Released:  2020

In an interview with Southern Living, Alicia Witt (Meg) shared her inspiration in developing the story that became Christmas Tree Lane.  As Witt’s work ushered her from city to city, she noticed a trend.  What were once bustling epicenters of commerce in communities she visited were now vacated buildings.  Since many old-time shopkeepers rented, rather than owned, the buildings that housed their businesses, many of them ended up struggling and ultimately closing.

Witt shared how wandering through vintage shops in downtown areas felt like stepping back in time, and she captured this concept perfectly in Christmas Tree Lane.  The older you are, the more you can appreciate the charm of an old-fashioned Christmas.

Witt was thrilled to see the pictures that danced in her head finally come to life on the set.

As if writing, starring in, and producing the movie wasn’t enough, she wrote and performed two original songs, too–Why Christmas and Christmas Will Never End.  Did you enjoy them?  You can listen to them here:

 

Witt’s performance shined in this movie, undoubtedly due to the investment of her heart and soul in every aspect of its development.

I was browsing through the electronic department at Walmart recently, and I noticed they actually have a retail section for vinyl.

Because Witt is musically inclined in real-life, she leads the viewer to experience music in a new way.  Musicians feel and become the music, unlike those of us who just listen to it recreationally.

Nate (Andrew Walker) is one of us.  He initially turns down Meg’s offer to borrow a record player and a vinyl Christmas album because he doesn’t like the scratchy sound of records.

Meg tells him it’s the scratchiness and imperfections that make the music “real” and “special.”  When she convinces Nate to close his eyes to listen to the music, she helps him hear past those imperfections.

If imperfections make something real and special, that’s good news for a lot of us, right?  What a great metaphor!

Reilly’s Music Store has been in business and in Meg’s family since 1903.

For me, it was a place called Record Town.  I would save my allowance, and when we shopped at the tiny mall in our rural area, I would spend most of the time thumbing through the LP’s and the 45’s.  The 1980’s produced a ton of great hits, so I had quite the collection, back in the day.  One of my favorite Christmas gifts as a kid was a huge stereo with a record player on top.  You know–the kind so big it took up at least a quarter of the bedroom.  Those were the days!

According to the regular Hallmark formula, once some type of betrayal occurs (which is always a misunderstood situation), one of the leads distances himself or herself from the other.

When Meg realizes Nate works for Cloverleaf, the same corporation responsible for the planned demolition of Christmas Tree Lane, she’s upset.  Fortunately, this does not drag on for long, as it sometimes does with Hallmark.  He quickly explains, she’s understanding, and they both join forces (along with Nate’s mom) against Nate’s immovable father.  Of course, this is all done very respectfully because no one is ever a meanie pants in Hallmark movies.

This movie offers hope to city districts that are suffering.  Sometimes, it just takes a little ingenuity, a lot of drive, and team work within the community to revive commerce and make things thrive once again.  It can be done!

If we’re going to visit a place called Christmas Tree Lane, we expect it to live up to its name! Meg explains her street got its name from being the first street to light things up with electric lights–the vintage gas lights–which we get to see come to life once again.

If an invention existed called a “kiss-o-meter,” it would have blown up from the power of Nate and Meg’s kiss at the very end.  WOW!

In some of the newer Hallmark movies, the epic kisses are a bit of a letdown.  It’s almost as if the actors are scared or hesitant to lay one on in this season of COVID.

If I were in Alicia Witt’s shoes at the end, I would have hoped for several “takes” of that scene!

We have two Hallmark Facebook groups you are invited to join.  They keep growing because so many of us are ga-ga over these heart-warming movies.  Plus, there are so many seasons of Hallmark to enjoy–Winterfest, Love Ever After, Spring Fling, June Weddings, Summer Nights, and Fall Harvest!

Hallmark Christmas Movie Magic (year-round Christmas-only movie group)

Hallmark Seasons of Love Movies (rotates through all the seasons mentioned above)