Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi. I'm Jenny.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Hi, I'm Carrie. We're best friends and new moms. We're
also the ogs of Hallmark Christmas movies.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
We've been watching these movies since long before they became
a Christmas juggernaut. And now we're here to talk all
things Hallmark with you because we know you're watching too.
Sit back, relax, and get your Hallmark on.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
We are the Hallmark junkies.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Who's ready for a little magic with a magical Christmas
of Village. Here we are the Hallmark junkies. I'm Carrie
and I'm Jenny, and we are very excited to be
with you again, and we're going to be talking about
a magical Christmas of Village.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Are you excited? Jen? Overjoyed? I think would be a
better word, and that is because yeah, tell them, tell them.
This movie stars Allie Sweeney, who I love because she
is Daytime TV royalty. She plays Sammy on Days of
Our Lives and we might call her Sammy. Yeah, door,
(01:17):
and I love Sammy and I love Days of our Lives.
I think she like she's literally been on at least
since I was in high school. I remember watching her
as she is really young. Yeah, and she was on
the Biggest Loser, which I think both like we did,
and she was a good host. Oh yeah, she's great. Yeah,
and she's in a lot of Hallmark movie. I mean,
(01:37):
I want to be friends with her. I love her. Yeah,
that's super excited for this, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
That's my first note. Actually, Jenny is in love with
Alison Sweeney.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
I really am.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
I bet there's a lot of people out there listening
that love really.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
I mean sam Sam Pray. Yeah, I mean one day
we were going to talk to her, and I feel
like I might high prevent light my pe gonna get
dry because I love hertline. Oh my god, could you
imagine if she was listening right now? God, hi Sammy.
I bet she's so nice. She yeah, she has to be.
(02:14):
She just seems so down to earth and she's like
a lovable evil character on days, which I love.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
So that's our love fest. Please don't be creeped out,
Alison Sweeney. We love you, all right. So should we
start off with picture it?
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Let's do it. Picture it. Bryson Falls, Colorado, twenty twenty
two summer. An architect and designer is renovating the new
Lands Building in her town of Bryson Falls.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Did you notice in the building that they're decorating there
is a fully decorated Christmas tree in the.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Middle of the instruction zone, and it seemed like it
was like had a lot of renovating to go. Yeah,
there was, and like ornaments.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
I would say, that's a bold move, but I like it.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Yeah, oh yeah, she's all in for Christmas. That evening,
Summer has to go pick up her mom, who is
fresh off a surprise breakup with her boyfriend. Her mom, Vivian,
I would describe as whimsical. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Her outfits are fabulous too.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
And she's not worried about this breakup because or the
fact that she doesn't have anywhere to live now, because
you know, the universe will work things out. It's just
a new beginning for her. She's going to stay with Summer.
They're both a little hesitant about it, but it's going
to work out.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
And I'm getting this sense because Summer is very boss,
you know, and very organized and as certain way that
she likes things. And then we have Marlo Thomas who
plays Vivian, who formerly played Rachel's mom on Friends, and
she is the complete opposite exactly. Yes, there's going to
(03:45):
be some headbutting.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
She has and catchers and her suitcases from the seventies.
I don't know if you noticed that if they didn't
even have like roller things on the bottom, like you
had to carry them like a briefcase. What a different time.
At Summer's house, Summer's daughter Chloe finds out that Grandma
is moving in and she is pumped. Grandma Vivian makes
(04:06):
herself at home immediately, mostly by setting up her custom
Christmas village. This would be akin to one of the
Hallmark Christmas Villages. However, it was handcrafted by her late
husband and it is actually a replica of Bryson Falls.
That's really cool, complete with the Rundown Newland's building, right.
(04:26):
Grandma Vivian says that the village is magical, that it's
full of Christmas spirit and possibility and all you have
to do is make a wish. And Chloe is all.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
In Summer slash Sammy is kind of like that does
not go with my decore.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Yes, Summer's decore was all blue and white. Yeah, how
does that?
Speaker 2 (04:46):
I have a whole note about it, okay, because I
was like, I mean, I don't personally I wouldn't decorate
with just blue. But I liked how it looked there,
maybe because they were it was Colorado right where they lived.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
And then like the house, it's another sign that summer
is just like.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Because there's two people until Grandma comes that are living there,
and then they have these doors that open into an
outdoor seating.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Area in Colorado. I loved it too.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
But the thing with the blue ornaments that I noticed
is like, you know when you think of your kitchen,
And I know this because I recently moved from a
small condo to a house, and you're like, oh my god,
my kitchen is now so much bigger. Guess what, It
doesn't matter because there's still five million people in there.
I'm trying to make dinner. Everybody's crowding around. You still
don't have you will never have enough counter space ever.
(05:37):
I down her still better, still better, Okay, but she
used precious counter space for these three balls, these like.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
A decorated.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Blue balls that she has on the counter, And I
just thought, Wow, that's I could never. I couldn't do
that in my house. No, we got stir up there,
we got a cure eg, we got the baby food
thingy like there's a lot going on.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Maybe once the baby grows out of the baby food thingy,
you can get the blue balls. You know, my baby
food thingy is blue. Oh, there you go. Let's put
some lights around this. Yeah. That evening, Chloe wants to
play with the magical Christmas Village rather than do her homework.
Grandma Vivian's okay with this, and Summer is not. Summer
(06:25):
wants control. Vivian says, control is an illusion. You need
to let go. You're not happy because you don't have
a love life. And I think this, you know, gets
Chloe thinking a little bit about maybe what kind of
wish she might want to make on this magical Christmas village.
Next day, Summer and her sister April are strolling through
the Brison Falls Christmas Market and just talking and commiserating
(06:47):
about mom moving back home, the tiff they had the
last evening. They decided to make a plan. They're going
to get Vivian into her own new house. That's how
it's gonna work. Chloe gets back from school immediately she
goes to play with this Christmas village. She's very into
this village. She decides she's going to put a man
and woman figurine from the town together at the new
(07:09):
Land shop the same time. Her mom's summer just happens
to be working in the new Lands building, not sure
what to do with all the walls in the building,
so she naturally decides just focus on the Christmas tree,
as one does, and they gets building. Yes. Incomes are
leading man Ryan. He has taken over running the annual
(07:29):
toy drive from summer. They talk toy drive a little bit,
and all of a sudden, he's just like, hey, do
you want to go out to dinner? Out of the blue,
he asks this, like maybe there was a magical force
that was driving him to it. I don't know. I
have to say that when I first saw it, I
was like, whoa.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
He just asked her out like he's been on screen,
And I had to remind myself that we got a
whole magic sitch going on.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
I hadn't picked up on that part yet, so I
was like, Wow, that was like, just like very different
from what we're used to seeing.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Although I wish, like back when I was dating that
that's how it works.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Yeah, let's just get to it. Yeah. Next day, then
back at home, Chloe's playing with the Christmas Village again. Yeah,
Looe is a little obsessed. She's very obsessed.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I mean, I'm into it, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Summer and Ryan are talking to their respective siblings about
the big date that night and how it just kind
of came out of nowhere. He just asked her he
really didn't know. Ryan's kind of hemming and hawing about
this day, and we find out he's a little bit
hesitant because he is semi recently divorced. He runs into
Vivian at the grocery store. Of course, no idea that
that would be Summer, the woman he met at Newlanz.
(08:41):
That that's her mom. They have a little connection over
the meeting of freedom and being free. It's a little
odd for grocery store, but we can go with it.
She gives them some sweet potatoes.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Because he's eating chips and she snatches them and says,
you don't want these.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
And gives them sweet potatoes because they have a lot
of beta carotene. That's what he needs. And it's date night.
And so while Summer's heading out for her data, just
so happens that Chloe's also playing with the Christmas Village,
setting up the same two figurines in the town gazebo.
The day goes pretty well. They have a good conversation,
and they also make a big connection because they both
(09:19):
like to make lists, which I thought was funny.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Yeah, although I appreciate it because I like to make lists.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Well, that's my thing, is like many people include. Both
of us like to make lists. So it's not necessarily
a match made in heaven, but it was made to seem.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Like that, like a super unique like, oh my, hi,
you make lists.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
I make lists. I put pants on, you.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Put pants on.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
Oh my gosh. Crazy Summer also mentions that she puts
on the town Winter Carnival, which is a fundraiser for
the local hospital with a lot of super fun Christmas
stuff like a bake sale and a cookie contest, games, costumes,
or as you would say costumes.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
The correct way is costumes because you're from Pittsburgh, correct.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Yeah, And she's mentioned that this town was about to
tear down the New Ones building and put in a
disgusting box store, which is almost as evil as a
big city. Her Summer just saved the day and she
convinced them to let her run the renovation of the building.
They go for a little stroll and guess where they
end up where zebo? Oh my god, just like the
(10:24):
Christmas Village. You wouldn't believe it, but it happened, and
the date went really well. He walked her home, which
I know you're big on. Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's a gentleman.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
And you know they sort of do that awkward song
and dance you do on a first date like we
do we smoochy ferty flirt. I loved it.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
The next day is a whole lot of Bryson Falls.
Christmas Market a lot. Yeah. This this market comes up
a lot in the movie. First, the whole family visits
the Christmas Market. By that, I mean Summer's whole family,
like her sister and everybody. She runs into Ryan there,
who is painting creates for the Winter carnival. April decides
not to play it cool and she just comes over
(11:05):
to meet him. She's like, this is the new man.
They do that too, Oh yeah, you would, I would
play it cool. Though they chat, they point out each
other's families. Things are really going well between them, and
Summer has to take a little break because she's going
to meet with a realtor to find the house for
mother Vivian Vivian doesn't show though. She's back at home
with Chloe, who is Guess what Chloe's doing?
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Oh oh, what could Chloe be doing? One thing? There's
one thing, and it's playing with her obsession.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
How did you guess?
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Christmas Village.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Let's go back to the market. Ryan and Summer at
the market buying diaries and chatting about Christmas traditions.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
And I really am convinced that neither of them have
paid for these diaries because it happened so fast, and
all of a sudden, they're just turning around and walking away.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
I thought Ryan paid for it. But that Summer definitely
lifted the diary. I thought I saw Ryan.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
They had to be using like Apple pay or something,
because that was fast. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
That evening, Summer and sister April chat over wine in
that glorious outdoor space at her house and they get
to talking about their mom. They think something stranger than
her normal strange is going on, but they can't quite
figure it out. Yeah, next day we find out that
it's December sixteenth. I liked that. I like it when
they give us an actual date because then I know
(12:24):
Christmas is eight days. Yeah, it just lets me know.
Where I am, because like, I'm always convinced it's Christmas
Eve when these movies start. Summer is still working on
renovating the building and Chloe is back at home playing
with the village. She puts two figurines from the gazebo,
she moves them onto a frozen pond. Ryan comes over
(12:44):
to drop off toys and randomly, slash magically gets the
urge to go ice skate, and he's like, hey, you
want to take a quick break from work, and they
go on a little skating adventure. During the skating adventure,
Chloe knocks over the figurines in the magical Christmas village
and guess what happ happens? Summer falls right on top
of Ryan. It's like, maybe this village is working out.
(13:07):
There might be a little magic in the air. And
Ryan and Summer decided to go out for lunch after skating.
Apparently their jobs, you know, are very flexible. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Well, it's like, I'm so busy. I'm so busy, but
first I at ice skate. I don't need to play
with this tree that's in the middle of the construction
zone and go to lunch.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
At lunch, Ryan has a little surprise for Summer. Would
you think a surprise would be after like a first dy?
Nothing or yeah? Nothing is probably the biggest one.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Oh, I don't know. I can't even think of anything
but something small.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Okay. He found plans for the old hardware store and
took the liberty of drawing out the plans to retro
fit the foundation, and also was like, and I'll be around.
I'm actually able to do that, and I'll be around
to do that. Now were these the ones that he
had digitally rendered? But then it was like actually on
pay like a pencil. Yeah. That evening, Chloe's awake when
(14:05):
Summer gets home from work and she gives her a
little rundown of the day. Chloe's kind of like, you
know what's going on? She went ice skating, she went
with quote a friend, she fell, and Chloe's eyes are
getting bigger and bigger, and she's realizing that perhaps her
wish is working. Summer takes that evening to relax by
herself in front of the fire and she just so
happens by accident to open her mom's mail and guess
(14:29):
what it is. It's an overdue bill. Well, we're now
seven days away from Christmas and Ryan shows up yet again.
This toy drive is like a big commitment. I can
see why Summer had to give it up because he's
there again delivering toys. They get to chatting and Ryan's
just like, hey, do you want to go to dinner
next Tuesday? It was quite random again, yeah, or maybe
not random because Chloe might have been playing, yeah, where's
(14:51):
Chloe in the Christmas Village again?
Speaker 2 (14:53):
You know, as we're talking with this, I just really
see some issues going on here with Chloe.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
That evening, Summer in April decide to just go through
their mom's boxes of papers because now they're aware that
she's having some financial troubles, and some are mentioned that
basically when her dad passed when she was I think sixteen,
she was the person that kind of had to take
care of paying the bills. And we're getting a little
insight into perhaps why she's so recommented. Next day, Vivian's
(15:23):
out looking at the house she wants to buy, because
she is going to manifest this house in her life.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
I think Vivian definitely believes in the secret. Oh she's yeah,
She's like yet it ten times a secret. I liked
it when it came out. Yeah, yeah, I think about
it a lot.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I have given up on it. Like, well, they say,
don't give up on this secret. You need to hold
that vision for me. She runs into Ryan, but he
still has no idea, of course, that Vivian is Summer's mom,
and Vivian's like, hey, well, you know, He's like, what
are you going to do today? Vivian says she's going
to go spend her day with her family doing Christmas stuff,
(15:59):
and Ryan's like, you know, I just can't see that
for myself. I had a chance, it didn't work out.
And Vivian's like, you know what, don't give up. I
have this vision for you a family, and I'm going
to hold it for you. I thought that was nice.
So Summer in April are Ice skating out during family
fun day, chatting about Vivian's financial issues. We move on
to wreathmaking. They noticed the village in the house. April
(16:23):
actually remembers that village lighting up because maybe she made
a wish on it once. Yeah, And that night it's
sleepover at Summer's house and they have more wine outside,
and this is when Summer decides she's going to confront
Vivian about her financial situation, and I think we can
just say it didn't go well. It definitely did not
(16:43):
go well. But Summer's like, well, I've been the one
cleaning up stuff after dad died. Do you think the
universe makes things happen? But it's actually me making things happen?
And Vivian, it's like, I may not pay my bills
on time, but I'm responsible for my life and I
believe in Christmas magic. I love that she threw in
the Christmas magic thing there. Summer runs off to ugly cry.
(17:04):
I felt this bite, Yeah, because they're both good actresses.
Four days later, which is Tuesday and Date Day, it
appears Grandma Vivian has left after the blowout, and Chloe
confronts her mom about it. They discussed maybe Vivian moving in.
The good news is that Vivian left the Christmas Village behind.
Oh yeah, what would have happened to Chloe if she
(17:27):
didn't leave Christmas Village? No, no, this would have taken
a dark turn.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Yeah, Chloe would have been comatose.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
But again, it's Tuesday, so we are at date night,
and during date night, it seems that Summer's just telling
Ryan about all her family drama, and she realizes maybe
she overshared for date two slash maybe date three of
recounting the ice skating, but Ryan reciprocates. He tells her
all about his divorce and also breaks some news to
her that he just got offered a full time job
(17:55):
in California. Oh yeah, Well, next day, I think the
universe is working here or something, because Ryan runs the
Vivian at the story again. He was buying three Hungry
Guy frozen meals, which I loved because they had to
have fabricated those for the movie, right, And he mentioned
Vivian that he's only in town for one week, and
Vivian's like, so, then you've given up on the vision.
(18:17):
He's like, no, you know, I've had a good life,
but it's just except for me, you know. And Vivian,
who is the stage in this movie, is like, no,
you're not done. No one's ever done, and things can change.
Nothing is set. She also rubs his face very awkwardly.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Scene I notice that, but I can't wait to see
it now.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
All right, So this extensive toy drive brings Ryan back
to the Newlan's building. Okay, he says he's found gifts
for everyone Vivian also comes to the Newlan building to visit,
and we get a reconciliation scene between Summer and Vivian.
Vivian admits that maybe Summer was the strong one after
their father died. She hands over all of her financial
(18:58):
stuff to Summer to prove that it'll be just fine,
that Summer doesn't need to worry, and she agrees to
move back in, and they walk out and run into Ryan.
So finally, this connection is where they are. Yeah. And
so they're outside admiring the new Newland's building and Ryan
asked her to go on a walk, and that might
be because Chloe is playing with the figurines again in
(19:23):
the village and she's having them take a walk together.
They bond over family telling them that they are too
busy to stop and take it all in. So not
only do they both write lists, but they're both busy.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Oh my god, can you imagine two people who are
both busy finding each other. Also, I'm starting to think
Chloe's a witch.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
She might be.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
She's like, oh, let me get to my magic cauldron.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Oh, I mean the Christmas Village. Well, the Winter Christmas
Carnival is here, Chloe, Chloe's there, she's in enough costume.
Summer is not in a costume because she's not a
costume person. And Ryan is there, and he's wearing the
same outfit as the figuring from the Christmas Village. It
looks like a carroller's, like an old time carroller's outfit
to me, sort of a Charles Dickens. Yes, I thought
(20:09):
it probably looked like it was from the Dickens series.
And Chloe sees them and she's floored. She's like, that
is that is the man for the Christmas.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
She's like, my witch spells have worked.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
Yeah, And so she's like, I need chocolate, which I did.
She just walks off and says I need chocolate, which
I can understand, Like, you know, chocolate is amazing, but
I thought that was odd. But next thing, you know,
it's time to start out giving out toys at this
toy drive and the person who was supposed to be
(20:40):
wearing Charles Dickens women's costume did not show up. So
it's just Ryan there and he's going to have to
give out these toys alone in his costume or a
cost She shows up and guess what she got her
dream home. Turns out she was eligible to collect her
husband's pension, even though it seems he probably died like
(21:00):
twenty years ago. She hasn't been getting this penchion the
whole time. But anyway, and this is just proof of
what happens when you let go and get out of
your comfort zone. And Summer just has to let the
universe bring things to her. This clicks for Summer and
she runs off. She goes to put on that costume costume,
even though she's not a costume person. She puts on
the Charles Dickens era costume, and she goes out on
(21:23):
the stage to give out the toys for the toy
drive opposite Ryan, but instead of giving out toys, she
confesses her feelings for him in front of all the
kids and their families. They have a little heart to
heart in front of everyone, And I think the appropriate
way that Summer summed it up was that their relationship
could be like a little bit of Christmas magic every day.
(21:45):
And who wouldn't want that relationship? I want that for sure. Yeah,
in the kiss in front of the crowd, and decide
to give it a chance. Ryan also says, well, hey,
I actually turned down the job in California, but I
didn't get a chance to tell you, and I guess
he wasn't going to do it on stage Summer's House.
Seems like everything's working out perfect, and Chloe the Witch
makes one more Christmas wish for the village, and that
(22:07):
wish is for snow, which would make it the best
Christmas ever. I do agree. Snow. Yeah, yeah, guess what
start snowing and we have kiss number two at the
end of the movie outside in the snow. It's beautiful. Yeah,
big kisses in this movie. But that's the end of
the movie. And I think the moral of the movie
or story is go get yourself a Hallmark Christmas village
(22:30):
and all your wishes will come true.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
I think it's the moral of this is be nice
to Chloe. She's controlling all of us. Yes, And on
that note, do you think we should take a break.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Let's take a break. The Hallmark Junkies podcast will be
back after this short break. All right, Carrie, one to
five cses, What do you rate this movie?
Speaker 2 (23:03):
I'm gonna give this one probably a two point five. Wow,
maybe a three. I kind of can't decide. Yeah, yeah,
I mean it was okay for me. It wasn't my
favorite of the Year and I'll talk a little bit
more about why.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
I'm going to give it a three, and it's the same.
It really fell flat for me. It's it was a
little bit slow and I wasn't sure we'll get into
this about the chemistry, which I love both Luke McFarlane
and obviously Sammy Brady. So I was surprised and I, yeah,
(23:42):
it just it didn't work for me. And I also
love Christmas, the Hallmark Christmas Villages, I really do. So
I was excited about this and maybe I got too
excited for it, maybe like my days of our lives,
like fandom put me over excited. But yeah, I'm gonna
give it a three.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Would you say that you're giving this movie a three,
but you're giving sam Me a five?
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Oh yeah, And I'm watching it anytime it came on
because I could see Sammy right. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
So do you think we should go talk about our
free for all or move into our free for all?
Speaker 1 (24:10):
Let's do it? I have an OsO Hallmark moment. Do it?
What is you know what it is? No?
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Well, auviy, it's the gazebo. You get a gazebo and
you know you're in a Hallmark movie an old time
gazebo especially.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
Yeah, they're often saving a gazebo in the movie.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Oh they are, or decorating one, or decorating when they saved. Yes, yes,
you know, like a super uber Hallmark moment would have
been they're in the gazebo, it's starting to snow and
they kiss. Oh yeah, and it's decorated after being saved.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
And there's a witch in the background. Right, it's funny. Yeah,
this one should have been like the pre Halloween movie
since it had witches involved. Yeah, all right, here's my
first thought. Summer is clearly supposed to be and by
everything we know she's doing is quite the busy woman.
(25:08):
She was the chief architect, she was the designer. She
I guess is an architect. Anyway, she's a single mom.
She does the Winter Carnival, she's searching for real estate
for her mom. She moves her mom. I mean, this
is a busy one. Her house is super clean, and
she's also they say she's like too regimented, and but
I didn't she really she had a ton of time
for the Christmas market. Yeah, she was constantly being interrupted
(25:32):
at work by her family and just taking breaks right,
So I felt that she actually was pretty flexible. Yeah,
and like I mean she just was like, hey, let's
go ice skating and out for lunch during work, even
though I'm on a tight deadline and maybe might not
make this renovation. Yeah. So I actually, though I know
she's supposed to be super regimented and you know, likes
(25:54):
to make lists, she wasn't. She really wasn't. She had
a lot of free time somehow.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
Yeah, I mean, now that you're saying it, she really
does kind of go with the flow. And her mom's like, oh,
I got to move in tonight, like your salt my boxes,
just put them in your car.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Yeah, yeah, here's my dream catcher. Right. And she also
had a lot of time to drink wine.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
That's actually one of my notes is that this is
yet again, a lot of wine was in this movie,
which you know I'm there for. Yeah, but I'm surprised.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
After you pointed it out, and I really I'm here
for it too, especially in that outdoor area. Like you
have that outdoor area, you drink wine in it?
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Oh yeah, yeah, I mean or hot chocolate I guess
would be there. Yeah, yeah, with booze in it, you know, overall,
I liked this movie, but the reason why I had
rated it low earlier was because I think I wanted
more magic. Okay, Like something felt a little disjointed to
(26:51):
me about this movie. And it's weird because my mom
has a Christmas Village that she puts under archery, and
she has my whole life and I'm pretty sure she
ham painted it.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Oh wow, I have to ask her, but I'm pretty
sure she did.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
And then we have my Nannies Manger, which is like
one hundred years old, and so I loved that.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
That's all of it.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
And even though it like Chloe kind of scares me
with her power, I'm into her playing with it because
I used to do that.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
I loved the Christmas Villages.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Yeah, so I'm into that. But it was like, so
I got that she was doing magic and controlling things,
but it was almost like I just wanted something more.
I'm not really sure.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Yeah, it's just something fell short in the movie. Yeah,
but I'm with you. So excited about the Christmas movies.
I mean Christmas Village. Yeah. We had one Hallmark one
with the Dickens line. Nice. My cousin had the North
Pole one, which I was very jealous of growing up
because it's more of a kid's one. Okay, but yeah,
it just it didn't work for me either. Yeah, yeah, okay,
(27:53):
let's get into the toy drive. A lot about this
toy drive. First off, I don't it seemed like a
toy drive is typically for kids in need, right, and
usually when you're giving to people in need, you don't
make a public spectacle out of it. Short like, let's
call you on stage, person in need. Your parents don't
(28:15):
have enough to get you a toy that's not long? Yeah,
also like think got so many gifts for it, and
he's like he also, I just was I was confused
because he's like, yeah, we got all the gifts we need,
and they would just randomly bring a kid up, but
he would just pull out of his bag exactly the
toy they needed. It didn't seem it was just it
(28:36):
was very confusing. But the whole like, yes, this is
someone in need, so let's really call them out and
have everyone watch why we give them their toys like
toy drives.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
I thought, normally they just have like the boxes somewhere
and then they have like the sign. But he kept
being like, you know, I gotta go get more presents.
I wonder if he was just like I got to
go pick up another box that we left in a
certain location.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
It's weird, Yeah it was. It was an odd well.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
And you know what else was weird, and it'll flow
right into My next item was that not only is
it odd that you have needy children coming up on
stage publicly, but why did he have to be in
a costume?
Speaker 1 (29:19):
I didn't get that either.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
My biggest thing about this movie I just could not
get over is like, why did Ali Sweeney have to
put a costume on in order to tell him that
she loved him or whatever she was doing? Because I
was like, huh, like, you have made it clear you
hate costumes. Also, why do you need to rush on stage?
Just wait like twenty minutes, it's almost done. And I
(29:44):
get it because we have the Christmas Village and like Senio,
so I get that they need to look like the
little characters that Chloe's manipulating.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
But yeah, really didn't work either.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
It's just like, oh my god, I just realized based
on a teeny tiny comment my mom made that were
shouldn't make me realize this, but it did make me
realise I love this guy, and I have to tell
him right now, this very second. But hold up first,
didn't mean my costume?
Speaker 1 (30:12):
What the costume? Althor? Didn't make sense to me because
earlier in the movie she had said, well, we haven't
booked a Santa, so like it would make sense that
they'd say, hey, maybe do you want to put the
Santa costume on to give out the choice to the
needy kids so that we can call them all out
for being needy. Sure, Instead they're like, hey, do you
(30:32):
want to be a character from a Christmas Carol? We'll
put you in that kind of garb too. Write if
you call out all the needy kids, he's like Scrooge,
what's going on in this town? Oh man? Okay, I
have a question for you. Yes, if you were going
(30:55):
to make a magical Christmas village wish, what would it be?
I think mine would be to win the lotto, to.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Go back in time and win the like one or
three billion dollar one? Yeah mine right now?
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (31:12):
So many? Well, I wish for peace in Ukraine.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
There is a lot more given than mine, sure.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
But also I would love to lose some weight. I
would like, Chloe, can we like shave off a little
one of your figurines.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
There. I'll love a nice shopping spree. There you go
at Tiffany's. I should add that if I did win
the lotto, I would donate to be in Ukraine.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
If I won the lottery, I would give kids, needy
kids toys, but I would do it privately, yes, so
that they could get them, like on Christmas Day, right
from Santa exactly. You know what you did not mention
is they had that quote board in the kitchen.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Oh I did. Yeah, I know. I I liked the
quote board.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
I liked too.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
I kind of want to do that. I did too.
I don't think I would keep up with it, but
I liked it, and I liked I didn't believe that
one quote was from Picasso. It was like anything you
can imagine is real or something like that. But I
looked it up and it actually was Piassa. Yeah. Did
you get the Buddy of the ELpH one? Oh? Yeah,
that's the only one I did get. And I loved
that they attributed one to Elon Musk and they're like,
(32:20):
good guess, but no, I just like that.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
Sorry, My notes are so funny. You know, when they're
looking at houses that are for sale for her mom.
All of the houses were decorated for Christmas, and I
just thought, you know what, you should always.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
Do that if you're selling your house. Yeah, I would
love it.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
I was walking into a house even though it was July,
but like they had Christmas lights up.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
This is amazing my house not to be Yeah, I
did not notice that, but that is a good idea. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Yeah, I have a favorite quote from this movie.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Oh what is it?
Speaker 2 (32:57):
It's from Vivian. She says, that's the biggest snow job I.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Heard in years. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
I don't really know what it means, but I'm into it.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
I like it.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
It was in the grocery store, right, I don't remember.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
I think it was in the grocery store. Yeah. Yeah.
Do you have any more thoughts for Free for All?
I have a couple. I have one. We kind of
went into this, but I I just couldn't get on
board with Vivian's character. And I do like Marlo Thomas,
especially he's Rachel Green's mom, and I can get into
(33:31):
that like universe stuff or manifesting or you know, but
it just didn't work for me in this movie. I
don't know. I don't know what happened, but it just
didn't work. My other two little fun facts for you
are one the same downtown, like the hardware store. That
little scene lamp kind of that you could see was
(33:52):
the exact same picture was in I think it was
like lights camera Christmas. Oh. Yeah, like it was the
same exact thing downtown, which I thought was funny. Also,
I read an article about Luke McFarlane and I think
this was like his fourteenth Hallmark movie and he said
it's his last.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
What.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Yeah, it was something like, you know, I can only
play the fireman so many times or something like that.
I don't believe it, though. I think he's coming back.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
I hope he does. Maybe he'll come back in a
couple of years, like as a dad or yeah, something.
I mean, I understand it. He has been on for
years and he has played a fireman probably multiple times.
But you know, that's what I like about him is
that he can play a fireman and I believe him.
And he can play a businessman and I believe that.
I believed him in his digital rendering on paper and yeah,
(34:39):
but that's good for him. Yeah, I got a big one. Ooh,
who was the father of Sammy's daughter, Chloe.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
Oh yeah, I thought that was interesting. I liked it.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Actually, I wonder if, like, because you know, we obviously
have the options of like is Summer divorced? You know,
did her husband die? Did she never have a husband?
Did she do this all on her own? It's just interesting.
I kept thinking about the whole movie.
Speaker 1 (35:08):
I think she did it on her own. That's how
I That's how I thought of it, because at one
point she said she moved to Bryson Falls when she
decided to have Chloe.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Yeah, so that really that could be. And I mean
maybe if we knew who Chloe's father was, we'd know
if he was like a witch or wizard, and that
would explain a lot.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
Or a Muggle is a wizard to see a Muggle?
We don't know.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
We don't know.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
Yeah, oh, there we go anything else? No, that's it
for me? All right? Do you want to go to
Romance one on one? Do I? Ever? Yes, because it's
a section when Carrie, the romance author gives a few
thoughts on the movie based on her being in part
of this whole romance industry. And I have a question
for you. Yes, what is it? Okay? So it kind
(35:53):
of actually piggybacks on what we were just talking about.
And so one thing I've noticed in Hallmark movies obviously
they've made a lot of strides over the years. So
in the past, it used to be that if someone
was over let's say thirty or thirty two and was single,
it was because they had a deceased spouse, like that
(36:13):
was the only way to get someone single when they
were in such an old age. And we've moved now.
I think in the last few years that some can
be divorced. And then in this movie we had Sammy
where we don't quite know what happened, but she said,
when I decided to have Chloe, so just another non
(36:34):
traditional family, a non traditional way to have a single
person with a kid. So I think they've been pushing
a little bit of new ground from the formula in
the past that was, hey, someone had to have died.
And I'm wondering if you have seen the same thing
in these novels where we're getting to like new space
of non traditional ways to be single when you're so
(36:57):
old over thirty.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
Yeah, short answer, yes, I have seen it. You know,
it's funny that you bring up the age thing too,
because I've noticed on Hallmark and in books, you have
a lot of characters now who are older like your
hero and heroin used to have to be, or definitely
your heroin had to be in her twenties. Your hero
could be a little bit older, like maybe in his
(37:19):
early thirties. And I'm noticing now a lot of like
late thirties, forties, you know, second chances things.
Speaker 1 (37:27):
And it's funny because.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
Years ago I wanted to write characters who were in
their thirties because I just felt like a lot of
times I would read these romance novels where the heroin
had done all of these things in her career, but
she was like twenty four, and you're like, I know
you are not what they're telling me because it takes
so long for you to get to certain positions.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
You're like Elizabeth Holmes, and we saw how that worked out. Yeah,
So there it is.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
Exactly. So I have seen definitely that trend, and I think, well,
first of all, every publisher is different, and then within
every publisher there are different lines, so they are asking
for different things. So you might have like like at Harlequin,
they have you know, they're doing category romance for the
(38:20):
most part, and they have all of these different lines
like special edition, or they have one with like medical
stuff or like. So you know, if you were doing
like a romantic suspense, that would go over here and
in that romantic suspense, they'll tell you these are the
beats that you need to meet, and these are the
things that we'll do. And some publishers will say something like,
you know, these are the items that we absolutely will
(38:41):
not publish.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Like you cannot.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Like we are a suite publisher, so we will not
have sex scenes in our books, whereas others. You know,
you can have a sex scene, but you can't really
show it, you know, or you have to use this word,
or you have to keep it this way, or it
can't happen in this half of the book, but it
can happen and in the second half. But you know,
and also in general, I think, I think the romance
(39:04):
world is trying to evolve and they're trying to do
all kinds of different couples, and I think it's good
to see, you know, different representation.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
Okay, so based on that rapid fire question, yes, you're
writing a book that's going to become a Hallmark movie.
You have three options for the character to be single
and over thirty one, divorce, two decease spouse, three other
non traditional way. What would you choose?
Speaker 2 (39:35):
Well, so all three you can work with, right, Like,
there's really you can do a lot with all three.
I love people who choose non traditional ways of having children,
Like I feel very proud of them. And I just
I love that somebody wants to have a child so
badly and they want to share their love with a
child that they will do other things. They will do
whatever they need to do. So that's like just in general,
(39:57):
I love that it just worms.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
Away, Like and I really liked that about this movie
that she said that, it just I liked that they
kind of stepped into that realm.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
Yeah, and I like like when someone's divorced, they typically,
like you can have a lot of baggage that you
can work with. Not that every divorce is horrible, but
I found that most divorced people I know do have
something that they're carrying with them into their next relationship.
So you can definitely work with that as an author.
But if I had to.
Speaker 1 (40:25):
Choose out of the three, I definitely have to go
death traditional Oh death, Yeah, you're okay.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
I mean there is nothing better in a Christmas movie
than a little bit of death. I mean, you could
have a parent who loved Christmas and gave you your
love of Christmas, but they died, so now you don't
really like Christmas anymore because you don't you know, you've
lost that parent. You can do a spouse who died,
because that's just heartbreaking and brings a lot into the movie.
(40:55):
I mean, I just like I said, nothing says Christmas. Yeah,
I'm going to death.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
Okay. Just one thought I had was, if you do
have a divorced character with baggage, they could spend some
time with Vivian and she could you know, use Yeah yeah,
you like, have them eat some beta carotene, be all better,
the smoothies, hold a vision for them and meet Chloe.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
Yeah yeah, I could have her manipulate you on the
little board.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Yeah yeah, Chloe could make big money with your talents.
I would like to see a whole series with Chloe.
Now would that be considered the dark arts? Though? Like
putting people together?
Speaker 2 (41:34):
I feel like her intentions were good.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
They were good, but good intentions can go dark. Maybe
she might she might go dark.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
That's a whole different series and a whole different channel.
Speaker 1 (41:44):
That's true, that's lifetime, all right, Carrie, last question for you, Yes,
do you think Summer and Ryan are going to make it? Yes?
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
I think that he's needed in her world because she
has her witch daughter and her like crazy mom and
so she needs somebody else to make the lists. Yeah,
it works a lot, it's busy, and I think it will.
(42:22):
I think it'll work out, and I think she'll help
him heal from his past relationship.
Speaker 1 (42:27):
Okay, I unfortunately don't see them making it, even though
they both make lists, so it seems like a match
made in heaven. I didn't see the chemistry between the two.
I really didn't, And just thinking of Alison Sweeney and
her other Hallmark movies, I've seen her have a lot
more chemistry with other leads, same for him, and then
(42:48):
she has a lot more chemistry with her fellow days
all of the people she's married on days right with
or married more than once. So no, I just I
don't think they're going to make it. It makes me
sad because I like both of them a lot as
characters and as actors, but yeah, they didn't work for me. Well,
what happens sometimes, Okay, it's okay because non traditional route
(43:10):
we both like.
Speaker 2 (43:10):
So yes, okay, So that was a magical Christmas village everyone.
I think we talked about everything there is to talk about.
If you have any extra comments, especially comments about Chloe,
feel free. It is up on social media act.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
If you feel safe doing it right right.
Speaker 2 (43:30):
Exactly at Hallmark Junkies on Instagram and Facebook.
Speaker 1 (43:33):
Yeah, and if you so choose, please subscribe to our
podcast and give us a.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
Rating, a super happy nice rating exactly, a Hallmark type rating.
Speaker 1 (43:43):
All right, Well, this is Jenny sat cheers.
Speaker 2 (43:46):
And this is Carrie saying We'll see yin's and next
time Mary Christmas.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
Hallmark Junkies is a part of the Seneca Women podcast
Network and iHeart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio,
check out the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you listen to your favorite shows.