Jay Rohr
The Christmas Writer is a holiday themed charcuterie board that looks appetizing. It brings plenty of cheese to the season while aiming at a romantic niche which forgives some of its more formulaic aspects. This LGBTQ friendly flick from Tello Films offers a romcom that can be delightfully corny at times. Even so, looking appetizing and being a tasty treat aren’t necessarily one and the same.
Noel (Shelby Allison Brown) is a successful author of lesbian Christmas romances. Shortly after the death of her mother, she catches her lover in bed without another woman. Ten months go by without her writing another word. Endeavoring to get the ink flowing, she returns to her hometown seeking inspiration. While there she encounters Callie (Callie Bussell), a single mother and bookshop owner. As sparks between the two begin to fly, Noel starts wondering what’s really missing from her life.
Other complications ensue, especially concerning the various cast of characters. For instance — minor spoilers — Grandma Robbins (Karen M. Chan) is feeling lonely. As she considers living in a retirement community, Noel balks at the idea of her childhood home being sold so her grandmother can move. It’s an interesting example of how The Christmas Writer paints its characters.
Grandma Robbins is clearly trying to bait her granddaughter into coming home at the very least more frequently. Not to mention paining over the loss of her daughter. However, the film often only centers on Noel’s hurt without being certain which is bothering her the most. She seems equally grief stricken by the death of her mother as well as the loss of her unfaithful lover.
Either would be motivation enough for the events of The Christmas Writer, so it’s odd the movie treats them like passing concerns. For instance, talking to her best friend about the fear of being burned by another lover, Noel’s previous romances sound trifling. Audiences are supposed to believe a relationship where she already had one foot out the door has traumatized her enough to create perpetual writer’s block.
This kind of narrative cog is common throughout The Christmas Writer. Events are merely meant to move things forward, not create structural depth. For example, there’s little discussion of how Noel’s mother died because that doesn’t matter to the movie. The only thing which does is that she’s dead. It’s the kind of generic motivation found throughout the flick, though common to this type of movie.
This is the kind of film it’s all too easy to make fun of. However, The Christmas Writer sincerely endeavors to offer an antidote to cynicism. It borrows heavily from the format typically associated with Hallmark holiday movies. As such, it’s safe to say this is meant for similar audiences.
In that respect, the film possesses a degree of self-awareness. During one portion, Noel is judging holiday story pitches for a contest. Some of them are comically close to snarky synopses of similar saccharine movies. With that in mind, those inclined to rosy romances of the cheesy variety are likely to enjoy The Christmas Writer, while those inclined to a white wine fueled mockery of the movie could do just as well.
It’s kind of unfair to criticize some of the flaws in the film. They’re part of the inherent structure resulting from the formula Tello is following. Everything from the color palette to the acting is stylistically intentional. To a certain extent, The Christmas Writer is matching a mold. Consequently, there are plenty of predictable dialogue moments. One could almost make a drinking game out of pausing to take bets on what audiences think will be said next.
Such cheesiness can be a mixed bag. It worked better in another Tello feature A Holiday I Do. Here the self-awareness alongside the intentionally corny comedy, not to mention the cloying romance, doesn’t always gel to the best. Certain scenes give off the intention of charm though what plays out doesn’t always achieve that goal.
The Christmas Writer possesses admirable earnestness. The cast never comes across as people passing through for a paycheck. Shelby Allison Brown (How (Not) to Get Rid of a Body) anchors the feature in her portrayal of a person unsure where to plant her pen so to speak. She shares a certain quiet chemistry with Callie Bussell (Camp Murder), who ably plays Noel’s prospective new romance. June Tuss (Passage) plays Pepper as the effusive, precocious, eternally optimistic child one expects in such holiday pap. Overall, no one in the cast ever feels out of place.
Following a formula is fine, however, there’s always a risk of coming across like a collection of lost opportunities. The Christmas Writer is so concerned with fitting into the format it misses a lot of chances to be more interesting. In a weird way, the movie is playing it too safe. It fills in the blanks like a romcom phrasal template well enough yet never gives the characters anything truly interesting. This is cinematic background noise, ideal for having on while making baked goods — the kind of movie put on at parties no one really watches.
Granted, it’s not the worst thing in the world. The Christmas Writer earns a degree of praise for its sentimental sweetness. The display may fit a profile tempting a niche audience, but outside that bracket, the film doesn’t offer much. Still, anyone looking to pass the time waiting for cookies to finish, while sipping a fourth white wine might have a good time with this one.
