Lindsay Lohan Is at Her Best in a New Holiday-Themed Romcom
Falling for Christmas
(Netflix, U.S.A., 2022)
Director: Janeen Damian
At first, it’s weird to see Lindsay Lohan on screen again. Is she really her? Is she okay? She seems to have had too many fillers injected into her lips. Something is a little off when it comes to her face, and her bra is probably two or three sizes larger than it used to be. But when she starts acting, we immediately recognize that charismatic girl from The Parent Trap (1998). We can’t deny that the woman has natural talent and is very good at what she does. She is not afraid to play the fool on the screen or to laugh at herself.
Romantic comedies have not been particularly impressive during the last few years, probably because we are in a time of transition in which we are redefining what love is. Maybe that’s why we prefer to see older classics. Even actors like Julia Roberts and George Clooney are trying to reach into the past and bring back old-school nineties-style films, such as their recent Ticket to Paradise (2022). Lohan knows it, and she nails it with Falling for Christmas, which is not just a typical romcom-meets-Christmas movie; it truly includes those old comedy gags (falling down numerous times, breaking things, being a hot mess) that bring back memories of the classic narratives that we are longing for.
Maybe Chord Overstreet, the romantic interest, is too young to play the part of a widower with a ten-year-old child, but we can overlook that. Lohan is Sierra Belmont, your Paris Hilton of today, an heiress and the daughter of a prominent hotel chain owner. She is super spoiled (even though we like her, thanks to Lohan’s acting), and she is betrothed to Tad Fairchild (George Young), a ridiculous, narcissistic influencer who cares more about fashion, trends, and shoes than about his fiancée. They both have an accident while taking pictures on a snowy mountain and get separated after they fall from the top.
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Sierra is rescued by the handsome Jake (Overstreet), and when she wakes up, she doesn’t remember who she is. You have to suspend your disbelief and go along with the idea that her team doesn’t put effort into locating her, despite having a multimillion- dollar budget, so she has to stay in a lovely lodge that Jake and his family own.
Sierra starts to lead a “normal” life, learning to cook, make a bed, and clean the space while, obviously, falling in love with her handsome host, his daughter, and his mother-in-law, who encourages him to let go of the memories of his deceased wife (how many women have a mother-in-law like this in real life?).
Art direction is one of the essential tools to make your romantic comedy effective, especially if it is set during the winter. Falling for Christmas does not skimp on this and shows all the lights, ugly sweaters, and coziness you expect. Yes, poor Jake has no money, he is in need, and his business is going down the drain, but he throws great parties for the people in the village, he sets up lights as if there was no tomorrow, and we all think, “I would like my money problems to look like that.”
But hey, ever since scene one, we knew we had entered Hollywoodland, so just sit down and enjoy.
When you decide to do that, and even agree to believe that a real Santa Claus in the movie makes actual miracles, grab your best blanket and make yourself some hot cocoa topped with marshmallows. You will be smiling throughout the whole film and confess that you are thankful that Lindsay is back. A plus: she sings Jingle Bell Rock. Do you want to watch Mean Girls (2004) once Falling for Christmas is over?
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