The Christmas Calendar

“The Christmas Calendar” was released in 2017.  It stars Laura Bell Bundy and Brendan Zub.

To read my review click here.   I want to warn you this blog entry contains spoilers.

Emily, a lawyer, comes home to take over her deceased grandmother’s bakery.  She quickly finds out the college fund her grandmother used to pay for Emily’s education was really a loan against the bakery and her home.  Gerard is a baker who is working at the new chain store across the street giving Emily’s struggling bakery competition.

One day a package arrives.  It’s a beautiful advent calendar.  It looks like a doll house with tons of doors.  Behind each door is a note.  The question is, who gave it to her.  Assuming it’s a secret admirer, the local residents become obsessed with finding out the identity of the sender.

Why do I think this movie is special?  It has heart.  True and relatable experiences.  Yes, there are some corny scenes and the behavior of the chain store manager is silly but that only adds to the joy of the movie.

From the very beginning, there’s something about Emily that has me rooting for her.  Having a character or a situation to root for helps me feel more invested in the movie.  I wanted her to keep her bakery and her grandmother’s house.  I also wanted to see who her secret admirer was.  I really wanted it to be Gerard.  Even though they had some ups and downs, I kept hoping for (and expecting) a happy ending.

A bonus in this movie is the very eccentric cast of characters playing the townspeople.  They’re like people you know but a little exaggerated. 

The movie is a very delicate balance of romance, comedy, and a pinch of drama.  It’s light-hearted fun.  It’s one I watch when I need a pick-me-up.

If you haven’t seen it I hope you give it a try.  If you have, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the movie.  Happy Viewing!