Next up, finally a free Youtube film that stands out a bit and makes an impression. In Christmas in the City, a Lifetime film from 2013, in an interesting break from the norm, a single mom moves from a small town to the big city and finds love, happiness, Christmas joy etc. Who says these movies don’t have range?
To be fair, aside from the change of setting, it’s still pretty standard stuff but what helps this one really stand head and shoulders above the TV movie crowd is the senses-shattering adorableness of Ashley Williams as Wendy, a struggling shop owner who moves to the big smoke to try and earn extra cash to save her family candy business. You’d never know she was struggling, as Williams, with her almost supernaturally massive smile and natural perkiness just beams for the entire film. I challenge anyone to watch this and not fall at least a little bit in love with her.
Wendy’s been single-handedly raising her winsome 5-year-old daughter Grace (Kylie Noelle Price) and upon their arrival in Los Angeles, is offered a department store job almost immediately based purely on her infectious, adorable spirit. Well, that and the fact that handsome store owner Tom (Jon Prescott) is very clearly into her. However, trouble is in the cold, crisp December air as “the board” have also hired ruthless Cruella-ish Teanna (Ashanti) to boost sales. Oddly, cartoonishly evil Teannna thinks the best way to do this is to get rid of most of the store’s Christmas decorations, fire Santa and hire topless Chippendale types to parade the shop in Santa hats. This insanity is a good laugh just for WTF?! Value. A little absurdity helps these films fly.
Ashanti is wholly unconvincing, hamming it up as a callous mega-bitch. At least she looks like she’s having a good time and Teanna’s wardrobe of ostentatious fur coats is pretty cool.
The film’s climax is a wondrously mental blend of insanity and schmaltz, with Teanna defiantly flicking on a video of her gyrating, topless man-hunks in the middle of the store on Christmas Eve, as though this will somehow brainwash all the shoppers into doing her bidding. It seems to be working too, until Angie breaks her wicked spell by bursting into a rousing Christmas carol that has everyone singing along. It’s weird. It’s awful. It’s hilarious. It will live with me to the grave.
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