The Christmas House Review: The Mitchell Family Decks The Halls With Magic
The title is unassuming, but The Christmas House makes history for Hallmark and breaks some rules of the TV Christmas movie genre, resulting in one of the most delightful stories in the network’s history.
Brandon Mitchell (Jonathan Bennett) and his husband Jake are the first two gay characters to appear in a Hallmark Christmas movie. We commend this progress as proof Hallmark is listening to its viewers and ready to move in a direction that will inspire growth.
That said, it’s slightly disappointing that Brandon and Jake are the C plot in the movie.
I love the fact that they’re married and waiting on adoption news. But for all of the history they’re making, their main role in the movie is just to whisper to each other and wait on the news.
I would have liked to have spent some more meaningful time with them on-screen.
The time we do spend with them is lovely and important (especially the kiss). They do confront the stress and anxiety they’re feeling not knowing if they’ll be fathers or not.
But it is confusing to see Bill and Phylis more often than Brandon and Jake. We’ve never learned as much about the main character’s parents in a Hallmark movie as we do about Bill and Phylis.
Their story is fine. It has more depth and is based on more reality than most TV Christmas movies portray, and it’s nice learning about the empty feeling one can face after retirement.
The Christmas House has a small space in LBGTQIA history, though. It could have highlighted that just a little bit more.
TV Christmas movies are usually female-focused — that’s one of our favorite reasons to watch. The Christmas House breaks that rule by mainly focusing on the Mitchell brothers, specifically Mike instead of his love interest Andi.
Buckley is the reason why this works so well that there is nothing to be mad about at all. He’s convincing as both the actor who is becoming lukewarm to L.A. and the kid who loves magic and who once loved Andi.
We get actual context of Mike and Andi’s relationship via flashbacks. It’s a simple device that fluffy TV romance movies don’t use enough.
We only need to see bits of Mike and Andi’s history to feel invested in it because the flashbacks are done so well.
Andi’s memory of the night Mike meant to give her the necklace is particularly heartbreaking to watch because she is so ready for the kiss that never comes. Plus, no dialogue is necessary for us to understand her expectation and eventual disappointment at all.
This is the “show, don’t tell” rule of storytelling at its best.
Magic might seem like an obvious theme for a love story, especially at Christmas. But The Christmas House takes this invisible thread so literally, it’s delightful.
Magic is what brings Mike and Andi together when they’re young, reunites them as adults, and now they’ll raise Noah the magician in the marvelous magical Mitchell house.
It’s almost perfect.
I have to say that I love that Andi and Noah are Latinx, but I hope this isn’t Hallmark’s way of forcing all of the representation into one movie.
The Christmas House proves that small details go a long way in telling a Christmas romance story, and hopefully, this is just the first step of many where representation is concerned.
Yes, that means I’d absolutely love a sequel to this movie, especially one with a title that doesn’t undersell its content.
What did you think of this episode of The Christmas House? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Christmas House airs throughout the holiday season on Hallmark Channel.
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Esme Mazzeo
Esme Mazzeo is a lifestyle and entertainment journalist from Long Island. When she's not writing for work, she's writing for fun, or searching for something to satisfy her sweet tooth. She thinks rainy days are the best kind of days. Certified night owl.
4 comments
This movie REEKS OF FEAR. Every bit of contact between the gay husbands feels measured, over-thought, timed by a stopwatch.
Mom and Dad kiss. Brother and girlfriend kiss. Gay husbands touch foreheads a couple of times, no kissing.
Welcome to the 1980s, Hallmark!
This isn’t “representation,” it’s pandering.
As for the neighbor and her son being Latinx: it’s hardly noticeable.
All respect, there is 100% a kiss between the husbands in this movie. I checked again to be sure. I also don’t like that it’s the C-plot. But they do kiss. As for the Lantinx representation. I’m Latinx and you can hardly notice it. But, they make a meal in a scene and it’s there. Can they also do better there, yes. A start is a start. Just came here to let you know that they kiss.
It’s a (small) step in the right direction so you can either look at it as too little to count or take comfort that progress is being made. Hopefully The Christmas House is just one of many steps Hallmark takes towards inclusivity.
We wrote about our love for Hallmark movies here https://olderslightlywiser.com/why-i-fell-in-love-with-hallmark-christmas-movies/ and even how to play Hallmark Bingo with free cards https://olderslightlywiser.com/hallmark-christmas-movie-bingo-with-free-cards/.
Magic shop owner/potential buyer as DJ??
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