Holiday Mismatch

7.5 stars.

I would usually be down to watch something like this again in 5-10 years, that's my initial feeling, thus i would rate it a 7.3 stars. But I changed my mind and raised it a smidge, so I can give it another opportunity to entertain, sooner.

It's a bit of a slow starter. That's the main problem. I really want to give this a higher rating but it's tough to think about me really being energized to see it again anytime soon. However, upon brief reflection as I'm just finishing it, there were many really good parts.

I love this new-ish actress who plays the daughter, who is fake dating the lead male; she's got a lot of personality and I like her face. And the guy he's great too. I've seen him in a couple of movies, but I don't recall if those were primary roles.

The two well-known older women, both are well known in the Hollywood Arena. They both do Hallmark and various other things. Their parts were somewhat insidious to watch, it reduced the value of this film overall. It's a shame, because they are essential to the narrative. So again, this is why I am conflicted, on the fence,!about my rating. I want to see this movie again, I'm gonna rate it at 7.5 and hope that I like it better next time.

Newly retired bookkeeper Barbara (Beth Broderick) takes a volunteer job at the community center and is assigned to a committee run by the bohemian Kath (Caroline Rhea). Kath and Barbara clash from the moment they meet, but both love their kids...and end up unintentionally setting them up with each other on an app as a blind date. Their kids, Shane and Lauren, meet as a blind date, then they make a pact to fake date through the holidays to get their mom's off their backs. When the Kath and Barbara figure out that they have set their child up with the other's, they immediately team up to break them up, assuming that they can't be right for each other...only they are.

I love both Caroline Rhea and Beth Broderick, who are the heart of this film. The message is really about how people are different, and yet often those differences are complimentary. Kath and Barb were not the romantic leads...but they could have been, they held this hallmark holiday film together so well. (I did like the two kids, aka the romantic leads, but really you should watch it for Rhea and Broderick.)

This is a fun movie. My wife laughed out loud at the faces Caroline Rhea made during some of the situations.

I was pleasantly surprised that for once, when the main romantic interest characters became upset, it wasn't at each other. They started out as casual acquaintances who devised a plan keep their moms from consuming their time and energy during the holiday. Their romance developed as they got to know each other better. They didn't need major misunderstandings to add drama to the story. Of course for that they had their parents.

The one thing that might annoy people with traditional family values was the inclusion of a brother who was introduced at one point with his "husband". Since it added nothing at all to the plot, it seemed like just a gratuitous insertion that some might feel was a subtle bit of social normalization added to placate some special interest production investor. Or something.

Overall though, it was a fun movie and a refreshing change from some of the worn-out plot templates we know so well.

Meddling mothers has been done before, but this movie has a new twist, it's a light and funny Christmas rom-com. I liked the script and the dialog just flows naturally and kept the film moving along. The cast is great starting with the meddling mothers Beth Broderick and Caroline Rhea who are the stars, they both have good comedic skills. And Jon McLaren and Maxine Denis are the very talented children who make a cute couple.

I liked the improv "A Christmas Carol", it was fun. The bickering and banter between Kath and Barbara and their plots kept it interesting to watch so it never bogged down like many movies. Hoping we see more movie like this one.

Here we have another of the myriad fake dating stories, but with a twist. This time two mothers have enrolled their son, and daughter, in a dating app and after the match they meet for a get to know each other meeting neither believes will last long. However, they decide to play along just to keep their mothers from trying again before Christmas.

Meanwhile, by coincidence, the mothers work together on Chamber of Commerce Christmas events and thoroughly dislike each other. So when they find out their kids were the matches, they're sure it can never work out.

The males and female lead are fine. The other two people working on the Chamber of Commerce committee are terrible. They're supposed to be funny, but instead are embarrassing to watch. Also, the big "relationship crisis" is no well written, and thus overplayed. And for the what they made it into, the reconciliation is too easy. Not well done.

The mothers used to play 600 year old witches, sisters, on Sabrina the teenage witch for eight years, so for fans of that show (which we never watched), I'm sure they'll enjoy the reunion.

It's worth a watch, but we won't be revisiting it.