I vaguely enjoyed The Christmas House despite the issues I have with it. To start with, for a drama there's very little actual drama. The acting and dialogue is okay, but the story itself is banal and not particularly well thought out.
Mom and Dad are having problems and planning to sell the house and live separately after Christmas, which gradually becomes known to their adult sons who have come home for Christmas. But the reason for the planned separation is vague until near the end of the story, and when it's finally revealed what the issue is, it's not only anti-climactic but makes Mom seem petty and childish. Her problem? Dad had retired before she did, and instead of moping around the house, he found things to do that didn't include her BECAUSE SHE WAS STILL WORKING. She felt excluded, therefore marriage over. Then suddenly, out of the blue, they announce they're not going to separate after all and instead will move into a fixer-upper and will renovate it together, thus resolving Mom's feelings of exclusion.
The second plot line make more sense, but lacks drama as well. The gay couple are waiting to find out if their latest attempt to adopt a child will succeed after their previous attempts fell through. It's a foregone conclusion that they find out, on Christmas even no less, that they were approved.
The third plot line was the most interesting, but it was obvious how it would be resolved as well. The older brother, an actor who's tv series may be cancelled, gets a second chance with the woman who was his best friend growing up. She's now divorced and has moved back to her childhood home, conveniently next door to his. They reconnect and the question is: will he go back to LA if his tv series is continued, or will he stay with her and her son, who shares his childhood love of magic?
Finally, the way this family transforms their home, both inside and out, into a "Christmas House" is so over the top it's not remotely believable. It reminded me of the department store Christmas wonderland that Will Ferrel creates overnight in "Elf". Mom supervises her husband and her two sons in setting up the decorations by blowing a loud whistle, startling them in quiet moments. I think it's meant to be humorous, but it just makes her look like an annoying control freak. What's more, she's already designed the entire layout with a detailed 3D animation showing where everything should be placed. The animation looks as if it has taken weeks to produce, which makes you wonder why she didn't just put up the decorations herself if she had all that spare time.
Mom and Dad are having problems and planning to sell the house and live separately after Christmas, which gradually becomes known to their adult sons who have come home for Christmas. But the reason for the planned separation is vague until near the end of the story, and when it's finally revealed what the issue is, it's not only anti-climactic but makes Mom seem petty and childish. Her problem? Dad had retired before she did, and instead of moping around the house, he found things to do that didn't include her BECAUSE SHE WAS STILL WORKING. She felt excluded, therefore marriage over. Then suddenly, out of the blue, they announce they're not going to separate after all and instead will move into a fixer-upper and will renovate it together, thus resolving Mom's feelings of exclusion.
The second plot line make more sense, but lacks drama as well. The gay couple are waiting to find out if their latest attempt to adopt a child will succeed after their previous attempts fell through. It's a foregone conclusion that they find out, on Christmas even no less, that they were approved.
The third plot line was the most interesting, but it was obvious how it would be resolved as well. The older brother, an actor who's tv series may be cancelled, gets a second chance with the woman who was his best friend growing up. She's now divorced and has moved back to her childhood home, conveniently next door to his. They reconnect and the question is: will he go back to LA if his tv series is continued, or will he stay with her and her son, who shares his childhood love of magic?
Finally, the way this family transforms their home, both inside and out, into a "Christmas House" is so over the top it's not remotely believable. It reminded me of the department store Christmas wonderland that Will Ferrel creates overnight in "Elf". Mom supervises her husband and her two sons in setting up the decorations by blowing a loud whistle, startling them in quiet moments. I think it's meant to be humorous, but it just makes her look like an annoying control freak. What's more, she's already designed the entire layout with a detailed 3D animation showing where everything should be placed. The animation looks as if it has taken weeks to produce, which makes you wonder why she didn't just put up the decorations herself if she had all that spare time.