Hallmark For All Seasons

“A Dickens of a Holiday!,” starring Brooke D’Orsay and Kristoffer Polaha, premiered on December 10 during 2021’s Countdown to Christmas on Hallmark Channel.  The movie was set in the fictional town of Dickens, Ohio but was filmed in Vancouver, including Abbotsford.

This movie was created from an idea by Mark Hefti, with Julie Sherman Wolfe pitching in her ideas and voice.  The result was a really great story with amazing characters and dialogue, and HEART.  Paul Ziller directed.  He has directed a couple that I’ve like a lot, including Good Morning, Christmas! and Love In Store.

This movie poster is so great.  It has the red curtain, the Victorian architecture, and two beautiful people staring into each other’s eyes. What’s NOT to like (although admittedly, very little Christmas going on with this poster).

In a nutshell

I was going to wait and post this review tomorrow, but I just can’t wait. And I’m going to warn you now – this is going to be a very in-depth write-up. I have so many thoughts on this movie. If you have not seen it yet, you need to prioritize it.  This movie is next level and shows that Hallmark can create truly great movies with amazing performances and a whole ton of heart.

The Plot of “A Dickens of a Holiday!”

To make the 100th anniversary of her hometown’s Victorian festival a success, Cassie invites action movie star and former high school classmate Jake to play Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol.” 

Actors & Chemistry

I talk a lot about my favorite Hallmark pairings.  Chabert and Elliott.  DeLoach and Rady.  Polaha and Wagner.  But you guys, Brooke D’Orsay is giving Jill Wagner a run for her money as best partner with Kristoffer Polaha.  Because in this movie, these two actors positively SHINED in every scene.

Their chemistry was palpable throughout the movie.  In most Hallmark movies, the characters rarely touch each other until an almost-kiss or actual kiss occurs.  But in this movie?  Cassie, as the director, is constantly touching Jake as she directs him.  There’s a wonderful scene where she shows Jake how to physically inhabit the character of Scrooge.  She touches his face, his shoulders, his chest.  It’s intimate, and personal. And electric.

D’Orsay makes that choice throughout the movie, to touch Polaha in various small ways, and the result is that you can see these two connecting not only through words, but through touch. And Polaha does this amazing thing where throughout the movie he leans into it.  Whenever she touches him, you can see him accepting it.  Frankly, it’s that kind of dynamic interaction that we so rarely see between two romantic leads on this network.

The other part of these performances that I loved was that Polaha made it clear that Jake was so clearly a DORK.  And I mean that in the best way possible.  Hear me out.  From a script perspective, Jake made her a mixtape in high school even though he barely knew her.  He asked her to prom even though he barely talked to her.  He clearly still knew who she was when she called at the beginning of the movie and got weird and said things like “howdy” (that even his assistant thought was weird).

But also, even once he was in town and working on the play, there was a scene where they are outside the B&B (just after the interview at the ice-skating rink).  They are about to part ways, and look into each other’s eyes for one or two beats too long. Then Polaha then does this weird, awkward, really wide, sidestep to let Brooke move past him, and sidles right back up to her to show that Jakes doesn’t want Cassie to go. That one move shows that Jake has reverted just a bit back to that old high school dork self that still has a crush on the super-talented girl he knew back then and likes just as much now.  It was those kinds of choices, on both their parts, that made me love D’Orsay and Polaha as partners on screen.

Tropes

There were loads of tropes in this movie. We had a Christmas Eve deadline when Cassie had to find a new Scrooge.  We had a cute kid in Jake’s nephew, Brandon. We had massive product placement with ACE Hardware.  The big city boy returned to his small town home for the first time in years. Cassie wore some big scarves.

We also had fake hot cocoa, some CGI snow, and a gingerbread house.  Jake took Cassie on a carriage ride, where they took selfies.  We saw ice skating before Cassie and Jake went tree shopping and briefly decorated it.  Old brother Craig’s house had a front porch.  And I feel like we had TWO almost kisses – one in the carriage AND one just before the play began.

Did I Hear/See That Right?

While I loved this movie, there were little things here and there that gave me pause.  First of all, was there really no understudy?  Were they always SO confident that Ray would be able to do the play that they NEVER had an understudy at the ready?  Weird choice for a play that only has ONE performance on Christmas Eve (also weird – why not have the play run every night during Dickens Days?). (Edited to add:  Turns out that in two viewings of this movie, I missed the comment that the understudy won a trip to Acapulco and since Ray had never missed a performance, they let him go!)

Early in the movie, when Cassie asks Craig for Jake’s phone number, he wrote it down on a piece of paper.  Look, I talk to my sister all the time, and I don’t know her number.  It’s programmed in my phone.  The only thing I know for sure is her area code.  But Craig, who hasn’t talked to his brother in five years, knows his cell from memory?  I don’t think so, Craig.

At one point Jake was filming something with fellow cast members for social media, and despite not being done filming, he put his phone in his pocket when someone walked into the room. Which meant he either abruptly ended the video before putting his phone in his pocket, or he kept recording from inside his pocket for who knows how long.

Lastly, is it just me, or was the handwriting the same in Jake’s mom’s copy of her favorite book AND Cassie’s handwriting in the copy of “A Christmas Carol” that she gifted Jake?  Because those Ms and Ds were written the same in both screenshots we had.

Feelgoods

In my actors/chemistry section I didn’t even mention the other characters and actors yet!  Let me do that now, and say, I’m pretty sure that Polaha and Chad Willett were brothers in a past life.  Their relationship – pained, broken, then repaired – was fantastically portrayed.  The scene where they sat outside going through the box that was in the shed, was just as emotional as other scenes in this movie.  And what I loved the most is that when they went in for a reconciliatory hug, Polaha went low and put his face into Willett’s shoulder – just as a little brother would do with his big brother, regardless of who is taller or bigger.

And I have so many other feels from this movie.  First I loved that the Mayor was played by Greg Rogers, who played Marc Blucas’ dad in “Miss Christmas,” which also starred Brooke D’Orsay!

I love that Antonio Cupo produced this movie (and had a small role as well!) and had a voice in making a movie about actors that felt authentic AND raised the bar for the actors involved.

I love that the role Jake was trying to land in the movie was named Travis, which is his Mystery 101 character’s name.

I love that even though I’m watching Polaha portray a character, that character was so innately POLAHA. Having had the pleasure of meeting and talking with him on several occasions, I can say with all confidence that many times in this movie, Polaha was just being his wonderful Polaha self.  And that’s a good thing.  It’s why I love every movie he makes – because he makes all the characters have some of his own characteristics.  Was he channeling Jimmy Stewart in 2018’s “Small Town Christmas?”  Absolutely.  But Polaha is a modern-day Jimmy Stewart!

Back in 2016, Polaha starred in “Hearts of Christmas,” co-starring Emilie Ullerup. His character constantly used the full name of Ullerup’s character, and I loved it.  In this movie, Jake said Cassie’s full name several times and I still loved it.

I loved when Cassie said, “A girl always knows when a boy is interested in her.”  Once she walks away, he mutters something like, “Not always.”  LOVED IT.

I used to love making mixtapes back in the day.  I love that Jake made Cassie a mixtape.  There’s no better declaration of affection.  When my husband and I were long-distance dating in the 1990s (he from New York, me in Virginia), we’d make mixtapes and send them to each other on a regular basis.

And while Polaha and Willett had an emotional scene together as bros, I adored the scene between D’Orsay and Camille Mitchell, who played her mom, after Cassie told Jake she was booting him from the play.  The look on Cassie’s face after her mother gently asked, “Did you tell him you wanted him to come back?” spoke volumes.  Cassie’s expression said, “Wait, I can do that?” followed by innate grief that she may have missed her shot by not expressing that idea.

And lastly, let’s talk about THAT scene.  If you’ve seen the movie, you know the one I’m talking about.  Jake, kneeling on the stage, practicing the scene in which he begs the Grim Reaper to restore his life with the promise that he’ll be a changed man.  The first time I watched the movie, I was in awe of Polaha’s performance.  The second time I watched the movie?  I had tears streaming down my face.  That scene was AMAZING and nothing I’ve ever seen in a Hallmark movie.  Polaha’s performance, and D’Orsay’s reaction to it, was breathtaking.  Simply breathtaking. And heartbreakingly good.

Re-watchability of “A Dickens of a Holiday!”

Oh, this movie is a keeper.  As in, I’ve already marked it “keep” on my DVR with no intention of ever deleting it.

The Ranking

“A Dickens of a Holiday!” was amazing, and its place in my rankings makes that clear.  Fantastic performances from D’Orsay and Polaha landed this one in the 2nd spot for the year. I think if this movie didn’t have all those niggling plot holes or issues, that this movie would definitely have earned the top spot for the year, and possibly even taken over my all-time number one spot.  However, I’m happy to report that this movie has landed as my #4 all-time movie, which is nothing to complain about.

1. An Unexpected Christmas (air date: Nov 26) – 736 pts – weighted score: 123.0 (86.3%)
2. A Dickens of a Holiday! (air date: Dec 11) – 735 pts – weighted score: 122.3 (85.8%)
3. The Santa Stakeout (air date: Oct 24) – 730 pts – weighted score: 122.3 (85.8%)
4. A Christmas Family Tree (air date: Nov 14) – 730 pts – weighted score: 121.9 (85.5%)
5. You, Me and The Christmas Trees (air date: Oct 22) – 716 pts – weighted score: 121.3 (85.1%)
6. Crashing Through The Snow (air date: July 10) – 705 pts – weighted score: 118.1 (82.8%)
7. The Nine Kittens of Christmas (air date: Nov 25) – 690 pts – weighted score: 116.5 (81.8%)
8. One December Night (air date: Nov 13) – 695 pts – weighted score: 116.3 (81.6%)
9. A Mrs. Miracle Christmas (air date: Nov 6) – 688 pts – weighted score: 116.2 (81.5%)
10. Boyfriends of Christmas Past (air date: Oct 23) – 673 pts – weighted score: 116.1 (81.5%)
11. Next Stop, Christmas (air date: Nov 6) – 682 pts – weighted score: 114.7 (80.5%)
12. It Was Always You (air date: Feb 27) – 668 pts – weighted score: 114.2 (80.1%)
13. The Christmas Promise (air date: Oct 30) – 675 pts – weighted score: 114.1 (80.0%)
14. Gingerbread Miracle (air date: Nov 5) – 671 pts – weighted score: 114.0 (80.0%)
15. Christmas In My Heart (air date: Oct 23) – 675 pts – weighted score: 113.9 (79.9%)
16. A Kiss Before Christmas (air date: Nov 21) – 671 pts – weighted score: 111.9 (78.5%)
17. Open at Christmas (air date: Nov 12) – 658 pts – weighted score: 111.6 (78.3%)
18. You Had Me At Aloha (air date: June 5) – 675 pts – weighted score: 111.4 (78.1%)
19. A Christmas Together With You (air date: Nov 20) – 645 pts – weighed score: 110.9 (77.8%)
20. Five More Minutes (air date: Nov 21) – 645 pts – weighted score: 110.8 (77.7%)
21. Sweet Carolina (air date: May 15) – 648 pts – weighted score: 110.1 (77.2%)
22. A Very Merry Bridesmaid (air date: Dec 4) – 644 pts – weighted score: 109.5 (76.8%)
23. Taking a Shot at Love (air date: Jan 2) – 641 pts – weighted score: 108.9 (76.4%)
24. Christmas in Tahoe (air date: Nov 28) – 653 pts – weighted score: 108.7 (76.3%)
25. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (air date: Mar 27) – 636 pts – weighted score: 108.5 (76.1%)
26. Christmas at Castle Hart (air date: Nov 27) – 639 pts – weighted score: 108.0 (75.8%)
27. Right in Front of Me (air date: Apr 18) – 637 pts – weighted score: 108.0 (75.8%)
28. As Luck Would Have It (air date: Apr 10) – 638 pts – weighted score: 107.7 (75.5%)
29. Her Pen Pal (air date: June 19) – 636 pts – weighted score: 107.1 (75.1%)
30. The Baker’s Son (air date: June 13) – 637 pts – weighted score: 106.3 (74.6%)
31. South Beach Love (air date: Oct 9) – 615 pts – weighted score: 105.8 (74.2%)
32. Love Strikes Twice (air date: Oct 2) – 608 pts – weighted score: 105.2 (73.8%)
33. A Holiday in Harlem (air date: Nov 7) – 628 pts – weighted score: 105.1 (73.7%)
34. Christmas Sail (air date: Oct 31) – 606 pts – weighted score: 105.1 (73.7%)
35. Christmas in Harmony (air date: Oct 29) – 605 pts – weighted score: 104.8 (73.5%)
36. A Christmas Treasure (air date: Nov 7) – 625 pts – weighted score: 104.6 (73.4%)
37. A Winter Getaway (air date: Jan 23) – 620 pts – weighted score: 104.4 (73.3%)
38. Coyote Creek Christmas (air date: Oct 30) – 614 pts – weighted score: 104.3 (73.2%)
39. Love, For Real (air date: July 31) – 607 pts – weighted score: 103.6 (72.7%)
40. Christmas CEO (air date: Nov 26) – 596 pts – weighted score: 103.5 (72.6%)
41. Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone (air date: Oct 1) – 595 pts – weighted score: 103.0 (72.2%)
42. Mix Up in the Mediterranean (air date: Feb 20) – 590 pts – weighted score: 102.5 (71.9%)
43. Advice to Love By (air date: Oct 16) – 599 pts – weighted score: 102.2 (71.7)
44. Two For The Win (air date: Jan 16) – 603 pts – weighted score: 101.8 (71.4%)
45. Taking the Reins (air date: Sept 28) – 574 pts – weighted score: 101.2 (71.0%)
46. Raise a Glass to Love (air date: Sept 18) – 590 pts – weighted score: 100.7 (70.7%)
47. Nantucket Noel (air date: Nov 18) – 585 pts – weighted score: 100.3 (70.4%)
48. Chasing Waterfalls (air date: Mar 20) – 570 pts – weighted score: 100.3 (70.4%)
49. Roadhouse Romance (air date: Sept 11) – 571 pts – weighted score: 100.2 (70.3%)
50. Sweet Pecan Summer (air date: ) – 576 pts – weighted score: 97.3 (68.3%)
51. Sand Dollar Cove (air date: June 26) – 557 pts – weighted score: 96.8 (67.9%)
52. Hearts Down Under (air date: Apr 24) – 547 pts – weighted score: 95.2 (66.8%)
53. Fit for a Prince (air date: Mar 6) – 546 pts – weighted score: 94.6 (66.4%)
54. A New Year’s Resolution (air date: Jan 9) – 516 pts – weighted score: 90.5 (63.5%)
55. Finding Love in Mountain View (air date: ) – 504 pts – weighted score: 89.5 (62.8%)
56. A Little Daytime Drama (air date: Aug 21) – 511 pts – weighted score: 87.7 (61.5%)
57. Baby, It’s Cold Inside (air date: May 8) – 495 pts – weighted score: 85.6 (60.0%)
58. Playing Cupid (air date: Feb 13) – 466 pts – weighted score: 82.6 (58.0%)
59. Beverly Hills Wedding (air date: Feb 6) – 431 pts – weighted score: 80.6 (56.5%)
60. Journey of my Heart (air date: ) – 450 pts – weighted score: 76.0 (53.3%)
61. Snowkissed (air date: Jan 31) – 402 pts – weighted score: 76.0 (53.3%)

To see where this movie lands in my overall rankings of Hallmark movies, visit my Hallmark Movie Rankings page!

What did you think of “A Dickens of a Holiday!”?  Comment below and let me know!