Coeur d’Alene movie brings holiday spirit

Released Nov. 1, A Match Made at Christmas encapsulates the classic cheesy Holiday movie. But one key difference is that this movie was filmed in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

This movie follows the main character, Holly (Micah Lynn Hanson), a desperate romantic who begs her “magical” aunt for a match with the man of Holly’s dreams. Meanwhile, Chris (Tim Llewellyn) is a realist and career-driven man who hates Christmas.

For decades, the all-knowing Aunt Lillian (Juli Erickson) has brought together some of the small town’s greatest couples. And she’s never been wrong about who belongs together.

Holly is planning the wedding of her best friend Angela (Aubrey Shimek Davis) and her brother Spencer (Jared Hernandez) wedding, who were paired together by Aunt Lillian. Then Holly has her own “love at first sight” interaction with Chris at the engagement party for Angela and Spencer.

Aunt Lillian sees this and knows that Holly and Chris belong together. She pairs them in front of the whole party, which would have been the moment that Holly had been waiting for. But previously at the party, Chris called Holly delusional for believing in love.

Holly and Chris are immediately embarrassed, so for the two weeks before Angela and Spencer’s wedding, they don’t talk to each other much. But then Holly’s mom brings them together, and she insists that Holly ask Chris for help with her travel plans. While they’re planning her trip and making a website for Holly’s tree farm, they immediately grow closer.

After a chaotic evening with Holly trying to support Chris and Angela, things blow up between them. Holly is called out for being too controlling and trying to manipulate situations.

Holly struggles because she has put her life on hold for so many people. She didn’t go to college because she had to take care of her mother, and she’s been stuck in her small town. She’s planning an entire wedding for her friend and brother. She’s fixing Angela’s mother’s dress to make sure they stay within budget.

Then there’s Chris, a bitter, over-dramatic man who only cares about himself. He constantly embarrasses Holly in public and claims he’s standing up for her. It seems like they don’t belong together.

But all is well once Chris goes back to his hometown. Holly is working on becoming a wedding planner, and she’s working on getting out of town. The on Christmas Eve, Holly’s mom sends her on a scavenger hunt, and she meets with Chris again. He claims that he and Holly will be together forever, that they will always find their way back to each other. But where was this mindset when he rejected her on Angela and Spencer’s wedding day?

The ending of this movie is very unsatisfying, but overall, the film is suitable for a romance story. For these reasons, A Match Made at Christmas gets a 3/5.