A Very Nutty Christmas

Kate (Hart) owns Dancing Flours Bakery.  With Christmas approaching, she and friends/employees Rosa (Winokur) and Justin (Manjil) are struggling to fill all of their holiday orders.  Kate just wants to survive the holidays.  And then she gets dumped by actor Mark (Caltagirone).

While walking home from work, she is convinced to buy a nutcracker, which the seller (Richard Riehle) claims is the original nutcracker from the story.  That evening she puts the nutcracker under the tree and in the morning, trips over a man in a nutcracker uniform, Chip (Watson).  She believes he is a method actor, like her ex, and renting a room in her house until Christmas Eve.  Chip claims he only wants to help her and begins working in the bakery.  Can he help Kate open her heart to love Christmas again?

This is a Lifetime Christmas movie.  This is the 6th made-for-TV Christmas Movie Melissa Joan Hart has appeared in 2006 (following Holiday in Handcuffs for ABC Family, Broadcasting Christmas for Hallmark and 4 for Lifetime: The Santa Con, Broadcasting Christmas, and A Very Merry Toy Store).  She subsequently has made 3 more Christmas movies for Lifetime: Christmas Reservations, Dear Christmas, and Mistletoe in Montana.

The Good:

The story is an update on the Nutcracker and the leads end up at a performance of the ballet.  It's an interesting take on the story.  Barry Watson dives into the role, playing up the innocence and charm of the character without going over the top.  Melissa Joan Hart is also likeable in this film, and they work well together.

The Bad:

It's a strange film... jumping back and forth in theme / focus.  It also has over the top villains, including 2 with evil mustaches (they are obviously fake and over the top).

Other Comments:

-Watson and Hart previously appeared in the Lifetime Christmas Movie The Santa Con in 2014, where they play siblings.

-Don't go into the film with expectations, but at least have a little knowledge of the ballet, and you may enjoy it.  Not bad for a short, TV movie.

A Very Nutty Christmas (2018) 90 minutes

Director: Colin Theys

Starring: Melissa Joan Hart as Kate

Barry Watson as Chip

Marissa Jaret Winokur as Rosa

Rizwan Manjil as Justin

Conchata Ferrell as Clara

Ryan Caltagirone as Mark