Any movie starring Merritt Patterson and Christopher Russell is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser, and A Vintage Christmas from Great American Family does not disappoint.
What Is A Vintage Christmas About?
Here is a summary of the plot, per Great American Family's website:
Tessa (Patterson) is a dedicated historian and preservationist in her hometown of Oak Creek, an old-fashioned and passionate protector of the nostalgic. Sparks fly when a business developer, Noah (Russell) arrives in Oak Creek with plans to tear down an abandoned Post Office and replace it with a sleek, modern office complex. There are internal and external struggles among many in the community to arrive at a solution that serves the greater good for all concerned. As the clock ticks toward Christmas, the race to settle the dispute through concessions and compromise is on.
Two familiar romcom tropes are at play in A Vintage Christmas: Enemies to Lovers and A Building Needs Saved.
A Vintage Christmas Embodies "Christmas as It's Meant to Be"
When Tessa informs Noah that Oak Creek cherishes family, community, and traditions, it encapsulates Great American Family's own guiding principles, which is summed up by the network's 2024 theme, Christmas as It's Meant to Be.
At the beginning of the dispute over the town's old Post Office, Darla (the librarian) and Tessa reference praying about the situation. Another God-honoring moment in the movie occurs when Tessa and Noah grant Jillian Sharp's childhood wish to sing in front of a crowd, and she chooses O Come, All Ye Faithful. It's a small thing, but if you consider the music in "the other channel's" Christmas movies, the selections nearly always lean secular. To hear the name of Christ mentioned in a movie, even if it's just within a song, is Christmas as It's Meant to Be.
Another faith-based nuance is Brad's discovery of The Five Love Languages by Baptist pastor Gary Chapman. This novel was first published in 1992, and it outlines the five general ways that romantic partners express and experience love: words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Brad discovers that acts of service is his love language, even though Darla finds him perfect just the way he is. Approaching romance from a Christian perspective is one more way GAF incorporates faith into their programming.
One of my favorite aspects of the movie is how people can see a situation in a completely opposite light, diligently seek a middle ground without compromising their individual ideals, and still build bridges to grow relationships. Noah is initially viewed as an enemy of the people because of his plans to tear down Oak Creek's post office to build something modern. Instead of either side acting deviously or hostilely, everyone works together to find acceptable solutions. Noah doesn't bulldoze the townspeople when his project gets the green light, but he seeks to win them over with a sincere heart by answering their old letters to Santa. His goodwill wins their favor. Neither does Tessa begrudge Noah his plans to help the town prosper economically, but she thinks it can happen without destroying the past. Ultimately, both the town and the developer hammer out an answer that works for everyone.
Themes are threaded through the entire movie that seem countercultural in today's climate, but Great American Family reminds us of Christmas as it's meant to be!
RomCom Review's Rating of A Vintage Christmas
A Vintage Christmas is charming, nostalgic, reflects GAF's wonderful brand, and features two seasoned actors who bring the characters to life. Preserving the past while building a new future is a desirable ideal.
However, the story, though solid, is slow-moving, features commonplace tropes, and the chemistry is surprisingly lacking between the two leads. The kiss that we anticipate at the climax is a dud, and while I appreciate modesty, GAF needs to turn up the sizzle on the final kiss.
Overall, a very enjoyable movie for this genre, earning it 3 out of 5 stars here at RomCom Review.
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