A Big Fat Family Christmas (2022)
I wanted so much more for Tia Carrere…
If you’re a Gen-X or Elder Millennial you absolutely would remember Tia Carrere as Cassandra from Wayne’s World - the subject of Wayne’s longing and who was almost lost to a preternaturally young Rob Lowe. I wanted more for her here. But she’s an actress “of a certain age” and getting work, so who am I to judge.
One of the things you need to know about Hallmark, or TV movies in general, is that they also fall prey to the lack of original ideas as frequently as their big screen counterparts. You think there aren’t enough true originals these days? Does everything in theatres seem to be a sequel, superhero movie, or reboot? Now throw some gas on that fire and you get a lot of the TV-destined fare.
Another challenge with the annual Hallmark lineup of movies is that there are a LOT of them. And while some have crossed over into mainstream cultural conversations (see the Three Wise Men and Baby movies), and there is typically at least one decent movie shot on location in Vienna, Rome, Heidelberg, etc., there is also a very limited budget for the 80% of the other movies that make it to air.
This movie falls victim to both of those.
As the title would suggest, the themes are heavily borrowed from the cultural juggernaut that was 2002’s My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Liv Chang is a newspaper photographer/influences whose family host an annual community Christmas party that takes over the neighborhood while raising money for community initiatives. As expected, she is embarrassed by them and their over-the-top approach to Christmas with a Chinese twist to the point she keeps her familial connections a secret from her professional contacts. Enter Henry, a newly arrived reporter looking for his first big story and, wouldn’t you know it, he zeroes in on the Chang Christmas party.
But while Toula went along with her family’s zaniness, Liv rebels until the last moment, before a climactic speech in which she realizes the power of the Chang Christmas party for her community… as though the whole neighborhood assembled there don’t already know. Like yes, child, that’s why we’re here. Compounding this, the production value feels cheap, even by Hallmark standards. Like I wouldn’t have been surprised to see her texting in Excel a la Kelly Rowland, also c. 2002.
Not even filming in Vancouver could save this one.
For some inexplicable reason this one aired without commercials and I could guess why - the only way to make it through was if you had fewer opportunities to change the channel during the commercial breaks.
You’ll like this if…
You desperately look for something… anything… to take away from these movies and come away with one - an Eggnog Martini. Adding this to my Christmas menu.
