When you’re not daring and different, it’s easy to settle on stereotypes to keep your story afloat, which is how we end up with characters like Preena and Dadi.
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In fact, I wouldn’t mind excising the two from the movie since there are at least 69 chances to see this kind of pairing just this year. We miss out on this rich material though because the film speeds through plot points when it should slow down for more conversation, preferably not between Holly and Kevin. Tay is fascinating to watch because of all that she holds back, and that makes any conversation with Dadi, who is not shy about sharing her opinion, ripe for exploration. I much prefer seeing these two than watching Holly and Kevin figure out how and when they’re getting back together. The brief interaction between Tay and Dadi is a reminder of the kinds of stories that are possible when we broaden the lens. It’s not often we see a timid woman on the cusp of retirement chatting with an overprotective Indian grandmother while warming themselves in front of a fire somewhere in the Adirondacks. Once in awhile, the movie hints at a better story. Rounding out the group is washed up Olympic skier Duffy (Ted McGinley). Preena (Nida Khurshid) and her dadi/grandmother (Mooni Fishburn) are visiting from India and Preena at least ends up getting close to a wide-eyed college student, Leo (Eric Grooms). They look like twins but have opposing personalities, and only one of them is here for a good time. Sisters Kay (Gigi Rice) and Tay (Markie Post) are two of their holiday guests.
The appearance of her old college flame, Kevin (Ricardo Chavira), and his two kids reminds her of life outside Treeline Lodge. She runs the family resort with her father, Tom (Michael Gross), and though she likes helping out, she also feels trapped. Holly (Melissa Joan Hart) is the closest we have to a main character. As things stand, however, they’re mostly rough sketches that act in certain ways to satisfy the plot. The characters themselves are a curious set of personalities, and in the hands of a better director and writers, I’d sympathize with all of them. The worn-out Christmas-at-a-ski-lodge plot could have benefited from new perspectives, something this cast provides, but too often the movie settles for the silly and stereotypical. This isn’t one you’ll watch again when it inevitably re-airs several dozen times this season, and it’s a damn shame because the diversity has much to add to the usual proceedings. It also turns almost every warm moment into an awkward encounter thanks to some epically clunky dialogue. The film is an amateur mess of a project juggling too many characters and storylines. It’s a small but solid addition that gives me hope, which is more than I can say for the movie itself. Even better, the dancing isn’t a weird, exotic feature but just another part of the characters’ Christmas celebrations. Dope move, Lifetime, the channel that’s always been ahead of its competitor on the diversity front.
There are at least 70 new Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies this year, and I’m guessing that Christmas Reservations is the only one to include Indian dancing.
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