. In this movie, we've had Henry Winkler beat up two guys, he's going hard.
Coming to CBS and repeating on Ion: Book'em / copyright Hallmark Channel
Ralph talks about his niece to Morgan, explaining where the first guy she was with -Brian's father- went and how he doesn't like the current boyfriend. The mentioned Richard shows, he's driving a BMW so I think they want us not to like him. He also gives Brian- through Jen- a $500 gift card and I guess that's wrong because it's not an actual physical gift or something. I don't know parts of this movie are weird.
They try to steal from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" but a little weirder to attack an artificial Christmas tree. The only problem with the fake tree really, in my view is that it wasn't green or white. Awkward turkey buying scene. I like how Ralph is trying to find ways to make sure Morgan can stay longer than a day. Jen snoops through Morgan's passport and sees a picture of his business partner woman. No strange "He has a girlfriend" drama here.
This has to be the one movie where I've seen someone use DVD recorder to record TV instead of VCR, 2008 was advancing after all. Ralph tapes a news report to convince Jennifer to let Morgan stay a little longer. We also get the Morgan and Jennifer getting to know each other stuff, to make sure the audience will want them together. They play off each other well, while showing their contrast. She still a bit apprehensive about him being around , of course, but they are working it. Her characterization is someone who likes to make plans or lists and follow them. She likes to play things safe and stable, since her life background is someone who has not always had that. Meanwhile, Morgan is a bit more
I'm concerned about the obsessed neighbor. She gets bothered by the fact one of the lights on Jennifer's house is red , not white. (oh no no wait movie you can't do that) Morgan quickly makes up a story about a legend and then whisks Jennifer back into the house. Morgan is also here to be the Christmas guy, he has the Christmas spirit. He tells her that she's doing Christmas wrong, and how everyone is stressed out and angry (wait a minute) and that they can't wait for Christmas to be over. She absorbs the message like a brick wall. I kind of like they both are kind of right in their statements. It's a not a full 100% one is wrong , one is right. It works well.
Excuse, me but I only accept ...white... lights/ copyright Hallmark Channel
Jennifer's fantasy sequence scares me. Uncle Ralph screws up by using the same recording he used before where a reporter even says the same line that Jen remembers. The real story is flights to Denver are fine now. The most unrealistic thing about this movie is that Denver has 2 feet of snow right before Christmas, nice try movie. Morgan has to go. Morgan has to go? Hmmm....
You need an ID for the plane and his was at the house by some mystic power, hmmm. That means back home. The woman at the airport wonders why Jen wants Morgan out of her house, where's that movie? Remember the rocket wheel thing she made a deal for? Well finally, that shows up as it's now Christmas Eve and she's late because it's past noon. I can guess why a toy store owner would close up early on Eve, but the man who was doing bait and switches and business stuff, not wanting to squeeze a few more hours on the day is surprising. I guess we needed some drama.
First they call and the business man says no he's busy getting his haircut. Morgan decides to shake the door to make the alarm come on then hide as the guy has to show up to take care of it. I'm glad his plan wasn't break in and take the bike that is paid for , but still. The guy is still stubborn and then Morgan decides to challenge him to fight in the alley. First, this movie is weird, second I don't know what's stranger? The man deciding to accept the idea instead of just getting the bike and letting them leave, or Morgan for suggesting it? I guess knocking out a guy works too.
Yeah he's dead, I don't care/ Copyright Hallmark Channel
Ralph finally admits to Jennifer that he ships Morgan and Jennifer. So that's something. He also gives her a gift of her aunt's earrings. I do like that Uncle Ralph shows he a caring person and that he wants what's best for his niece. He's a sweet cool guy.
Uh-oh, it's that time in the movie's plot. Morgan meets Richard. It comes after the movie was doing the sweet make sure the audience roots for Jen and Morgan to be a couple moment. As Jen has softened her stance on Morgan. So that's how things are timed. It's not too awkward. Richard is annoyed that Morgan might ruin things with parents are coming the next day. He calls his parents Mother and Father so you know not to like him that much. His parents are kind of also not very interesting and kind of snide.
eww I also hate red lightbulbs/ Copyright Hallmark Channel
The Brian doesn't believe in Santa Claus thing shows up. Morgan and Ralph decide to help out and is this movie trying to say Santa isn't real? Morgan pretends to be a reindeer and Santa by literally being on the roof and falls. Good thing he didn't die that would be a different movie. Also him falling off the roof seems to not be much of a thing in the movie so it probably shouldn't have been a thing.
Roll credits/ Copyright Hallmark Channel
Jennifer seems bored at the party and then Richard decides to ask her to marry him right there in front all those people. Anyway, when they get back to Jen's house Richard talks to Morgan to tell him that he and Jen are engaged. He offers Morgan a hotel room to leave. It allows the movie to do a break up thing, but at least it wasn't a dumb misunderstanding. (points?) Morgan decides to leave but not take the offer and he leaves a note that Richard decides to discard. This makes Jennifer think that Morgan just ditched them.
Here, he does look evil, like he's going to kill Morgan/ Copyright Hallmark Channel
Ralph tells Jen that Morgan did the Santa thing. Anyway, Richard and his parents show up for Christmas dinner. Richard tells Jen that he has a gift for Brian in his coat pocket. That's where Brian finds something- the note Morgan left- that Richard stupidly decided to hold on to like an idiot who wanted to get caught. She's not happy. She also not happy that he proposed to her in the way he did the night before. Also, it's funny that the she's speaking either loud enough to be heard inside or the house has bad something. The Ralph and the Richard parent awkwardness is funny.
Jennifer has broken up with Richard. I mean if he didn't want that to happen , he shouldn't have been stupid enough to let the letter get found. The movie wanted them broken up. She ends up going to Ross Morgan and make sure to stop him before he gets on that plane. Thankfully, she is able to get to him because yes.
I've spoiled how Friends ends/ Copyright Hallmark Channel
This movie feels like the starting blocks to what a future Hallmark Channel movie would be, it has the basic elements there. It's still an alright movie, not 100% great but still pretty fun. Henry Winkler really is the best actor in this movie, but rest do a good job. I love Ralph's character, but Jennifer is not boring and is complex. I liked how she wasn't a mom who over works and doesn't have time for her kid, she instead is really in-tune to him and makes time for him. Morgan's character is pretty charming without treading on being annoying in characterization. These two being a couple seem to make them fit each other. Richard wasn't over the top and awful, but he did things that weren't good in Jen's favor. He was bland like Ralph was saying. I liked this movie , it's simple, sweet, fills in typical boxes, but is watchable, funny, and warm.
That's it for now, tune in next time when, we start a Henry Winkler cop show where he finds criminals in 5 seconds and beats them up.
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