The 5-Year Christmas Party
Quintessential Hallmark Christmas Movie
Now, this is what you get when you put seasoned Hallmark pros on the same movie. Writer - Zac Hug has written 11 Hallmark movies , and Director Peter Benson has 19 Director credits, the vast majority being TV movies, plus 170 acting credits to his name. And trust me when I say, it shows.
This particular movie is very much When Harry Met Sally-coded, with two friends circling each other for years before finally being in the right place at the right time for the flame to light, right down to the fact that when it begins, they are both Chicago university students. Unfortunately for us, there is no 80s fashion to enjoy, but oh what I wouldn’t give to have had Max show up in a Billy Crystal-esque chunky cream sweater…
The story revolves around Alice and Max, both theatre nerds – he an actor, she a director – finishing university and trying their damnedest to make it in the ‘biz, with mixed results. And given the writer-director combo both in front of and behind the camera, not to mention the super meta mentions of Ashley Williams and the Hallmark universe, this feels entirely like a “write what you know” situation.
Filmed in Canada, Dickensian costumes, old-fashioned Christmas tree lot, over-the-top Christmas décor… they were hitting on all of the classic Hallmark Christmas movie tropes.
This one didn’t quite click for me, but definitely not for lack of effort here.
And perhaps the best thing to come out about this movie is it led to (my) discovery of Martini Town in Langley, BC, a publicly-accessible set for numerous holiday movies… and it just so happens I will be in town when it’s open for the season. Coincidence, or Christmas magic?
You’ll like this if…
You need every classic Hallmark Christmas movie trope.
