Image via: https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/haul-out-the-holly
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Yay! It’s a corny Christmas romcom!! I loved this movie! Here’s a quick recap and my two cents 😉
Quick Recap
Emily breaks up with her boyfriend and decides to visit her parents, but she discovers her parents are leaving for Florida. After they leave, she becomes responsible for all HOA items her parents weren’t able to do in their absence. While participating in the neighborhood activities, Emily rediscovers her enjoyment for the holidays and her childhood friend/crush Jared.
My Two Cents
Lacey Chabert is one of my favorite Hallmark leading ladies. So, I was super excited for this movie! Especially because it was a romcom! But do you sometimes that when you’re really excited for a movie that it doesn’t live up to your expectations? Well, I was pleasantly surprised that this movie beat my expectations!
I love corny romcoms and this one was definitely corny in all the right ways. Wes Brown and Lacey Chabert were both wonderful! So were all the supporting cast memebers. There was a cameo from another Hallmark star too, but I can’t remember the guy’s name. Maybe it was Kristoffer Polaha? Drop it in the comments if you saw him!
Additionally, did you all catch the call out to Christmas in Vienna?!? While it wasn’t my favorite movie, I chuckled because it was one of Lacey’s. Plus, her comment about, “I love this guy,” was fantastic!
Besides all the Hallmark Easter eggs, I enjoyed so much of this movie! I loved how Emily turned from slightly grouchy to full elf. And the neighborhood activities. I wish my neighborhood was like that! Plus, I loved the ending! It’s exactly how I wanted it to end!
I will admit I was a little confused by the parent’s moving to Florida. It seemed like they had everything planned for Emily to take over the Christmas activities, but what if Emily hadn’t broken up with her boyfriend? Would they have called her to house sit? I guess that’s Hallmark for you 😉
Either way, I still loved it! Fair warning…if you aren’t a corny romcom lover, then you’ll definitely want to skip this movie!
Did you watch this movie? Let me know what you thought! Leave a comment!
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There were 2 kristoffer polaha was Kevin the neighbor but also Pamela’s husband that was traveling was Eric Mabius also.
Thanks! I thought Eric looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him.
I believe I spotted kristoffer poloha and eric mabius in haul out the holly. Am I correct?
Yup!
We love Lacey, and Hallmark movies, but we turned this one off and deleted it from the dvr. We found it so annoying! Zero stars.
I was really looking forward to this movie as Lacy Chabert is a favorite of mine. However the plot and script were very disappointing and I could not watch the entire movie. I normally enjoy Hallmark but found this one suspended belief. I did catch the Christmas in Vienna reference. Have to give this a big 👎
Yes, Kristofer Polaha was in it. Personally I thought it was awful. Lacey Chabert played the same character she always does (let’s be honest, she’s sweet but not very versatile as an actor), and it was just a silly movie. If Hallmark was going for corny then they knocked it out of the park. It wasn’t for me though.
I found this movie so cringey and irritating that I couldn’t even watch the whole thing! As much as I like Christmas, if I were the main character I would have noped out of there quickly (if not right when the parents got in the cab, then as soon as the other characters tried to force me into following the HOA rules), and found a nice B&B to relax in over the holidays.
This movie was so fun! Nice change of pace. Lots of silly laugh out loud moments.
Loved it because it made fun of itself and the ridiculousness of the extremes people go to in every Hallmark movie to prepare for, decorate for, and celebrate Christmas! Loved the cameos and the fact that romance was not the main focus of the movie.
Yes, it was corny. Very corny. And I really like the actors.
I have to start by saying Hallmark movies of today ain’t what they used to be. But I think it’s the pressure they put on themselves by doing so many new Christmas movies because they start in October. Our 10 year old grandson always says “well I know those two are going to get together” at the start of just about every HM movie. And he’s right. They are getting predictable. That being said this movie is my favorite of all the new ones this year because it offers something different. An attempt to poke a little fun at Christmas and also Hallmark. My advice to Hallmark would be start Countdown to Christmas Thanksgiving weekend. And also show more of the older movies we all love. Many of those are classics but unfortunately they are shown at like 2am.
Christmas in Vienna was nor Lacey, but Sarah Drew and Brennan Elliot, Lacey’s frequent costar. Predictable? Yes. They all are but this was a true romantic comedy and a nice change. Good supporting cast also. To those who commented we need to suspend belief in reality…really? Magic Christmas villages , enchanted cookies, trains that travel back in time and comets that transport ww2 nurses to the present day. Just a few concepts from the past few years. It’s a movie, not reality. Change the channel if you don’t like it.
Thanks for the correction! She’s been with Brennan Elliot so much, I guess I inserted her as the costar in my head. LOL!
Loved it !!