"Heart and emotion. To the Navy!"
Hello everyone!
Though to be fair, I tend to just watch movies willy-nilly.
I'm one of those people who makes a list every December and then randomly picks and chooses what they're going to watch, but then again I also have the privilege to be able to do so, which is no small feat, I'll admit.
I have to give credit where credit is due, after all.
Besides, with our Hallmark subsidiary rolling out all the stops and making sure it follow the mother company's rules and regulations on this, it's safe to say we, also, get way too many Christmas movies, which is a far cry from how things used to be!
However, I'm dithering at this point.
Tonight, let's check out a more mysterious rote: USS Christmas!
Onwards!
USS Christmas stars Jen Lilley, who I've watched before in Spirit of Christmas, another sort of mystery holiday movie, and Trevor Donovan, who I'd never seen before but figured, you know what, one star out of the two is a good enough sign for me.
Lilley plays Maddie, a reporter who usually covers the scandalous bits of business, the affairs that happen on Wall Street, that sort of thing, and yet all she wants to do is eventually write something that she can actually enjoy, like Christmas fluff.
I don't think any real reporter feels that way, but let's roll with it for the time being, shall we?
With her sister Amelia visiting as her aircraft carrier is currently docked in its home port (she being n Naval Aviator pilot on board), she spends a lot of time with Maddie and invites her to a Navy Christmas ball, which is where the fun begins as Maddie accidentally spills red wine all down the front of someone else's white dress.
Yep.
To be clear though, the woman behind Maddie was standing MUCH too close and it's her own fault, but it serves as an introduction to a tall, blonde someone in full dress uniform, whom Maddie suspects is the poor woman's boyfriend.
They cross paths several times that evening, though never when one of their family members or friends is near, and besides, Maddie's busy fending off invitations to the so-called Tiger cruise, which is a Christmas cruise for the families of enlisted airmen and women who can then spend a couple of days on board the aircraft carrier with their loved ones.
Eventually, however, Maddie gives in, needing a break from all the sensational business gossip, and tags along with Amelia and her mom (played by the under-utilized Barbara Niven in this movie).
This is where she's OFFICIALLY introduced to the pilot she'd met before, who turns out to be Amelia's wingman, Billy, and also son of the aircraft carrier's captain and old family friend, Chet (at least, I ASSUME he's the vessel's captain and it isn't a rank in the Navy, because otherwise I'm going to get extra confused).
Naturally, neither Billy nor Maddie are thrilled to be in the same space, despite the fact that Chet can smell a potential romance in the air even over something as simple as having dinner together as a family.
When Maddie asks to do a little exploring around the ship to try and find out a good story - she is, after all, a reporter at heart - Chet assigns Billy to her, whose call-sign Grinch definitely doesn't show his true feelings for the holiday season (hint: aircraft carriers are for work, not Christmas).
Together, the two of them find a journal belonging to a pilot who flew during the Vietnam War, and also witnessed the first ever Tiger cruise, falling in love with one of the dancers who'd come on board with the USO to entertain the troops and boost morale. Maddie scents a good story there, a love story, and goes on the hunt with Billy, their mission taking them off into the heart of New York City when the ship docks there.
During their many adventures they visit a model train display which Billy visited with his parents on the last Christmas they had all been together, and explains that after that, his mother left, and his father buried himself in work, never really being there for the holidays, so holidays are moot point for him.
Maddie shows him a different, more loving side of Christmas, in the midst of almost missing the ship sailing off again because they're enjoying themselves so much - and here I thought the airman would get her back on time!
With how much time Maddie and Billy spend together, it's little wonder that their feelings for each other change and deepen, leading to a kiss TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE THE MOVIE'S ENDING.
This doesn't happen in Hallmark, let me tell you.
Anyway, Maddie brushes Billy aside, terrified after having lost her father to the Navy and seeing what it did to her mother, effectively hitting stop when she should be hitting go (girl, he's a pilot, come on now). She goes off to actually find the pilot and his dancer wife - they tell her how he'd eventually tracked her down in New York and she decided going with him would be the best thing she'd ever do, and the easiest.
Because home isn't a place, it's the people you're with.
Maddie finishes the story, even through an interruption from Billy, who practically begs her to give the two of them a chance, which she shoots down yet again, but after some discussions with her mother, who says, yes, it's scary, but love is always scary and there are never any guarantees, especially with a career like the one Billy has, she does have a change of heart.
And on Christmas morning, after reading the story in the paper (mind you, Maddie gets the switch in career she wanted as she'll now cover the military beat instead), Billy meets with her and the two of them FINALLY settle their differences.
With her family watching like a Greek choir.
I mean, it's Hallmark. What did you expect?
Light-hearted, with a touch of mystery as you wonder about the details of the pilot and dancer (this being the channel it is you can rest assured you know they'll end up together, but the how is the question here), this story is one of those you watch while turning your thoughts off from everything that's happening in the world today. It's got a sprinkle of romance but it isn't specifically the main plotline, which I quite enjoyed, though I'm not entirely sold on Donovan yet.
Might have to watch more of his movies just to be safe!
However, I do recommend this for an easy evening watch. It's lovely and entertaining, and Lilley and Donovan play off one another beautifully, as does the supporting cast.
Plus, hello, pilots and the Navy? Yes, please!
xx
*images and video not mine
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