Movie: It’s Christmas, Eve
Starring: LeAnn Rimes, Tyler Hynes
Trailer:

I have thoughts about It’s Christmas, Eve. Lots and lots of thoughts.

Many of you did not agree with my assessment of Kellie Pickler’s debut into the Hallmark Christmas Movie cast roster and how I thought it would be better if she stuck to recording studios instead of movie sets.

These same people will probably roll their eyes when I say I feel the same way about LeAnn Rimes.

I know, I know. Bah humbug and all that jazz. I promise you there HAVE BEEN Hallmark Christmas movies that I have loved! I will share all my feelings when I record a post-Hallmark podcast with my Hallmark cohort Stephanie in the next few weeks.

But there is a very, very, very big silver lining with this movie. HUGE.

I can overlook how Liam insists on tucking part of his sweater into the front of his jeans behind his belt buckle and his propensity to look like Fred Savage’s brother because…

Are you ready for it?

Hands down, this guy executed the best Hallmark Christmas movie kiss in the history of time.

Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but it was definitely the best Hallmark Christmas movie kiss in recent memory and my mother agrees with me. She’s the expert. She would know.

Here’s my issue with the show: LeAnn bugs. She bugs, she bugs, she bugs and I can’t help but being annoyed by her when she’s on the screen in any capacity. Remember when she hopped up onto the bar at the end of Coyote Ugly and started singing the song Violet Sanford wrote? She bugged then, too.

Side note: Did you remember how the bar owner Lil announced LeAnn? It’s like she was a French woman. She said the “Lee” part like Les Miserable or Le Peep. Strange.

Side note two: How cute was Kevin O’Donnel? Why hasn’t he been tapped as a Hallmark Hunk? SOMEBODY GET ON THIS!

Okay, back to It’s Christmas Comma Eve — Tyler Hynes is adorable and he totally makes the show for me. His daughter is a delight, as well as the darling high school kid who blows everyone away singing “Silent Night” at the end of the Christmas Spectacular that saves the town’s music program.

I just wish LeAnn had more of a personality. The trailer suggests she’s bubbly and smiling all the time, but that doesn’t happen until the very end when she accepts the phenomenal kiss from the very handsome man.

Look, I understand that she’s the interim superintendent who has to cut costs across the school district, and that’s a foreboding job in and of itself, but high school music teacher and single dad Liam is struggling too. That doesn’t stop him from flashing us those pearly whites every once in a while. Lighten up LeAnn!

Do we think she’s having fun in real life? Or is this just a ploy to sell a Christmas album to people who may not know her body of work? I’m not sure, but I will say I did enjoy the music. The woman is gifted. May I suggest the single “You and Me at Christmas?” It’s a keeper.

It’s Christmas Eve Takeaways:

• Purposely spilling coffee on someone counts as a meet cute. Prepare to fall in love and live happily ever after in a quaint small town.
• Never underestimate the shy kid who plays the tuba.
• Men who can play musical instruments are attractive.
• Men who can play multiple musical instruments are extremely attractive.
• Never, ever, ever, ever tuck in your sweater to the front of your jeans. I don’t care how cute your belt buckle is in your opinion. REFRAIN.

IHGB Grade:
Christmas at Graceland = B