Holiday Hotline

While the idea of a holiday turkey hotline is sort of silly, the evergreen rehashing of The Shop Around The Corner/You've Got Mail as a trope in many ways never gets old. While this isn't on par with those films naturally, I think this was pretty well done! Niall Matter sure loves to play widowed single dads, lol, and this was another good performance from him.

I'm not British, but when I Googled the actress that played Abby and found out she was Canadian, I wasn't surprised. At times the accent slipped, but it wasn't too shabby.

The most unique aspect of this film was the juxtaposition of the calls. Seeing Abby and Jack fall in love over the phone while visually it looking like they're in the same room was very clever! I liked it.

I think the quirky side characters really enhanced the storyline overall. Nobody felt like they were overdoing it, which can sometimes happen in these types of movies. Since we can't input half-star ratings, I'm going with 6.5 overall. Good job Hallmark!

A London sous chef in a relationship with the restaurant's owner discovers not only does he not give her credit for her work, but he's cheating on her. She escapes to Chicago where she stays in her aunt's apartment which is vacant for several weeks. She allows herself to get talked into working the holiday hotline, a how to cook a turkey 800 number.

Movie mistake shows Chicago international Airport, rather than calling it by its name, O'Hare. Daisy dairy products must have paid for half the movie because their products are put in front of the viewers numerous times.

The Director uses a very unique and different technique in the movie. When two people are on the phone in different locations they are placed next to each other on the screen but not a split screen. I found it very engaging.

Abbie is from London but for the holiday hot line she uses an American accent, and uses the name Peggy. Jack doesn't want to be known as Jack on the turkey hotline so he uses a derivative of Jack, John. Needless to say, John and Peggy really connect over the telephone, but, Jack and Abbie connect in person.

How will the script writer write their way out of this situation and end it with a happy hallmark ending? You'll need to watch the movie. No spoilers here.

This one is worth your time!!

A light-hearted, creative movie, and funny at times, "Holiday Hotline" delves too long into "Turkey Chat", and humorous poultry puns revolving around the holiday bird. This tone doesn't allow you to take this romantic premise, seriously. The story's somewhat a farce and the jester (well -played) is "Peggy's" boss at the call center, Roger, a Steve Buscemi (Armageddon, Boardwalk Empire) mimic. After the humor was established, it felt like the story (if it's meant to be a romance) was stretched thin (how many turkey-tragedies can you laugh at?). "Peggy" and "Jack's (our primary couple's incognito names) calls were more co-counseling, than dating, so we get to know "Abby's" and "John's" backgrounds, well. Unfortunately, the director didn't succinctly crossover to Abby and John and delved more into the silliness of turkey tragedies, and even a "hotline awards ceremony". You're left getting anxious for the reveal, but their story should have reached (not dragged) a crescendo, well before the pen-ultimate scene . Instead, we have short heart-felt apologies, and an uncertain relationship (John & Abby v. Peggy & Jack) J, not one that has been duly-established (and time was up). Definitely, okay to watch (and enjoy) this once, but you won't find it memorable, or humorous, enough, for a repeat view in the future.

Okay, there were a few standard Hallmarkish plot elements but overall this was a lot of fun. Very creative staging with the hot line girl (Emily Tennant) interacting with Niall Matter and other callers. In some ways it felt like watching a stage play. Creative dialogue from all characters. Yes, toward the end, some of the normal Hallmark components found their way in, and the ending wasn't really brought to a firm conclusion (although a fair ending was implied) but overall it worked well. One great character, in addition to the two leads, was Erik Athavale who played. Emily Tennats boss, his interactions and delivery added more fun. Well done and this added some fun to the season.

If you had read me the script before I watched this movie, I'd have made a hefty bet it would be a disaster. There's probably quite a few who think it was. But I thought they made it work.

You can't tell the players without a scorecard as people are using interchangeable names and accents and somehow two people become two couples.

Emily Tennant is a tiny, little ball of gorgeousness who plays a British chef treated shamefully by her boyfriend/boss, so she comes to Chicago for Christmas. She somehow winds up working at a turkey cooking helpline.

Niall Matter is an architect in Chicago who wants to make a Christmas turkey for his daughter. It all gets very convoluted from there.

Erik Athavale was really funny in Santa Summit, and is very good here too.

Myla Volk as the daughter is a child actor new to me. She's going to be gorgeous in ten years, and does a nice job as well.

I can only say this is the kind of movie some love and some hate.

I gave it an 8.