Podcast in a Pear Tree: Christmas Movie Reviews

It's our last episode for 2024, and we had a manageable list of movie debut options coming into the mid-weekend of December premieres that somehow had a different mix of movie tropes from cocktails to sustainable fashion. We review a Hanukkah-focused film on Hallmark (Hanukkah on the Rocks) and The Santa Class, Lifetime's offerings with The Holiday Junkie and Christmas on the Alpaca Farm, Get Him Back for Christmas on GAC, and a surprise new release find on Netflix. Before diving into the films, we also tackle Hallmark's reality show Finding Mr. Christmas.

We kick-off our episode with a festive visit to the first ever Los Angeles Christmas Market in Downtown Los Angeles. But it's down to business as we tackle all sorts of tropes in the films that debuted the second week of December, including Sugarplummed and Leah's Perfect Gift from Hallmark, How to Fall in Love by Christmas and A Very Merry Beauty Salon from Lifetime, Nutcrackers on Hulu, and of course, Once Upon a Christmas Gift (GAC).

We finally review all the films from Thanksgiving Weekend, and there were definitely too many! We kick-off with the theater-released Amazon film, Red One. To keep the chaos somewhat manageable we go by network, starting with Hallmark (A 90s Christmas, Holiday Touchdown, Christmas Quest), Netflix (Our Little Secret), Lifetime (BeBe Winans' We Three Kings), and Great American Christmas/GAC (I Heard the Bells, A Cinderella Christmas Ball, Home Sweet Christmas).

We've hit a solid B week for films. Plus, have you ever wondered what your desert island Christmas song would be? Well you'll be thinking about it as we discuss the premieres from films right before the Thanksgiving holiday, including Netflix's Christmas spicy film The Merry Gentlemen, the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce romance inspired Christmas film on Lifetime, Christmas in the Spotlight, and others like Sincerely, Truly Christmas (Lifetime), Three Wiser Men and a Boy (Hallmark), Little Women's Christmas (Great American Christmas), and To Have and to Holiday (Hallmark).

We had some of the best movies of the season in this latest episode! One in particular was quite possibly our star of the season. Some films we cover this week: Confessions of a Christmas Letter (Hallmark), A Cozy Christmas Quilt (Great American Christmas), Jingle Bell Love (Roku) and some honorary mentions of Reason for the Season (Hallmark Mysteries), Hot Frosty (Netflix), Jingle Bell Run (Hallmark), Christmas at Plumhill Manor (Lifetime), and A Christmas Less Traveled (Great American Christmas).

We run into some gaslighting shenanigans while discussing our mediocre encounters and charming gems for this week. Some movies we cover this week: Netflix's Meet Me Next Christmas, Hulu's Christmas on the Ranch, Great American Christmas' Christmas Under the Northern Lights, Hallmark's Trivia at St. Nick's, and preview of Netflix's Hot Frosty.

In our rundown of the films from the beginning of the season from October (let's face it, mostly Hallmark), we find ourselves mentioning to a lot of random pop culture references. See if you catch all of them. Hints: Crashers, Lies, Sir a , the Teenage

Halloween is here, but the Christmas movie season is already upon us. Here's a bit of our take of what it's looking like so far in our season 4 opener. (Note: we recorded this before Lifetime's full line-up was released)

To commemorate the release of Twisters (2024), a follow-up to the beloved 90s movie Twister (1996), and a nod to Christmas in July, we thought we would review a randomly discovered holiday take, Christmas Twister. Good idea? Debatable.

We want to root for Lifetime with this film, but we're left torn between blatant overseen details with the cooking competition backdrop yet heartwarming family feels of a family reconnection. Tia Mowry is a key draw, if you can persevere through the oversights. Oh yeah, and there's kinda romance too.

Some big stars join in Amazon Prime's main flick for the Christmas season, including Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross. But it gets really wacky, and you better be ready for it. Seriously.

A prop hourglass brings some twisty time turns in this surprisingly entertaining film set in the historic Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Things go meta on this film about a film that also has some Hallmark Christmas easter eggs for those paying attention.

Finally! A Christmas film that pays appropriate homage to its source material in many ways, aside from the possible incesty vibes. Tom joins us as our special guest to provide us with valuable UK perspective.

Whip out those nostalgic Party of Five vibes as we see the reunion of sister-brother duo of Lacey Chabert and Scott Wolf in this escape to Scotland production. Our special guest Kim did some homework on this one for us!

We take an extended (indefinite?) Christmas pitstop in Nova Scotia with familiar Hallmark faces, though different accents (if you remember The Royal Nanny). Special guest Chloe joins us as we discuss expected illogical moments and fun facts in this film.

We're back for season 3 and as expected, Hallmark is ahead of the game with six premieres before Halloween! That's just crazy. We breakdown our thoughts on hits, misses, and meh options so far.

We're back for some "Christmas in July" debut films, starting with a familiar storyline of an ordinary person falling in love with a royal in a make-believe country. That's pretty much what it is, nothing more and nothing less.

We're doing a deep dive with the works of a well known "Queen of Christmas" movie maven, Candace Cameron Bure. There was so much to discuss, we had to divide this episode into two parts! Part one covers her early beginnings prior to her rise to fame with Hallmark.

We share a little of our holiday travels, including visits to Hallmark's Enchant, and review some of our top and not so great films from the 2022 Christmas movie season.

Our hearts were warmed in this "You've Got Mail" style take on a matchmaking story during Hanukkah in New York City. While we wish Lisa Loeb was more than a cameo, the multi-generational interactions will keep you laughing.

A film about six friends reuniting for a Christmas treasure hunt? We really wanted to like it, but we got lost in... everything.

Hilarious chaos abounds in this home for Christmas switch in the UK which we found heartwarming and cute. We talk gilets, fit Steve and doggie antics.

The title and premise are promising until you watch and realize its going in a direction that includes borderline stalking and possible HIPAA violations (not an exaggeration).

A refreshing storyline in a new locale? Count us in. Believability, family and strong women grounded this film in warm Christmas spirit, and we didn't need to have snow! PS: Find out about Samantha's hidden talent and our thoughts on the Austin (Texas) airport.

We dutifully support Full House alum Andrea Barber in her Christmas film debut by doing our best to make something of this movie, except we're not quite sure what that was supposed to be.

Only someone like Kelsey Grammar can pull off "A Christmas Carol" meets "Groundhog Day" holiday film. But Santa is not who you're used to seeing in this one.

Join us for a double header of the "Queens of Christmas" as we discuss Lacey Chabert's latest Hallmark film and Candace Cameron Bure's first appearance on Great American Family (for Great American Christmas, or GAC as we call it).

From the cutting room floor: Before recording the last two episodes, a random list on IMDb led to us reminiscing on past movies including A Christmas Movie Christmas, Christmas Perfection, Holiday in Handcuffs, A Very Nutty Christmas, and Feliz NaviDAD.

We are honored by the presence of Rita Moreno, who at even 90 sparkles the film channeling Santa spirit at every turn. We watch for her and impressive ASL inclusion.

Because the writers were looking for a way to work with a baby, we get a film itching for some 80s nostalgia. Plus some sugar plum fairy dancing and intense house decorating.

The most action packed Hallmark Christmas movie we've seen yet. Secret agents and weaponized umbrellas? We are totally here for it!

The highly anticipated return of Lindsay Lohan to film comes to us in Christmas movie glory. Come with your nostalgia and tropes—you'll need it for this one!

Thoughts on the 2022 season line-ups on our favorite holiday movie channels... and the new ones!

Our trio shares their thoughts on national treasure Jennifer Coolidge, the magic of New Hampshire, and Jesus H. Christ in this modern, breath of fresh air holiday romcom by Netflix.

Paying respects to the High School Musical reunion of Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman, we watched some awesome dance moves, Corbin Bleu's convincing acting, and Instagramable moments in this Lifetime film. But that's pretty much all we noticed.

Enamored by the reunion of Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson, our three holiday experts find a lot of parallels between this movie and the much more well known Lloyd/Thompson collaboration, Back to the Future. Along the way they inadvertently plug Balsam Hill, Hallmark Jewelry and another Hallmark film with a scarf, a merry-go-round and a five year wait.