Spoilers beneath for Hallmark’s Sugarplummed!
I spent one other weekend in entrance of my tv watching Hallmark’s new additions to the 2024 Christmas Film schedule. Whereas I didn’t love Vacation Landing: A Chiefs Love Story, regardless of how nice the cameo from Donna Kelce was, I had excessive hopes going into December’s first full weekend lineup, as a result of one in all my most anticipated Countdown to Christmas films was debuting. Sadly, Sugarplummed didn’t impress me as a lot as I hoped the meta flick would.
Sugarplummed facilities on Emily (Maggie Lawson), a mother decided to offer her household an ideal Christmas paying homage to these celebrated within the tacky made-for-TV movies she loves watching. Sadly, her household isn’t too on board with the thought, and everybody’s too preoccupied with their very own lives. That’s the place Janel Parrish’s fictional heroine Sugarplum is available in, making use of to actual life that she is aware of about excellent Christmases from vacation TV film historical past, in order that Emily can create one in all her personal.
Whereas the meta-take to Hallmark Christmas films is a singular spin that hasn’t been performed on the cable community earlier than, I’ve a number of causes for pondering it didn’t really work all that nicely.
I Didn’t Like How The Film Appeared To Be Poking Enjoyable At The Majority Of Hallmark Films
For starters, I tune in to Hallmark films 12 months after 12 months as a result of I like the comfortable Christmas method the community has perfected. Whereas I admit I used to be initially intrigued by the premise and excited to see what a meta film regarded like for Hallmark, I can actually say Sugarplummed was not what I used to be anticipating. As an alternative of being a enjoyable flick, I used to be left feeling confused as to why they selected to make a movie that makes enjoyable of the core beliefs of what makes these films nice.
A serious a part of the story revolves round Sugarplum’s e book of vacation film guidelines, which she lives by in her fictional world. These are issues like adorn the right home and the way to make sure soulmates discover one another even within the worst circumstances, all of that are key components of a majority of Hallmark films. Had it honored its predecessors like worthy parodies do, I may need felt in a different way.
As an alternative of actually leaning into how these items are potential in the actual world, the movie spends portion of the time making enjoyable of how foolish the principles are. Emily continuously factors out how the issues Sugarplum expects to occur don’t ever occur in the actual world. It goes so far as Sugarplum being stunned that Emily is a profession girl with a career-driven husband since everybody in her world would have left a big-time job for a small-town hunk.
After all, these are issues I personally have mentioned whereas watching these films, however not overthinking the plots is what makes them so enjoyable to observe. In declaring all of the issues which are fallacious with the films, Sugarplummed took me out of the world it was attempting to depict. Positive, it is perhaps sensible, however I don’t watch Hallmark films for realism.
Emily’s Character Arc Felt Complicated At Occasions
At the beginning of the movie, Emily is decided to offer her youngsters a movie-level Christmas. When Sugarplum arrives, she’s skeptical about how the fictional character plans to assist her, declaring the issues in her plan alongside the way in which. And but, she nonetheless goes together with the absurd plan anyway.
Right here’s the factor I don’t perceive: if Emily is so towards the vacation film rulebook, why would she be so eager on implementing the principles within the first place? From a narrative standpoint, it could have made extra sense for Emily to be strictly anti-Christmas film and for Sugarplum to show to her that film magic does exist in the actual world.
As an alternative, the alternative occurs, with Sugarplum studying that every one the right moments in her film world are literally pretend. Positive, it’s a sensible message, however I don’t know anybody who tunes in to Hallmark films for realism.
Sugarplummed Was Severely Missing In The Romance Division
Given Sugarplummed’s meta premise, it appears odd that the movie would select to not function an epic romance story within the combine. Anybody who has tuned in for even 5 minutes of a Hallmark film is aware of it is all in regards to the romance, and but, Sugarplummed didn’t showcase a romantic plot in any respect.
With Emily being fortunately married, the contemporary romance may have come from one of many different characters, possibly even Sugarplum herself. However that didn’t occur. As an alternative, the movie briefly touches on familial love with Emily’s sophisticated relationship along with her teenage daughter. Whereas touching, it wasn’t swoon-worthy in any sense of the phrase.
Now, I’m not saying all Hallmark films have to function a romantic love story for them to be nice, however Sugarplummed would have benefited from the added stress one would have created.
Whereas I had my structural points with Sugarplummed, I do assume Lawson and Parrish deserve a spherical of applause for his or her performances. As does the author and staff who got here up with the hilarious guidelines in Sugarplum’s rule e book — like 142: Flannel is a pure aphrodisiac.
Sadly, Sugarplummed simply didn’t do sufficient to dethrone my favourite Hallmark film of 2024: The 5-Yr Christmas Social gathering. Nonetheless, it’s a enjoyable film to observe, particularly in case you like poking enjoyable at these films.
You’ll be able to verify Sugarplummed out for your self with a Peacock subscription.