Dec 24

Dec 24 Christmas Everlasting

When her sister dies days before Christmas, Lucy travels back to small-town Wisconsin to attend the funeral and deal with the estate. But her emotionally charged homecoming is exacerbated by an old flame, frosty friends, an unconventional will, and a slew of family secrets. Will Lucy’s old ghosts keep haunting… or can the season — and a certain someone — soothe her spirit?

Christmas Everlasting.jpeg — Christmas clichés:

Opens w/ City Scene
Career-Driven Woman
Deceased Parents
Charity Work
Rekindled Romance
Contest as Plot Device
Tree Buy & Trim
Condos
Christmas Festival
Cute, Precocious Child
Ice Skating Scene
Weather Unprepared
Carolers
Mistletoe
Ends w/ Kiss or Ring

Our Thoughts

We caught portions of “Christmas Everlasting” when it premiered last year but never sat down for a formal viewing. What we saw intrigued us: a small-town homecoming, a slow unfolding of a Rekindled Romance, and more than one dangling mystery hinted throughout the plot.

We craved to start from the beginning, but Hallmark is very stingy in how it lets you find and watch its flicks. (Get it together, Hallmark. You already have some strikes against you…) Thankfully, we were able to sneak in a streaming right before the close of our 2019 season.

And we’re happy we did! Which feels a little strange to say given the dramatic, tear-ridden plot.

Career-Driven lawyer, Lucy (Tatiana Ali, who shows off her acting chops) gets a terrible phone call: her older sister, Alice, has died. As the only next-of-kin, Lucy goes home to Nilson’s Bay, WI, for the funeral and to manage Alice’s estate. However, Alice’s will has a stipulation—unless Lucy stays for the next 4 weeks, which includes Christmas, the home their grandparents built will go to the local animal shelter, Alice’s Charity Work of choice.

(Perhaps the strangest Contest as Plot Device we’ve seen, but we went with it.)

Because this movie is based on a book, “The Second Sister,” there are intricate details laced throughout. Lucy is met by the “Friends of Alice,” or FOA as they call themselves, who are the nicest clique you’ll ever encounter (sans Rinda—she’s a huge B). There’s also the sub-storyline of Lucy working with fellow attorney and high school flame, Peter (Dondre T. Whitfield, calm and compelling) to save the local candy store from becoming Condos.

What’ll hook you, though, are the mysteries. What happened to Alice in the car accident? What is Lucy running away from? And who is the Maeve that Alice kept making quilts for? No spoilers, but the payouts aren’t too ridiculous and our actors play it well.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with the movie. And the worst part is probably Patti LaBelle’s acting (sorry, Patti). But what kept us from jumping for joy at a potential new Very Merry rating was the little joy or merriment in the movie. Tatiana Ali spends most of the movie in tears, bemoaning her guilt or mourning the sister she barely knew. And even during the ugly sweater Cookie-mas gathering, a jubilant event, the reveal of Maeve sees Lucy running into the night under snow-covered covered bridges.

Even though you and the actors will cry more than giggle, “Christmas Everlasting” is one to seek out. Especially because of the numerous Christmas Clichés it hits so effortlessly. We’ve got your next Christmas Movie Bingo night planned for you!

Rob's Final Take: Merry
More of a tear-jerker than the usual Hallmark Christmas fare, but a great choice if you need a heavier helping of seasonal sentimentality.

Jess's Final Take: Merry
It’s a solid movie with talented actors, but they say “Alice” more than they say “Christmas.” A good drama to balance out the usual romance, though. Give it a shot.