As a season pass holder for dollywood I was very interested in this movie. First of all, this move is not about the theme park, which was to be expected. It was the standard hallmark movie made in Canada. It has the usual career conflict. The party planner from the big city meets the local hero who wants more. Also all the town scenes were not in Tennessee. There was too much snow, not enough moutains, and no tourists to be pigeon forge. There are no western bars to which the locals go line dancing.
It was okay. The romance was fine. It was not very funny, but did have a few moments. Dolly Parton had a very minor role at the very end. The movie did not do the park's Christmas celebrarion justice as it was filmed on a very small portion of it.
I was hoping that the plot would center around the individuals who work in dollywood's shows and have a litte more real and human story. Somthing a little different. Even if had all been shot on site or in the area immediately around the park. This was not different at all. I think that is why it dissapointed me. In summary while it was okay, it could have been better.
Christmas at Dollywood
2019
Action / Drama / Family / Romance
Plot summary
Although she loves her job as an event planner for successful Gail Lane in New York City, the company which Gail tells her directly will someday be hers in being the best of her staff, Rachel Davis, if being true to herself, would admit the job was a fallback in none of her children's books being accepted for publication. With an event canceled at the last minute, Gail gives Rachel an unexpected and unusual break over the Christmas holidays, allowing Rachel and her adolescent daughter Ava to return "home" to spend Christmas with Rachel's parents and sister Maggie in Pigeon Hole, Tennessee, Rachel and Maggie who grew up in the proverbial shadow of Dollywood where Maggie now works in administration. It is Maggie that arranges for Rachel, on behalf of Gail's company, to interview to handle the thirtieth anniversary Christmas event at Dollywood, it arguably the biggest event Rachel would have worked on if awarded it in having a national scope. It is when Rachel arrives at Dollywood that she meets Luke Hackman, who she initially believes is interviewing for the same job, but who is actually the Director of Operations at Dollywood, he who is interviewing for the open General Manager position. In meeting with the Board after their respective interviews, Rachel and Luke are both dismayed to learn that they have been appointed co-organizers of the thirtieth anniversary event, that dismay due to both having differing views and working styles. Eventually able to overcome their antagonism, Rachel and Luke begin to work harmoniously together in realizing that they are working toward not only the same goal of a successful event, but that success which would springboard them to their end goals of putting Gail's company on the national map and Luke getting the GM position, respectively. In the process, Rachel and Luke start to fall for each other. Their path to a happily-ever-after is hindered by their diverging life paths, Rachel's whose is in New York City working toward a higher position in Gail's company, and Luke who is struggling with accepting a sure thing in an offer as GM at Wild West Amusements in Atlanta, that struggle especially as he begins to suspect the GM position at Dollywood won't be his and despite his heart being at Dollywood.
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It was okay
No chemistry between the leads.....
The hype for "Christmas in Dollywood" was a little to much and I was expecting to love this movie. I mean who doesn't love Dolly Parton right? She's amazing!! I also love Nina Weinman, she is a beautiful storyteller and writes beautiful scripts! Keep her Hallmark! I personally did not feel Nail Matter was not a good fit for Danica! Or for this movie, I felt NO chemistry and NO sparks between them at all! The dancing scene was VERY hard to watch!! So sorry..... I have always loved Danica, especially in previous Hallmark movies with Paul Greene (When calls the Heart) they always have beautiful onscreen chemistry together (Campfire Kiss) And (Perfect Match) which I feel Paul would of been a much better leading man for Danica and for this part. Nail is just ok for me here, he mumbled his lines A LOT! I could not understand what he was saying most of the movie! He is much better suited with Erin Krakow (Finding Father Christmas) movies.
Christmas movie by formula
If you take out Dolly Parton and Dollywood, this movie is a very lackluster production which almost could have been written by a phone app or a bunch of monkeys using past scripts and piecing them together. The story elements had no originality. The dialogue was blah. The acting was not worthy of note. There might have been a smidgen of chemistry between Danica and Niall.
I'm sure most viewers noticed Mckeller's real life book which in the story, and probably in real life, was being distributed by Dolly's foundation to children's charities. Someone made a reference talking to Danica's character saying that maybe she too would one day have her book from the movie story distributed by Dolly's organization.