Deliver By Christmas
Deliver by Christmas, I am not worthy of thee. These Romantic Christmas movies we watch have certain things that have to happen for us to consider them legitimate, and this movie here knocked almost all of them down by the five minute mark. Deliver By Christmas is nothing short of a Master Class.
As I have pointed out, our future lovebirds have anywhere between three days and two weeks to meet, fall in love, breakup and fall back in love. Molly (Alvina August) and Josh (Eion Bailey) have nine days. I know this because this movie opens with a lady on a balcony flipping huge number cards counting down the days until Christmas. Next scene, Molly owns a bakery and she's baking Christmas Cookies. Next scene, Josh and his young son Jimmy (Kesler Talbot) hang a wreath and then have a snowball fight against Josh's brother and his wife. Next scene, inside the house drinking hot cocoa, followed by the sister in-law giving everybody Ugly Christmas Sweaters. Next scene, Christmas tree shopping where Josh and Molly meet. Next Scene, Christmas trees are decorated. Almost all of the required elements of this movie are checked off and this movie is only six minutes old! They could literally roll the credits right now and we would be satisfied.
Alas, a movie must happen so onward we go. Josh is a sad widower whose wife was an army medic that died overseas when little Jimmy only two, so he sold his tech business and moved back to Snowy Town to spend more time with his little boy and be closer to family. His brother and sister-in-law keep trying to hook him up with ladies, but he just wants to spend time with his boy and has no time for love.
Molly owns a bakery, works tirelessly at this bakery, mainly because she suffered a severe heartbreak as we will later learn. Molly's sister Jane (Nadeen Lightbody) would like for her sister to meet somebody but she has a business to run and no time for love.
It is Christmas time and there are errands to run, not to mention Josh has promised to help his sister-in-law with the upcoming Christmas Festival, and as such Josh and Molly are always running into each other. Logically, at some point, they should introduce themselves to each other like normal people, especially since Alvina August gives one of the best thirst looks in the business, but no, they just keep bumping into each other, having polite conversations and then go their separate ways.
There is a contrived reason they don't introduce themselves to each other, of course. Josh promised cookies for the festival, but he burns them. One sleepless night he emails the local baker to ask for some tips. Surprisingly, the Baker emails right back, because Molly is working at 4 in the morn. At four o'clcock in the morning, one would think this would be Molly's chance to relax... dress down maybe. Sweats and a t-shirt, but not my girl. Hair is done, make up is tight, clothes are on point and she's wearing mid heal booties, at four in the morning. While baking bread. Anyway, after a few emails back and forth this night, why not just call so they can discuss what Josh needs, which leads to numerous conversations between the guy on one end of the line, and the baker on the other end. Deep, personal conversations. Meanwhile, Molly and Josh continue bump into each other, completely unawares that they talk like every night. Love is definitely happening.
But I'm thinking... how can they split apart when they're not even together yet? Well eventually Molly figures out that the guy she always runs into, and Josh on the other end of the line are same person, which makes her very happy. But Molly is a master of misreading situations. And with the situation completely misread, she stops returning Josh's calls, which makes a sad man even sadder. Until all is straightened out, and he sees the lady on the other end of the line at the Christmas festival, which makes him very happy... as it damn well should... and as it turns out, there is time for love. At Christmas.
So think 'You've Got Mail', only with texts, and you've got a pretty good idea on what you may be in store for with Delivering Christmas. This movie right here is almost the prototype of the Hallmark Romantic Christmas Movie, so much so that this is the one they should show in the film school class Romantic Christmas Movie 101, which is going to happen because this genre of movie is the one being made the most right now. But there are just a few subtle differences with Delivering Christmas. One is that no one in this movie is ambivalent about Christmas. Everybody loves Christmas here. Another is that this film gives equal time to the male character, which is fairly rare in these movies. Otherwise it follows protocol.
We already mentioned that they got all the critical items on the checklist over six minutes in, meaning the rest of the movie was basically the romance. Do our two leads have chemistry together? It's hard to say because they honestly didn't spend much time together, but the phone / text thing did work. Regardless, Alvina August is radiant and just lights up the room, (though I have my doubts about her actual baking skills) the lady playing her sister was outstanding and the little kid playing the son is one of the best child actors I've seen show up in these movies. Eion Bailey and his Bradley Cooper eyes might've took the sad dad thing a little too far maybe? Sometimes I had a difficult time deciding if he was sad or just bored, but otherwise he served his purpose well.
There is a baseline for these Romantic Christmas movies, and I am happy to say that 'Deliver by Christmas' rises well above that baseline. Note that it didn't get that fifth vomit mainly because I didn't see any orphan kids. I love Orphan Kids!
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