Review: Ghosts of Christmas Always
How does this adaptation of A Christmas Carol stack up?
Starring: Kim Matula, Ian Harding, Beth Leavel, Lori Tan Chinn, Reginald VelJohnson
Directed By: Rich Newey
Written By: Zac Hug
Available On: Hallmark Channel
I have to admit, this one wasn’t on my must-watch list until I saw some live tweets about it during its premiere.
I generally think that adaptations of A Christmas Carol are a dime a dozen these days, so I don’t jump for joy when I see them coming (unless they star Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell, but we’ll get to that one later).
I WAS SO WRONG ABOUT THIS ONE.
This is exactly the movie I needed after being so disappointed by Falling for Christmas.
They give you the lore you need right off the bat with a quick montage of last Christmas and “The Scrooging of Susan Kraine” (which, side-note, really made me think this was a sequel for a few moments). Susan’s heart was changed after her night with our three ghosts. We learn that this scrooging was accomplished in record time, so the ghosts have some time to wander around before they have to be back by sunrise. Katherine, our Ghost of Christmas Present, wants to look around Hartford because it turns out that’s where she’s from. Ghosts don’t remember how they died, but they do remember their lives. We’re told up front that no one should be able to see them, so it’s quite a surprise when she goes into a seemingly abandoned building and is seen by Ezra (I mean, Peter, played by Ian Harding).
Then our ghosts are given next year’s assignment (so Past and Future have all year to research and plan): Peter Baron. When the next Christmas rolls around, Katherine is stunned to discover that their mark is the very same man who saw her last year! It becomes a whole thing.
We also start to wonder exactly why Peter needs a scrooging. He feeds people on Christmas. He wants to help people and fill the shoes his grandfather left behind. There’s nothing miserly or selfish about him.
Then we see a photograph of Katherine (gasp!) on the table in one of Peter’s memories. What could be going on here?
I spent a fair amount of the movie wondering if Katherine was actually going to be Peter’s dead grandma! Which was intensely confusing since these movies are supposed to be romances…
Suffice it to say, she was NOT his grandma. And not everything about this scrooging was as it seemed. The twist was delightful and beautiful. And despite my concern that she may be his grandma, I found myself rooting for these two from the very beginning.
This one is definitely worth my first 5 out of 5 mistletoes rating, and I would definitely watch it again. But probably not this year, since I have so many other movies to watch!
