Another lifetime movie that I've watched for the "How Did This Get Made" podcast "A Very Nutty Christmas" is another addition to the 'dull but harmless' subset of these films.
Having separated from her boyfriend in the run up to Christmas, professional baker Kate (Melissa Joan Hart) is presented with a nutcracker doll, by a mysterious toymaker at the Christmas fair. When he comes to life, Kate, despite being an actual educated adult, confuses him (Barry Watson) for the lodger she is expecting, and welcomes him into her home. As she tries desperately to make enough cupcakes for the implausibly large Christmas orders, she and the Nutcracker fall in love.
I mean, it's not good is it. Admittedly, it's not meant to be high art, it's a cheap and corny TV movie, designed to be uncomplicated and none-threatening in the run up to Christmas. That said, I didn't hate it, I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it either. The performances from the actors are fine, if uninspired - though the was some chemistry between Hart and Watson. The two sets and one outside location are OK. The story is dull but acceptable, and it's reasonably clever how it works the resolution of the Nutcracker story back into it.
It's got this ridiculous idea where her three-person team have something like 5 days to produced 16,000 cupcakes, which I was bored enough to do the maths on and works out at something like four cupcakes a minute for 12 hours a day.
I don't ever want to watch it again, but I didn't hate it. That's about as effusive as my praise is going to get.
Having separated from her boyfriend in the run up to Christmas, professional baker Kate (Melissa Joan Hart) is presented with a nutcracker doll, by a mysterious toymaker at the Christmas fair. When he comes to life, Kate, despite being an actual educated adult, confuses him (Barry Watson) for the lodger she is expecting, and welcomes him into her home. As she tries desperately to make enough cupcakes for the implausibly large Christmas orders, she and the Nutcracker fall in love.
I mean, it's not good is it. Admittedly, it's not meant to be high art, it's a cheap and corny TV movie, designed to be uncomplicated and none-threatening in the run up to Christmas. That said, I didn't hate it, I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it either. The performances from the actors are fine, if uninspired - though the was some chemistry between Hart and Watson. The two sets and one outside location are OK. The story is dull but acceptable, and it's reasonably clever how it works the resolution of the Nutcracker story back into it.
It's got this ridiculous idea where her three-person team have something like 5 days to produced 16,000 cupcakes, which I was bored enough to do the maths on and works out at something like four cupcakes a minute for 12 hours a day.
I don't ever want to watch it again, but I didn't hate it. That's about as effusive as my praise is going to get.