Hallmark's Unwrapping Christmas - Tina's Miracle

On this episode of Pour The Wine, It’s Rom-Com Time, Garry and Amy dive into Hallmark’s Unwrapping Christmas: Tina’s Miracle! When Tina crosses paths with Michael Alonzo and his daughter Haley during a holiday shopping trip, there's an instant connection. But, just as a romance starts to bloom, Tina learns a heartbreaking truth: Michael’s company has sold the beloved Alford House, the planned venue for the annual Christmas gala. Now, the man capturing her heart is also the one threatening her town’s most cherished holiday tradition. Is love off the table or is there still room for a holiday miracle? Grab a glass of wine and tune in now to find out. 

Send us an email to pourthewineitsromcomtime@gmail.com! We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/abbynoise/mood-of-summer

Transcript

Amy 0:08

Welcome to Pour the Wine. It's rom-com time where we'll sip some wine and review all things. Rom-com on the Homework channel. I'm Amy. And I'm Gary, and I think you should pour it.

Garry 0:16

I think you're right.

Amy 0:17

What are you pouring? I'm pouring a cab, sav A cab sav going right in the glasses, taking a break from our summer chardonnay, which we've been into for a minute.

Garry 0:26

Well, it's been so hot. Yeah, you like that cold crisp.

Amy 0:29

Refreshing white wine. We would love it if you would click that follow button on your favorite podcast platform so you don't miss an episode If you listen on Apple or Spotify. You can also leave us a review, and hopefully it's a positive review. Yes, and we would really appreciate it if you take the time to do that.

Garry 0:51

Yes, that'd be really cool, yep. And you can also find us on social media Facebook, instagram, blue sky X and threats, all the things.

Amy 0:59

drop us a line at pour the wine. It's Hallmark time at gmailcom and let us know your thoughts about all things homework.

Garry 1:07

Yes.

Amy 1:07

We're doing Christmas in July, right now. We're getting ready to start unwrapping Christmas. We're into holidays. All of them, all of them, all of them. Busy, busy, busy, Busy busy, or you can let us know about anything.

Introducing the Unwrapping Christmas Series

Garry 1:19

Yes, really so.

Amy 1:22

So you ready to jump in.

Garry 1:23

Yeah, let's do it. So today we're reviewing the first of the unwrapping Christmas movies Tina's Miracle that first aired on Hallmark Plus on Thursday November 7th 2024, and then on Saturday July 5th 2025, on the Hallmark Channel.

Amy 1:39

On the Hallmark Channel.

Garry 1:40

So you want to tell us who's in this one, who is in this one, and while you do that, I'm going to take a sip of wine.

Amy 1:45

Take a sip of your wine, sit back and relax.

Amy 1:48

That's right, take a sip. Natalie Hall plays Tina Mitchell. Her very first Hallmark production was in 2012 with Love's Christmas Journey. More recently, she's been in all four of the unwrapping Christmas movies that dropped in 2024. Road Trip, romance, fly Away With Me and Noel Next Door in 2022, and You're Baking Me Crazy in 2020. That one comes up a little bit. Yeah, it does. Some of her other work includes 11 episodes of Charmed between 2018 and 2019, pretty Little Liars, five episodes between 2011 and 2012. And she played Colby Chandler for 179 episodes on my favorite soap opera of all time, all my Children between 2009 and 2011. There you go. Oh, I guess we should have started by saying that this is the Unwrapping Christmas Movies is a series of four movies and it's based on four friends who own the store yes all wrapped up all wrapped up, correct?

Meet the Four Friends

Amy 2:54

yes, yep, so they were college friends, excuse me. They decided to open up a store, so natalie hall plays one of those friends, tina m Mitchell, and the first movie is focused on her. Yes, it is so I will go through the other three friends and each movie will be focused on each one individually as we go along through the series.

Amy 3:17

So Cindy Busby plays Olivia Matheson. I believe her first Hallmark production was Lucky in Love in 2014,. As far as I could see, she has been in numerous homework productions since, and some of her more recent work includes all four of these unwrapping movies A Whitewater Christmas in 2024, love in Zion National, a National Park Romance in 2023, and Warming Up to you in 2021. 2023 and warming up to you in 2021. Some of her other work includes 53 episodes of Heartland between 2007 and 2024, 2024. Heartland is available on Homer. It's not a Hallmark production but it is available, I believe, on Hallmark plus to watch there you have it.

Amy 4:01

She was also in one episode of VCC Andrews' Heaven in 2019 and two episodes of the TV series Supernatural between 2011 and 2013. Ashley Newbrough plays Lily Morgan, another one of the friends. Her first Hallmark movie was Love Under the Stars in 2015. She was most recently in the four episodes of the Love Club and all four Hearts Around the Table movies which premiered in 2025. She was busy in 2024. So, in addition to all four Unwrapping Christmas movies, she was also in Operation Nutcracker and Love on the Right Course In 2023, she was in Flippingmas and loving glacier national, a national park romance. Some of her other work includes the tv series privileged she was in 18 episodes between 2008 and 2009 and the tv series mistresses she was in five episodes between 2013 and 2014. Wow, wow, okay, catherine Davis is the fourth and final friend of the four.

Amy 5:09

She plays Mia Parker and her movie is next correct? Yes, unwrapping Christmas, mia's Prince.

Garry 5:15

Yes, mia's, prince.

Amy 5:17

She premiered on the Hallmark Channel in a Christmas carousel in 2020. And, like Ashley Newbrough, she is also in all four of the Hearts Around the Table movies that premiered in 2025. In 2024, in addition to the Unwrapping Christmas movies, she was also in Everything Puppies. Everything, puppies, we didn't watch that, but we'll have to watch that. Some of her other work outside of Hallmark includes several holiday movies for other production companies, like Santa's Got Style, planes, trains and Christmas Trees and Six Degrees of Santa. Those all dropped in 2022.

Amy 5:52

She was in three episodes of the Wedding Planners in 2020, one episode of Taken in 2018, and one episode of Rain in 2017.

Garry 6:03

Man, goodness Whew, and one episode of Rain in 2017.

Amy 6:05

Man goodness, Alex Santos plays Michael Alonso. According to KL Connie Wang's article, in Parade he speaks three languages and has a degree in biochemistry.

Garry 6:16

Smart tart that one.

Amy 6:17

His first homework production was in Rise and Shine, benedict Stone, in 2021. Some of his other homework work includes a machu picchu proposal which just aired as part of passport to love in june of 2025. He is in all four of the unwrapping christmas movies that dropped last year in 2024 and campfire christmas in 2022. Some of his other work includes two episodes of virgin river between 2020 and 2024, which I can assume means one in 2020 and one in 2024.

Amy 6:48

Right right, the TV series Sight Unseen. He was in eight episodes from 2024 to 2025 and one episode of Arrow in 2017. Oh cool, presley Allard, I think, plays Haley Alonzo. She has five acting credits and this is her first homework production. Her four other credits are Would you Kill for Me? The Mary Bailey Story in 2023, sorry About the Demon and one episode of Good Sam in 2022, and the Unperfect Christmasmas wish in 2021. Henry alessandroni plays thomas mitchell. He plays tina's dad right this is his hallmark premiere.

Amy 7:34

Some of his other work includes my mother stole my life in 2024, trapped with my husband in 2022 and twice in a lifetime. He was in one episode in 1999. Oh, okay, okay, he said. Okay, we haven't watched any of those.

Garry 7:50

Nope, nope.

Amy 7:51

Stephanie Herrera plays Robin. Her first appearance in a Hallmark production was in 2020s, unlocking Christmas. She was also in romance with a twist in 2024 and holiday heritage in 2022. Some of her other work includes one episode of Reacher in 2025. Is that on Prime? I can't remember what.

Garry 8:10

I couldn't tell you, is that on Prime or Paramount.

Amy 8:14

Maybe I'm totally wrong.

Garry 8:16

I don't know, I think it's on maybe it's Hulu, I don't know. Yeah.

Amy 8:22

She was in one episode of the Boys in 2025. She was in with my husband in 2022 along with henry ellis alessandroni, which I just mentioned, and a movie called christmas unwrapped in 2020, which I thought was kind of funny because this is unwrapping christmas, yeah anyway.

Amy 8:39

david rosser plays judge reynolds. He appeared on hallmark for the first time, and never too late to celebrate in 2023. In 2024, he is also in the next Unwrapping Christmas Me as Prince. He was also in my Dreams of you and Paging Mr Darcy, all in 2024. Some of his other work includes one episode of Cruel Intentions in 2024, one episode of American Gothic in 2016, and one episode of Rain in 2015. And Rain keeps coming up. A lot of people popped up on there also.

Garry 9:14

That's good.

Amy 9:14

There you go.

Garry 9:15

All right. Well, is it time to drop the synopsis? Maybe, Do you want to?

Amy 9:21

drop it.

Garry 9:24

It's time to drop the synapse.

Amy 9:25

Let's do it. Let's go. I'm going to take some wine while you do that?

Garry 9:28

Yeah, do that, since I've already had some Successful gift wrapping. Shop owner Tina is in charge of planning this year's annual gala, but things begin to go awry when the gala faces cancellation due to a Scrooge-like estate owner. Spoiler alert. Spoiler alert to a Scrooge-like estate owner Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, spoiler alert.

Amy 9:47

Spoiler alert.

Garry 9:48

Spoiler alert If you have not seen this. Please pause this podcast, go watch it, come back and press play.

Amy 9:59

And press play right. We will probably give away some spoilers.

Synopsis: Tina's Miracle

Garry 10:02

Yes, we will, yes, we will. So what was your first take on this?

Amy 10:07

My first take on this. I really enjoyed it. I don't know what I was really. You know what I was expecting.

Garry 10:15

Right.

Amy 10:15

Because we don't do. I don't typically look up the synopsis or anything before you know all the work's done after we watch it.

Garry 10:23

Right.

Amy 10:23

In terms of who's in it and everything, and I just anything before you know all the work's done after we watch it right, in terms of who's in it and everything, and I just I really enjoyed it. I thought it was, you know, I liked, I like the small town they were in. I actually really liked natalie hall's portrayal of tina. I thought she was great. Everything was smooth, right. I really liked the chemistry. I really like alex santos. I think he's he's really good he's got.

Amy 10:45

If you get him in a good vehicle, you know he's he's good. Yes, I really enjoyed, you know, the father daughter aspect in this movie with him and his young daughter and he's, you know, a widowed right, you know, and, um, I don't know, I just I just really, I really enjoyed it.

Garry 11:04

What about you? Like you, I really enjoyed it too, because I went in expecting, you know, a classic, lighthearted Hallmark movie. But then, it got into some deep subjects.

Amy 11:18

Well, I mean it was serious, but it wasn't like that serious.

Garry 11:20

You know they touched on, you know dyslexia.

Amy 11:23

Yes.

Garry 11:25

Corporate takeovers. Yeah, you know they touched on.

Amy 11:26

You know dyslexia, yes, Corporate takeovers.

Garry 11:27

Yeah, you know bad relationships. Don't judge a book by its cover. Well, that's true. We're always talking about that, that's true.

Amy 11:33

Yes, they did cover that, that's for sure, and it was a little bit, like you said, corporate takeover like Pretty Woman.

Garry 11:39

Yes.

Amy 11:39

Kind of some remnants of that.

Garry 11:42

Yeah, and like you've got mail, You've got mail.

Amy 11:44

I know right the big company comes in, but anyway, go ahead.

Garry 11:46

Sorry, but yeah, I really enjoyed it and I thought, yeah, like you, Alec is just he's killing it In the last two that we've watched.

Amy 11:55

I really enjoyed him. I've really enjoyed his acting.

First Impressions of the Movie

Garry 11:58

He makes it look effortlessly, he does.

Amy 12:00

He does, he really does.

Garry 12:02

So I was very impressed and I thought the supporting cast in this particular movie did a really, really good job, and I think it's a great way to start this.

Amy 12:12

Christmas in July. Yeah, oh yeah, it was the first Christmas in July movie. So there you have it, yes, well, new to Hallmark Channel. I guess it's not a brand new movie, but new to. Hallmark Channel Saturday Night Movie for Christmas in July. Yeah, I agree, it was a good start.

Garry 12:28

Yes, it was. So do you want to talk about the meet?

Amy 12:32

cute, let's talk meet cute, no-transcript. They're in a store, a department store, a department store in the small town, and Tina well, his daughter runs into Tina right and explains that she's trying to get a gift for her dad. So Tina is trying to. Well, allegedly she accidentally runs into him, but we find out later that may not be true, right, but anywho so, and the daughter, haley, you know, takes a picture of her. She's looking for a tie and Tina's helping her pick out a tie and she kind of walks away. And that's when Michael walks up to her Right and he's like nice tie, nice tie.

Amy 13:13

Nice tie, Right. And what does she or she's like you think.

Garry 13:18

Yeah, yeah, she she's. You can tell when they met eye to eye that something clicked a little little spark, little spark, yeah.

Amy 13:27

And then she says something is she or he says, yeah, colorful bold says I'm in charge of the touch of congeniality, and she says what more could you want in a tie?

Garry 13:36

I know right, it was kind of cute.

Amy 13:38

Yes, that was a good exchange so I thought the me cute was kind well, yeah, and then his daughter hayley shows him some pictures that she's just taken of. Tina and he's like, wow, that's a glamour shot. So he's already kind of flirting right away.

Garry 13:50

Yeah.

Amy 13:50

So I thought the scene really kind of worked. It was a good meet cute.

Garry 13:57

That's what I thought. I think, What'd you think? I thought it was too. I thought it was really cute. I mean, you know, it was kind of like a little friendly little.

Amy 14:06

Little banter, little banter back and forth. A little bit of flirtatious banter back and forth. Yeah, so it worked, instead of like her instantly hating him. Or you know saying something.

Garry 14:15

Or falling in love right away. I do have a question, though, because I find it interesting that kids always call adults by their first name, like Miss Tina, you know. I wonder why they like instead of.

Amy 14:29

I think that's a Southern thing actually.

Garry 14:31

Instead of doing.

Amy 14:32

Well, I guess they're not, Miss Mitchell, it's like Miss Tina, miss Tina. I don't know. You know, when I was growing up, I always called my friends' parents by their last name. It was Mr and Mrs, and to this day I would die if I called them by their first name.

Favorite Scenes and Character Revelations

Amy 14:48

You know it's not like I ever got into trouble, but it's just what we did. It was, you know, mr So-and-so or Mrs So-and-so, and then when I moved to Virginia, the neighbors around like when my kids first started meeting the neighbors they would say, oh, I miss. You know, miss Shelly and Miss Tina, and you know, this is Mr Rick, you know, and, and I I thought that was so weird and cause I had always taught them and I thought, well, all right, that's fine if that's what you, you know. So maybe it's more of a Southern thing, I don't really know.

Garry 15:20

Yeah Well, of a southern thing I don't really know.

Amy 15:25

yeah well, as long as, people are okay with it, you know. And well, they seem to be okay with it.

Garry 15:27

Yeah, I just thought it was interesting that you know they were saying that and and we grew up in a time where it was the last name that you said yes, yeah, maybe it's not as like.

Amy 15:36

Yeah, like you said, maybe it's just more of a sign of the times, but I know it was like that when the kids were little right, right, right, you know in where we lived, in virginia. So yeah, I don't know.

Garry 15:47

Good question, good question hey, I got some of those every once in a while.

Amy 15:52

You know just hanging in as long as everyone's on board and no one's, you know, it's fine. It doesn't really bother me. You can call me yo, yo, yo you. Yow, I'm not a stickler for that kind of stuff.

Garry 16:04

No me either, Just be respectful right.

Amy 16:07

Yes, that's all we ask.

Garry 16:09

So did you have any favorite scenes?

Amy 16:11

Yeah, I mean I had a few. I guess first we should set up kind of what the premise of the story is right.

Garry 16:17

Yeah.

Amy 16:18

So, all wrapped up, the store is sponsoring the gala the. Christmas gala that they have every year, that they've had for like 80 years, and it's going to be at one of a the Alford House.

Garry 16:31

The Alford House, but it's a historic house. It's a historical house, right so?

Amy 16:34

yeah, and people go to visit it, right, and so Tina's dad is the caretaker of the house and he's trying to find out more about the history. So they're going to have this big gal and it's the first time the store is sponsoring and hosting.

Amy 16:53

But then come to find out that whoever owned the Alford house just sold it and the new owner wants them out. There's previously been a wedding plan, so they're letting the wedding be held, or the reception or whatever, at the Alford house, but then after that no one else, they can't have any more parties, they're not allowed to have it. So it sort of throws things into a turmoil for all wrapped up because they're trying to figure out what they're going to do because it's last minute.

Garry 17:20

Yeah.

Amy 17:21

And then in walks, michael Alonzo, whose family owned the Alford house. Right and he's the one who sold it.

Garry 17:29

Right.

Amy 17:31

And in the meantime has let some employees go right right before Christmas of a different business that he bought.

Garry 17:38

Because that's what his company does.

Amy 17:39

They buy things and they sell them, but you don't know the whole story. So Tina finds out that Michael is sort of behind the sale, right, and she's upset with him, and she finds out that what she perceives is that he's not a very nice boss. But, he doesn't know that she knows, and he would really like to get to know her better, and so they're at this kind of impasse. Yeah, so that's kind of the. Did I forget anything?

Garry 18:04

no, no, and it's. The gala is something that's held every year for the town right, you know the town people look forward to it, you know so yeah and they have these contests for wrapping presents and and things like that. But right.

Amy 18:18

Best bow, best present, best wrapping, best free wrap, yeah so yeah, so that's where we're at with that. That's where we're at, so that kind of sets up. One of my favorite scenes is when so she goes with Michael. He asks her to help him shop for someone.

Garry 18:35

Yes.

Amy 18:35

Correct. And so she meets him at the store and she has just found out some information about him that she thinks is not flattering. But he doesn't know that she knows this information. So she's walking around and she's like oh you know. She says, you know, I think he picks up the scarf, the cashmere one first.

Garry 18:52

Right.

Amy 18:53

And she's like well, that's expensive though, and he's like that's fine and she's like okay. Yeah, you know like he's flaunting his money, but he's not really. He's just kind of like. And then she kind of starts grilling him a little bit about what he does and he says he has a family business, and then she kind of goes in.

Garry 19:10

Right.

Amy 19:11

Because doesn't he say we buy things, oh, you buy things and then you sell them, like she kind of goes after him and he's like what's going on?

Garry 19:16

I know.

Amy 19:23

He's got this like quizz, quizzical, look, and I just thought that scene, you know, really work like she's. She's definitely asking for a reason.

Amy 19:26

He knows, but he doesn't know why right he doesn't know what she thinks exactly, and then they find something else as a gift, and um, a different type of scarf, I guess and she goes yeah, this is perfect right and she kind of picks one out, and then he asks her if it will scare you know the woman that he's buying for away, and and she says like no, only if you, only if you give her a mixed tape with it.

Garry 19:47

Yes, and then?

Amy 19:48

he says something like that'll be Valentine's day. And she's like, oh my God, like, cause he's too good to be true. You know he's like a nice guy, but she doesn't want to believe it Cause she's heard these bad things about him. So I just thought that scene was really really cute and worked, given the story and the circumstance.

Garry 20:03

So that, reading the book, yeah, they did really well there and her books yeah, yeah, yeah.

Amy 20:07

What about you favorite?

Garry 20:09

scene. One of my favorite scenes was, uh, when michael and hayley. When, well, michael was picking up hayley from the school and he was talking to the principal about Haley's condition, which you find out she has dyslexia Correct and the principal more or less was like there's nothing else that we can do. And, michael you know, he starts to think about opening his own school. So on the way to the car, haley says to him that she's sorry and he says what are you sorry for? And she says I'm sorry that something's wrong with me oh, you're tearing up.

Amy 20:52

You're tearing up. I didn't know you didn't get emotional sorry about that. I didn't know that. Okay, I need a minute. It touched.

Garry 21:04

It touched me because you know, she knows she has something wrong, but her dad was like. He explains to her and he tells her that, um you know, albert einstein will be goldberg leon da Vinci and Keira Knightley, which I thought was pretty interesting. All had dyslexia.

Amy 21:26

Yeah, and he says to her you know the woman who's in one of our favorite movies or some Christmas movies. Yeah, You're going to take your own.

Garry 21:36

It just touched me, I don't know.

Amy 21:38

Well, because you feel it. You know our kids went through some stuff and you never want your kids to hurt or feel like they're not liked or loved and you know if you're different, you feel like, you know kids can be mean.

Garry 21:53

Yeah.

Amy 21:55

You know, and they can be really, really mean. And it's just that was I think I have that a little bit later about that discussion with her, because he's like you're smart, You're beautiful, you're you know, and that's when he talks about and he said that's your superpower. Yeah, he calls it her superpower? Yeah, she just has to learn a little, and that's why she takes pictures is because she's she can explain it better with the pictures.

Garry 22:16

But that was right, right with me I'm sorry, I didn't think I'd get him take a sip of wine take.

Amy 22:21

Take a sip of wine.

Garry 22:22

I know, I know.

Amy 22:23

Well, you know, when you have kids and they go through stuff, it's hard.

Garry 22:26

Yeah.

Amy 22:26

You know, and then I think, in that scene that you're talking about too, though, because the principal, because then Michael says he wants to open his own school, right Isn't that, when he says, I don't know, that's a lot of work.

Garry 22:43

And.

Amy 22:43

Michael says good thing, we're in the season of miracles and I was like oh you know, that was so cute.

Garry 22:48

Yeah, sorry about that, let me get my emotions All right.

Amy 22:52

Well, you get your emotions back in check. I'm going to go into another. One of my favorite scenes is when Tina and Michael are making dinner. So they, when tina and michael are making dinner, so they kind of go through this flirtatious thing and tina's kind of resisting it because she's had a bad relationship, right so then. But then she agrees to go to dinner, but she tries to make it clear it's just platonic. Let's let hayley know I don't want her to think anything right but then she goes and he has burned the dinner.

Amy 23:16

So then they kind of make dinner and I just thought it was really cute, you know and cute and I don't know. And there was a song during the scene and I meant to look it up and it was like a. It reminded me of like an old-time Christmassy song and it just worked with the scene and them cooking and then sitting down for dinner. So, I really liked that scene. I thought that was really cute.

Garry 23:39

Yeah, well, you know so what about you?

Amy 23:43

Any other favorite scenes that aren't going to?

Garry 23:44

make you cry. I can't say when Tina asks Michael to meet her and her dad at the Alpha. Oh, yes, yes, and I thought it was so funny because again she has this image of him.

Amy 23:59

Preconceived notion Right, and when he gets there she's judging a little bit. Yes.

Garry 24:04

His dad even has that kind of attitude toward Michael. And it was funny because you know Thomas, being the historian that he is, michael goes oh, look at the crown molding. And he starts to talk about the woodwork in the house and Thomas is like, he looks at him like oh, okay, then he starts to like him, like instantly right instantly. And then you see, uh, tina, she's. She's like, you know, like you said, with the scarf, uh scene, she's like, oh my god, really yeah well, yeah, and then she goes.

Amy 24:36

He said, yeah, I dabble in woodworking. And she goes. Of course you do it's like he's too good to be true, you know. So it was.

Garry 24:43

Yeah, that was really cute, the funnier part was when they were leaving and they were outside by the car and thomas or dad comes out and shakes his hand, he goes. I, it's been a pleasure meeting you it was cute, so it was. That was really cute, so the image of him kind of just. You know Well, and that's part of it.

Amy 25:12

I was going to put that it wasn't just one scene, but it was those scenes where Michael, like she can't believe he is the way he is. Like there's a scene where he's wearing like a plaid shirt and she goes, oh what, do you go chop your own wood? And he's like, well, yeah, I kind of do I go shop my own Christmas tree or whatever.

Amy 25:22

And she's like, oh my gosh, that might be when they do the wrapping or whatever, but I just and so there were several scenes like that the wood scene when they're shopping, where he just keeps he's like the gift that keeps on giving, but she doesn't want to believe it.

Garry 25:38

Yeah, because she has.

Amy 25:39

Yeah, and he loves love actually.

Garry 25:44

Yeah, and he loves, love, actually, yeah, you know so, so you have any more.

Amy 25:46

Okay, I thought the scene it kind of was right after the dinner scene where Tina's talking to Haley about Haley's mom, because Haley's mom has passed away.

Garry 25:56

Right.

Amy 25:56

And Tina's mom passed away when she was young too. So they sort of have this meeting of the minds and it's just a sweet moment, you know. And tina says you know, I lost my mom when I was young too and it's really hard, and you know, and they're kind of looking at a picture of of hayley's mom, and so it was, it was just kind of a sweet moment. I just I?

Garry 26:15

yeah, it was. I thought it was, and I'm glad you said it, because I probably would have teared up again. I don't know why I'm so emotional with this one.

Amy 26:22

Do you have any more favorite scenes? Yeah, yeah.

Garry 26:25

I thought it was so funny when they first went to the store. And, of course, haley comes in first, right, and Tina's like, oh hey. And then her dad comes in and he says something like oh, this is serendipitous, oh yes. Comes in and he says something like, oh, this is serendipitous, oh yes. And then, but she still thinks that he's the, the mean corporate guy and she tries to get lily to, you know take him in whatever order and lily's like no no, I'm busy.

Amy 26:55

This is your man, you know, because she wants she wants tina to find somebody and she walks away, so so I thought that was a good one. That was cute.

Garry 27:02

And then my last one was the scene when he had asked her to go rapping for the unprivileged people. And I just like it when they have the song and everybody's rapping and doing all these things, oh, that whole scene with them, that whole scene.

Amy 27:15

Yes, yes, I love that. Well, that was another one. You're wrapping gifts for underprivileged kids. Okay, of course you are.

Garry 27:25

That was another one.

Cheers: What Worked Well

Amy 27:26

Yeah Well, that scene with Lily that you were just talking about. After he leaves the store, then Lily's like, wow, he's a hunk. And I'm like who says hunk anymore? I thought that was so odd, I don't know. It made me chuckle a little bit. But I was like do people really say h? So odd, I don't know. I just got to it made me chuckle a little bit, but I was like do people really say hunk? Still, I don't know, I thought that was a little bit funny. Anyway, All right. So cheers, what were your biggest? What was your biggest cheer? Or do you have a few cheers that you want?

Garry 27:54

to discuss. I thought my biggest one was I really appreciate how the the four ladies, the sorority ladies they started this when they were in college.

Amy 28:05

Yeah, it was like an idea or something right they had these bracelets with the number 426.

Garry 28:10

And I liked how they had this project. They had to do and the teachers I'm assuming it had to do with business and the teachers helped them along and they ended up creating the store, the store. And they've been doing that ever since.

Amy 28:24

Yep, and they opened it. Yeah, that was pretty cool.

Garry 28:26

That was one of my cheers. What about you?

Amy 28:29

One of mine was I always love and I mean Hallmark is so great at this the small town walkthroughs where it's all decorated and even the Hallmark snow like you like to talk about the Hallmark weather, but I just like it. And even the Hallmark snow like you like to talk about the Hallmark weather, but I just like it. It's snowing, it's decorated to the nines. It's a small town, but there are all these little shops along the street.

Amy 28:50

I just I always love that. Another cheer for me would be I'm a sucker for like a historical aspect. Now, I'm not a big like history buff per se, you know about historical figures, but I just think it's cool when you're like investigating something from the past like so it was, almost it was a mystery which we haven't even talked about, really trying to figure out. You know who owned the house originally? The alfred house right you know and all that. So I I liked that part of it. Did you have any other cheers?

Garry 29:18

I had one more and it was when michael, when she she was telling Michael why she won't open up, oh yes, and he said something like you don't deserve what happened to you, but to cut yourself off from something good happening, life is just too short, and I thought that was very sweet to say something like that. That was really cool, yeah.

Amy 29:41

For me, you talked about it the dyslexia, like just that hallmark, is tackling issues that so many parents face right with their kids and it's not just the dyslexia but, like I mentioned earlier, you know you feel different, the kids feel different, or out of place, or they're bullied. And you talked about the compliments that michael gives hayley. Right, you know he says you're smart, you're capable.

Amy 30:01

You capable, you're beautiful you're funny and then he names people who had dyslexia. So I really liked you know that was a good aspect of it. I loved Michael speaking the line from Love Actually that Colin Firth speaks and he speaks it in Portuguese, was it? Yeah, which must be one of Alex Santos's three languages? I just thought it was the way he delivered. It was so smooth you know.

Amy 30:24

So I thought that was really cute. And then again that was another scene where Tina was like oh, you like love. Actually, you know you're a man who likes romantic movies. I thought your favorite Christmas movie was going to be Die Hard yeah.

Garry 30:35

Die Hard. Everybody always says, die Hard it's so funny.

Amy 30:38

And then my final cheer would be the guitar rendition of oh Holy Night when they're in the restaurant. I thought it was cool.

Garry 30:45

Speaking of the restaurant, there's been times where you read the menu and you can't read what's on it because it's in some other language and you feel so bad. And then you just point to it when the waiter comes, you're like I'll have this one. She says something to that effect like I can't read anything on here.

Amy 31:02

I can't Yep, yep.

Jeers: What Could Be Improved

Garry 31:05

Oh man, so did you have any jeers?

Amy 31:08

Well, okay, I had a few.

Garry 31:11

Okay, let's hear them. Let's hear the jeers. Did you have some? I just had one, a couple.

Amy 31:16

So I wasn't super crazy about the beginning I didn't With the four women in the store they're all wrapped up and you kind of it was like they were trying to tell you a lot about what was going on, right, I just wasn't crazy about that very beginning scene.

Garry 31:32

I can see that.

Amy 31:33

Like it just didn't. It didn't start off with a bang for me as far as that goes and you know, first impressions matter. My other jeer would be Haley taking a polaroid picture outside while it's snowing. If you know anything about polaroids, that's not going to develop if water hits it that's right, it's gonna.

Amy 31:52

So I just thought that was kind of. I was like that's a miss. Either people are really young who are shooting this and don't know any different. But yeah, and by the way, tina says oh, you have an old camera to hayley. Yeah, I love that you're using one of those old cameras. And I was like, oh, dager, yes, because we I know polaroids have come back around, but I mean, we're talking what 70s? And 80s they were popular, so what about you?

Garry 32:17

it was an advancement in technology, um, it had to do with um. You know, tina and thomas and michael were looking for the d to the to the alfred house, because they they're trying to find a way not to sell it or have the party there, and they found out that it was his great. They called her great aunt but she was born back in the 1800s and then later on I think, they corrected it because he called her great aunt, but she was born back in the 1800s and then later on.

Garry 32:45

I think they corrected it because he said great, great aunt Right or aunt whatever.

Amy 32:49

I think you're right because we and that was something I said out loud- in that moment.

Garry 32:54

Yeah, you did.

Amy 32:55

When he said oh, it's your great aunt and I was like, wait a minute, that would be his mom's.

Garry 32:59

I was trying to figure it out and I'm like there's no way, there's no way.

Amy 33:01

There's no way the age didn't work. And then at the end he says his great great aunt yeah. Correct, Right right, right yeah.

Garry 33:09

And then the other one was when Robin came walking up to say that she was digging up dirt on Michael.

Amy 33:17

That's a jeer for you?

Garry 33:18

Yeah, because I just felt like do people really do that they go up and just say this kind of stuff while a stranger is standing?

Amy 33:27

there Because she didn't know who that guy was, Right, right. So the scene is Robin comes up and we didn't even talk about Robin, really.

Garry 33:32

Right, and this is when they were coming out from wrapping presents.

Amy 33:35

So she goes up to Tina and Michael when they're leaving the church after wrapping presents. Right and she goes into Tina about all this information she found out about michael's company and she basically is telling tina, put it on social media, you can blast him on social media so he's like okay, yeah, maybe not.

Amy 33:54

I mean, I wouldn't do that if I I'd be like oh hey, nice to meet you, tina. I have something to tell you in a little bit, when I, you know, like pull her aside that's what I, you know that's probably most people would do, but that kind of they needed, like that little discourse between Michael and Tina for a little bit the breakup moment it lasted for about a minute. Yeah.

Garry 34:13

So the other the only other.

Amy 34:15

The other jeer that I have is, and it has to do with music. We talk about this a lot. Sometimes the music is just too quirky and too cheesy and it was like that several times throughout this movie really, yeah, maybe like during his visit to the store. It's just a little like a lot of the songs were really good in it and I really like the songs and some of the music, but there's just like those quirky bits that I just don't care for. But that's just me.

Amy 34:42

So All right, anyhow, yeah, but yeah. So that would be my final cheer.

Garry 34:47

All right. Well, what was your tinsel top moment?

Amy 34:54

My tinsel topped moment would probably be the scene with Michael and Haleyley that you talked about with, where he compliments her and then he lets her know who else, like the famous people who have dyslexia- to know she's not alone, and it's her superpower. What about you? That was mine too as you could tell by my tearing up. Tearing up, yeah.

Garry 35:22

Getting silent there for about five seconds, I'm sorry, oh, there was one other.

Amy 35:28

I'm just going to briefly mention when Michael and Tina and Haley are having dinner at Michael's house and they're eating, and then they get into a discussion.

Garry 35:38

Right.

Amy 35:38

And then Haley says I'm going to go get some more pasta and she's clearly got a plate full of pasta and she walks off into the kitchen and Michael says something like I look like she had enough pasta on her plate. Or he kind of makes a comment. I wonder if that was a mistake, Like if the pasta wasn't supposed to be on her plate at that moment. Like an editing thing. And he kind of and Alex Santos kind of ad lib that.

Garry 36:01

Yeah.

Final Rating and Wrap-Up

Amy 36:04

I'd love to know that, but anywho, that's just an aside, all right, is that a wrap? Well, how many we got through the ornaments. You're right, you're right.

Garry 36:11

So, out of five ornaments, how many do you give this one?

Amy 36:14

I would give this one. I would give it a four, yeah, four ornaments for me. How about you that For me? How about you?

Garry 36:18

That's what I was going to give it.

Amy 36:19

That's what you were going to give it to.

Garry 36:20

That's what I have written down for. Yeah, I mean.

Amy 36:22

I enjoyed it.

Garry 36:23

Yeah. I you know, I think it was a good start. Yeah To the series.

Amy 36:27

Yeah I thought it was good All right, so is that a wrap. That is a wrap.

Garry 36:37

All right, so you don't miss one. You can also send us an email to pourthewine. It's romcomtime at gmailcom. We'd love to hear from you, and that's about it.

Amy 36:49

That's about it. New episodes drop on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Until next time, fill up your glasses and push play. Thanks for listening.

Garry 36:56

Cheers.