You, Me and the Christmas Trees

source: You, Me and the Christmas Trees

I was so excited for Countdown to Christmas to kickoff this year. I'm definitely the Christmas 365 kind of girl and couldn't wait for the premiere movie this year. 🎄🍿🎥 Unfortunately, this one fell flat and leaves much to be desired. A little disappointed this is the movie Hallmark chose for the big kickoff. I really hope it's not a sign of things to come for the season. You me and the Christmas trees isn't bad but it's certainly not good. It's a long, tedious 2 hours to get through what you kind of suspect from the ending. Danika and Benjamin are great leads but their characters leave much to be desired. Olivia is beyond socially awkward, she's whiny and not really likable. Jack, along with Olivia and her mom all have deep personality flaws that magically change at the end after a few conversations? Overall, not planning to watch again and hoping for better things to come with the remaining Countdown to Christmas movies.

Seriously, how do they do this with a straight face? C'mon Hallmark, Can you not find any better writers? But the good news is the unoriginal plot with an ending a three year old kid figure out in the first five minutes, and cheesy dialogue helps put me right to sleep at bedtime. Maybe if you didn't insist on producing an endless supply of sappy Christmas movies, It would help inspire more original writing.

Such an infuriating movie. So she's an arborist but doesn't do anything related to the profession at all? She's an "evergreen expert"? Seriously, didn't realize that was a profession. If she's a scientist, what an insult to be called a tree expert. He's a farmer that only grows Christmas trees? How does he make enough to cover the year? Also he said it's because it brings joy? What about growing local crops for people in the town. Now the little things. In the beginning he hits her car so bad that the tailpipe falls off, yet there's no noticeable damage and that tow driver says the engine would stall? What? Seriously so many things in this movie that just make zero sense. I know it's a hallmark movie but come on, put some effort into selling the idea of the world. She comes for work but spends the time doing so little actual work and when she does work it's clipping a few pines or setting up some ridiculous beaker and lab desk from a high-school class room. I usually like hallmark movies because they are cheesy and fun. This is just poor writing. The jokes aren't funny or clever, the characters are wooden like the brother or the typical bad guy tree seller. Oh and I almost forgot to mention the cop in this movie who looks like he's 20 years old, like really? I'd skip this one for sure.

Absolutely adore Christmas and Hallmark have done some above decent and more Christmas films over the years. As well as a fair share of misfires. 2021 was a typically inconsistent year for Hallmark in all their seasonal blockings, but considering the circumstances it turned out quite a lot better than expected. Part of me was expecting all the 2021 films of theirs to be mediocre or below but quite a lot were the opposite. Exactly the same with its 2020 output too. 'You Me and Christmas Trees' is a not particularly good start to the 2021 Countdown to Christmas block and did make me feel that the Christmas films that year were going to be pretty low in quality. The good news is that not all of them were below average, but as far as Hallmark's 2021 Countdown to Christmas films go, 'You Me and Christmas Trees' is one of the weaker ones. When it comes to the two leads, Benjamin Ayres is dependable in the right role and is one of the better things about the film but Danica McKellar (despite being one of the most popular regulars) shows why not all her typecast performances come off. There are good things about 'You Me and Christmas Trees'. Ayres does a good job with what he's given, it is a typical role but one he performs with subtle charisma, easy charm and honesty. Did like his character, no overblown character flaws and not too perfect as well as some growth obvious. It is a very nicely filmed film too and has beautiful scenery. The music isn't overused or melodramatic, which is good as that can be a failing with Hallmark. The supporting cast try their best with their material. McKellar for my tastes tries too hard, it is a role that she does a lot (hence what is meant by typecasting) with varied success (sometimes charming, at other times bland) and she never looks relaxed and comes over as too manic. Complete with too many awkward moments early on. Didn't care for her somewhat tired character, who is not really fleshed out enough and is too much of one dimension. She and Ayres have moments of decent chemistry, but on the whole it is too subdued and is paced unevenly. Rather aimless for too much of the length and then any progression is unrealistically rushed. While the supporting cast do competently but not exceptionally, Jason Hervey is another over-compensator in a role that is written as too much of a cliched cartoon. It is so at odds with the rest of the film and it was like he had walked onto the wrong set. Too much of the dialogue is too cheesy and schmaltzy, and the flow in the first half is not natural. A lot of the story badly drags, and it is also very slight and predictable for most of the length. Some of the later plot developments like the underwritten and forced conflict is rushed and not developed enough. The ending is too easy. Concluding, lacklustre start to the 2021 Countdown to Christmas block. 4/10.

Yes it has the cliche themes - spoiler alert haha - town goes overboard for Christmas, there's interrupted kiss, they fall in love in 5 days or less and there's "the best" hot chocolate. But the Christmas tree angle was new. And best of all, I laughed out loud several times. Not the cheesy groan laughs but actual laughing with the dialogue. Don't get me wrong, it's still definitely a Hallmark movie but it's a good one. And I've watched a LOT of them.

First, the setting looks nothing like Connecticut, where it is said to be set. Second, Hallmark needs to find a younger cast. Third, whoever wrote this knows zilch about the Christmas tree business. So-so interesting. Was this shot in the spring??

I've never been a member of the Danica McKellar fan club except when she was Winnie on The Wonder Years. I also like her advocacy for girls and math in real life. I'm a little troubled about why she signed an exclusive contract with GAC family. A network which, apparently, is an alternative for those who are uncomfortable with Hallmarks new commitment to diversity, and their more inclusive view of "family values". Personally, I like Hallmark's more friendly view of "Family" better these days. We'll see. Anyway, Danica always looks troubled and worried about something or other. She has a resting frowny face. Although I recognize that she is accounted to be very attractive, her looks have never appealed to me. Danica aside, this was a big miss for me. Although the science was kind of interesting at first, the whole process drew out way too long. Do your scientist thing, solve the problem, and move on from the rather boring problem of falling tree needles. Both of the leads' crises were of their own making. Farmer Ben Ayres did not have a back-up plan, as Danica relentlessly pointed out, and Danica was not open and honest with her mother, preferring to be a victim, I guess. I admit Danica is pretty good conveying victimhood. Farmer Ben Ayers kept saying he did not want to diversify because the advice from his father was to do one thing well rather than many things poorly. Well, he didn't do his "one thing" very well, did he? I do usually like Ben Ayers. He is very good playing masculine kind of grouchy men. So he was pretty well-cast as a stubborn loner-type farmer whose Christmas Trees were dying right before Christmas. Taking a page from a trend of reuniting actors from old shows, Jason Hervey, also, like Danica, of The Wonder Years, played the bad guy. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Sadly, this movie was one of the most disappointing Christmas movies Hallmark has ever put together. The stars are a big draw. One always wants to see Danica McKellar. She is such lovely young woman, and such a fine actress. Her very best recent film was A Crown for Christmas, which one can watch over and over. However, her role in this film was truly a waste of her talent and lovely looks. She is probably in her forties, and deserves a role which casts her as a more mature woman. Her appearance is still that of a younger person, with flowing long hair and flawless makeup. But one can't prolong those looks forever. Her facial expressions seem to range from happy to worried, with very little in between., Benjamin Ayers is an attractive leading man, but he mentions that he got his first Christmas tree ornament when he was born 27 years ago. This was surely a big stretch on the part of the writers since both leading actors must be in their forties by now. The plot of the film was predictable. The romance seemed to come out of nowhere, with no real development or buildup. The movie felt formulaic, like Hallmark checked off all the boxes that had to be covered in a holiday movie, but neglected to add real feelings, really mature human emotions, and a less predictable story line. Let us hope that future holiday films reach for bit of a higher standard and more originality. Loyal Hallmark viewers deserve more and better.

Favorite scene with Olivia Arden (Danica McKellar) - Discovering what Dwayne had done to the Town's Christmas Tree when she runs into his 2 Henchmen and making sure that he pays dearly for it in front of the Town. BTW #1, I Loved this movie! BTW #2, I Loved the Danica McKellar and Jason Hervey Reunion!