The Holiday Calendar (2018)

Title: The Holiday Calendar
Year of Release: 2018
Available On: Netflix as of 11/2018
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Jingle Bells

Gramps, played by the incredible Ron Cephas Jones, gives Abby (Kat Graham) an amazing gift that he finds when he’s cleaning out the house: an antique advent calendar. The scene is further set when Josh (Quincy Brown), Abby’s best friend of all time, returns home from some world traveling. He says he’s “ready to find a home base” and he’s found a voice as a photographer. Abby, meanwhile, states she has “lost her spark.” It’s clear immediately that Josh has returned for Abby — obviously to everyone but Abby, of course.

Notes and thoughts as I watch:
– for a starving artist, Abby lives in an incredibly gorgeous, huge, nicely decorated apartment; we know her parents give her money, but it seems like A LOT of $$$.
– y’all know I love Christmas Magic and this movie has Christmas Magic!
– Quincy Brown and his dad have the same birthday as my husband. Also Quincy’s dad is Puff Daddy P. Diddy Combs.
– girl, you can’t just wear your Italian leather boots straight to work where you stand all day! If this doesn’t end with her having blisters, I call foul. (Hint: I call foul.)
– I love the story about the advent calendar and how Abby’s grandma + grandpa met.
– Gramps has some pretty accurate expressions of grief after the loss of his great love, Abby’s grandmother. Holidays are hard for people who are grieving!
– Abby’s paranoia is hilarious.
– when Josh is sad and tryin’ to keep it together for his friend… It’s gut-wrenching. And so far, he hasn’t done any of that “wah, I was here first!” bullshit that men do in real life / in movies. He recognizes that he doesn’t own his friend and he wants her to be happy, even if it’s not with him.
– Ty is a lot a lot, but I don’t know, maybe I am just bitter and unimpressed. Like, the wreath in particular that he sends – I guess in lieu of flowers – is a bit much. Luckily, Abby thinks so too.

Ty (Ethan Peck) enters the picture and makes things waaaay more complex. I have to say, there’s not much of a contest at first between Ty and Josh. IMO Josh wins hands down. But I’m not the protagonist of this film, Abby is, and what kind of plot would this movie have if she was clear from the start about who should be the love of her life? But nonetheless, I found Ty to be underwhelming at first. He has a nice voice? I guess?

Man #1: People can show you whatever they want, but it’s how they make you feel that counts.
Man #2: And how you make them feel.

The production is really good, duh, because it’s 2018. And the acting is decent, too. Plot is inventive. I’m so glad that Netflix is paying someone for their brains to create new holiday stories!