All Hallmark movies are virtually the same, and yet for some reason I keep watching. They capture the magic of the Christmas season and make me wish that my life could somehow be transferred to whatever fictitious locale the film takes place in, with friendly townsfolk, an air of magic, and an unpreventable collision course with true love – who happens to be the only single woman as far as the eye can see.
When I first saw the previews for Hallmark’s 2013 effort “A Very Merry Mix-Up” I knew I had to watch since the subject of true love this go around is a man named Matt. I also knew going into it that I would no doubt lose my voice cheering for him to succeed in love from the comfort of my couch. What was really strange was that as the movie progressed, the similarities between the character Matt and I continued piling on, not limited to just a sharing of our name.
“A Very Merry Mix-Up” begins in New York City with the introduction of an adorable red haired woman named Alice (Alicia Witt). Alice owns and operates her late father’s antique shop, which is located in a bustling neighborhood but still barely manages to stay afloat. Alice loves antiques and her job, and the store serves as a constant reminder of her loving father.
Alice’s Bluetooth wearing tool of a boyfriend William (Scott Gibson) is an affection-devoid aloof businessman who cares only about making money. At dinner, William proposes in a completely artificial way to which Alice responds with a “yeah.”
Having never been introduced to William’s family, Alice is sent to spend Christmas with them (with William momentarily staying behind to close another business deal). At the airport, Alice has a chance encounter with a stranger named Matt (Mark Wiebe) who closely matches a fairy tale she had earlier recanted to an uninterested William. Believing Matt to be the brother of her fiance, Alice accompanies him to the family house, where she has a magical Christmastime experience.
While enjoyable to watch, “A Very Merry Mix-Up” is overly cheesy and ripe with deplorable acting and writing – even as Hallmark standards go. The outcome is predictable, and the characters are cliche; from the obnoxious William who clearly has nothing in common with Alice, making one wonder how on Earth she stayed with him long enough to become engaged, or the family oriented Grandpa Charles (Lawrence Dane) who recants tales of past Christmases and his late wife with such sap dripping sweetness you may contemplate throwing up. No love story could ever play out the way the family patriarch and his late belle’s did. Usually I want to become a part of a Hallmark family, this time I wanted to slug the old man and take his wallet.
“A Very Merry Mix-Up” isn’t bad, but it’s not the best movie put forth from Hallmark.
by – Matt Christopher
