Trivia at St. Nick's

When students go home for Christmas break at a university in Vermont, those sad souls left behind (or just live there), participate in a 45-year tradition of Christmas trivia at Nick's Bar. Celeste (Tammin Sursok) is obsessed with winning the trivia tournament, but is thrown when her ringer bails and she's stuck with Max, a football coach (Brant Daugherty) as their sixth and required member of the trivia team.

Trivia is fun, but this movie was absurd and not in a funny, laugh at yourself way. There are some funny one-liners, but it's certainly not enough to carry the contrived story line that somehow tries to be funny and sincere, but fails at both.

One liners -I'm a football coach, not a wheel magician!" When he can't change a tire.

-"If you'd like, I'd be happy to share my syllabus..." Professor, keep your pants on. Really a dick joke?

-After asking a nun to be on the trivia team, the nun replies, "I will pray for you. Hard." Wow, the nun thinks you're silly.

-"Belay! You gotta Belay!" Best rock-climbing advice ever.

Goofy notes -A whole week of trivia nights is a bit much, even for die hard trivia buffs.

-This movie was filmed on location in Connecticut. Why was it placed in Vermont?

-Shouting your trivia answers in a crowded bar is a great way to lose to other people who can hear you.

-Everyone drinks different colorful holiday beverages - no one has any ice.

-The Stan trophy had to be worth at least $7, but no more.

-And who was Stan in the photo? They show him like an inside joke. Help us out.

-When they eat cookies, the sound department didn't add the ever-present crunch, like every other Hallmark movie. This is the right decision.

Measuring Christmas Magic: None, except the super meta final trivia category - Hallmark Christmas movies! Nice work there.

Cast Kudos: Brian McCarthy who plays Nick the Quiz Master. Nick dons a different holiday outfit each night, which helps show the different events, and is a nice running joke. Give Nick a movie.

Alternative Titles: The Greatest Trivia Tournament Ever; Trivia for the Lonely; Just go home for the Christmas holiday.

Aired on Hallmark on Nov 8, watched Nov. 9.

Given the fact that I don't keep up with Christmas movies at all, then of course I was by no means familiar with this 2024 Hallmark movie from director Marlo Hunter. But I had the opportunity to sit down and watch it here in 2024, as part of my December month of Christmas movie marathon.

I have to be honest, though, and say that with it being a Hallmark movie, I was expecting to be in for the usual standard and generic sap that Hallmark Christmas movies tend to ooze with. But of course, as I was not familiar with the movie, then writers Christine Garver and Stephanie Jackson had every opportunity to impress, bedazzle and entertain me with their script.

The only face on the screen that I was familiar with was actor Willie C. Carpenter. I will say, however, that the acting performances in the movie were fair.

Sure, this was a watchable movie, but it just wasn't a movie that was capable of being outstanding in a vast ocean of similar movies. It was just simply too formulaic, generic and, well honestly, bland. But I am sure that there is a die-hard fan group out there that gobble up these sappy and generic Christmas movies by the dozens and enjoy every moment of it. If you enjoy sappy Christmas movies, by all means, give director

I have to admit that I found that the movie just didn't have that particular Christmas spirit or feeling to it, and as such it just failed to be an outstanding viewing experience.

"Trivia at St. Nick's" is by no means a Christmas classic. Nor is it a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time. Marlo Hunter's 2024 movie a chance.

My rating of "Trivia at St. Nick's" lands on a four out of ten stars.

This is a typical Hallmark holiday movie but, unfortunately, lacking the excitement and warmth viewers expect. Brant Daugherty, who usually shines with charming characters that draw the audience in, doesn't get a role that lets him showcase his usual charisma. His characters in other films feel fully developed and engaging, but here, the story and chemistry just don't seem to come together.

The film lacks the heartwarming Christmas spirit that Hallmark movies are known for. The setting and holiday atmosphere feel more like background elements than integral parts of the story, making the film come off as if it was hurriedly put together to fill a seasonal slot. It's missing the kind of genuine moments that leave you with a smile and a feeling of holiday cheer.

Ultimately, Trivia at St. Nick's is watchable but not memorable, a disappointment for fans hoping to be drawn into a cozy, festive world. It's the sort of film you can have on in the background without missing much, rather than a holiday movie that leaves a lasting impression. Hallmark fans may still enjoy it, but it doesn't stand out as a new holiday favorite.

The story and performances are average. The sound engineering is terrible, with fluctuating volumes of speech and soundtrack making it impossible to set a comfortable listening level without having to constantly adjust up and down. It was initially so annoying that we came close to stop watching. From blaring music to hushed whispers, some of the dialogue is even missed. Unlike some Hallmark rom-coms, this will not be one we will watch again. The unique hook in this movie are the actual trivia contests. Viewers can play along and perhaps learn from some actual Christmas trivia questions and answers.

Plot tropes that avoid the typical Hallmark romance cliches, especially the Christmas movie cliches, are welcome. No small towns threatened by developers. No old boyfriends suddenly appearing. No big city girl returning to her small town roots.

This story takes place on a college campus and the surrounding town, as several teams of six participate in a six-day pub trivia tournament.

The female lead starts out a bit too overbearing as anal retentive and too tightly wound/focused. She starts out with a big dislike for a coach on the school's football team, who--of course--winds up on her trivia team, against her wishes.

The story progresses well from there, and we enjoyed how their relationship grew, and also the scripted trivia competition. The only thing I wish they'd done is present more of the trivia questions. LOL We knew a lot of the answers ourselves. ;-)

One thing: They were a bit too impressed by a "two time Jeopardy Champion". Two day winners on Jeopardy are a dime a dozen. ;-)