I was excited to see Jacky Lai (A Sugar & Spice Holiday) and Jake Epstein (Eight Gifts of Hanukkah) in another Christmas movie. I really enjoyed their work and their kind spirits.
It is sad to see the bias in some of the petty reviews, usually posted by people who are intolerant of minority stories, (LGBTQ stories), and minorities in lead roles.
The character of Julia does not have fond memories of Parker who used to be her debate rival in high school and teased her constantly, and who was also her first crush whom she felt rejected by. That clearly explains her animosity and skepticism towards Jake in the beginning of the story.
For those complaining about the plot, Hallmark has also made an effort to embrace diversity and inclusion in their new movies. This has nothing to do with political agendas, and everything to do with human decency, respect, kindness, and love toward everyone regardless of our differences.
Businesses have to adapt to the times, and after all the gains we've done in our society to be more accepting and inclusive of others, networks couldn't possibly continue to operate with old views and "prejudiced" practices that many "people" (not parties) have worked so hard to overcome and change.
Also, after Covid, many businesses have had to rethink their focus to survive and thrive, and maybe that's why we see GAC Family and Lifetime positioning themselves as contenders in the Christmas movie market that was previously dominated by Hallmark. That doesn't mean they'll still do projects exclusively for women as a target audience, but they have to diversify to thrive.
Hallmark has made a living off of repeating story lines, usually putting actors in rolls with similar themes way too often at this point, and you've been supporting them for years!
Why can't Lifetime do a familiar story line with a twist? They're called universal themes for a reason, many can relate as it happens to almost everyone in different ways.
Why not applaud them for being original when they do produce a unique story like this one, instead of looking for a hidden agenda? The movie was about politics and an election, but it was not about political ideologies. It was about working for the common good, and a reignited romance between high school friends. All the romantic scenes were done in a very tasteful way as well.
The ethnicity or sexual orientation of the main and supporting characters should not matter. What matters is that they represent real people, real stories, and reality regardless of how much some would like to deny it. Also, regardless of the biases and prejudices of some, which have nothing to do with politics and everything to do with their humanity or lack thereof.
I invite open minded people, who see everyone as "human beings" first and foremost, to give themselves the opportunity to watch this and other lifetime movies (especially those with minority leads and cast), and rate them in a fair, objective, and unbiased way, as it should be.
I'm very pleased with this beautiful movie, and others done this 2021 -22 holiday season, which have shown classy, and culturally diverse stories that celebrate family and love in all its forms.
Bravo to Lifetime for making a commitment to be a network that employs diverse casts and champions inclusion! Please continue to do so always, and continue making beautiful movies! Lord knows our nation needs to see our stories, our children need to see themselves represented in people who look like them, and our actors need the platform and the opportunities.
I celebrate and support them all! Bravo!
🙌💝🙌
