By Heather Kittle
With Thanksgiving over, it’s officially time to cuddle under your favorite blanket, grab yourself a hot chocolate, and binge-watch Christmas movies. And if you’re like me, you either have the Lifetime or Hallmark channels constantly on as they stream non-stop Christmas movies. You know, the one where big city big shot returns to their hometown or arrives at a small town, where then a past love or new love reignites their Christmas spirit? Usually, there’s snowfall involved or a baking incident, or possibly a tree lighting. You either have a love/ love relationship with these movies or a love to hate. There is no in-between. You can’t convince me otherwise. With that being said, I thought I’d turn you on to five of my favorite Lifetime movies this season! (In no particular order, and possible spoilers!)
- Christmas on the Bayou (2013)
Right off the bat, this movie hits nearly every pre-mentioned stereotype. Newly divorced New York marketing executive, Katherine (Hilarie Burton), returns to her small town in the Louisiana bayou to spend Christmas with her mother and 8-Year-old son. Her childhood love, Caleb (Tyler Hilton), is there doing his best to convince her to stay for good. We know what happens by the end at this point. It’s a given. But my favorite part about this movie was learning that lighted boat parades during the holidays were an actual thing that happens in the south and that Santa is sometimes referred to as Papa Noel in those parts! (Thanks mainly to the early French colonizer’s influence)
- A Very Nutty Christmas (2018)
Overworked bakery owner Kate Holiday (Melissa Joan Hart) is about to enter the holiday season as a single woman after her boyfriend unexpectedly dumps her. All that changes when she receives an ornament as a gift hang it on her tree, and awakes to some Christmas magic: A nutcracker prince (Barry Watson) of her very own. You would think that the idea of falling in love with a once wooden ornament (Pinocchio vibes, anyone?) would be awkward and creepy, but it’s surprisingly cute, and even more so, funny. But given Melissa Joan Hart was involved in the making, it’s not that large of a surprise. She seems to deliver with every Christmas movie she’s involved with.
- Love at the Christmas Table (2012)
Since they were toddlers, long-time family friends Sam (Dustin Milligan) and Kat (Danica McKellar) have spent nearly every Christmas at the children’s table. After decades of watching each other go through relationships, the ups and downs that come with growing up, and a fight that keeps Sam away for five years, Sam returns after realizing Kat is the one. It’s a ‘will they or won’t they?’ movie and relatively unique to the regular formula that Lifetime typically produces. Although this is technically a Christmas movie, it plays second fiddle to the love story that unfolds. It’s probably my favorite Holiday movie to watch on Lifetime because of the more realistic nature of the film instead of others.
- A Christmas Winter Song (2019)
Christmas shop owner Clio (Ashanti), who has recently lost her father, creates a special bond over music with former jazz singer Fred (Stan Shaw), estranged from his daughter. Although there is no romance in this movie, many trials and tribulations have to do with love and loss, which is expected in a Christmas movie. But of course, there are Christmas miracles by the end, and it wouldn’t be in the spirit of the holidays if there weren’t. I may be biased with this movie because I grew up and lived in the town it was filmed in (Brighton, MI). For me, it was fun recognizing backgrounds and saying ‘I know where that is!’ or ‘I used to go there all the time!’ throughout the movie. Either way, it was still a delightful film.
- 12 Men of Christmas (2009)
We started the list off with a stereotypical Lifetime Christmas movie, so no better way to end it than with another: Kinda. High-powered New York City publicist E.J. Baxter (Kristin Chenoweth) ends up taking a job in Kalispell, Montana, after finding her fiance and boss canoodling at an office Christmas party. While there, she has to convince men from the search and rescue team to pose semi-nude for a calendar to help boost tourism in the small mountain town. This movie doesn’t exclusively take place around the holidays or necessarily have a Christmas miracle per see. Still, regardless, it puts you in the Christmas spirit and puts Montana on your list of places to vacation! And, of course, there’s a happy ending, and you don’t even have to wonder at this point.
