Christmas in the Spotlight
Oh, I see what they're doing here. Famous pop star dating a professional
football player? You gotta get up pretty early in the morning to pull one over
my eyes, brother. Though I must admit, someone making a movie about that
Ciara/Russell Wilson romance took me by surprise.
Say hello to Bowyn Sykes (Jessica Lord), the world's biggest pop star, on
the set of her latest music video, which she is also directing. Dressed like a slutty
elf, she sings a song about how she doesn't need a man or some nonsense along
those lines. I must give Jessica Lord some credit here because this young lady
has truly mastered the art of moving her body in interesting ways through the
space allotted. Her manager, Mira (Jeannie Mai Jenkins), implores her to stop
making songs about not needing a man because she's in a movie where the only
reason for its existence is getting a man!
Across the country somewhere, I really can't remember the city, but we are
looking at Bombers Wide Receiver Drew Gonville (Laith Wallschleger) catching a
touchdown pass and doing a dance. In the locker room, Drew, who looks like he's
never passed by a dumbbell he didn't want to curl, laments to his best buddy on
the team, George (Carlisle J. Williams), who looks like he's never passed by a
weight bar he didn't want to bench press, that he might not be re-signed by the
Bombers this year. They are only keeping him on the team because his brother
Rob (Dennis Andres) is the star QB. Drew, my man, I don't think football
rosters work that way.
But how is Drew going to meet Bowyn? Well, Drew has an adorable niece,
Aileen (Madelyn Cox), who is having a birthday and happens to be a huge Bowyn
Sykes fan. Or an Arrow, as they are called. Bowyn Arrows? See, I get it. And
not for nothing, but Drew is also kind of a big Bowyn fan too, so when they
sneak backstage to meet her, which I'm sure is something that would get you
shot in real life, he was just as happy to take a selfie with her as his niece
was, if not more so. Still, Drew managed to fumble over himself talking to Bowyn
and got made fun of by his friends in the locker room while they were lifting
weights. They really like to show these guys lifting weights. Probably because
staging actual football games is expensive, but doing shirtless curls is cheap.
Well, Drew will show them. My man gets on the socials and invites Bowyn to a
game, which initially she didn't want to do because she's not a fan, but her
manager is a HUGE Bombers fan, so she agrees to go out on a date with Drew. It
is a strange date considering Drew had to dress like Santa Claus so he wouldn't
be recognized, then ferried to Bowyn's private jet hangar where they drank
champagne and made out and stuff, and came to the agreement that since they are
both hot and have great bodies, perhaps they should just have sex and not fall
in love. They didn't use those exact words, but that's pretty much what they
said.
The next date is at his brother's cabin where he makes her his mom's
world-famous lasagna, promptly spills something on his shirt, and has to take
it off. Because of course he does. Truth be told, if I had a physique like this
guy, I probably would never even bother putting on a shirt. Go to work
shirtless, go to Kroger shirtless, attend funerals shirtless... screw your no
shoes, no shirt, no service policy! Problem is, his brother shows up at his own
cabin to party with the boys, and since his relationship with Bowyn is a
secret, she has to hide out. But his bestie George sees them making out and now
Drew has to swear him to secrecy, and he feels real bad about that. He tells
Bowyn, after two dates mind you, that he really, really likes her and he can't
go on lying to his family and friends about their relationship. Bowyn says she
likes him too, but tough titty homeboy, she isn't ready to go public with
another relationship.
Well, now both Drew and Bowyn are sad. Drew can't focus on the game and
Bowyn can't focus on pop starring, so she just says 'screw it!' She goes to the
game and lets the world know that their 2-date love is real! What to do now?
Well, this is a Lifetime movie, not a Hallmark movie, so we get a PG-13 sex
montage! Lots of rolling around in beds with covers pulled up to our necks.
Now all is great! Kind of. Star QB big brother doesn't like the speed at
which this relationship is progressing, with little brother telling him to kick
rocks and mind his own business. Drew also has received an offer to play for
the LA Stars, which would bring him closer to Bowyn, which she is not as
thrilled about as you would imagine. Also, they are learning that they run in
completely different social circles. This is what will lead to our couple's
eventual split.
At a social gala, one of Bowyn's particularly douchey ex-boyfriends had some
nasty things to say about Drew, with Bowyn dressing this clown down in defense
of her man. But the way she defended him was pretty unique, basically saying
'Yeah, he's a dumb jock... it's all a publicity stunt... blah, blah, blah,
but...' Alas, the douchey ex was taping this and left all of the 'but' part
out, which details how great and caring and what an amazing set of abs her man
has. So that's what Drew ends up hearing on the socials and our spotlight
relationship has ended.
Eventually, of course, the real tape gets leaked and while Bowyn was singing
another breakup song about her love for Drew at some charity event, Drew
appears out of thin air to claim his woman, leading to a Christmas morning with
Drew's family, opening presents and them making out shamelessly in front of
everyone. At Christmas.
One of the things I didn't mention much in my recap of this film was, well,
Christmas. I mean, Christmas was fleetingly in the background in this movie,
but it didn't give us hardly any of the Christmas stuff that we come to expect.
I don't recall anyone baking cookies, I didn't see any snow so there were no
snowball fights or making of snowmen, there was lots of singing of random songs
but no caroling, I don't remember anyone drinking hot cocoa, and while I did
see Christmas trees, nobody was decorating them or wrapping presents to go
under them or anything! Lifetime would've been better served calling this movie
'Valentine's Day in the Spotlight' and just moving it back a couple of months.
Still, it was more than adequate for what it was, that being a holiday-ish
Hallmarky romantic movie. Both of our leads are good-looking and take really
good care of themselves, and while the dialogue could get a bit cringey at
times, which is also par for the course in these movies, Bowyn and Drew did
have pretty good chemistry together, which, as I have said many times, pretty
much makes or breaks these movies.
Is this a Christmas movie? Barely. But as a holiday-ish, Hallmark-y romantic
movie, one that actually features grown folks getting on in a very network TV
way, so word of warning there, it isn't so bad.
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