A Chance for Christmas is a Christmas-themed romance movie.
This is a movie that leans in heavily to certain aspects of today's celebrity culture, more specifically, online/social media influencers.
The film centers Christina Chance (Tori Anderson), a 30-something woman who is a "lifestyle" video-blogger, showcasing cooking recipes as well as internal and external home decorations projects. Christina's videos also prominently feature family members: her two children, Kaylee (Habree Larratt) and Hugo (Declan Cassidy), her parents Rick (Tim Progosh) and Wanda (Lisa Langlois), and her husband, Steve (Bradley Hamilton). Note: One of these people is not a real relative.
It's Steve. Apparently, Steve is merely a former classmate of Christina (high school? College? It's not specified). In real life, Steve is dating Wanda (who is portrayed as being rather openly randy), who is divorced from Rick.
Christina currently has a tentative contract with a household products company, "Love Handles" (great name). However, the executive Christina deals with insists on two million views for her next major vlogging projects, or else the contract is over. An account manager for Love Handles has been sent to Christina's town to directly oversee the production of the vlogging videos. This is Devon (Mykee Selton). Devon is handsome and well meaning, and he's totally thrown by the revelation about Steve.
It turns out that Christina's ex-husband apparently left the family (divorced? Are they simply separated?) once Christina's vlogging career started to gain steam. Devon is single, and was apparently raised by a grandmother after his father disappeared and his mother died.
Devon is sincere in wanting Christina to succeed. On the very first night during Christmas Eve of Christina's vlogging, a hired Santa Claus actor (Nick Allan) shows up, and calamitous hijinks ensue. Christina makes a passing remark on wishing she could do this day all over again. The Santa "actor" turns out be the real guy (!), and magically makes Christina and Devon repeat Christmas Eve over and over, until some kind of special lesson is learned.
So most of the movie is about Christina and Devon gradually getting to know one another while trying different approaches to Christina's vlogging projects. They are the only ones who remember the repeating day. Christina runs into issues talking with Devon, as well as exposing the fissures in her relationship with her parents, Steve, and her children. At one point, the phrase "we're ground-hogging" is used, so the character are aware of the Bill Murray movie, clearly.
On the "pro" side: Most of the actors seem genuinely game for this story, where various aspects of the story are being told in a repetitive way. This is the first time that this author has seen the world of social media influencers and video bloggers get explored in a Christmas movie. It offers an intriguing commentary about the world that is portrayed by these influencers: constant references to brand name products for various needs, everyone being perfectly made-up and well dressed and well coiffed. The filmed life for these individuals is starkly different from their real life. Particularly for the "family based" bloggers/influencers, there is a commentary that nobody's family is perfect, even those who seem to have it all together. There is also commentary about Christina being able to allow romantic love in her life again, when her previous relationship fell apart.
The interracial aspect of the romance between Devon and Christina is never mentioned, which is intriguing. That said, Devon has apparently flown or driven in from out of town, and nothing of his family background is shown, only spoken of briefly.
On the "con" side, some of the acting from some of the characters is a little flat at times. Also, the grumpiness of the kids early on seems rather oversimplified and caricatured. The dynamics and risks of Steve, who is Christina's age, dating her mom is never really delved into beyond the surface level. By the end of the movie, he's simply another family member, a kind-of in-law, but of course, it's Christina's movie, so I guess that's that.
Overall, this is a fun, inoffensive movie to watch, especially with your own family.
This is a movie that leans in heavily to certain aspects of today's celebrity culture, more specifically, online/social media influencers.
The film centers Christina Chance (Tori Anderson), a 30-something woman who is a "lifestyle" video-blogger, showcasing cooking recipes as well as internal and external home decorations projects. Christina's videos also prominently feature family members: her two children, Kaylee (Habree Larratt) and Hugo (Declan Cassidy), her parents Rick (Tim Progosh) and Wanda (Lisa Langlois), and her husband, Steve (Bradley Hamilton). Note: One of these people is not a real relative.
It's Steve. Apparently, Steve is merely a former classmate of Christina (high school? College? It's not specified). In real life, Steve is dating Wanda (who is portrayed as being rather openly randy), who is divorced from Rick.
Christina currently has a tentative contract with a household products company, "Love Handles" (great name). However, the executive Christina deals with insists on two million views for her next major vlogging projects, or else the contract is over. An account manager for Love Handles has been sent to Christina's town to directly oversee the production of the vlogging videos. This is Devon (Mykee Selton). Devon is handsome and well meaning, and he's totally thrown by the revelation about Steve.
It turns out that Christina's ex-husband apparently left the family (divorced? Are they simply separated?) once Christina's vlogging career started to gain steam. Devon is single, and was apparently raised by a grandmother after his father disappeared and his mother died.
Devon is sincere in wanting Christina to succeed. On the very first night during Christmas Eve of Christina's vlogging, a hired Santa Claus actor (Nick Allan) shows up, and calamitous hijinks ensue. Christina makes a passing remark on wishing she could do this day all over again. The Santa "actor" turns out be the real guy (!), and magically makes Christina and Devon repeat Christmas Eve over and over, until some kind of special lesson is learned.
So most of the movie is about Christina and Devon gradually getting to know one another while trying different approaches to Christina's vlogging projects. They are the only ones who remember the repeating day. Christina runs into issues talking with Devon, as well as exposing the fissures in her relationship with her parents, Steve, and her children. At one point, the phrase "we're ground-hogging" is used, so the character are aware of the Bill Murray movie, clearly.
On the "pro" side: Most of the actors seem genuinely game for this story, where various aspects of the story are being told in a repetitive way. This is the first time that this author has seen the world of social media influencers and video bloggers get explored in a Christmas movie. It offers an intriguing commentary about the world that is portrayed by these influencers: constant references to brand name products for various needs, everyone being perfectly made-up and well dressed and well coiffed. The filmed life for these individuals is starkly different from their real life. Particularly for the "family based" bloggers/influencers, there is a commentary that nobody's family is perfect, even those who seem to have it all together. There is also commentary about Christina being able to allow romantic love in her life again, when her previous relationship fell apart.
The interracial aspect of the romance between Devon and Christina is never mentioned, which is intriguing. That said, Devon has apparently flown or driven in from out of town, and nothing of his family background is shown, only spoken of briefly.
On the "con" side, some of the acting from some of the characters is a little flat at times. Also, the grumpiness of the kids early on seems rather oversimplified and caricatured. The dynamics and risks of Steve, who is Christina's age, dating her mom is never really delved into beyond the surface level. By the end of the movie, he's simply another family member, a kind-of in-law, but of course, it's Christina's movie, so I guess that's that.
Overall, this is a fun, inoffensive movie to watch, especially with your own family.