"No matter what curve balls come at you - just keep swinging."
Hello everyone!
Whew.
It's been a doozy this year given everything, but then again I suppose we're all feeling the effects of it being 2020, right?
I've seen so many memes floating about that it's hard to say who's had more fun with them, the year itself or the people who made them, but all of them are so relatable, and honestly I can't WAIT for 2021. It's got to be better than what we've had so far, right?
Fingers crossed.
But for the time being we're taking a look at one last Christmas-y movie before starting something else next week, and in honour of that I've chosen one that I truly enjoyed yesterday while watching.
The Christmas Bow knew exactly what it wanted from audiences, and delivered.
Links to all previous Christmas movie reviews can be found at the bottom of he page, as always! You're also welcome to check out previous years in the drop down menu to the side, of course.
The Christmas Bow is part of the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries assortment, though granted I was once again trying to find out what the mystery part of it was - I suppose it was just the movie bit really!
In any event, it was enjoyable, and it had Michael Rady, a Hallmark regular. I actually don't know why I didn't like him to begin with, but just goes to show how wrong you can be, because he might be one of my Hallmark favourites now.
So let's see what he got himself into this time, shall we?
The movie actually begins in the past with young Patrick encouraging a friend of his, Kate, to not be nervous before performing on the violin in front of people at her family store's annual Christmas party. This then transforms into a scene years later when Kate is an adult (Lucia Micarelli) and auditioning for a philharmonic orchestra, and VERY happy with how the audition went.
That is, until she tries helping what seems to be a cellist player and the door slams on a few of her fingers, spraining at least one and breaking two.
This is all on the hand that holds the violin, mind.
Forced to take a six week break, she returns home to recover with her parents, helping at their music store, and ends up running into Patrick, who's also home for the holidays after a divorce, trying to figure out the next step in his life as a doctor. He applied for a travelling doctor position (I feel like it was something like Doctors Without Borders, but don't quote me on it please) but is waiting to hear back from them, and in the meantime is working as a PT at the local doctor's office.
This is actually where his and Kate's story intersects a bit better, as she goes to him to help recover all movements in her injured hand.
Naturally this gets the two of them to talking and he explains he's also home to help with his mother, who has a rare disease that affects the muscles, so he helps with her and with spending time with his nephew/cousin (I'm not really sure who the boy was, I thought for a second it was Patrick's sister who came to pick him up, then someone said they were cousins? Either way, cute moments galore).
This leads to a bunch of hilarious situations in which Patrick kind of wants to be subtle but the kid is just directly 'oh he likes you that's why we're here, he even told me so!'
Wingmen, am I right? LOL
Anyway, the kid manages to convince Kate to convince her grandfather, a renowned violin teacher, to teach again, while she and Patrick continue spending more and more time together, renewing their friendship and possibly kindling something more.
After all, about half an hour before the movie ends, they share a kiss at the Christmas market while her eyes are closed and she's explaining some theory or other behind it, and he just goes for it.
They do, however, both suffer from the same problem, which is not communicating directly what they want to the other, both thinking they don't want to hold the other person back from their dream jobs, that both require a lot of travelling.
They do all the Christmas-y things together though, gingerbread houses, a North Pole express, the market, etc.
Kate's grandfather, missing his departed wife, also decides that living is the way to go, and resurrects the old Christmas party at the store, with Patrick's cousin and her restaurant catering for it.
Patrick and Kate finally have a talk right before she has to go and perform again, after he gifts her with a violin bow, and both admit they really like the other and would love to make it work somehow. We aren't specifically told HOW, though when the scene shifts to a year later, Kate is seen auditioning for the same orchestra she started the movie with, and Patrick is waiting for her outside the hall, so it can be assumed that Patrick might have either taken a slightly different position which would enable him to travel with Kate, or he just took his practice and moved it to their new home base.
Either way, they both seem to be all in for their relationship and the future is looking bright, with Kate's hand definitely back to full mobility and the two of them looking happy as can be!
Non-complicated, lovely, and with the charming lead that is Michael Rady, this is one of those movies you put on and enjoy while maybe puttering about with something else light-hearted. It brings the message of never giving up with it, and the supporting cast is also amusing with how they all seem to be in favour of this potential relationship. Kudos go to the little cousin though, because his lines were usually on point - and the actor's chemistry with Rady also showed!
So all in all, this is an hour and a half of light-hearted enjoyment, which I highly recommend.
xx
*images and video not mine
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