You know something is wrong when the villain is the main attraction. Though much more well known, Ashanti is a wicked heartless corporate witch in heels that attempts to take over a family...department store.
Wendy Carroll (Ashley Williams) has learned that they are about to foreclose on her dead father's candy store. To put a stop to it, she takes her daughter Grace (Kylie Noelle Price) to the city, as her childhood friend Angie (Shanola Hampton) offers her a job at a department store, or at least the hope of a job. The department store is now run by nephew Harry Wolman (David Ralphe) who is a kind hearted man with very little business sense. Enter Teanna Musk (Ashanti) the above mentioned cackling bad girl who is so money grubbing, she's willing to turn a children's Santa display into Chippendales to "keep up with the modern times." Look, as wild Hallmark stories go...this is convoluted and silly. Wendy dragging her daughter to the city is silly enough, but to get a job the same day as relying on a bonus is already in Far Out Land. But we're not on Earth here. Let's say we live in the snow globe of Hallmark and this is what they say the scary city feels like. A homeless man who dresses like Santa and begs for beer appears to be something out of a Norman Rockwell's version of a hobo. The tough streets of...Los Angeles (?) is sanitized beyond all recognition (I live there). But again...this is what an idealized world of Hallmark would think Los Angeles would look like. So go with it, or don't. The solution to their problem is...well, it's the thing that Christmas miracles rely on. An absolute five minute change of heart that causes everyone to sing at the end. Much like a never ending version of "A Very Brady Christmas" it uplifts everyone within earshot to push a hundred pound cross beam off you. And that's what this movie wants you to do. Everyone is pleasant in this town. So if you're one of those types that refuses to live in the cotton candy greeting card world, you will roll your eyes more than you realize. The rest will find the buoyancy of Ashley Williams' soulless yet perpetually optimistic eyes endearing and warm. To be fair, I'm in a marathon now which causes my own eyes to cross due to the saccharin nature of these movies. I'm sure to over expose myself to a point of being infinitely ill prepared for reality...pretty soon.
Wendy Carroll (Ashley Williams) has learned that they are about to foreclose on her dead father's candy store. To put a stop to it, she takes her daughter Grace (Kylie Noelle Price) to the city, as her childhood friend Angie (Shanola Hampton) offers her a job at a department store, or at least the hope of a job. The department store is now run by nephew Harry Wolman (David Ralphe) who is a kind hearted man with very little business sense. Enter Teanna Musk (Ashanti) the above mentioned cackling bad girl who is so money grubbing, she's willing to turn a children's Santa display into Chippendales to "keep up with the modern times." Look, as wild Hallmark stories go...this is convoluted and silly. Wendy dragging her daughter to the city is silly enough, but to get a job the same day as relying on a bonus is already in Far Out Land. But we're not on Earth here. Let's say we live in the snow globe of Hallmark and this is what they say the scary city feels like. A homeless man who dresses like Santa and begs for beer appears to be something out of a Norman Rockwell's version of a hobo. The tough streets of...Los Angeles (?) is sanitized beyond all recognition (I live there). But again...this is what an idealized world of Hallmark would think Los Angeles would look like. So go with it, or don't. The solution to their problem is...well, it's the thing that Christmas miracles rely on. An absolute five minute change of heart that causes everyone to sing at the end. Much like a never ending version of "A Very Brady Christmas" it uplifts everyone within earshot to push a hundred pound cross beam off you. And that's what this movie wants you to do. Everyone is pleasant in this town. So if you're one of those types that refuses to live in the cotton candy greeting card world, you will roll your eyes more than you realize. The rest will find the buoyancy of Ashley Williams' soulless yet perpetually optimistic eyes endearing and warm. To be fair, I'm in a marathon now which causes my own eyes to cross due to the saccharin nature of these movies. I'm sure to over expose myself to a point of being infinitely ill prepared for reality...pretty soon.