In A Holiday I Do, the new Christmas romance streaming exclusively through Tello Films, Jane (Lindsay Hicks), the film’s protagonist, says of the speed dating experience that opens the film, “It’s like a Hallmark movie gone wrong.” It’s a knowing line from screenwriter Melinda Bryce and one that could read as cynical in a more ironic take on the genre. However, in A Holiday I Do, directors Paul and Alicia Schneider deliver a queer take on holiday romances that—for better or worse—could fit right in with Hallmark’s own product.
Like so many career/family-focused holiday romance heroines before her, when we meet Jane, she’s not so much desperate for love as forced into it. Everyone from her mother Mary Ellen (Jill Larson), to her daughter Lexi (Colette Hahn), to the small town’s busybody barista (Kayden Bryce) wants Jane to find love now that her ex-husband and current BFF, Mark (Joe Piazza), is about to remarry. In the usual version of this story, Jane and Mark would fall in love again and the superficial fiancée, Heather (India Chappell), would be left heartbroken. Instead, Jane has a classic coffee shop meet cute with their wedding planner, Sue (Rivkah Reyes).
However, while the Jane/Sue romance is the film’s main plot, A Holiday I Do juggles so many story threads and characters that none of them feel like they’re quite fleshed out. Though elements like Heather’s resentment over Jane and Mark’s connection or the threat that Mary Ellen may lose the family farm feel like they’re included out of genre obligations, servicing so many storylines means more essential elements get short shrift. That unfortunately includes Jane and Sue’s connection. After two brief interactions where they say little of substance, Jane is already telling her mother about the new girl she’s met and because the pair don’t really share a real conversation until over half an hour in, their connection feels required rather than earned for too much of the runtime.
Still, while A Holiday I Do can rely too heavily on holiday romance tropes like snowy sleigh rides and forced proximity rather than believable character beats to do the work, it often surprises when it deviates from those expectations. Perhaps the best example is Heather. Obsessed with social media and with all the markings of a bridezilla, in any other film, she’d be the villain. Indeed, that seems to be her trajectory at the beginning, as she gets pissy when Jane delivers Mark late to their cake testing late and at one point declares, “the restaurant is so aesthetic!” to Lexi.
However, that villain narrative subtly shifts when Heather, Lexi and Mark are trapped in a motel overnight after Heather’s parents’ flight is delayed. After Heather makes a typical throwaway comment about not wanting to eat dinner because she has to fit into her dress, Lexi hesitates to eat the cheeseburger she ordered so she can fit into her own dress. Realizing the disordered eating she’s about to pass on, Heather changes tack, saying Lexi’s burger looks delicious and taking a huge bite to encourage her to eat it as well. It’s an ultimately small moment, but one that feels frankly revolutionary in a genre that—though aimed at women—has such a history of conveying toxic messages about everything from appearance, to love, to career ambitions.
Frankly, that’s probably the most surprising and gratifying thing about A Holiday I Do. From the lovely and honest discussion Jane has about realizing her queerness to the genuinely kind and accepting small town Christian family that helps Jane at every turn, there’s something extremely refreshing in the positive, supportive world the film shows. Hallmark and Lifetime’s films have rightfully been criticized over the years for their regressivity and while they are much more racially diverse and queerer than they used to be, there’s something undeniably old fashioned about them. By contrast, A Holiday I Do doesn’t feel idealistic as much as willing to present people as complex, essentially good even if flawed. There’s a real sense of community and acceptance driving the narrative and the film frankly feels like the future of the genre, the kind of big-hearted Christmas spirit Hallmark and Lifetime won’t be able to achieve for at least a decade.
Though A Holiday I Do may lack the polish of a Hallmark Christmas movie, it’s worth watching precisely because of how much it subverts genre expectations while still honoring some of its most satisfying tropes. Sure, there are overblown falling actions with easy solutions and more quaint holiday activities than any one small town should contain, but there are also complex family dynamics full of good people who just want the best for each other. It’s refreshing that nobody has to become a villain and that the small town values here are based on acceptance and helping your neighbor. Hallmark and Lifetime may be the leaders when it comes to holiday romances, but they should be looking to Tello for direction.
A Holiday I Do is now streaming exclusively on TelloFilms.com.
