One December Night (2021)
As I knew the plot of One December Night involved a singing duo getting back together for a Christmas concert, I was very excited to hear Peter Gallagher sing. Fans of the Evil Dead franchise were probably just as excited to hear Bruce Campbell sing. But there’s a bit of a warning that perhaps should have been issued: this Hallmark movie isn’t as cutesy as it seems. Sure, there are some very funny parts, and the romance between Peter’s daughter, Eloise Mumford, and Bruce’s son, Brett Dalton, is supposed to be endearing; but there’s a real downside to the Christmas flick. From his opening scene, the screenplay drops massively unsubtle hints about Bruce’s character forgetting things. Why was this necessary? Couldn’t the story just be about Peter and Bruce reconnecting after ten years and mending old wounds? There were enough dramatic bits, with Peter’s dead wife, former alcoholism, and estrangement from his daughter. Adding in Alzheimer's Disease took all the joy out of what could have been a sweet Christmas movie.
However, if you do want to sit through it, you’ll get the treat of hearing both lead actors perform the title song. There is another “opening act”, Jasmine Forsberg, who sings quite a few songs; but the over-35 crowd will be far more interested in the older folks. After all, we’re the ones who grew up watching Xena: The Warrior Princess and all the Center Stage movies. Those who remember the 1980s certainly won’t care about Jasmine, and they probably won’t care about the little romance, either. Had this movie not been such a downer, I’d probably want to watch it again next year. But Center Stage puts me in such a better mood. To quote Peter Gallagher, “I want you to really think. . .” about whether you want to watch this Hallmark.
More Christmas movies here!
However, if you do want to sit through it, you’ll get the treat of hearing both lead actors perform the title song. There is another “opening act”, Jasmine Forsberg, who sings quite a few songs; but the over-35 crowd will be far more interested in the older folks. After all, we’re the ones who grew up watching Xena: The Warrior Princess and all the Center Stage movies. Those who remember the 1980s certainly won’t care about Jasmine, and they probably won’t care about the little romance, either. Had this movie not been such a downer, I’d probably want to watch it again next year. But Center Stage puts me in such a better mood. To quote Peter Gallagher, “I want you to really think. . .” about whether you want to watch this Hallmark.
More Christmas movies here!