Sometimes, You Need to Go (Way) Against Type... (Christmas Ever After film REVIEW)

 Let’s get one thing straight from the get-go: I am—in no way, shape, or form—a big romance fan. I mean, yes, sure—absolutely!—I appreciate the heck out of sweet romantic gestures… IRL(!)… but as far as the written word goes, or on the big screen? Yeah, not so much. (Clever-smart rom-coms being not the norm and not straight-up romance, capice?)

So, why do I need to tell you all this, you might ask? (Fair question.) Because I’m about to review an all-about-the-romance film, and it’ll be helpful if you know where I’m comin’ from, right off the bat. (Trust me, this will matter, later on…)

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Normally, I wouldn’t choose to watch a) most Lifetime movies [which isn’t meant as a diss; I just know wherein my heart and soul lie, and it ain’t here], or b) a Christmas romance flick, anywhere, anytime. And yet, I find myself watching… precisely that. (Life: it’s a funny ol’ thing, eh?)

Anyway, for reasons, my viewing matter one night turned out to be the premiere of Lifetime’s new Christmas Ever After—a film which is just as holiday-ish and predictable as it sounds… but also manages to be ground-breaking, in a pretty cool way.

Romance-novelist Izzi finds herself experiencing that bane of all writers, from time immemorial—writer’s block—so, making excuses (and promises) to her editor, she flees Manhattan for her annual Christmas vacay to a charming bed-&-breakfast in quaint Silver Springs (a tiny little village in upstate New York), vowing to hammer out the ending to the latest in her ongoing series (when not wassailing and caroling, presumably—this is CharmingTown, USA, after all).

A couple of hiccups in her normal, treasured routine assail her upon arrival, though: she discovers that her beloved lodge has just been sold, and is now under new management, and said management—the previous owner’s son, Matt—just so happens to be a dead-ringer for the hero of her series (as depicted on those bodice-ripping paperback covers). 

I mean, seriously… that latter would give anyone pause, wouldn’t it? 

Back to the plot, though… of course there’s a meet-cute between pretty, smart Izzi and hunky, good-guy Matt… and of course there’s chemistry, because, well—you did read the first couple ‘graphs of this article, right?—that’s just part and parcel, here. And, obviously, there must also needs be numerous obstacles to True Love’s Path… namely, an attractive someone else vying for Matt’s interest, his situation (single father of tween girl, so some amount of cray-cray to be expected), Izzi’s sitch (successful single woman—rewarding writing career! exciting Manhattan life! but also, no one to come home to at night!), and a certain amount of bridging aaaall those distances between the twain. (C'mon, romance has a formula!) 

Will everything somehow work out? Will these two eminently-likable singletons find their Happily Ever Afters (with each other)? Will all be right with the world?? (Let’s just work on the assumption such questions don't actually need answering, m’kay?)

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So, all the above aside, there may (or may not) be an elephant in the room… but really, it only exists if you already know about it: our sweet, talented heroine, Izzi, happens to be in a wheelchair. But—here’s the really-cool part—it isn’t a big deal. 

I don’t say this in any way to minimize the fact that she uses a chair, nor that showing a competent, “regular” person can do so; the point is, Christmas Ever After doesn’t make doesn't make the story about that. (Her being chair-bound isn’t given any teary explanations or backstory, nor does Izzi feel the need to apologize for not being able to do some particular physical thing… instead, her chair is treated no differently than someone’s wearing glasses, or walking with a cane [sighted or no], or having a speech impediment, or… any one of the multitude of things that can in some manner affect one’s physical abilities, whether temporarily or permanently, while having no impact on one’s mind.) And that is a pretty big statement… in a NON-statementy kind of way. 

Tony-award-winning (and wheelchair-bound) actress Ali Stroker delivers a heartfelt performance as Izzi, letting us see her as a smart, successful, “normal” woman in her own right (never someone to feel sorry for), and Daniel di Tomasso has a sweet turn as the still-healing single dad, Matt. (Honestly, I have no more complaint of them than of anyone else doing similarly by-the-book, romance-y things; they do their jobs well, and of course I rooted for them to work out the kinks in their budding relationship, so they could reach that satisfying HEA.)

Major kudos, as well, to the director (Pat Kiely), writers (Tanner Bean and Katrina Mathewson), and everyone involved with the technical details during the fifteen days of shooting Christmas Ever After, all accomplished in the midst of COVID,  following those stringent protocols to keep everyone safe (and providing the rest of the world with a little bit of happy, because of their labors). 

(Hopefully) there will never again be a year quite like 2020… but it’s really pretty neat that there are little bursts of innocent, heartwarming joy and good energies, like Christmas Ever After, that will live on, long after 2020 has passed.

TL;DR: It definitely isn't my normal cuppa tea [which is actually a stout cuppa joe, in the a.m., or a strong-and-beautiful cocktail, in the p.m.], but Christmas Ever After is nonetheless an easy recommendation, in the do-good, feel-good, be-well vibe that I think Every.Single.One.Of.Us.Needs.More.Of. in 2020.  ~GlamKitty