Christmas on the Coast Review: A True Delight for Any Christmas Movie Lover
Feeling a bit lonely this holiday season? What about homesick? Well if you’re up for it, Christmas on the Coast on UPtv has the perfect remedy for such dilemmas.
Synopsis: Tough and cynical New York celebrity novelist Dru Cassadine, known for her romance stories, is desperate for a breakthrough after a string of flops. Spurred on by brutal reviews and a not-so-subtle threat by her publisher to drop her, she is given just weeks to turn out a best seller.
To get her creative juices flowing, Dru decides on a change of scenery. Reluctantly, she returns to her childhood home for the holidays. Landing in Harbor Pointe, a small picturesque beach town, a flood of memories washes over her.
As the town prepares for Christmas, and she struggles with her past, handsome local widower, Brysen Flynn and his spunky teenage daughter Peyton enter her life. Dru’s tough New York heart melts as she befriends Peyton, and romance begins to spark with Brysen on the Southern shore…with an unexpected twist no one saw coming.
Even though the story is set in a Southern beach town that doesn’t even get cold for the holidays, the Christmas spirit is still alive and strong. It’s a setting that doesn’t always mesh well for Christmas movies, mostly because the winter vibe gets lost in the sand.
Lucky for us, Christmas on the Coast gives us reminders of that winter feel.
These reminders are small and subtle, but they speak loud enough to convince us all that it really is December and weeks away from the end of the year. Little things like hot cocoa or signs that say, “Who needs snowflakes when you have starfish.” There is even a hint of it in the Christmas cookie eating contest.
The contestants have to wear Santa suits and their family members are all decked out in holiday attire, including a few sweaters. Little details like this scream Christmas and winter, which dissolves the sandy beach vibe.
Besides its location, the movie falls into a few other trademark holiday film tropes, all of which, when executed correctly, work very well.
The strongest trope in this movie has to be “main character moves back to hometown in order to change them when in fact they end up changing themselves.” It’s a story track that actually gets executed on two separate levels.
We first see it with the author, Dru, herself. Then we see it again when we hear the story she wrote. It’s clear her newest book is directly inspired from her life, but to have the trope reflected actually increases the intrigue of it all.
It leaves us wondering if she learns her lesson because she discovered it on her own or if through the course of writing she stumbled on it. It remains up to the audience to decide.
Even the common thread of a hometown romance can’t detract from the beauty of the romance. Dru truly believes she won’t get him, which therefore adds to our doubt as well. It creates a level of interest that keeps us tuned in until the very end.
The whole of it all gives insight into our own personal qualms about our childhood. We are left wondering if our hometowns are really as bad as we made them seem or if it was all imagined in order to feel more comfortable in our discomfort.
Holidays are synonymous with family and togetherness. Christmas on the Coast reminds us that not everyone is at a good place with their loved ones or themselves and so the holidays actually cause them to shut down a bit.
It’s a stark contrast to the overall positive feel.
Finally, if the above reasons aren’t enough for you to check out this movie, then how here are three more. Julie Ann Emery (AMC’s Preacher), Burgess Jenkins (Remember the Titans), and Bonnie Bedelia (NBC’s Parenthood) lead a stellar cast.
Their familiar faces definitely draw you in, but it’s their chemistry and connection with every other character that keeps you interested. They all move together like one huge loving, yet dysfunctional at times family.
This is a true delight for any Christmas movie lover out there. Christmas on the Coast definitely has you falling in love with your family, yourself, and the whole Christmas season once again.
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Christmas on the Coast airs Sunday, November 16th at 7/6 on UPtv.
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Mads Misasi
Mads is a part-time entertainment journalist and full-time marketing content creator. They love any and all TV Dramas with a few sitcoms mixed in. Join in the fun talking about TV by following them on Twitter: @dorothynyc89.