Friends & Family Christmas (Hallmark Channel - 2023)

[00:00:00] Hi Huh wait for it. What happened? Hi, Brandon. I love Christmas movies. I'm Brian. I like all my Christmas movies I'm Dan, and I despise Hallmark Christmas movies, and this is the deck the Hallmark podcast Deck The Hallmark it's his podcast Wow hello everybody Oh my gosh

[00:00:41] So last summer Christmas movie before Christmas. Yeah, that we're reviewing. Yes is it that we're reviewing that we're Bethlehem aired last night, but we won't get to adapt for Christmas. There's nothing we could do Now the way hands are tied

[00:00:53] Hands are tied up guys all you shopping done feeling good feeling great feeling good great about it You're are you going up to mass at all? Yeah, you'd see your up and then you come right back

[00:01:02] Yeah, you gonna shoot right back right back be back in time. Don't you worry. I wouldn't worry Yeah, I wouldn't Aaron doing the same thing. I wouldn't worry about there. It's a quick 48 hours

[00:01:11] How about let's get up for let's give it up for Brian's national TV debut on Good Morning America That's a better than I was how do they make you feel Big shot if you feel like

[00:01:27] That got a Chris Russell's character where you now realize you don't like people talking about you on social media Yeah, yeah I hope nobody actually catches it. Yeah, that'd be a shame for people to see it

[00:01:42] Good to be back out there though and by out there. I mean via via the zoom Yeah, it's great Dan you are you going to work for Christmas? No? Well, I mean, I'm gonna run out of Columbia

[00:01:53] Yeah, see see the folks running now. Columbia's the worst. Am I right? It's okay rank your top five favorite cities in South Carolina in South Carolina Greenville's one Number two there's only I mean your hometown

[00:02:13] Greenville Columbia and Charleston are all gonna be in the top three. I think that that's pretty easy After that it gets tough brand because now you're looking a lot smaller cities that you know Have something to offer for some but not a lot for all

[00:02:30] Those three yeah, okay. Yeah good for you Absolutely you you had the opportunity to name myrtle and you said no Polly's Island Those are good the beaches. Yeah, we got Greenville Columbia Charleston and the head Polly's Island

[00:02:49] I would throw like a what can you put like a traveler's rest on there? My top I like travelers rest you get the mound views you got some Crips Crapes is that you're talking about yeah crepes into the Crips You're not we're not talking about Crips

[00:03:07] Crapes we're not talking about Crips at all. No none None of this podcast. Uh-huh. All right. Well, Ryan's gang podcast That's a gang. Yes. Yes Yeah, my bad. Yeah My bad. It's enough for TR for me though

[00:03:24] But if you listening in TR then congratulations, it's probably good for you good for you really you can't go wrong with Greenville though It's it's magical. It's magical this time of year really shine. It's been downtown lately went to the festival trees love that

[00:03:39] It's one of those things you take your your kids to and you think they're gonna think this is neat They don't they are just kind of like running around Yeah Yeah, so yeah, it's a hotel

[00:03:50] Start there at the Hyatt and do that and then you can walk down Maine and get to ice skating Uh-huh. I mean and you can just have a day. That's just a fun day. That's just a fun day Take that little

[00:04:07] You guys are talking about friends and family Christmas Yep, I would love to it originally aired December 17th 2023 and it went a little something like This we meet Danny who is a photographer in New York City

[00:04:24] Danny is real busy and calls her parents and lets her know that they she's not gonna be able to come home for Christmas working hard at the old Art studio

[00:04:36] They're bombs they're bummed but they ask her for a favor dad has a colleague who has a daughter that recently moved to the city Or it went through a breakup is in need of a friend. I

[00:04:50] Know you're busy, but do you mind do you mind kind of maybe hanging out? Okay, I guess so we then meet said sad sack Amelia She's a lawyer who works at her dad's firm dad tells her that she

[00:05:03] Has to come to the company Christmas party and she has to bring a date So she decides to text Danny and ask to go get coffee to meet Although she feels like she's just really doing her dad a favor at this point

[00:05:16] Danny's very busy at work and so is Amelia, but they make time to go out for the world's most awkward Cup of coffee they I think it's safe to say after this meeting are not compatible

[00:05:27] Especially when it comes to their stars am I right then? Oh my gosh you kidding me the moon's and the Libras ridiculous Danny's parents surprise her by showing up in New York City and I think I stand nearby Airbnb despite the fact that Danny told them

[00:06:00] She does not have time to hang out with them Amelia's dad asked how the date went and she's like it was great. She's the best liar She finds gloves and text Danny to see if they're hers. They are they agree to meet up again to you know glove

[00:06:19] They do and Danny's parents are also there and they're like Danes like what's up with you guys? Why are you being so weird and Amelia's like And she pulls Danny aside and says so I may have told my dad that the date was amazing despite our moons

[00:06:37] and he bought it And Things that we're dating so I think my dad told your dad And now they think that we're a thing and Danny is like you know what actually kind of a win-win because

[00:07:02] You know, maybe you can help me by entertaining my parents and I can help you by going to your Christmas party That's the plus one. It's a fake relationship. We love it. They start by going to get a Christmas tree together and Danny's parents are actually

[00:07:19] Like very excited they're having fun together and you don't see it coming with those moons Danny then calls Amelia For help transporting a giant stuffed bear. Don't ask They go to a karaoke party

[00:07:35] But when Amelia hears that one of Danny's co-workers knew her axe and that her axe moved across the country She's as the kids say shook What the kids say and she leaves before karaoke, but after meeting up

[00:07:56] I heard a kid say that I heard a kid say that But after Danny But after meeting up and talking some more She goes to another event for Danny the annual dance slash lantern decorating parties

[00:08:13] It's time for the Christmas party that Danny has to join Amelia at and they realize that they're actually enjoying each other's company But this is good coming to the end of their deal their arrangement

[00:08:24] They thank each other for helping each other out of the funk that they were in and then they go their own way But that doesn't stop Amelia from showing up at Danny's big silent auction Danny is thrilled and goes on stage and gives a half-speech half magic act

[00:08:41] After the show she has offered a big art travel grant that is gonna allow her to go and travel the world and take Photos Amelia hears it first about the grant from my least favorite character in the history of the world

[00:08:55] And when she says goodbye to Danny, she's like this is goodbye for good And she's like crying and it's which Danny's like oh my wow Okay, I guess I thought maybe we could continue this but no Danny tells her parents the truth about the fake relationship

[00:09:09] And they're actually super chill about the same thing honestly They're just happy to be having a conversation with her daughter at this point It's Christmas morning and Amelia tells her dad that she doesn't want to be partner rather

[00:09:20] She wants to start a branch that only helps artists with their legal troubles He's pumped Danny realizes that she doesn't want things to end with Amelia and figures out why she left last night in a hurry

[00:09:36] And so she comes up with a plan she sets up the big stuffed bear don't ask and Photos of her that she has taken in the park along her typical running routes She does run that routes. She sees the bear. She sees the picture. She is shook

[00:09:54] Danny then is that good Danny then shows up and is like hey I don't want this to end and if I do travel when I do travel I'd like to come home to you or maybe you can come with me and also this picture right here

[00:10:11] I just realized that I took this picture two years ago of you my first time taking pictures in the park I just like did that. I can't believe it. It's you and the universe the moon stars would always

[00:10:25] Every time bring us together they kiss in the park and they have Christmas dinner together with their families And now my friends was a friend We did do it let's take a quick break we'll come back. We'll break this we down with four segments here on

[00:10:47] Deck the Hallmark Brad what you know how we sit next to each other I listen to music on my headphones. I know that check this out What okay? You want me to turn it up? Yeah turn that up This is nice Wait, yeah, this is Tyler Shaw

[00:11:11] Everybody's listen to Tyler Shaw if you're not if you haven't added Tyler Shaw's Christmas album and his latest song Christmas in your eyes to your Christmas playlist

[00:11:21] I don't even know what you're doing. This is the way to celebrate Christmas right here in 2021 Tyler made a Christmas album called a Tyler Shaw Christmas that was so good It was nominated for adult contemporary album of the year Wow any album amazing

[00:11:33] It's a Christmas album. You've got to check it out The dude has sung in front of the most famous people in the world He's sung all over the world and you can have some of the best Christmas tracks on your playlist courtesy of Tyler

[00:11:44] Tyler Shaw today, and here's the thing Dan recommends it I recommend it, but Brian recommends it and that's high praise I don't just recommend stuff to go ahead search for Tyler Shaw wherever you listen to music and add his Christmas collection to your playlist today

[00:11:58] Well, I'm back everybody. It's great to be here in the house of the pod Talking about a friends and family Christmas. Let's break it down with four segments Let's start with the hot take and I will start with you Brian Brian

[00:12:14] What do you think of a friends and family Christmas? Thanks, Brad? I thought it was pretty good overall I like the setup where they both had legitimate reasons for needing each other at that point and it worked out well for them

[00:12:27] I was pretty stressed out by Daniela and her whole Life and everything she had going on I thought it was everything that was everything felt like an emergency and everything was on her shoulders And it's just like not what I'm looking for at the holiday time

[00:12:45] I just like that's I have enough of that in my life. Like I don't need her stress, too I wasn't really clear on a few things like why are we doing all these artist events?

[00:12:55] Like what like can't we do one? Yeah, do one big night. Why are we doing it's like non-stop with these events and everything? Seemed like it was for a different event

[00:13:05] The mom was reading the novel like why for no like for no reason like that didn't go anywhere And from your like you said brand the worst character like the worst thing

[00:13:14] Somebody can do is just like oh will you read my manuscript or like I have this thing that is really personal that I'm working out Can you look at it and give me all this feedback like we wouldn't do anything like that?

[00:13:25] We're gonna work out like a snow And I just wasn't clear on like what should how she'll be representing artists like when they steal from other artists Or like it kicked out of their their their apartment

[00:13:36] I don't I don't know there's a lot of like deeds like strands left and I was like all right I don't care too too much about what happens with them all but

[00:13:45] Qualitatively fine. They did a good job making this movie the characters were okay except for a choice few, but yeah, it was okay Brand oh yeah, just okay for me as well. I am obviously

[00:13:58] Great for a hallmark to continue to broaden with inclusivity and diversity. We love it good for them But the movie as a whole was just kind of an okay a Fake relationship story, which typically is a trope that we love this one

[00:14:14] was like just an okay utilization of that I feel like and Yeah, a couple of things like her her parents just showing up When she says that she's busy and then them getting mad that she's not making time for them

[00:14:28] It's just like annoying like like she was trying to be an adult here and be like hey I'm looking like should she make time for her family at Christmas time or what yeah

[00:14:37] But but if if she calls and she said I got all these events that I'm planning and I got people bailing left and right I can't make it home for Christmas

[00:14:45] You can't then be mad when you show up and it feels like she's not around like I feel like the heads up was given Yeah, and then just like the whole of finding out from

[00:14:58] Someone else the big news of travel and then that being the thing that makes the whole world fall apart Many many tropes within the trope that we've seen before and just kind of utilized okay

[00:15:11] But overall like I like the two the two leads and I thought that it was great to see that represented on camera, but just an okay for me. Yeah on paper this movie is like a knockout New York City fake relationship Ali Lieber at Humberloo Gonzales and

[00:15:30] Unfortunately on screen it just doesn't work nearly as well as I would have hoped that it would And the main reason there are two for me the two main reasons

[00:15:40] This doesn't work very well is one they take all the fun out of the fake relationship trope like the fun of the fake Relationship is being in a situation where you're caught in this lie And you've got to make up some absurd

[00:15:51] Thing on the fly with the help of this partner that's also trying to be in a fake relationship And that's how you fall in love they don't ever do that They just play right down the middle

[00:16:00] They just play it serious and straightforward and it it loses a lot second of all Ali Lieber Who my like love and she's underused in these movies is like maybe my favorite? quirky out-of-the-box Adventurous like keep you on your toes Character actor on the network

[00:16:19] Go look at her work all the way as far back as love of the Thanksgiving Day parade She does that so very well and so to make her the buttoned up straight laced serious type to Humberloo Gonzales is more like adventurous free spirit

[00:16:37] That didn't work for me as well as Allowing her to really stretch her acting chops and be more of the character that I think she plays so well And so it took a lot of the fun. I think spot spontaneous humor out of it

[00:16:50] I'm happy for the historic nature of this film But the things that I thought were sure fire winners gonna work in this movie Kind of fell on their face and so very disappointing unfortunately

[00:17:02] And you know, I like the two leads but disappointing for sure and again, I don't want to keep beating a dead cow horse horse But they go to all this trouble of telling us their their their signs

[00:17:18] And it's just like we know that it would never work and To tell you this Libra and Scorpio I'm like roll the credit. Do you think you are tropical capricorn? This is exactly so

[00:17:35] Ridiculous, just unbelievable one of the most unbelievable things we can get away in one segment Scorpio are you kidding me? You should be embarrassed It's time for all the feels this where we talk about what this movie gave us those feels Brigh guy. Yeah a little controversy

[00:17:53] I guess going along with this because her parents did kind of whine a little bit and you know causes stink But I thought it was cool of them to show up like oh my gosh I thought it was great that they said you're done shut his mic down

[00:18:06] She can't leave How he sees them to go visit them around the hall Even if they say they're busy She says she's too busy invalidated you could have gone anywhere in the world they could have stayed home

[00:18:36] Right now they don't I'm a capricorn my feelings are real they're not so they say we can do anything in the world for Christmas Let's go be with our daughter even though she's busy

[00:18:46] We're still gonna show up and they still get to see her and they get to spend time with Amelia Which is great. They get to guilt her about not spending time with them done that very much like like one time as a joke

[00:18:56] Maybe two but Lisa that's a great question, right? Were you invited to come back to Massachusetts or you just show it up I just show for the whole issue nobody needs to ask to come to Massachusetts

[00:19:05] They're begging people to come back to Massachusetts. People are leaving in droves for a podcast in Greenville, South Korea Are they sure I thought it was great their parents did that they didn't have to they could have gone anywhere Nobody agrees whatever

[00:19:18] Anyway, Bran, what are your great feels? Great utilization of Technology with taking the pictures and then showing up on the screen That's a good one, you know it hit a little bit I don't know

[00:19:33] I was too busy laughing at the fact that she went like this and streamers went everywhere like she's like a magician Had a ten-year-old birthday party, but once they started showing up. I'm like, yeah Yeah, I like that a lot so kudos very cool, Danny

[00:19:50] I didn't want the parents to show up But when they're there they make something called ponche crema and Apparently it's like a Venezuelan eggnog and I was looking it up and it looks delicious And it made me want and it's like an eggnog Dan's over there

[00:20:07] Dan's over there every day like just it should see one cutting nog any variation from any place It doesn't matter Give me that eggnog milkshake that I'm pretty sure was just vanilla ice cream. Yeah, you call it eggnog it tastes better It does it does

[00:20:21] Then Dan's gonna do well though. He's got a week to we to weed off before the new year. It's gonna be okay Dan's gonna have eggnog in his sleeve in the new year Quick break will come back with lunch No, no, you're drinking eggnog

[00:21:01] Kids can't skip my car It's time for the way what we're talking about friends and family Christmas any way what's in the movie? Let's find out Brian will start with you any safe Stet need cracking in this movie. No saves brand. Thanks for checking

[00:21:18] Hidden very well the same where they should be we're out of sight at their first meeting Daniela Just blindly orders the same coffee. Yeah It's reckless I wouldn't call it if like I get she's inventors like to you

[00:21:34] Braham would you ever do that just blindly walk up to somebody? You don't know it say I'll have whatever they ordered and not have her nits nothing You have no information at all. I would be the only one that would try now

[00:21:43] I can't do that as a coffee regular coffee drinker. No, no, I don't like it. I'll just get some else So always fun bit so wasteful So Amelia she got a drink of orange juice

[00:21:55] She pulled orange juice out of her fridge and then she walked all the way across her kitchen to get a glass Like have they not heard of the kitchen work triangle you put all your stuff like

[00:22:08] It's easy she walked so far with the orange juice to get a glass you didn't catch this She's 20 work trying that yeah, that's a real that's that's everything is conveniently like located within a certain number of feet like your fridge

[00:22:25] You stove your sink so that you can easily navigate around you don't put things that you regularly need You know across the room. It's just wild. I don't

[00:22:34] Doesn't make any sense as a like an educated person. She would definitely not do that. It's totally out of character for a Libra. I mean And really again, maybe it's a kitchen thing like So she she walks the street she's got a tray of cookies

[00:22:56] Uncovered like she's just walking around with these cookies nothing on top those things are gonna spill all over get all this germs all over It's disgusting the last one which was just really funny to me Danielle's photo display

[00:23:08] Which was of all her friends and everybody within like a 10 foot radius of her at any moment good work triangle Exactly. Thank you was basically a like classic night before the projects do

[00:23:21] Assignment whip-up thing like she was like oh boy the deadlines coming. I got to do something Grabbed the picture she could through some filters on it and then like you try to sell it Like you get real pumped and be like this is something

[00:23:33] I'm so excited about when it's it's nothing It's just like your friends and it's nothing so her the things that she did after with the display and the technology awesome

[00:23:42] Her explaining, you know art to us awesome, but just I feel like the pictures were not something super crazy Artistic in that was emotion in motion Brian. Yeah, I didn't come across for me. It was more like I ran out of time

[00:23:57] I'm just gonna use what I got real quick. Wow. Wow and put it up there I have a few one this is tough because I wrote down this line

[00:24:05] It's the first line that my least favorite character says and I'm like what why is why is she talking like this? And I just find out that everything she says is gonna be weird and the movie

[00:24:13] But she they're like who wants to help with the silent actor you get to help with the silent ox And she's like I'd love to help with the silent auction. Well not love more like like I'm just having to volunteer

[00:24:24] Calm down. What is your deal wire really helps none? Well, then she doesn't help at all. Yeah big liar The text conversation that they have about the gloves was just weird in general

[00:24:37] They're like giggling about gloves even though the first date didn't go well. It's like these gloves yours and she's like But the conversation is these gloves yours she responds back look like mine, so probably Response back they look like mine Oh, you texted me weird. Oh, yeah

[00:24:57] Do you know where your gloves are because if not they might be your glove yours If you do know where your gloves are and these are not your gloves Then they're my gloves. Yes, we this is not why this is a who's on third first situation

[00:25:14] Third base is a mess There's a scene where the mom and dad are left alone and the Dad puts a weird candle in a wine bottle and then they did I just found it to be weird and uncomfortable he's like and

[00:25:30] Then like I didn't know if he finished pouring the whole Candle and then put the candle in the bottle and then took it with him around yeah I didn't I gotta be honest. I didn't know if it was a weird like hanky-panky thing

[00:25:45] I didn't know what it was it made me uncomfortable though last but not least Amelia's dad is the worst all In the history of the world Gotta come up with something like what you what happened you need a lawyer now

[00:26:00] Amelia come over here. I need your help like to talk through something there could have been so many things to do and said he goes with I need a snack Come on dad step it up

[00:26:11] You could have easily just hung up the phone and been like hey, I just got this from the whatever account they're working on Yeah, I know it's Christmas

[00:26:19] It's so easy to stall but here's my thing is I'm just gonna piggy piggy back on that way what are we it to assume that that worked Yeah, I guess so I guess 15 minutes it looked like he stalled for maybe 40 seconds

[00:26:38] He was still in the phone and he was like hey do you want a snack? Do you want to make plans for later? 15 minutes is up. We did it. I guess I don't know um Here's a weird one, but it's go back and watch this movie

[00:26:52] Several times in this movie two people are alone and one of them says can we talk somewhere in private? And they proceed to walk 10 feet to somewhere else and then continue to speak and both places are

[00:27:04] Pretty much the same when it comes to the level of privacy and it's like we don't need to do this you could just Speak right now is what you can speak I

[00:27:14] Do think we've talked about the parents, but not to a fine enough point to say these parents Come into town even though their daughter says she's too busy they Let themselves into her house

[00:27:29] Take over her apartment even though they're technically staying somewhere else and then get mad at her for not spending quality time with them and That is I just I Couldn't get over that the most intrusive I

[00:27:46] They just they didn't get it didn't get it at all and they never they kind of have apologized toward the end But that was killer and then maybe this is not a wait one And it's just that I've never seen it, but it's a choice

[00:27:58] I think it's an alley Lieberts house is whatever house her and her dad are in at the end of the movie She has a Christmas tree that is almost entirely decorated with disc silver disco ball ornaments

[00:28:09] So they're all disco balls. There's not one that's a disco ball. You're like, oh fun a disco ball ornament It's like that is the motif of the tree What if we did a disco ball ornament?

[00:28:20] Tree and I thought that was a choice for this movie or really in any other movie. It's all yeah It's time for what the homies where you wonder what could have been maybe having some clarity which they'll have

[00:28:31] Brian what are you still wondering about any questions for you? Yeah? Well, she developed some pictures with film right? She's in her black Like is there a dark room the dark room? Yeah sure is there a qualitative difference in

[00:28:45] In developing photos that way versus like a digital like or if you could tell the difference there You print out a picture you took with a digital camera and you develop it in your dark room Very dark room almost black

[00:29:00] Black lights. That's what I was thinking black lights in the dark room, right? You don't put black lights you put some kind of lights. No, okay? Well, she's an Difference in what you get yourself out, you know just wondering just thinking a lot of it is a difference

[00:29:18] developing film in a dark room versus Picture with a digital photographer could tell an artist maybe of someone that was gonna buy those pictures could tell maybe Yeah, wonder the person that thinks a dark rooms called a black room could not I could not Danny has a

[00:29:40] roommate in this movie who also works at the lab Who to maybe three times has And a jacket that I can't stop thinking about various jackets on amazing ensemble and really I just want to know where'd you get it?

[00:29:57] Or did you get it can I have it could you send it over are you done with it? Kimmy, then oh, um, Brian you mentioned this In your in your hot take a bit but this

[00:30:13] Parade of different events to raise money for the photo lab. What is it? And it's historically has it been successful I think if it's to all raise money Why isn't it one big event which you you asked earlier?

[00:30:27] But I want to know the history of this like why so many events Is it something that is Historically been pretty successful financially for the photo lab. Could they pare it down?

[00:30:38] Could they reconsider how they go about it because it seems like just to give one intern all of this work to do Seems like it's just unfair and unnecessary. So that's all I got. Yeah. Oh Man, this is a good movie lots happens any fights

[00:30:58] Big Webster tells us I Do you still action Zer Hailed it Christmas to him one more left One more left. What's the two horror movies now? Sure? Sure? Yes, so three more left Yeah

[00:31:44] Dan and I will definitely be back tomorrow you betcha for a deck the life time of course But this is the last deck the hallmark before Christmas Which means one thing it does Sir, I want to buy these shoes For my mama, please

[00:32:06] It's Christmas saving these shoes are just I Could you hurry sir? Daddy says there's not much time You see she's been sick for quite a while and I know these shoes will make a smile And I want her to look beautiful if my mama means Jesus

[00:32:32] I know I saw the hams of heaven's eyes Is it there today? I knew the goddess in that little boy to remind me Christmas is all about Jerry when you buy these shoes For my mama, please Christmas even these shoes are just Could you hurry sir?

[00:33:04] Daddy says there's not much time She's been sick for quite a while and I know these shoes will make a smile And I want her to look beautiful if my mama means Jesus tonight I want her to look beautiful if my mama means Jesus Oh

[00:33:37] Deck the hallmarks of Bravel Jam podcast is produced by Aaron Shay For more information on deck the homework you can go to deck the hallmark.com for more information on the deck the hallmark family

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[00:34:06] Thanks for listening or don't listen. It's really up to you at this point. Is that the end of the show? I mean you're listening to me hi, but here they come. I promise they're coming. Yep. Here they are Happy day