This movie has a nouveau Hallmark feel to it; it's progressive, aka, featuring same-sex couples, and the humor is edgier and more modern.
It starts with what I would estimate is a 30-something attorney, who has just made partner at her firm. (Turns out, she is allegedly 43, but this actress is not a day over 34.)
As she contemplates her mom/sister's invitation to go back home for Christmas (she currently lives in Chicago), she stays staunchly married to the idea of avoiding it. Eventually, she takes a ride-share with mysteriously intuitive driver (*cue the magic chime sound*), then falls asleep. It's then and there that the movie drifts back to 1999, complete with her living at home in her 90s bedroom.
As just about 80% or more of most Hallmark or GAF Christmas movies tend to do, there is a need to suspend reality and go boldly into 'pretend'. Nothing is meant to be truly realistic, except for the moral of the movie -- which does a decent job of exploring what matters vs. What may not (in life). I loved the actress playing her Mom, who is also in "To Have and to Holiday", and I also appreciated the super funny references to old dial-up sounds, the fact that we all considered "ask jeeves"-type search engines to be THE authority of information, and the truth that Mambo #5 was absolutely a one-hit wonder for...whomever that was.
There were almost no slow or boring moments, and the chemistry among the actors was palpable. It looked like they had fun making the movie.
I did wonder what happened to her assistant, as just about every character had a new life outcome, but he just didn't get shown or mentioned again. Maybe his role was to establish the progressive feel of the movie.
I will say that the one thing I didn't love was the Friends reference to "Lobster". I can still hear Phoebe's voice in that scene, and I'm so over Friends now; most of all, I would much rather the writers of this movie come up with their own creative terms/ideas, vs. Leaning on old Friends humor.
I loved Maxey, the dog, and the adorable trick he did mid-movie. The ending montage was enough to make me - a perennially dry-eyed hallmark watcher - tear up.
On my personal ranking scale, this was nearly a DND for me. ("Do Not Delete" from my DVR)
