Hallmark For All Seasons

“Coyote Creek Christmas,” starring Janel Parrish and Ryan Paevey, aired on October 30 during 2021’s Countdown to Christmas on Hallmark Channel.

As I mentioned in my preview post last week, this is a first-time writing venture from Alexa Garster.  She formerly has been a production assistant on shows like “American Idol” and “The Bachelor.”  David I. Strasser directed, having also taken the helm for last year’s A Glenbrooke Christmas, which I liked quite a bit.

The movie was set in Colorado but filmed in the Vancouver area of Canada, and eagle-eyed viewers will remember the “inn” is the same house featured in last week’s movie, The Santa Stakeout, as well as Just My Type and Janel Parrish’s other 2021 movie, Right In Front Of Me.

The poster kind of takes a step back from the first several posters of the season, but it gets bonus points for not going straight back to red sweater/green sweater. But unlike a few of the posters this year, this one tells me nothing about the story even if the inn and the trees surrounded by snow make me want to go to there!

Music: Hallmark must have made a deal with Stuart Roslyn and Matthew Foundling, but they’ve had another song used this holiday season.  This time around it was Christmas Is Round the Corner. The song at the end of the movie is “Share My Christmas With You” by Natalie Williams, but is no longer available for purchase anywhere that I could find.

In a nutshell

This was a standard plot (cozy inn up for sale to a developer who wants to modernize it) but I still enjoyed it.  Janel Parrish is just fun to watch on screen, and Ryan Paevey is easy on the eyes.  Did I love it?  No.  But it had a lot of tropes and I do love that house where they filmed.

The Plot of “Coyote Creek Christmas”

While throwing a “Christmas Around the World” party at her family’s inn, Paige, an event planner, discovers Christmas magic with a charming father-son duo whose presence brings about tension and joy. 

Actors & Chemistry

I’m so glad Janel Parrish has found a place on Hallmark Channel.  I’ve mostly enjoyed everything she’s done thus far, and look forward to many more.  Ryan Paevey was just fine although other than a few exceptions he seems to always play the same character.  Azriel Dalman, who played Noah, was adorable.  For a young actor he has been steadily working since 2018, including Hallmark’s Sweet Carolina earlier this year.

The overall chemistry with the entire cast was fine. I thought Paevey and young Dalman were good together.  The actors playing Paige’s parents were well-cast, as was Paige’s best friend Quinn, played by Naomi King (although her storyline had her seem extremely childish and immature, which was frustrating because she’s a grown woman, not a teenager).  I didn’t think Parrish and Paevey had much romantic chemistry, but they still acted well against each other throughout the movie.

Tropes

Opening drone shot of city skyline. And then immediately we got empty coffee cups. We learn that Paige is up for a promotion at her job but still leaves the big city to go home for the holidays.  And an evil developer wants his brother Dylan to check out the Coyote Creek Inn, which Paige’s parents have secretly put up for sale.  Paige’s family inn had a front porch.

There were some carolers in the background of one scene, and empty hot cocoa cups sipped from with two hands. There was a snowglobe on the counter of the check-in desk at the Inn.  Paige begins planning a big Christmas Eve party.

Paige took Dylan and Noah (cute kid) with her to go tree shopping, which they later decorated, and then followed up with a tree lighting!  We had a cookie baking/decorating scene.

During the card-a-thon (crafting!) scene, Paige’s mom was wearing a circle necklace although it wasn’t THE circle necklace. Janel’s various outfits featured several large scarves.

Did I Hear/See That Right?

They kept having their meetings in the seating area of the Inn. Is there no private back staging area for the employees where they can do the planning away from the guests?

If I were a professional baker with several holiday custom orders, you can bet I would NOT trust an 8-yr-old to help me make and decorate 300 cookies in 36 hours.

Feelgoods

I loved the short-hand negotiations that Dylan and his son, Noah, had at the beginning of the movie when Dylan broke the news that they had to take a side trip to the mountains to see the Inn.

I LOVED Charlotte the Marmot and I want one.

Re-watchability

Even though I liked it, despite the repetitive general plot, I probably won’t re-watch this until it airs again in 2022.

The Ranking

“Coyote Creek Christmas” is another middle of the pack movie for the year.  I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it. I’m glad this didn’t air during opening weekend or else I’d have been very disappointed by it.

1. The Santa Stakeout (air date: Oct 24) – 730 pts – weighted score: 122.3 (85.8%)
2. You, Me and The Christmas Trees (air date: Oct 22) – 716 pts – weighted score: 121.3 (85.1%)
3. Crashing Through The Snow (air date: July 10) – 705 pts – weighted score: 118.1 (82.8%)
4. Boyfriends of Christmas Past (air date: Oct 23) – 673 pts – weighted score: 116.1 (81.5%)
5. It Was Always You (air date: Feb 27) – 668 pts – weighted score: 114.2 (80.1%)
6. Christmas In My Heart (air date: Oct 23) – 675 pts – weighted score: 113.9 (79.9%)
7. You Had Me At Aloha (air date: June 5) – 675 pts – weighted score: 111.4 (78.1%)
8. Sweet Carolina (air date: May 15) – 648 pts – weighted score: 110.1 (77.2%)
9. Taking a Shot at Love (air date: Jan 2) – 641 pts – weighted score: 108.9 (76.4%)
10. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (air date: Mar 27) – 636 pts – weighted score: 108.5 (76.1%)
11. Right in Front of Me (air date: Apr 18) – 637 pts – weighted score: 108.0 (75.8%)
12. As Luck Would Have It (air date: Apr 10) – 638 pts – weighted score: 107.7 (75.5%)
13. Her Pen Pal (air date: June 19) – 636 pts – weighted score: 107.1 (75.1%)
14. The Baker’s Son (air date: June 13) – 637 pts – weighted score: 106.3 (74.6%)
15. Love Strikes Twice (air date: Oct 2) – 608 pts – weighted score: 105.2 (73.8%)
16. Christmas in Harmony (air date: Oct 29) – 605 pts – weighted score: 104.8 (73.5%)
17. A Winter Getaway (air date: Jan 23) – 620 pts – weighted score: 104.4 (73.3%)
18. Coyote Creek Christmas (air date: Oct 30) – 614 pts – weighted score: 104.3 (73.2%)
19. Love, For Real (air date: July 31) – 607 pts – weighted score: 103.6 (72.7%)
20. Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone (air date: Oct 1) – 595 pts – weighted score: 103.0 (72.2%)
21. Mix Up in the Mediterranean (air date: Feb 20) – 590 pts – weighted score: 102.5 (71.9%)
22. Advice to Love By (air date: Oct 16) – 599 pts – weighted score: 102.2 (71.7)
23. Two For The Win (air date: Jan 16) – 603 pts – weighted score: 101.8 (71.4%)
24. Taking the Reins (air date: Sept 28) – 574 pts – weighted score: 101.2 (71.0%)
25. Raise a Glass to Love (air date: Sept 18) – 590 pts – weighted score: 100.7 (70.7%)
26. Chasing Waterfalls (air date: Mar 20) – 570 pts – weighted score: 100.3 (70.4%)
27. Roadhouse Romance (air date: Sept 11) – 571 pts – weighted score: 100.2 (70.3%)
28. Sweet Pecan Summer (air date: ) – 576 pts – weighted score: 97.3 (68.3%)
29. Sand Dollar Cove (air date: June 26) – 557 pts – weighted score: 96.8 (67.9%)
30. Hearts Down Under (air date: Apr 24) – 547 pts – weighted score: 95.2 (66.8%)
31. Fit for a Prince (air date: Mar 6) – 546 pts – weighted score: 94.6 (66.4%)
32. A New Year’s Resolution (air date: Jan 9) – 516 pts – weighted score: 90.5 (63.5%)
33. Finding Love in Mountain View (air date: ) – 504 pts – weighted score: 89.5 (62.8%)
34. A Little Daytime Drama (air date: Aug 21) – 511 pts – weighted score: 87.7 (61.5%)
35. Baby, It’s Cold Inside (air date: May 8) – 495 pts – weighted score: 85.6 (60.0%)
36. Playing Cupid (air date: Feb 13) – 466 pts – weighted score: 82.6 (58.0%)
37. Beverly Hills Wedding (air date: Feb 6) – 431 pts – weighted score: 80.6 (56.5%)
38. Journey of my Heart (air date: ) – 450 pts – weighted score: 76.0 (53.3%)
39. 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 “Coyote Creek Christmas”?  Comment below and let me know!