A Glenbrooke Christmas (2020)
I watched the 2020 Hallmark Christmas special A Glenbrooke Christmas for Autumn Reeser, whom I loved in A Bramble House Christmas. She’s so pretty and sweet! While she’s still pretty and sweet in this one, the movie itself was terrible. She plays a millionaire businesswoman who goes incognito and spends Christmas in a small town where her mother grew up.
Since she’s spent her entire life being useful to others, because of her company, name, and fortunes, it’s not exactly a surprise that in her new Christmas life, she immediately comes across as incompetent. She almost hits someone while driving, and she doesn’t know how to light her own fireplace and sets off the smoke alarm. Antonio Cupo, the man who almost gets bumped by her car and the firefighter who has to rescue her, treats her terribly. He’s irritable, unforgiving, disrespectful, and puts her down. Yet, he’s the love interest. I realize Autumn might find it refreshing not to be seen as a stepping stone in the corporate world for a change; but after about five minutes, getting stepped on in another way is going to get very old.
A Glenbrooke Christmas doesn’t teach the audience good things. It teaches that a man with serious emotional problems who compares every woman to his ex, has trust issues, is in a bad mood more often than a good one, and treats total strangers like garbage, should be pursued. It teaches that a competent, intelligent, successful woman needs to find love with someone who will put her down every minute they’re together. It teaches that a text exchange where the man struggles to pick out the right Christmas emoji is playful banter.
The story itself makes you want to throw your popcorn at the television set. For a mere ten thousand dollars, the town can’t afford to ring the church bells on Christmas Eve (a tradition they claim to originate, if you can believe it) but instead of pulling out her checkbook and giving an anonymous donation, Autumn puts everyone through stress right before Christmas by organizing a fundraiser. What’s wrong with her? I guess that question answers itself when you consider her romantic taste. Folks, skip this one and just watch your old favorites from last year.
More Christmas movies here!
Since she’s spent her entire life being useful to others, because of her company, name, and fortunes, it’s not exactly a surprise that in her new Christmas life, she immediately comes across as incompetent. She almost hits someone while driving, and she doesn’t know how to light her own fireplace and sets off the smoke alarm. Antonio Cupo, the man who almost gets bumped by her car and the firefighter who has to rescue her, treats her terribly. He’s irritable, unforgiving, disrespectful, and puts her down. Yet, he’s the love interest. I realize Autumn might find it refreshing not to be seen as a stepping stone in the corporate world for a change; but after about five minutes, getting stepped on in another way is going to get very old.
A Glenbrooke Christmas doesn’t teach the audience good things. It teaches that a man with serious emotional problems who compares every woman to his ex, has trust issues, is in a bad mood more often than a good one, and treats total strangers like garbage, should be pursued. It teaches that a competent, intelligent, successful woman needs to find love with someone who will put her down every minute they’re together. It teaches that a text exchange where the man struggles to pick out the right Christmas emoji is playful banter.
The story itself makes you want to throw your popcorn at the television set. For a mere ten thousand dollars, the town can’t afford to ring the church bells on Christmas Eve (a tradition they claim to originate, if you can believe it) but instead of pulling out her checkbook and giving an anonymous donation, Autumn puts everyone through stress right before Christmas by organizing a fundraiser. What’s wrong with her? I guess that question answers itself when you consider her romantic taste. Folks, skip this one and just watch your old favorites from last year.
More Christmas movies here!