Christmas at the Drive-In

Together again.

I'm reading the reviews here (including the one for the Candace movie :-) ), and I'm struck by how seriously everybody takes these movies. I've learned over the years what to expect, so I'm not going to complain about it.

Right up front, this movie is not as good as Coming Home for Christmas.

For those who haven't seen that or don't care, this is a story about a businessman who inherits a drive-in and intends to sell it for development. Danica plays an attorney who has lots of memories there, and therefore decides she needs to save it.

She and Neal are tasked with putting forth a good-faith effort to make a go of the drive-in... in Winter in the snowbelt.

What's not realistic about that (sarc)?

Danica and Neal did not have the supporting cast they had in Coming Home, and they certainly didn't have the script, but I remain hopeful that GAC will resolve these things in time.

Six.

Apparently since I wrote this, Neal Bledsoe has stated he will no longer make movies for Great American because of what Candace Cameron Bure said about only portraying traditional marriage in their movies.

Docking a point for Neal and his politics.

Five.

This was a light hearted and fun little movie that I really enjoyed.

Danica and Neal Bledsoe have a great on screen chemistry. They were both very good in this movie as well as the rest of the cast.

The premise may seem far fetched and maybe it is, but everything they did to try and save the drive-inn from making cake pops to putting up all kinds of beautiful festive decorations, I found lovely and charming.

I did take off a few points because something kept sticking in my craw, did she not say she came home to help his dad get historical status for the Drive-in? If that were the case than he could not sell it nor could they demolish it! Also the ever handsome Neal Bledsoe's hair annoyed me they dyed his gorgeous dark/salt and pepper hair some kind of yellowish brown and it appeared he didn't comb his hair through the entire filming of the movie. This may sound superficial to some but it was very distracting to me and it detracted from his very good looks.

This was a fun little movie if you don't take it too seriously, a great way to relax and wallow away a few hours. I would definitely watch again!!

It's not that this movie is offensively bad, it just would be fully forgettable, were it not for the improbable premise: fight for saving a "historic drive-in" over jobs for regular folk? Where the supposed antagonist is for no reason made to help his rival?

However, it was refreshing that there were no cartoon bad guys as such. And I liked both of the leads and enjoyed watching them. It just didn't seem believable they would be a couple: one with that bad boy energy and the other one rather wholesome. Sure, sometimes the whole opposites attract situation creates great sizzle, but here the leads felt more like bickering and bantering siblings.

One big issue for me is that I enjoy, nay, demand beautiful visual and set design in Christmas movies - somehow this just wasn't visually very impressive. It was a bit bland a little unwarm, and e.g. The shop with Christmas decors looked more like a Goodwill store.

So: if you're looking for sumptuous Christmas movie with fiery romantic chemistry, keep on driving.

Meet Sadie (Danica McKellar) a failing lawyer, who has returned to her home town to find out that the drive-in cinema which she used to love going to is closing down. And Sadie gets determined to save it and prove that it's a good way to bring the community together. When she proposes that the Drive In should be saved to the major and his friends they give her 'til Christmas to prove that it's worth keeping open.

But as the days go by Sadie soon finds out this drive in is not gonna be saved overnight and it's gonna take more than just a few ideas about how to keep people warm whilst they're watching a film outside to stop it from closing down.

At first I almost turned this film off because the acting is not that great and it didn't make me laugh much but as the film went on, I got more and more interested in how or if Sadie is going to be save her local cinema. And I think that's because I enjoy going to the cinema and it upset me a bit when they closed during the COVID pandemic and in the end I found it watchable and I might watch it again next Christmas...if I can't find anything else on TV or Netflix.

I also liked this film because it was only 87 minutes and didn't drag on for too long, but I think the length of this film could have been more appealing if they had made it more kid friendly, perhaps by having a few child actors and then it could have attracted families with children that are too young to sit still throughout a long film.

You get exactly what is expected - run of the mill formula, story, and production that's comfortable and bland - a good feeling filler of time that will make most any Lifetime or Hallmark watcher very happy. The actors had a fair amount of personality and chemistry. I personally tuned in because I've seen a number of other Danica McKellar Christmas projects over the years - so it's kind of tradition! Everyone did a decent job except with the graphics people and continuity - at one point the drive-in screen displays -

"Come Join Our Caralers Tonight!"

No - seriously. Uh Oh. Someone can't spell carolers!!!!!

It was quite a distraction from the movie.

Back to which - they wrote a mind numbing "twist" resolution to wrap up every loose end in one shot during the last few fleeting minutes of the run. BAM - it was over! That's how these things always go though. Would it be so hard to leave the formula behind and be a little more creative? Unfortunately the execs have to rubber stamp projects - and if it doesn't fit their mold, it becomes too frightening to green light. This one's worth a watch for an easy going holiday film.