Barring a holiday miracle, “The Christmas Contract” will be my last festive review of this season.
And the 2018 Lifetime original was almost too blah to waste time on. It checked all the usual boxes of course. Cheesy romance, predictable plot, eye-rolling jokes. What stood out for me was the performance and charm of its lead.
Jingle Bells, Bayou Style
We open in New York City, but most of the film is set in Lafayette, Louisiana. It’s a nice change of pace, and despite my love for a festive New York backdrop, the Bayou region has heart.
Jolie (Hilarie Burton) is a workaholic. She’s planning on spending Christmas with her family in Louisiana but can’t face the humiliation of her ex seeing her alone.
Her best friend Naomi (Danneel Ackles) suggests taking her brother, Jack as a pseudo boyfriend. Jack is writing a Christmas love story set in the south and can use the experience for his work.
To avoid legal issues, Naomi draws up a contract for Jolie and Jack (Robert Buckley) to sign. If you guessed that they would fall in love for real, you’d be correct.
One (Christmas) Tree Hill
As a devout fan of late ’90s and early ’00s WB shows, I’m ashamed to admit I have never watched a single episode of “One Tree Hill.” It was funny to discover three members of that show’s cast are in this movie.
Hilarie Burton may take the prize for Christmas Cutie. Her charm and charisma is only barely exceeded by her looks, and she is what makes an otherwise humdrum film worth watching.
Likewise, Danneel Ackles is also adorable. Ackles adds laughs with her supporting role. Robert Buckley’s Jack offers a solid counterpart to Burton’s Jolie, rounding out the One Tree Hill family.
Veteran actor Cheryl Ladd plays Jolie’s mother, with real life daughter Jordan Ladd playing Breonna, her sister. Beautiful “Cobra Kai” star Susan Gallagher lends support, only here she’s not a bag lady.
Infuriating Writing
I know these movies aren’t meant to be taken seriously. But I often cringe at the poor choices of the writers.
“The Christmas Contract” has the typical manufactured drama towards the end that I hate. A conflict that could easily be resolved with a few spoken words becomes a big blowup that we know will get resolved a scene later anyway.
But I get abominable at this late stage of the season, so keep that in mind. “The Christmas Contract” is an average movie, consistent with what you would expect. Give it a shot, especially if you’re a WB fan.
