Ep. 38 - Pretty Woman in Christmasland

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[00:01:10] Well, Merry Christmas everybody. Welcome back to another episode of A Very Merry Podcast.

[00:01:16] I am your very merry host, Kira Davis, and I am here with my equally merry co-host, Amelia Hamilton.

[00:01:24] Amelia, Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas. I should...

[00:01:29] Merry Christmas.

[00:01:31] It's always around here.

[00:01:33] It's always Merry Christmas in Christmasland and it's certainly Merry Christmas this year.

[00:01:40] And, but we have got a lot on our plate. I want to get us started.

[00:01:45] But first of all, Amelia, I wanted to ask you, I don't know if I've ever asked you this before.

[00:01:49] When it comes to the holiday shopping, are you get your shopping done way ahead of time?

[00:01:57] Everything set up so you're good to go at Christmas?

[00:02:00] Or are you the last two weeks of the shopping season mad dash?

[00:02:05] I'm a little bit of everything. I've got a few items that I started seeing in like September, October,

[00:02:11] where I was like, oh, so-and-so would like that. So I just grabbed it.

[00:02:15] And now I'm like, oh, I should actually start thinking about like who's on my list that I need to grab things for.

[00:02:20] I will definitely be getting stuff like last minute paying too much for shipping.

[00:02:27] You know, I will also be, I'm a strange hybrid. How about you?

[00:02:32] No, I am last minute and it doesn't work for me because I have relatives on the other side of this continent in Eastern Canada.

[00:02:41] And I'm already, as we're recording, we're recording this before Christmas and I'm already late on shipping there.

[00:02:52] And usually I'm paying like $200 to ship, you know, $100 worth of gifts just to get there in time.

[00:03:00] I'm terrible. But I shout out to my mom who has her Christmas shopping done in July.

[00:03:07] My mom starts shopping in the off season. She goes shopping after Christmas. She gets all the discounts.

[00:03:14] She has a box in her house and it's just little knickknacks or little cool stuff that she finds on the sales and everything goes in that box.

[00:03:23] So there's an extra gift at the season, you know, for someone unexpected.

[00:03:28] She's got a box she reaches into. She's amazing like that. I didn't get that trait.

[00:03:34] Oh, well, yeah, some other good ones that I appreciate about you.

[00:03:37] Really? Like what? Tell me.

[00:03:40] I think you're super pretty. I like your dimples. I don't know if those are your moms, though.

[00:03:45] Specifically.

[00:03:46] No, those are my dad's.

[00:03:47] Okay. Well, I like those from your dad.

[00:03:49] Yeah.

[00:03:51] Your Christmas spirit, generally.

[00:03:53] Oh, that's cute. Well, thank you. I know you're, I mean, you're always mad at me for not doing Santa for my kids.

[00:03:59] So I'll take that as a high compliment.

[00:04:01] It's true. That's a real problem. It's a real problem in our friendship.

[00:04:04] That's like the number one friction in our friendship, honestly, is Santa.

[00:04:08] It really is. Amelia's. I don't know if she'll ever get over it.

[00:04:12] Well, let's get over this introduction and let's get into the movie this week.

[00:04:19] This week is a movie with one of our Christmas land queens, one of our favorite Danica McKellar.

[00:04:28] And I will let you set up the movie for us, Amelia. Tell everybody what they're watching this week.

[00:04:33] All right. This, this week we had a royal date for Christmas.

[00:04:37] Um, Danica McKellar, like you said, and Damon Runyon in, this is a 2023 one from Great American.

[00:04:45] Um, you know, one of our favorite things, of course, is the royal, um, mix of royal and an American.

[00:04:52] Of course, this was an American playing a British royal.

[00:04:54] Um, he was a Duke. We don't exactly know how he was royal, but that's fine.

[00:04:59] But we're going to go with it.

[00:05:01] Um, his last name was Brown.

[00:05:04] He was a Duke and his last name was Brown.

[00:05:07] Yeah. He's, uh, Stefan William Francis Brown, Duke of Tangford.

[00:05:12] Sure.

[00:05:13] Tangford sounds like, I don't know.

[00:05:16] It sounds like some kind of insult, like in the locker room or something like, shut up.

[00:05:21] You're Tangford.

[00:05:23] And I noticed, um, so outside of his house, they had like house of Tangford, which you don't really have like a sign for your house.

[00:05:32] It's like kind of been breakfast, but they had a crest and then there was, you know, the little thing underneath it where you should have like your motto, but it said like Tangford house.

[00:05:39] And then it just said house of Tangford instead of a motto.

[00:05:43] So the family also is a really killer motto, but that's okay.

[00:05:46] That's okay.

[00:05:47] It's fine.

[00:05:47] The Browns were not creative, but that's all right.

[00:05:49] Well, it is Christmas land and Christmas land is, is well known for, you know, for being pretty generic.

[00:05:55] So we'll, we'll let it slide.

[00:05:57] We're going to let it go.

[00:05:59] So, um, yeah, this was, this is the, um, the Royal one for, I think this is the only Royal one this year, but, but let's get into it.

[00:06:08] Let's get into it.

[00:06:09] Yeah.

[00:06:09] I, I, this is not on our, I, I have some things to say about this movie.

[00:06:14] It didn't go according to how I thought it would go.

[00:06:17] It didn't, there were, they did some things.

[00:06:19] So they immediately hit some, some classic tropes, but it, it also did not go the way that a lot of the Royal things go.

[00:06:26] So immediate tropes.

[00:06:28] She walks into work.

[00:06:30] Black best friend is standing right there.

[00:06:32] Black best friend right there.

[00:06:35] And, and tell us where she walks into work.

[00:06:39] Well, so the, our heroine Danica McKellar is Bella Sparks of Bella Sparks Couture.

[00:06:45] She's a seamstress.

[00:06:46] I mean, I love a good, I mean, you set me up with a Royal movie with a seamstress.

[00:06:51] I'm in from the top.

[00:06:53] Exactly.

[00:06:54] Yeah, exactly.

[00:06:55] Um, which is similar actually.

[00:06:57] I hadn't actually, I don't know why I hadn't put this together before, but I think the Lacey Chabert Royal one, wasn't she a seamstress too?

[00:07:03] Where he walks in with like all the Walmart bags.

[00:07:06] Yeah.

[00:07:09] Yeah.

[00:07:11] To make it very clear that he did not spend the night.

[00:07:14] They're having breakfast together, but he did not spend the night.

[00:07:16] And he brought the breakfast from Walmart and it includes some Folgers coffee.

[00:07:23] Back in the Folgers days.

[00:07:25] Yeah, no, I think Lacey Chabert was a seamstress for a couple of, of those.

[00:07:29] Yeah.

[00:07:30] It always works.

[00:07:31] I love the job of seamstress in Christmas land because it, it is an opportunity for close contact.

[00:07:39] You've got to do fittings.

[00:07:40] Right.

[00:07:41] And it's an opportunity for big reveals, right?

[00:07:44] Sexy dresses or not sexy.

[00:07:46] There's no sexy in Christmas land.

[00:07:47] I'm sorry.

[00:07:47] Excuse me.

[00:07:48] Beautiful dresses.

[00:07:50] That kind of stuff.

[00:07:51] So it's one of my favorite jobs in Christmas land.

[00:07:54] Yeah.

[00:07:55] So she, but it was interesting because it was, so it's Bella Sparks Couture and she is a designer

[00:08:01] and seamstress, but it seemed like she also was selling other brands at her store.

[00:08:05] Cause she was talking about like taking inventory and then you could buy stuff off the rack.

[00:08:08] So it was interesting, which we will also discuss.

[00:08:12] Yeah.

[00:08:12] I have a lot to say about that store.

[00:08:15] Yeah.

[00:08:15] It was an interesting store.

[00:08:17] So she walks in there.

[00:08:19] It was like, it was so funny how they did the setup.

[00:08:20] She walks in and immediately is like, um, her friend is like, Bella, how did it go with

[00:08:27] the bank this morning?

[00:08:28] And she's like, well, I need a loan, but we don't have enough cash flow.

[00:08:32] So I was like, well, there we go.

[00:08:33] The setup is immediately here.

[00:08:35] Here we go.

[00:08:35] And then we go to the Duke getting off his plane.

[00:08:38] And he's like, my goodness, that was a terrible breakup that I just had.

[00:08:42] And now my luggage is late.

[00:08:44] My luggage is lost.

[00:08:46] And his, um, Benjamin, his Butler guy is like, well, I guess we're going to have to head

[00:08:50] to this couture store that I just saw in the way and get you some clothes.

[00:08:54] And I look, I hit pause and it was three minutes in.

[00:08:56] I was like, well, sure.

[00:08:58] Got all that out of the way quickly.

[00:08:59] They didn't waste any time.

[00:09:01] And I loved how the Butler was like, well, sir, your luggage is lost.

[00:09:05] Well, I know I passed a store on the way here.

[00:09:08] We'll stop there.

[00:09:09] Like you're taking the Duke of whatever from wherever to this random store on the street.

[00:09:16] Okay.

[00:09:17] I drove by it.

[00:09:18] Let's go.

[00:09:18] It's a court couture on it.

[00:09:21] It's like when my husband sees the word chicken on a sign and then he's like, that looks good.

[00:09:26] Yeah.

[00:09:28] It just says chicken.

[00:09:31] Yeah.

[00:09:31] Well, Mark knows he wants chicken.

[00:09:33] Yeah.

[00:09:33] So he was like, well, it said couture on it.

[00:09:36] So I guess I can take the Duke of whatever there.

[00:09:38] I guess it's couture.

[00:09:39] So, and this was the part where I realized something was a little bit weird with the store.

[00:09:42] Cause so, so his name's Stefan.

[00:09:44] So Stefan goes in and talks to Bella and he's like, so I need a suit and I need a sleep

[00:09:49] garment, which I don't think anyone says sleep garment, but she's like, so some PJs.

[00:09:53] And he's like, um, a sleep garment.

[00:09:55] She's like, pardon me.

[00:09:56] So he said, um, so I need delivery tonight at 7 PM by 7 PM.

[00:10:02] And she's like, okie dokie.

[00:10:03] Yeah.

[00:10:04] Like, oh, so there's not even any tailoring.

[00:10:07] Okay.

[00:10:07] Well, he gave her his card, which had the name of his tailor on it.

[00:10:14] And then he was like, just call my tailor.

[00:10:16] He'll have all the measurement.

[00:10:18] And I guess the tailor fits him for sleep garments as well.

[00:10:22] Right.

[00:10:22] So, but I mean, is there time?

[00:10:24] I mean, I don't know.

[00:10:25] I guess there's no, there are no time zones in Christmas land either, but.

[00:10:28] And, and I mean, look, we don't get to see what's going on in the back of that chop.

[00:10:35] There, there could be some slave labor back there.

[00:10:39] I don't know what's fine in Christmas land.

[00:10:41] You went for slave labor.

[00:10:42] I was picturing Cinderella mice.

[00:10:44] Oh, see, that's more appropriate for Christmas land.

[00:10:46] I'm, I'm in my.

[00:10:47] And that's the difference between you and me right there.

[00:10:49] Yeah, that's right.

[00:10:49] I'm, I'm in the neighboring city holiday land on lifetime channel.

[00:10:53] It's slave labor in the back.

[00:10:56] I have like Gus Gus back there with this little needle.

[00:10:59] Whatever the reason is, look, it's Danica McKellar and she's done this job a million times.

[00:11:05] She can do this job and this romance in her sleep.

[00:11:08] If she needs to have a perfectly tailored suit to this guy by 7 PM, she's going to do it.

[00:11:14] And I believe it.

[00:11:15] Who am I to question Bella Sparks?

[00:11:17] It's Bella.

[00:11:19] Right.

[00:11:19] It says Bella's couture right there on the side.

[00:11:23] Right.

[00:11:23] Right.

[00:11:24] Um, so she gets it there and he's, and he looks at the doorbell app and it's just like, leave it on the door.

[00:11:32] So she does.

[00:11:33] Um, and he lives, you know, on this huge estate outside of the city somewhere that's beautiful, but he's also a little concerned.

[00:11:39] We're not exactly sure what's going on at this point, but he keeps getting phone calls about people canceling on something.

[00:11:44] So just keep that in the back of your mind.

[00:11:45] People are canceling left and right on whatever this is.

[00:11:48] So she delivers as his sleep garment, a reindeer onesie with antlers, whether with a hood with antlers.

[00:11:55] Cause obviously this is a man.

[00:11:57] Yeah.

[00:11:59] Um, so we finally find out that he is hosting a Christmas luncheon and this is the first time in a few years that he's been back in the city to do it.

[00:12:07] And he forgot about a plus one.

[00:12:10] Oh no.

[00:12:12] He broke up with Sydney.

[00:12:15] And he doesn't have a plus one.

[00:12:17] So we find out now the luggage just isn't coming.

[00:12:20] Benjamin, the butler has told him the luggage just isn't coming.

[00:12:23] So he's like, you know what I'm going to do is I'm going to go to Bella Sparks.

[00:12:28] Who's the only person that I know in the city.

[00:12:30] Right.

[00:12:31] I'm going to get a week's worth of personal styling.

[00:12:33] And I'm just going to ask her to be my plus one.

[00:12:35] Cause I don't know her.

[00:12:36] She brought me an insane sleep garment.

[00:12:39] She's obviously the right choice.

[00:12:40] Um, and his charity is the first event they're going to go to is the universal endowment for children.

[00:12:47] I love these charities.

[00:12:49] I know they're great.

[00:12:51] I think the charities were so vague.

[00:12:54] It's like, Oh, I'm attending the family charity for family.

[00:13:00] One of them was called like the home for dogs.

[00:13:04] Well, and here's the thing.

[00:13:06] So, um, we didn't, we need to talk about those pajamas for just a second.

[00:13:10] Those silly pajamas because she brings him the stuff and he opens the thing and he's like, Oh my gosh, these silly reindeer pajamas or whatever.

[00:13:19] And this is the beginning of troubles with this movie because they didn't give us the setup for the payoff for that moment.

[00:13:30] I felt when he came into the store, the reason why she gave him those pajamas because he was so stuck up and so stiff.

[00:13:38] And so it was like, Oh, I'm the silly American girl.

[00:13:40] You know, here's my sarcastic.

[00:13:42] If you want some jammies, here you go.

[00:13:44] But he was actually very nice and polite when he came in and he had a few snooty requests, but he was very nice.

[00:13:51] And I didn't think Danica McKellar was nearly as sarcastic enough to pull that off.

[00:13:57] So when he opened the pajamas, he almost seemed pleased with it.

[00:14:01] There just wasn't enough conflict right away.

[00:14:05] Yeah.

[00:14:05] And then when he came back to the store, he's like, I really need to apologize for my behavior yesterday.

[00:14:09] It was such a long day.

[00:14:11] And then my stuff got lost and, you know, people are canceling on me for this thing and I need a plus one.

[00:14:18] And I was like, was he really that bad that he had to like go back and apologize?

[00:14:22] Yeah, I didn't think so.

[00:14:23] I thought he would.

[00:14:24] I mean, he seemed like just a client, a customer.

[00:14:27] Yeah, I mean, like, he wasn't super friendly, but he wasn't.

[00:14:33] He was professional and fine.

[00:14:36] Right.

[00:14:36] Well, what we do know is when he walked into that store, though, black best friend clocked him right away.

[00:14:42] She knew that's her.

[00:14:44] That's your future husband.

[00:14:45] Yeah.

[00:14:46] She saw it.

[00:14:46] She did.

[00:14:47] That's true.

[00:14:48] BBFF.

[00:14:49] She knew it was up.

[00:14:50] Yeah.

[00:14:51] So.

[00:14:52] All right.

[00:14:53] So they go to the first event together and she does kind of act like the American who's never been anywhere before.

[00:15:01] And then.

[00:15:02] Wait a minute.

[00:15:03] Wait a minute.

[00:15:03] Wait, I'm sorry.

[00:15:04] We can't skip over what he did when he went into that store and made the proposal.

[00:15:11] He pretty womaned her.

[00:15:12] Everybody.

[00:15:13] This movie is Christmas land.

[00:15:15] Pretty woman.

[00:15:17] Yeah.

[00:15:18] Yeah.

[00:15:18] He pretty woman.

[00:15:20] He bought her for a week.

[00:15:23] He bought her for a week.

[00:15:25] I didn't notice that.

[00:15:27] I actually had the same thought that it was Christmas land.

[00:15:30] Pretty woman.

[00:15:30] I know.

[00:15:31] I told my husband.

[00:15:33] I'm like, oh, my gosh, she's going to get pretty woman.

[00:15:38] Yeah.

[00:15:39] Anyways, I'm like, OK, here for it.

[00:15:42] Let's show me Christmas land.

[00:15:43] Pretty woman.

[00:15:44] Give it to me.

[00:15:49] Did Paul Revere really say the British are coming?

[00:15:52] And how was George Washington chosen to lead the first American army?

[00:15:56] Join us for the Growing Patriot podcast, a place for curious kids to ask the big questions

[00:16:01] about our nation's history and get kid friendly answers from the country's top experts.

[00:16:06] Help your child learn about and cherish America's exceptional history.

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[00:16:16] And they even kind of they kind of she and her best friend even do the whole thing of like, there's no real fairy tale.

[00:16:21] And it was kind of like the whole life.

[00:16:23] Oh, yeah.

[00:16:24] And we know and just like pretty woman, they had a financial bind or a pretty woman.

[00:16:30] The two prostitutes had to pay the rent in Christmas land.

[00:16:34] The two seamstresses have to get the business loan.

[00:16:36] Same thing.

[00:16:36] So she has to take this job for a week where she is this guy's arm candy for a week.

[00:16:43] And she dresses him and she, you know, civilizes him.

[00:16:47] She got pretty woman.

[00:16:49] Yep.

[00:16:49] And she, you know, fish out of water.

[00:16:51] Fish out of water.

[00:16:54] And, you know, she just I don't know.

[00:16:57] The whole thing was was a little awkward.

[00:16:58] And what and I guess I should also clarify that I'm not completely sure that the bank was wrong because what she wants the loan for, she has this successful couture business.

[00:17:10] But what she wants the loan for is mobile, a mobile styling truck, which is apparently like a food truck full of clothes.

[00:17:18] And she wants to go to like retirement homes and things like that.

[00:17:23] And she keeps being like a new scarf and earrings.

[00:17:26] Just like brighten someone days.

[00:17:28] It's a scarf and earrings.

[00:17:30] And I'm like, is that can you give someone a business loan so you can bring old folks scarves and earrings?

[00:17:35] Like, is that right?

[00:17:37] Can you pay that back?

[00:17:39] Well, I don't want to sound like Robert Barron here.

[00:17:42] I was just thinking about Robert Barron.

[00:17:44] I was just thinking about Robert Barron.

[00:17:48] I don't think that he would sign off.

[00:17:50] Did he look at your business plan?

[00:17:52] I don't know.

[00:17:53] Everybody, I don't if you haven't listened to the episode.

[00:17:56] What's the name of that episode?

[00:17:57] Do you know?

[00:17:58] Do you remember?

[00:17:59] It's the Robert Barron episode.

[00:18:01] Just go back.

[00:18:01] I feel like it was the first one of last season.

[00:18:04] It was the one.

[00:18:05] I don't know.

[00:18:05] You need to listen to that one.

[00:18:07] Yeah.

[00:18:09] Anyways, I was totally thinking about Robert Barron and his stupid son who wanted to do the same thing.

[00:18:15] Basically, he wanted to give his business plan was to give away food.

[00:18:19] And then Robert Barron's...

[00:18:20] I'm really sorry, but we'll run out of money.

[00:18:23] We can't just give it all away.

[00:18:25] Dad's the bad guy for being like, you can't give away food, everybody.

[00:18:30] It's like, okay, it's really nice.

[00:18:32] Because she...

[00:18:33] We skipped over this, but we've set her up as a good person because she volunteers at the senior center.

[00:18:41] She volunteers at the senior center and she talks about volunteering at the senior center with BBF.

[00:18:47] And so we know she's really a good person.

[00:18:50] And so she wants to use this mobile styling.

[00:18:54] I mean, listen.

[00:18:55] Listen, I live in a very fancy suburb in Orange County, California.

[00:19:01] I don't know if these ladies would be in...

[00:19:04] They do mobile everything.

[00:19:05] Mobile styling?

[00:19:06] I don't know.

[00:19:07] I don't think so.

[00:19:10] But yeah, if it's a charity thing, then do you need a business loan for that?

[00:19:15] Right.

[00:19:15] You know, maybe what you need is...

[00:19:17] Maybe what she needs is a GoFundMe.

[00:19:20] She needs like a crowd source.

[00:19:22] Get a bus.

[00:19:23] Yeah, just like some donors.

[00:19:24] Maybe some of her...

[00:19:25] I mean, she's got a Duke.

[00:19:26] Maybe she just needs like wealthy donors if she...

[00:19:29] You know, if this is the clientele.

[00:19:31] Yeah.

[00:19:33] Yeah.

[00:19:33] And also, I mean, I don't know.

[00:19:36] Well, we're going to talk about what kind of business they're doing there.

[00:19:40] Right.

[00:19:41] Because here's the thing.

[00:19:42] I don't know how much business they're doing.

[00:19:43] What their profit margins are.

[00:19:46] But apparently, A, they need a lot of money for this mobile styling idea.

[00:19:52] Right.

[00:19:52] Which I think could work if they hired the crack team, the social media team.

[00:19:58] It was the social media athlete in Smithsland.

[00:20:01] Oh, my gosh.

[00:20:02] Well, first of all, I looked up.

[00:20:03] It is episode 18, Father Knows Best.

[00:20:05] Oh, thank you.

[00:20:06] Father Knows Best.

[00:20:08] But now I can't remember what the social media is called.

[00:20:10] And it's called...

[00:20:11] Oh, my gosh.

[00:20:11] I can't remember now.

[00:20:12] Oh, anyways, we'll think of it.

[00:20:15] But they could...

[00:20:15] She could do it.

[00:20:16] She has a crack social media team.

[00:20:18] Right.

[00:20:18] Or flyers.

[00:20:19] We know flyers are all flyers.

[00:20:20] Flyers are big in Christmas land.

[00:20:23] But if she had enough flyers, maybe.

[00:20:26] But then it's...

[00:20:29] She needs this...

[00:20:30] She's asking for a loan.

[00:20:34] I'm sorry.

[00:20:35] I just lost my train of thought.

[00:20:36] It doesn't matter.

[00:20:37] It was a whole ridiculous thing.

[00:20:38] It's not a great business plan.

[00:20:39] It wasn't great.

[00:20:40] It was a great business thing.

[00:20:41] Yeah.

[00:20:41] Yeah.

[00:20:41] I don't think this is the bank's fault.

[00:20:44] Oh, I know what I was going to say.

[00:20:46] What is...

[00:20:46] Are they basing the, you know, the collateral on?

[00:20:50] I guess the store...

[00:20:51] Oh, isn't it too?

[00:20:52] Does she have any collateral?

[00:20:53] Does she have...

[00:20:54] Okay.

[00:20:54] So the whole movie, BBF kept saying, oh, it's so busy here.

[00:21:01] We have all our clients.

[00:21:02] And Danica McKellar kept saying, I feel so bad leaving you for a week to be, you know,

[00:21:08] the Duke's pretty woman for a week because all our clients, all of our clients.

[00:21:13] What about all of our clients?

[00:21:14] Every time she talks to Black Best Friend, the conversation is about all of their clients.

[00:21:19] You don't see one single person in this place.

[00:21:21] No.

[00:21:22] You don't...

[00:21:23] BBFF is always in the store by herself.

[00:21:25] Always in the store by herself.

[00:21:26] Always either she's just tying Christmas ribbons.

[00:21:32] Like, she's never tailoring.

[00:21:33] I don't know when all this, like, speedy tailoring is getting done.

[00:21:36] No.

[00:21:36] But this is a big problem for the movie in general, which I think...

[00:21:40] And I'll save these bigger criticisms for the end of our podcast, but this is clearly

[00:21:46] a budgeting issue and there was no cast.

[00:21:48] There was hardly any cast.

[00:21:50] And that was...

[00:21:52] Bella even says, she's like, the bank says that it's because we don't have any cash flow.

[00:21:56] And I'm like, I believe it.

[00:21:57] I believe you don't have any cash flow.

[00:22:00] But...

[00:22:00] And yet she keeps saying, I feel bad leaving you with all of our clients.

[00:22:05] We're so busy.

[00:22:06] And she's like, oh, I got it.

[00:22:08] I'll rest after the holiday.

[00:22:10] You know, like, they're supposedly so busy.

[00:22:12] I think you're resting now.

[00:22:13] I think so.

[00:22:15] So I don't know who all these clients are.

[00:22:17] But I do think that the mobile styling truck is maybe more of a crowdsource idea than a bank loan idea.

[00:22:26] Right.

[00:22:26] I agree.

[00:22:29] So, okay.

[00:22:30] So after this first event, she has a great time with Duke Stephan.

[00:22:33] She goes back to talk to...

[00:22:35] I don't even know.

[00:22:36] What is his friend's name even?

[00:22:38] I literally don't...

[00:22:39] I don't even know her name.

[00:22:41] Anyway.

[00:22:42] BBF?

[00:22:43] Yeah.

[00:22:44] Is that Meredith?

[00:22:44] I think it's Meredith.

[00:22:45] I was watching that movie.

[00:22:48] And I think I was 30 minutes in.

[00:22:50] And I turned to my husband.

[00:22:51] And I said, I don't think I've heard this woman's name yet.

[00:22:54] Yeah.

[00:22:55] I had to look on IMDb.

[00:22:56] It's Meredith.

[00:22:57] Yeah.

[00:22:57] I did not know her name.

[00:22:59] Anyway.

[00:22:59] So she goes to talk to Meredith.

[00:23:01] And she's like, I've been looking at his...

[00:23:03] I've been looking him up online.

[00:23:05] They Google his relationship.

[00:23:06] And so that was how they get...

[00:23:08] They, like, work his background into the movie.

[00:23:11] So he dated this heiress for, like, three years.

[00:23:13] And then they broke up.

[00:23:14] And then...

[00:23:17] And then they're, like, one in five people want him relieved of his dukedom.

[00:23:21] And then I'm like, are those related?

[00:23:25] Do they want him relieved of his dukedom because he broke up with this girl?

[00:23:28] Like, I don't...

[00:23:29] I couldn't tell if those were related.

[00:23:31] I don't...

[00:23:32] They were, again, more vague stuff.

[00:23:34] Because they kept talking about the scandal.

[00:23:36] And people were really sort of souring on the duke.

[00:23:40] And his public image was poor.

[00:23:41] But they never really drilled down on one thing.

[00:23:46] Like, oh, he got caught kissing a woman in public or something.

[00:23:50] Like, they never drilled down on anything.

[00:23:52] And then the heiress that he dated and then broke up with isn't Sydney, the girl he just broke up with.

[00:23:57] Right.

[00:23:57] They're totally different people.

[00:23:58] They're totally different people, which was so odd.

[00:24:01] Which was also confusing.

[00:24:02] Yeah.

[00:24:11] And then he went to Central America.

[00:24:14] To Belize.

[00:24:15] He just left.

[00:24:16] He just left.

[00:24:18] So that's her story.

[00:24:19] Okay.

[00:24:20] All right.

[00:24:21] So...

[00:24:21] He just left.

[00:24:22] Yeah, I mean...

[00:24:22] He just, like, went to Belize.

[00:24:24] And that's the whole story.

[00:24:27] He just left for Belize.

[00:24:29] And just...

[00:24:30] And she found out when he Zoomed her.

[00:24:33] Okay.

[00:24:34] Yeah.

[00:24:34] That's all we need to know.

[00:24:35] But in Christmas Land, that's all we need to know.

[00:24:37] All we need to know is that Danica McKellar is a beautiful, kind, nice, and generous woman.

[00:24:42] And some jerk-off went to South America.

[00:24:47] In South America.

[00:24:48] Yeah.

[00:24:49] And just left her.

[00:24:50] That's all we need to know.

[00:24:51] And that's all that matters.

[00:24:53] Yeah.

[00:24:53] So back at Tangford House, Stefan is finding out that at the next event, he is allowed one staged photograph.

[00:25:03] And he should be wearing a festive item.

[00:25:08] And that is it.

[00:25:10] That is what we need to know about the next event.

[00:25:13] Okay.

[00:25:13] So Bella shows up.

[00:25:16] And she has a light-up lapel pin.

[00:25:19] Which is not couture, by the way.

[00:25:22] A light-up lapel pin.

[00:25:23] And he's like, I don't really think so.

[00:25:27] So he wears, like, a little holly leaf thing.

[00:25:31] Holly, you know, sprig.

[00:25:33] Which was underwhelming.

[00:25:35] It's like the light-up pin was overwhelming.

[00:25:38] The holly was underwhelming.

[00:25:40] I was thinking, like, you're couture.

[00:25:42] I was good with the holly.

[00:25:44] The holly was fine.

[00:25:45] But, again, she is couture.

[00:25:48] It's Bella's couture.

[00:25:50] Like, give me a little flair here.

[00:25:52] Like, okay, you didn't like the zany light-up thing.

[00:25:55] Here's this very artistic piece that's going to add a little flair.

[00:26:00] Because the whole thing with the Duke was like, oh, he's so stiff.

[00:26:03] He only wears navy blue and gray.

[00:26:06] And, you know.

[00:26:08] Yeah.

[00:26:08] And so she's lightening up the mood for him.

[00:26:14] So afterwards, speaking of lightening up the mood, they go to build a snowman.

[00:26:17] Because he's never built a snowman before.

[00:26:19] They have their little moment.

[00:26:20] They check the trope off the list.

[00:26:22] And then she, like, talks about how she just.

[00:26:25] Barely.

[00:26:25] They barely checked this trope off the list.

[00:26:27] They barely build a snowman.

[00:26:28] And it's, like, the worst fake snow.

[00:26:30] They show her, like, trying to push the little button into him.

[00:26:32] And it, like, springs back.

[00:26:34] And I'm, like, why did you leave that close-up in there?

[00:26:37] It was so awkward.

[00:26:38] My daughter was watching the movie at that point.

[00:26:41] She was, like, oh, my gosh.

[00:26:43] The snowman's belly poked in and out.

[00:26:46] I'm, like, it's probably a beach ball.

[00:26:48] It's clearly a pillow.

[00:26:49] It's probably, yeah.

[00:26:50] I thought it was a beach ball just covered with foam or whatever.

[00:26:54] But, again, like, okay.

[00:26:56] I was really excited because this was very light on the typical tropes.

[00:27:01] And I was, like, great.

[00:27:03] They're going to build a snowman.

[00:27:04] But we don't get to see that.

[00:27:05] We don't really get to see anything.

[00:27:07] We see them say they're going to build a snowman.

[00:27:10] And then the snowman.

[00:27:12] And then we cut to the snowman.

[00:27:15] It's built.

[00:27:15] And they're putting funny things on it.

[00:27:17] And they obviously can't do too much to it because it's not a real snowman.

[00:27:21] And clearly it's going to fall apart if they touch it too much.

[00:27:25] But it was just so underwhelming, I guess.

[00:27:28] Yeah.

[00:27:28] It wasn't a fun.

[00:27:30] And I get it that you don't have the real snow.

[00:27:34] But I've seen it done better.

[00:27:37] And they could have just not left that close-up shot in there because it was so awkward.

[00:27:41] It was very sloppy, yes.

[00:27:45] And then she talks about how she, like, she scares easily.

[00:27:48] So he, like, he jumps out or whatever.

[00:27:51] She jumps.

[00:27:52] It was so.

[00:27:53] And so they're laughing, jumping around, whatever.

[00:27:57] And, you know, paparazzo takes a picture.

[00:27:59] And that never really comes back.

[00:28:02] Either.

[00:28:03] And he takes, paparazzi takes a picture.

[00:28:05] And all they're doing is laughing.

[00:28:08] Yeah.

[00:28:08] And then the Duke sees him.

[00:28:10] They're not touching.

[00:28:11] They're not.

[00:28:11] Yeah.

[00:28:12] No.

[00:28:13] Yeah.

[00:28:13] They're not.

[00:28:13] No one's taking their tops off.

[00:28:15] Like, nothing.

[00:28:16] None of that is happening.

[00:28:17] No.

[00:28:17] And the Duke sees the paparazzi.

[00:28:20] And then all of a sudden he's like, oh, girl.

[00:28:22] I guess I better go.

[00:28:24] Yeah.

[00:28:24] We have to go.

[00:28:25] Who knows what's going to happen?

[00:28:26] It's all ruined.

[00:28:27] Like, they're standing several feet away from each other.

[00:28:31] Smiling.

[00:28:32] I don't know.

[00:28:33] Yeah.

[00:28:34] I guess we were supposed to be nervous about it because he was.

[00:28:37] But there was no.

[00:28:38] Didn't seem like there was a reason to be nervous.

[00:28:40] There was no risk.

[00:28:41] It wasn't like, you know, the picture could have been misconstrued in any way.

[00:28:47] Right.

[00:28:47] It wasn't like he got caught wearing a Nazi uniform to a Halloween party.

[00:28:52] Right.

[00:28:52] Nothing like that.

[00:28:53] Yeah.

[00:28:54] You, Prince Harry.

[00:28:55] No actual royal would do that.

[00:28:56] So that was a weird example.

[00:28:58] Kara.

[00:28:59] How did you think of that?

[00:29:00] So later she's trying to get him to expand his style for the next event to pinstripes.

[00:29:06] And he is like, that is too far.

[00:29:09] How dare you?

[00:29:10] Meanwhile, the man is sitting there wearing this like navy blue light, like light ish navy blue suit with a light blue gingham shirt underneath.

[00:29:24] So Stefan, do not sit there and tell me that you have taste.

[00:29:28] Okay.

[00:29:29] Uh, don't.

[00:29:30] Let's talk about that.

[00:29:32] No.

[00:29:33] Oh, well, let's talk about that because I don't know if you noticed this, but I noticed the outfit.

[00:29:38] I know what you're going to say because I noticed it.

[00:29:40] He says, oh, I really love these brighter colors that you're picking out for me.

[00:29:46] Or he says something about I'm getting comfortable with these brighter colors.

[00:29:50] This shirt is out of my comfort zone or something like that.

[00:29:53] That lighter blue.

[00:29:56] Pinstripe or gingham shirt that he had under was something that supposedly Bella sparks of Bella's couture picked out for him in order to bring vibrancy to his wardrobe.

[00:30:08] It was literally the same color as his suit, only it didn't match.

[00:30:14] It didn't match.

[00:30:15] And he wears the exact same outfit later in the movie.

[00:30:17] It was like, where is?

[00:30:19] Yeah.

[00:30:19] She, she, she kept talking about, I'm going to introduce fun, colorful stuff.

[00:30:23] So I'm like, great.

[00:30:24] I'm looking for the orange bow tie or at least like a, a paisley pocket square or something.

[00:30:31] A little.

[00:30:31] And he won't wear like a chalk stripe, but he'll wear this hideous mismatch.

[00:30:36] Ugh.

[00:30:36] It was, it made no sense.

[00:30:39] It was like, it was like they got a 16 year old boy to do the styling.

[00:30:45] They needed the one.

[00:30:47] There's only one wardrobe stylist, as we know, and he works for Matt Damon or I can't remember who he works for.

[00:30:53] He does.

[00:30:54] He works for Matt Damon.

[00:30:55] That's right.

[00:30:56] That's who we need.

[00:30:56] He's booked.

[00:30:57] She's booked.

[00:30:59] These days, it seems like everybody's talking, but no one is actually listening to the things they're saying.

[00:31:10] Critical thinking isn't dead, but it's definitely low on oxygen.

[00:31:14] Join me, Kira Davis, on Just Listen to Yourself every week as we reason through issues big and small, critique our own ideas, and learn to draw our talking points all the way out to their logical conclusions.

[00:31:25] Subscribe to Just Listen to Yourself with Kira Davis and FCB Radio Podcast on Apple, on Spotify, iHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[00:31:36] So then, so obviously he has nothing else to do.

[00:31:39] So she's like, hey, you don't have a tree.

[00:31:41] And he's like, well, obviously I don't have a tree.

[00:31:42] The Duke's Luncheon, which is his event that he gets to host, is on the 23rd.

[00:31:46] He's like, then I go back on the 24th.

[00:31:48] So why would I get a tree?

[00:31:49] She's like, well, let's just go cut one down on your estate.

[00:31:52] So they go hiking.

[00:31:54] She's in her like little working pencil dress thing.

[00:31:58] He's still in his coat and tie.

[00:32:00] They go like hiking out in the snow on his estate.

[00:32:05] In his loafers.

[00:32:07] In his loafers.

[00:32:08] I can't remember.

[00:32:09] What's the, the butler's name?

[00:32:12] I can't remember his name.

[00:32:12] Is it Brian?

[00:32:13] Benjamin the butler.

[00:32:14] Benjamin the butler comes out.

[00:32:16] He's got like a hot chocolate service with folding chairs and a table, like on a little sled.

[00:32:25] The whole thing was so strange.

[00:32:28] And then she's like, there's your perfect tree.

[00:32:30] So he's like, Benjamin, hand me an axe.

[00:32:32] He's going to cut it down with an axe.

[00:32:34] Well, the axe was very delicately placed, carefully placed on the prop set of, you know, picnic baskets.

[00:32:43] And there was the axling.

[00:32:44] By the way, while they were walking through the snow in their loafers and high heels, he was carrying a saw.

[00:32:55] Which I think is better.

[00:32:56] He had a bandsaw in his hand.

[00:32:59] So I don't know why then he told Benjamin, I need the axe.

[00:33:02] He had the saw.

[00:33:03] Also, when they sat down at that table that Benjamin just, I guess he was like, I'll meet you at this random spot.

[00:33:11] And so they're sitting there chatting for whatever, however long.

[00:33:16] And all of a sudden, Danica McKellar just looks up and she says, oh, look, that's the perfect tree right there.

[00:33:23] So right where they've been sitting and having hot chocolate for the last 20 minutes.

[00:33:27] Then she just happens to look slightly to her left to pick the best tree, which again, we don't get to see.

[00:33:33] We don't get to see them cut down this tree.

[00:33:35] We don't get to see any of this.

[00:33:37] We don't get to see Benjamin even hauling the stuff out.

[00:33:40] You don't get to see much in this movie.

[00:33:42] This movie is all talking.

[00:33:45] Yeah, then I thought we're going to get like a decorating montage.

[00:33:48] But they cut to it perfectly decorated.

[00:33:50] Yeah.

[00:33:50] And she's like, okay, you can put the star on it now.

[00:33:53] Yeah.

[00:33:53] Not even that.

[00:33:55] There are so many missed opportunities, which I want to talk to you about later on after we wrap.

[00:34:00] Because I want to see how you might fix some of this stuff.

[00:34:04] And I think we probably agree on why this stuff is happening.

[00:34:07] But yeah, it was really disappointing.

[00:34:09] It's like, okay, you have the setup.

[00:34:11] They had everything set up for all the tropes, all the scenes that we would expect to see.

[00:34:16] But then everything was a cut.

[00:34:18] It just cut to them.

[00:34:19] Oh, wasn't that fun decorating the tree?

[00:34:22] Yeah.

[00:34:23] So I think part of the reason that she suddenly saw the tree was because he was starting to ask about her personal life and stuff.

[00:34:31] I think she was kind of uncomfortable.

[00:34:32] So she was like, tree!

[00:34:34] Right.

[00:34:34] But I got it.

[00:34:35] Got it.

[00:34:39] By the way, he's uncomfortable now because snowman pictures.

[00:34:43] Snowman gate.

[00:34:44] The pictures have hit the internet.

[00:34:45] He's like, oh no.

[00:34:46] Again.

[00:34:47] It's a picture of him standing near a snowman and near a woman.

[00:34:52] It's not.

[00:34:54] I don't understand the problem.

[00:34:56] That's scandalous in Christmas land.

[00:34:58] And Christmas land royalty is not seen with snowmen.

[00:35:01] So now the Duke's Christmas luncheon has to be canceled because of the negative publicity.

[00:35:08] Well, the snowman voted for Trump.

[00:35:11] Exactly.

[00:35:12] And everybody knows.

[00:35:14] Everybody knows.

[00:35:16] So she's like, oh, well, if everybody canceled on the luncheon because of snowman gate, how about if you just throw a party instead?

[00:35:26] Which I don't understand how that fixes.

[00:35:30] If nobody's coming to the luncheon, why are they going to haul their cookies all the way out to Tangford House?

[00:35:34] But he's like, well, but his reasoning that they couldn't do that was because the part of the house where they have, they used to have a party prior to seven years ago, which we know he hasn't done this in seven years.

[00:35:46] And they haven't done it in seven years because his mom died.

[00:35:49] So they have a lunch in a hotel now because that's what they do.

[00:35:52] And he's like, you know what?

[00:35:53] You have inspired me.

[00:35:54] We're going to do it.

[00:35:55] But you have to come stay at the house to help me.

[00:35:59] Right.

[00:35:59] Now it gets like extra pretty woman because now she's in residence.

[00:36:03] That's right.

[00:36:04] Obviously, she can't commute.

[00:36:08] And you would think that she's got quite a bit to do there to help for the party if she's got to stay in the guest house.

[00:36:15] Yeah.

[00:36:16] You must have a lot.

[00:36:17] She's not a party planner.

[00:36:18] She's just a plus one.

[00:36:19] She really doesn't need to be there until the day of the party as a guest.

[00:36:23] But she obviously does have to be there for reasons.

[00:36:26] For reasons.

[00:36:27] Well, you know what?

[00:36:28] It's not it's not Christmas time and Christmas land if someone is not staying in a guest house.

[00:36:34] We know.

[00:36:34] That's true.

[00:36:35] Yeah, that's true.

[00:36:36] So we're back at Tangford House now where we have officially seen the sign where the family motto is House of Tangford.

[00:36:43] Tangford House.

[00:36:44] House of Tangford.

[00:36:46] And we meet a new character, Connie, who is the private secretary, just arrived from London.

[00:36:51] She has total matchmaker fairy godmother vibes, by the way.

[00:36:56] And he's like, well, now you're here.

[00:36:58] It's time to open the salon.

[00:37:00] The salon was killing me.

[00:37:02] They were killing me with that salon.

[00:37:04] It wasn't the salon.

[00:37:06] It wasn't the salon.

[00:37:07] It wasn't the salon.

[00:37:08] It was the salon.

[00:37:11] It's been closed since his mother died.

[00:37:13] But it's time to open the salon.

[00:37:14] Yeah.

[00:37:15] And they go open the salon.

[00:37:16] And it's like a room the size of my living room.

[00:37:19] It's true.

[00:37:20] I thought it was going to be a ballroom.

[00:37:22] It's not whatever.

[00:37:23] It's not whatever.

[00:37:24] They were like, oh, we've kept the salon closed since mother died.

[00:37:28] It's a very special place.

[00:37:30] And it's got like a couple of Ikea couches in it.

[00:37:32] It's a room.

[00:37:34] It's a room.

[00:37:34] Got their Poe Wang chair in there.

[00:37:35] I'm not going to criticize, I guess, the decor because everyone's working on a budget.

[00:37:39] But it was funny how much they talked up the salon.

[00:37:43] And then that's what we got.

[00:37:44] You could have at least like decorated a Hyatt ballroom or something.

[00:37:50] Right.

[00:37:51] That's why he wanted.

[00:37:52] That's really why he wanted to have it at a hotel.

[00:37:54] He didn't want anyone to see the state of the salon.

[00:37:58] So now Bella and Connie are kind of bonding.

[00:38:01] They're like they're putting M&Ms in little boxes and then curling ribbon for it.

[00:38:04] That's their that's their activity.

[00:38:06] Right.

[00:38:06] Connie says you can help me with the party favors afterwards because she asks Danica

[00:38:10] McCullough.

[00:38:11] She she asks or Bella.

[00:38:13] She asks.

[00:38:14] I'm here to help.

[00:38:16] What can I do to help?

[00:38:17] And Connie is being a little judgy.

[00:38:19] She's not sure about this girl.

[00:38:20] So she's like, well, I'm going to go do X, Y and Z.

[00:38:24] But if you like, you can help me with the party favors later.

[00:38:28] Just go have a rest.

[00:38:29] So clearly she was so needed to help with this luncheon that they're sending her to her guest

[00:38:37] house to nap right away.

[00:38:39] And then the party favors that Connie asks for her help with for this Duke's luncheon are

[00:38:46] M&Ms wrapped in little boxes from the dollar store.

[00:38:51] Yeah.

[00:38:54] And then and then Connie tells her she's like, the red ones taste best.

[00:38:58] I was like, no, they're the same.

[00:39:01] The same.

[00:39:02] But anyway, so she's sitting there and they're talking about how the staff members, you know,

[00:39:07] stay with the family a really long time because they're all so great.

[00:39:09] And Bella says, so what is Stefan like?

[00:39:12] And she says he's a delight to work for.

[00:39:14] And she says, what was he like as a child?

[00:39:17] And Connie says a delight.

[00:39:18] I'm like, OK, we get it.

[00:39:20] Stefan is a delight.

[00:39:21] Let's see.

[00:39:22] Again, everything's so vague.

[00:39:24] This is the family charity for families.

[00:39:27] Right.

[00:39:28] She's worked for over 36 years.

[00:39:29] She's known this guy his whole life.

[00:39:30] What's he like?

[00:39:31] A delight.

[00:39:31] What was he like as a child?

[00:39:33] A delight.

[00:39:34] And she's like, he was a delight and so responsible.

[00:39:37] I'm like, well, what a charming child.

[00:39:39] So responsible.

[00:39:42] So.

[00:39:43] All right.

[00:39:43] So we finally find out what the deal is with Sydney, the ex-girlfriend.

[00:39:46] Um, she talked to the tabloids.

[00:39:49] So now he has trust issues and Bella also has trust issues because of the boyfriend who

[00:39:54] ran away to Central America.

[00:39:55] And so another one of, I don't know if this is an official trope, but we've talked before

[00:39:59] about how somebody will like give like really deep, meaningful advice, which is basically

[00:40:03] a sign that you would buy at Hobby Lobby.

[00:40:05] Yes.

[00:40:06] Yeah.

[00:40:06] I wrote this one down.

[00:40:08] Are you ready?

[00:40:08] Yes.

[00:40:16] Each new person with fresh eyes and trust yourself that you'll handle whatever may come.

[00:40:22] And Bella said, that's good advice.

[00:40:25] I thought about you when she said that.

[00:40:29] I was like, I was watching it with Ruby.

[00:40:33] I looked at Ruby.

[00:40:33] I was like, that's deep wisdom.

[00:40:36] Have you ever heard anything moving in your life?

[00:40:42] You know what we need to do, Amelia?

[00:40:45] Mm-hmm.

[00:40:46] We need to start making like cards or shirts with these things.

[00:40:53] Absolutely.

[00:40:54] Absolutely.

[00:40:55] Because even if it was just, even if it was just be open enough to look at each new person

[00:41:01] with fresh eyes or, and trust yourself.

[00:41:04] Okay, fine.

[00:41:05] I mean, that's still like dumb, but then, and trust yourself that you'll handle whatever

[00:41:09] may come.

[00:41:09] Well, then it's like, it's still going to go bad.

[00:41:14] I know.

[00:41:14] I was thinking of some thing like be open enough to, you know, look at each new person with

[00:41:21] fresh eyes and don't judge, you know, that book by its cover, like something equally generic,

[00:41:28] but at least like the thought follows.

[00:41:30] I don't know.

[00:41:31] I'm not sure that AI didn't write a good portion of this script.

[00:41:38] Hmm.

[00:41:39] That actually makes sense.

[00:41:40] And I'm being serious about that.

[00:41:42] No, I think that's actually makes a lot of sense.

[00:41:44] I mean, that advice is super AI because the trust yourself, you'll handle whatever may

[00:41:49] come.

[00:41:49] I was like, yeah.

[00:41:51] You're just, that actually like is the opposite of make, of helping someone trust again.

[00:41:56] Right.

[00:41:58] Right.

[00:41:58] Right.

[00:41:59] But how?

[00:42:01] Yeah.

[00:42:01] There was just no there, there.

[00:42:02] You're like, you're telling her that it's all going to go terribly again.

[00:42:05] Yeah.

[00:42:08] Okay.

[00:42:08] Anyway, thanks AI.

[00:42:10] Connie.

[00:42:10] Another, again.

[00:42:11] That's good advice.

[00:42:13] I was like, is it?

[00:42:14] Is it though?

[00:42:16] Is it though?

[00:42:16] And again, like, is this AI, you know, the, is the Duke's personal assistant's name really

[00:42:26] Connie?

[00:42:27] No, no, it is not.

[00:42:30] The Duke Brown.

[00:42:32] Also, when I, when I looked up the friend's name Meredith, it's spelled wrong.

[00:42:37] How is it spelled?

[00:42:39] M-E-R-I-D-E-T-H.

[00:42:43] The E and the I are reversed.

[00:42:46] So AI wrote this or a high school kid wrote this.

[00:42:51] Like this script was for, from a contest.

[00:42:53] And I don't want to be insulting because I know people's names are on the credits for

[00:42:58] this movie.

[00:42:59] And just because your name's on a credit doesn't necessarily mean, you know, if AI wrote it,

[00:43:05] a person's got to get that credit.

[00:43:06] But, so maybe those people are watching and they're going, yeah, she's right.

[00:43:11] I didn't write that part.

[00:43:13] I don't mean to insult you.

[00:43:15] I don't mean to insult the people who are working on this.

[00:43:17] I'm just saying.

[00:43:18] I, if you misspelled Meredith and some of this dialogue is, it's like almost there, but

[00:43:27] not there.

[00:43:28] It's very uncanny valley.

[00:43:30] But come on.

[00:43:30] Yeah.

[00:43:31] Some of it's very uncanny valley.

[00:43:33] All right.

[00:43:34] Well, let's keep going.

[00:43:35] Sorry about that.

[00:43:36] Yeah.

[00:43:36] Okay.

[00:43:36] We will keep going.

[00:43:39] Um, what am I doing?

[00:43:42] Oh, okay.

[00:43:43] So then Connie says to Bella that she's noticed that the Duke is more joyful now.

[00:43:48] And she thinks that that is all to do with Bella.

[00:43:51] So obviously, obviously.

[00:43:54] Um, so the next day, Bella is, you know, meeting with Stefan in the morning to find out

[00:44:01] what plans they do not have either of them for the day.

[00:44:03] Cause they both just have tons of free time, but they need to do that together.

[00:44:07] Um, he is wearing a dark green shirt, which is huge.

[00:44:11] And he's not wearing a suit coat and no tie.

[00:44:15] He's got a couple of buttons undone.

[00:44:16] Cause he is like, Mr. Relax now.

[00:44:18] Yeah.

[00:44:19] And, um, they have to bake a cake.

[00:44:22] Right.

[00:44:24] I'm like, okay.

[00:44:25] Okay.

[00:44:26] Here we go.

[00:44:27] Nope.

[00:44:28] Cut to them.

[00:44:28] Finishing the decoration.

[00:44:30] They walk into the kitchen.

[00:44:31] I said, I turned to Mark.

[00:44:33] I said, that's a kitchen made for a flower fight in a baking scene.

[00:44:40] Here we go.

[00:44:43] I think I lost my connection here for a sec.

[00:44:44] Can you hear me, Amelia?

[00:44:45] Yeah, you did.

[00:44:46] All right.

[00:44:46] Now I'm back.

[00:44:47] The last thing I heard you say was they walked in and you said that's a kitchen.

[00:44:50] That's a kitchen made for a flower fight.

[00:44:53] Yes.

[00:44:54] Yes.

[00:44:54] I said, here we go.

[00:44:56] This is like, we're, we're, we're in it.

[00:44:58] And then another edit, just a cut to, well, boy, we sure did make a lot of cookies in that

[00:45:05] short amount of time.

[00:45:06] And he's, and he's got flower all over his shirt and she's still wearing like a work dress

[00:45:11] when she wears all movie, but he's got flower all over himself.

[00:45:15] Yeah.

[00:45:15] It just, again, I just wasn't sure what was happening.

[00:45:19] I don't know why we couldn't have seen that.

[00:45:23] We just, they, again, they just talked about it.

[00:45:26] We didn't see it.

[00:45:27] Nope.

[00:45:28] They completely messed up the cake.

[00:45:30] It looks terrible.

[00:45:31] You know?

[00:45:32] Right.

[00:45:33] Isn't that funny?

[00:45:34] I guess it's funny.

[00:45:35] We didn't get to see it being funny.

[00:45:37] I am.

[00:45:37] Would have been funnier if we had seen them trying to make the cake and messing up the

[00:45:41] cake.

[00:45:41] And yeah, it was just okay.

[00:45:44] It would have been kind of endearing and cute, but instead we just saw a messy cake.

[00:45:47] Yep.

[00:45:48] That's it.

[00:45:49] And Connie, and then Connie going, oh, we'll order a cake or something.

[00:45:53] It's like, okay, well then what was any of this for?

[00:45:56] We, not only did we not get to see the cake baking, it wasn't even the talkie talk

[00:46:03] was unnecessary.

[00:46:04] Right.

[00:46:05] It didn't move the story forward at all.

[00:46:07] Because Connie is like, I'm so busy.

[00:46:09] And they're like, well, how can we help?

[00:46:10] Oh my gosh, can you guys make the cake?

[00:46:12] Well, she could have just ordered one then.

[00:46:15] They weren't helpful.

[00:46:17] No.

[00:46:17] I don't know.

[00:46:17] They weren't helpful at all.

[00:46:21] All right.

[00:46:22] So they go for a walk and she, Bella is talking about like, listen, I know that you're this

[00:46:28] wonderful guy.

[00:46:29] Other people don't realize it.

[00:46:31] Can we, can I do some positive media for the event?

[00:46:33] And he's like, yes, of course.

[00:46:34] That sounds great.

[00:46:37] So they start to have a cup of hot cocoa.

[00:46:40] And one of my pet peeves of Christmas land is when people have an empty cup and they can't

[00:46:45] even act like there's volume, like mass in the cup and it's just like flying around.

[00:46:49] Well, in this case, they were drinking out of like teacups.

[00:46:53] Still not pretending.

[00:46:54] I don't know.

[00:46:54] It was crazy to me.

[00:46:55] But anyway, whatever.

[00:46:56] And so he's just like, hey, you've really changed my life.

[00:47:00] I think you're great.

[00:47:01] And just goes in for a kiss.

[00:47:04] Yeah.

[00:47:07] Oh, okay.

[00:47:09] I, I was like, what?

[00:47:15] Thank you.

[00:47:16] Well, first of all, first of all, I had to go back and watch it because my daughter was

[00:47:21] pitching a fit over the emptiness of the cups.

[00:47:25] Thank you.

[00:47:26] Ruby, she's a good girl.

[00:47:28] She could not stop talking about it.

[00:47:30] She was so like, there's nothing even in there.

[00:47:33] I wish they would just act like there's something in there.

[00:47:36] So I missed it.

[00:47:38] But yeah, again, another totally unearned moment.

[00:47:41] And then of course, it's like, if you're going to, if you're going to break that taboo

[00:47:45] of going in for physical intimacy before the last scene, they've needs to be earned.

[00:47:52] And this movie has done nothing up to this point to earn any kind of chemistry between

[00:47:57] these two people.

[00:47:58] No, not at all.

[00:48:01] Um, so they don't kiss cause you can have the missed kiss.

[00:48:05] Like that's, that's allowed.

[00:48:07] Yeah.

[00:48:07] Um, but again, but again, they didn't earn it.

[00:48:09] Like you said, um, but Benjamin, the Butler knocks on the door and I don't even remember

[00:48:15] what his excuse was and the Duke leaves, but I didn't even care that they didn't kiss.

[00:48:20] Yeah.

[00:48:20] I was just irritated that he just suddenly went for a kiss.

[00:48:23] There were no like little touches, little moments that were leading up to it.

[00:48:28] They were having like a nice friendship building, I guess.

[00:48:32] And then suddenly he was just like, I'm loosening up.

[00:48:35] I'm whatever.

[00:48:36] And it's all thanks to you.

[00:48:37] Bam.

[00:48:37] Let's kiss.

[00:48:38] What?

[00:48:38] Yeah.

[00:48:39] Yeah.

[00:48:40] It really was.

[00:48:41] There just was a lot that wasn't earned in this movie.

[00:48:44] Who's the right.

[00:48:45] Who do you have the IMDb pulled up?

[00:48:46] Who's the writer?

[00:48:47] Yeah.

[00:48:48] It's Kara Russell and she's written a couple other ones.

[00:48:51] The Night Before Christmas, Night with a K, The Great Christmas Switch, and Can't Buy

[00:48:56] My Love.

[00:49:00] All right.

[00:49:00] Well, The Night Before Christmas is that Vanessa Hudgens Netflix one where there's like

[00:49:03] a literal night travels through time.

[00:49:05] I was not crazy about that one, to be honest with you.

[00:49:08] The Christmas Switch.

[00:49:09] What is this one?

[00:49:10] And Sophia, a single girl in the city with a demanding boss and single mother of two

[00:49:15] in the Midwest, decided to switch places for Christmas in order to get away from the

[00:49:18] Oh, it looks like maybe there's twins that like switch places.

[00:49:21] Isn't that CCB?

[00:49:23] No.

[00:49:24] No.

[00:49:25] No.

[00:49:26] It's just, it looks just like that one, but it's a different actress.

[00:49:30] It's Sarah Lind.

[00:49:31] Oh.

[00:49:32] Okay.

[00:49:33] Well.

[00:49:34] And then Can't Buy My Love, which looks like maybe a, like an indie film.

[00:49:41] A spoiled rich man doesn't take it well when he's rejected by an ambulance paramedic.

[00:49:45] He doesn't give up there, but uses his father's wealth to get to ride with her in the ambulance,

[00:49:49] hoping it will lead to a date.

[00:49:51] Okay.

[00:49:52] All right.

[00:49:53] Well, Kara, she's still in script.

[00:49:56] She's doing stuff.

[00:49:57] Good for her.

[00:49:57] But I don't know.

[00:49:58] It feels like AI helped out a lot of the script.

[00:50:06] Did Paul Revere really say the British are coming?

[00:50:09] And how was George Washington chosen to lead the first American army?

[00:50:12] Join us for the Growing Patriot Podcast, a place for curious kids to ask the big questions

[00:50:18] about our nation's history and get kid-friendly answers from the country's top experts.

[00:50:22] Help your child learn about and cherish America's exceptional history.

[00:50:26] Subscribe to Growing Patriots on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts today.

[00:50:32] All right.

[00:50:33] So that was just weird.

[00:50:34] So Bella calls her bestie after this and is like, oh my gosh, we almost kissed.

[00:50:38] And her bestie is like, I think it's love.

[00:50:40] And so she says, how can this be love?

[00:50:42] I've only known him a few days.

[00:50:43] And Kara, what would you say if I FaceTimed you and said, I think I'm in love with a man

[00:50:48] I've known for a few days?

[00:50:49] What would you say to me?

[00:50:51] Um, well, I think it would be gentle, but as your black best friend, I would, I would say,

[00:50:58] um, I'm so happy for you.

[00:51:01] Maybe you should just slow down a little.

[00:51:03] You wouldn't say, um, I can see the look on your face.

[00:51:07] Cause she said, how can this be love?

[00:51:08] I've only known him a few days.

[00:51:10] And she says, because I can see the look on your face.

[00:51:12] Right.

[00:51:13] No.

[00:51:15] I was like, that is the dumbest thing you're supposed to say, girl, I can see the look on

[00:51:20] your face.

[00:51:21] I'm really excited.

[00:51:23] I, you, you could say like, listen, I love seeing that smile on your face, but that is

[00:51:28] not love.

[00:51:29] That is excitement.

[00:51:31] In her, in, in Meredith's defense, Amelia, she really didn't have time to dispense a lot

[00:51:40] of wisdom and advice because she was very, very busy.

[00:51:43] She's so busy at work.

[00:51:44] It's, it's the holiday season and there are many clients that she must, um, take care

[00:51:51] of.

[00:51:51] So.

[00:51:52] Yeah.

[00:51:53] Yeah.

[00:51:53] That's true.

[00:51:54] She is.

[00:51:54] She was like, she's like, yep, you bet it's love.

[00:51:56] I gotta go.

[00:51:57] All right.

[00:51:58] Well, let's push this along.

[00:51:59] We're coming up to the end of the show.

[00:52:00] Let's get this.

[00:52:01] Okay.

[00:52:01] Sorry.

[00:52:02] So she does.

[00:52:03] She finds out she did not get the loan, which is a real shocker.

[00:52:06] So they go to their party.

[00:52:07] He's in a blue tux, which I actually hated.

[00:52:10] Yes.

[00:52:11] I hated it too.

[00:52:12] After all of that.

[00:52:14] Like that's the one where you actually just put him in something normal, just put him

[00:52:17] in a black tuxedo like everybody else.

[00:52:19] So they dance.

[00:52:21] Someone takes a picture for the positive publicity.

[00:52:23] He loses his mind because he's like, there's paparazzi.

[00:52:27] And she's like, yeah, we literally talked about this.

[00:52:29] And he's like, I didn't know that meant a photographer.

[00:52:30] So he takes out a paper check that he just had in his breast pocket of his tuxedo.

[00:52:35] And it's like, this ends our business arrangement.

[00:52:37] She's like, and that's all it was business.

[00:52:39] And he's like, yes.

[00:52:40] And so she's like, okay.

[00:52:42] So she leaves the check in her room and goes.

[00:52:45] And then he's like, oh, and then his ex-girlfriend, the heiress Josephine is also there.

[00:52:52] And who is not Sydney.

[00:52:53] Right.

[00:52:54] His ex-girlfriend who is not Sydney for some reason.

[00:52:57] Not the ex-girlfriend.

[00:52:57] But then somebody's like, you know, if they were dating, they'd probably just keep it on

[00:53:00] the down low.

[00:53:01] So she's like, oh my gosh, they're in love.

[00:53:03] So she leaves the check in her room.

[00:53:05] I'm like, why not at least take the money?

[00:53:06] You weirdo.

[00:53:07] You pretty woman earned it.

[00:53:08] Yeah.

[00:53:09] What about the mobile bus?

[00:53:11] Yeah, get your bus.

[00:53:12] So she leaves the check and leaves.

[00:53:15] And then he goes in the room and is like, oh no, she left the check and she left.

[00:53:20] But I guess she said it was only business anyway.

[00:53:23] And I'm like, you said this is the end of our business arrangement.

[00:53:27] And then she said it's only business in you or whatever, you weirdo.

[00:53:31] So she goes back to her.

[00:53:33] No, yeah.

[00:53:33] But he kept saying that.

[00:53:34] Mark was really upset about that because he kept saying it.

[00:53:37] He talked to like four people in the next scene.

[00:53:40] And he was like, she just said it was business.

[00:53:43] Well, she made it very clear.

[00:53:45] Our arrangement is only business.

[00:53:46] It's like, Mark kept saying, did I miss something?

[00:53:50] That's not at all what happened.

[00:53:52] No, it's not what happened.

[00:53:53] He's gaslighting her.

[00:53:55] And us.

[00:53:56] He said this ends our business arrangement.

[00:53:58] She's like, and that's all it was?

[00:54:00] And he's like, yes.

[00:54:01] Yes.

[00:54:02] And after that, he's like, she made it very clear to me that this was just business.

[00:54:06] Right.

[00:54:07] I'm like, again, this feels like an AI, like a script continuity mistake.

[00:54:11] But if it's only business, then take your check.

[00:54:13] I mean, take the check either way.

[00:54:14] But what are you doing?

[00:54:16] So she goes back to her extremely busy shop that no one ever goes to.

[00:54:20] Right.

[00:54:22] And the photographer shows up and is like, I've kept all the salacious pictures to myself,

[00:54:29] which is just the Duke being mad.

[00:54:31] I mean, there's still not them making out or anything.

[00:54:33] And I get pictures of him being mad are still not good for publicity.

[00:54:36] But and he's like, I kept he's like, I decided not to publish them because you gave my grandma

[00:54:41] a new scarf and earrings.

[00:54:42] And she's like, oh, my gosh, I do make a difference in the world.

[00:54:45] That's right.

[00:54:46] Because she remembers she volunteers at the senior home.

[00:54:49] Another thing we don't see with his grandma.

[00:54:51] She's like, you're the Bella that helps my grandma.

[00:54:53] And I'm like, really?

[00:54:54] So anyway, and so then Meredith sees online that Bella won the Duke's big humanitarian

[00:55:02] award because like the best thing that anyone has done this whole year is bring scarves and

[00:55:07] earrings to the elderly.

[00:55:09] Yeah.

[00:55:10] So now she has all the money to start her mobile business.

[00:55:14] And then Benjamin the butler, meanwhile, is at Tankford House and is like, you got really

[00:55:19] good PR in the news.

[00:55:21] And he brings him the newspaper.

[00:55:22] Did you see the name of the newspaper?

[00:55:24] No, I didn't see it.

[00:55:26] The Royal Jingle.

[00:55:30] That's the first clever thing in this movie.

[00:55:32] I didn't see it.

[00:55:36] So they got good PR and he's like, oh, my goodness, she was right about everything.

[00:55:41] So then she's like, I am.

[00:55:43] And meanwhile, Bella's like, I need to talk to Stefan.

[00:55:45] I need to thank him for this.

[00:55:46] Maybe there was a misunderstanding.

[00:55:47] Maybe he does like me after all.

[00:55:49] So she shows up at Tankford House at the same time that he's going that he's realizing that

[00:55:54] she was right about the photographer.

[00:55:55] Maybe he overreacted like a crazy person.

[00:55:57] So she shows up.

[00:55:59] She thanks him for the money.

[00:56:00] And then he says, do you want to come to every event with me forever?

[00:56:05] Which I guess is a proposal.

[00:56:06] And she says yes.

[00:56:09] And then they kiss.

[00:56:10] And I guess they're engaged now.

[00:56:11] And that's the end.

[00:56:13] It's Christmas land.

[00:56:14] So we know they're engaged.

[00:56:16] If this is lifetime in holiday land, their neighbor, she's definitely been contracted

[00:56:21] as an indentured sexual servant.

[00:56:27] So weird.

[00:56:28] So it was so I OK.

[00:56:30] So.

[00:56:31] All right.

[00:56:33] Let's there.

[00:56:34] This movie was very light on the tropes.

[00:56:37] Talked about tropes.

[00:56:38] Very light on tropes.

[00:56:40] Right.

[00:56:42] Did we see anyone falling off a ladder or falling into someone's arms?

[00:56:47] Nope.

[00:56:47] There was one moment where she was.

[00:56:50] They were literally just you may have missed it.

[00:56:51] They were literally just walking.

[00:56:53] And she kind of like tripped.

[00:56:54] And he was like, oh, any.

[00:56:56] But it was like a little almost.

[00:56:58] I missed that completely.

[00:56:59] Yeah.

[00:56:59] It was a little thing.

[00:57:01] It was so I was like, is this what that's supposed to be?

[00:57:03] So no.

[00:57:03] Any precocious children?

[00:57:06] No precocious kids.

[00:57:08] We know the Duke was a delight.

[00:57:10] As a child.

[00:57:12] And very responsible.

[00:57:14] Yes.

[00:57:14] But precocious.

[00:57:16] Even the memory of the Duke did not fit that trope.

[00:57:19] OK.

[00:57:19] Do we have a scene where someone's making something, baking something, building something together?

[00:57:26] Only when they were done.

[00:57:28] They didn't actually build it.

[00:57:29] They said they were about to.

[00:57:30] And then they were done.

[00:57:31] That's right.

[00:57:32] Snowman.

[00:57:33] And baking.

[00:57:35] So they were.

[00:57:35] And decorating the tree.

[00:57:37] And what?

[00:57:38] Decorating the tree.

[00:57:39] Kind of.

[00:57:40] Decorating the tree.

[00:57:40] Right.

[00:57:41] Again, all these are all great tropes that were included in theory in the film.

[00:57:47] But we did not get to see those things.

[00:57:50] A misunderstanding that could have been cleared up easily with one simple conversation.

[00:57:56] Maybe kind of with the business.

[00:57:59] Was this just business?

[00:58:00] I mean, sort of.

[00:58:01] Not really.

[00:58:02] Not really.

[00:58:02] But it seemed pretty clear.

[00:58:04] He said it was just business.

[00:58:07] Right.

[00:58:09] He said it.

[00:58:11] What other tropes am I?

[00:58:13] I'm missing a last minute deadline, which I guess we might say the luncheon.

[00:58:18] Yeah, kind of.

[00:58:20] A Santa-like character or a ethereal or wisdom character that delivers wisdom?

[00:58:26] Well, there was kind of a fairy tale thread running through it.

[00:58:29] Like his mom used to read him fairy tales.

[00:58:31] And Meredith kept saying, this is your fairy tale.

[00:58:34] And she kept saying fairy tales aren't real.

[00:58:35] So I kind of felt like Connie was supposed to be a fairy godmother a little bit.

[00:58:39] Yeah.

[00:58:40] Yeah.

[00:58:41] I don't know, though.

[00:58:43] Yeah.

[00:58:44] That's it, really.

[00:58:46] It was just kind of.

[00:58:49] So yesterday I was watching it.

[00:58:51] And then friends came over and I paused it.

[00:58:53] And I actually forgot to turn it on again when they left.

[00:58:57] And I finished it this morning.

[00:59:01] And I was like, oh, here and I are recording.

[00:59:03] And I never watched the end.

[00:59:05] It was.

[00:59:06] And I think that's.

[00:59:06] Yeah.

[00:59:07] That's kind of how this movie was for me.

[00:59:09] Yeah.

[00:59:10] Well, let me.

[00:59:12] I don't rate.

[00:59:13] Let's rate this on a scale of one to five marshmallows.

[00:59:17] Five being the best cup of hot chocolate.

[00:59:20] One being the kind of hot chocolate you get at the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

[00:59:28] What would you rate this?

[00:59:31] It was like two and a half marshmallows.

[00:59:33] Like it wasn't even bad enough for me to dislike.

[00:59:35] I just.

[00:59:36] Yeah.

[00:59:37] It was there.

[00:59:38] Yeah.

[00:59:38] I think.

[00:59:39] So here's my theory.

[00:59:41] Real quick.

[00:59:42] I think this is.

[00:59:44] This is a great American film, right?

[00:59:45] Great Americans knew.

[00:59:46] And, you know, when they brought over Danica and CCB and they brought over all those people

[00:59:51] and it to start up a channel.

[00:59:53] That's a lot.

[00:59:54] And they had to.

[00:59:55] They had to churn out a lot of movies very quickly to get the channel up and running.

[01:00:00] And I'm going to bet they also blew a lot of budget on the talent.

[01:00:04] Right.

[01:00:05] On Danica.

[01:00:06] On CCB.

[01:00:07] And so.

[01:00:08] What you looked at was a movie that I think.

[01:00:11] I think.

[01:00:12] Amelia.

[01:00:13] Tell me what you think.

[01:00:14] I think if they had shown the things they told us about.

[01:00:18] Yeah.

[01:00:19] I would have been on board for this movie.

[01:00:20] I don't think.

[01:00:21] Writing.

[01:00:22] The holes in the writing and stuff.

[01:00:23] That's fun.

[01:00:24] You know, that's what we do here.

[01:00:24] We talk about stuff.

[01:00:25] But I think all that's fine when the movie is hitting all of the tropes.

[01:00:30] But we just didn't get to see the stuff we need to see.

[01:00:34] In order to have a good time with these people.

[01:00:36] And in order to have a good time with the.

[01:00:39] With the typical.

[01:00:40] You know, clunky dialogue of these types of movies.

[01:00:43] We didn't get the fun part.

[01:00:45] We only got the work part.

[01:00:47] Of it.

[01:00:48] And I imagine that's a budget issue.

[01:00:49] And yes, again.

[01:00:51] We should have seen her.

[01:00:52] Seen her at the senior home.

[01:00:55] But.

[01:00:55] If you can't hire actors.

[01:00:58] You know.

[01:00:58] To fill a room.

[01:00:59] That's different.

[01:01:00] So I'm going to guess a lot of this is budgetary.

[01:01:03] Including maybe even some of the script.

[01:01:06] What are your thoughts?

[01:01:07] Yep.

[01:01:08] I totally agree.

[01:01:08] Because this was also their first big year.

[01:01:12] They probably had to cut a lot of time.

[01:01:14] A lot of set pieces.

[01:01:16] So they just had to go with what they had.

[01:01:17] I thought the actors did a perfectly good job.

[01:01:20] A fine.

[01:01:21] A good job.

[01:01:22] With what.

[01:01:22] With what they had.

[01:01:23] Yeah.

[01:01:23] We always loved Danica.

[01:01:24] The performances were good.

[01:01:25] Mm-hmm.

[01:01:25] We loved Danica.

[01:01:26] Damon Runyon.

[01:01:27] I don't know if we've seen him in any before.

[01:01:28] I've never seen him.

[01:01:30] He's an American guy.

[01:01:31] Did not hate his accent.

[01:01:32] And I'm like the accent police.

[01:01:37] It was fine.

[01:01:39] Yeah.

[01:01:39] It was just.

[01:01:40] It was.

[01:01:41] Yeah.

[01:01:41] It was just fine.

[01:01:43] I just wonder if.

[01:01:45] Like how could we fix this Amelia?

[01:01:48] Because I know part of the problem too.

[01:01:50] Is you've got to fill a two hour run time.

[01:01:53] Right?

[01:01:53] So you've got to extend some stuff.

[01:01:55] But how could we fix it without adding.

[01:01:58] Too much to their budget.

[01:02:00] I just wonder like.

[01:02:01] For instance.

[01:02:01] I understand you can't hire a room full of senior citizens for your.

[01:02:05] I'm a good person at the senior center.

[01:02:08] Yeah.

[01:02:09] But.

[01:02:09] In the kitchen.

[01:02:11] With the two of them.

[01:02:12] You know.

[01:02:13] Yeah.

[01:02:13] Instead of having the scene where they're talking about.

[01:02:16] All the baking they need to do.

[01:02:17] They do the baking.

[01:02:19] Right.

[01:02:19] And they have the mess.

[01:02:21] It makes me wonder if maybe they were on a set where they couldn't make a mess.

[01:02:24] You know.

[01:02:25] Like.

[01:02:25] Yeah.

[01:02:26] I don't know.

[01:02:27] Yeah.

[01:02:27] Could they have decorated.

[01:02:28] But they could have maybe cut like.

[01:02:30] Could they have just like.

[01:02:31] Cut.

[01:02:32] Cut out that part.

[01:02:33] And decorated the tree instead.

[01:02:34] Right.

[01:02:35] Or.

[01:02:36] Or.

[01:02:36] You know.

[01:02:36] Could they have cut.

[01:02:37] Like.

[01:02:37] Not tried to hit every trope.

[01:02:39] But done one of them really well.

[01:02:40] Yes.

[01:02:41] The tree decorating is always great.

[01:02:43] Especially for exposition.

[01:02:45] Because you can use your ornaments to.

[01:02:47] You know.

[01:02:48] Talk about the memories.

[01:02:49] Or the yada yadas.

[01:02:50] And bring up.

[01:02:51] Yeah.

[01:02:52] So it's great for dialogue.

[01:02:53] It's great for exhibit.

[01:02:56] Exhibition.

[01:02:57] Exposition.

[01:02:58] There you go.

[01:02:58] And it's great for.

[01:02:59] You know.

[01:03:00] Character development.

[01:03:01] And we didn't get to see any of that.

[01:03:03] You know.

[01:03:04] We normally would see that.

[01:03:05] We.

[01:03:05] We should see them.

[01:03:07] Interacting with other people.

[01:03:09] In a way that makes us.

[01:03:10] Like.

[01:03:11] See each other.

[01:03:12] See them.

[01:03:13] Through.

[01:03:14] Each other.

[01:03:15] See them through each other's eyes.

[01:03:16] Right.

[01:03:16] Like.

[01:03:17] We the viewer.

[01:03:18] Should be able to look at.

[01:03:19] Danica.

[01:03:20] Through the Duke's eyes.

[01:03:21] And goes.

[01:03:21] Oh yeah.

[01:03:22] He sees.

[01:03:22] She's a good person.

[01:03:23] She's giving earrings to this old lady.

[01:03:26] And we didn't.

[01:03:27] We just didn't get to see.

[01:03:28] Any of the good stuff.

[01:03:30] They were setting up in the movie.

[01:03:31] That's the problem.

[01:03:32] The writing.

[01:03:33] All that's fine.

[01:03:34] We don't expect.

[01:03:35] We say this every show.

[01:03:36] It's not the Oscars.

[01:03:38] We like the cheesiness of it.

[01:03:39] We like.

[01:03:40] All of the clunkiness.

[01:03:41] That's part of the charm.

[01:03:44] But they set it all up.

[01:03:45] But then it didn't pay off.

[01:03:46] By getting to see.

[01:03:48] Any of it.

[01:03:50] I want to ask you this.

[01:03:51] Amelia.

[01:03:51] Amelia.

[01:03:52] The party favors.

[01:03:53] What would you have done.

[01:03:55] For the party favors.

[01:03:55] Let's say you're the set decorator.

[01:03:57] Or you're the prop master.

[01:03:59] You have a very limited budget.

[01:04:01] You probably got a dollar a store budget.

[01:04:03] And you need.

[01:04:04] But you need to make sure.

[01:04:05] That these ladies are wrapping.

[01:04:06] Something that looks like you.

[01:04:08] Something that Duke would give.

[01:04:10] At the door.

[01:04:11] Do you have any ideas.

[01:04:12] What you would use?

[01:04:14] Gosh.

[01:04:19] I mean what.

[01:04:21] Like you've got a limited budget.

[01:04:23] You want to hand people.

[01:04:25] Something that's very clever.

[01:04:27] I think I would have done.

[01:04:28] Something like.

[01:04:31] But.

[01:04:32] But something that I could have.

[01:04:33] Printed out.

[01:04:34] Little inspirational quotes.

[01:04:36] Or something.

[01:04:36] And put in there.

[01:04:37] Or.

[01:04:38] Just anything like that.

[01:04:40] Yeah.

[01:04:40] See I would have made.

[01:04:42] I think a better idea.

[01:04:43] Might have been.

[01:04:44] Decorating something.

[01:04:45] Or like maybe.

[01:04:46] Like not doing.

[01:04:47] Like not party favors.

[01:04:49] Because I feel like.

[01:04:50] Is the Duke really handing out party favors at all.

[01:04:52] Right.

[01:04:52] Was one of my questions.

[01:04:53] Right.

[01:04:53] So could they have just been decorating something.

[01:04:55] Or like there was that moment.

[01:04:56] Where she and the Duke were filling the bird feeder.

[01:04:58] Like they could have just been.

[01:05:00] They could have been doing some other task.

[01:05:02] That wasn't.

[01:05:03] Party favors.

[01:05:04] Because I felt like even party favors.

[01:05:06] Felt weird.

[01:05:07] Yeah.

[01:05:07] For Connie to be doing.

[01:05:09] Especially.

[01:05:09] For Connie.

[01:05:11] Yeah.

[01:05:12] Yeah.

[01:05:13] You're right.

[01:05:13] They could have been even.

[01:05:15] They could have been.

[01:05:16] Making out cards for the charity.

[01:05:18] Like writing out cards for the charity.

[01:05:19] Or something.

[01:05:20] Yeah.

[01:05:20] They could have been.

[01:05:21] Wrapping gifts for the staff.

[01:05:23] Yeah.

[01:05:24] They could have been.

[01:05:24] And then that would have also been showing like.

[01:05:26] The heart that they have.

[01:05:27] You know.

[01:05:27] They could have been.

[01:05:30] You know.

[01:05:30] I don't know.

[01:05:31] I feel like they could have been doing some other task.

[01:05:32] That maybe made a little bit more sense in general.

[01:05:35] Yeah.

[01:05:35] The whole thing was weird.

[01:05:36] Yeah.

[01:05:37] I think.

[01:05:38] I think it was.

[01:05:38] It just.

[01:05:39] It just didn't hit right.

[01:05:40] But.

[01:05:41] You know.

[01:05:42] It's never a bad thing to be in Christmas land.

[01:05:44] You know.

[01:05:45] I'm always happy to be there.

[01:05:47] So thank you to everybody who worked on this movie.

[01:05:49] And made this movie.

[01:05:49] And we look forward to doing more.

[01:05:52] Amelia.

[01:05:52] Before I let you go.

[01:05:54] Will you tell everybody where they can find.

[01:05:56] Where they can weigh in.

[01:05:57] Actually.

[01:05:58] Tell.

[01:05:58] Give people an email.

[01:05:59] Let us know.

[01:06:00] If you watched this movie.

[01:06:02] How you would have fixed some of it.

[01:06:04] We want to know.

[01:06:05] And what would your party favor scene have been.

[01:06:08] Would you have.

[01:06:09] What would your party favors have been.

[01:06:11] Instead of M&Ms in a box.

[01:06:12] I would have even.

[01:06:13] To buy Amelia.

[01:06:14] The fake gold chocolate coins.

[01:06:16] You can get those at the dollar store.

[01:06:18] Even that seems a little classier than.

[01:06:20] Even like Jordan Allman's.

[01:06:25] Okay.

[01:06:25] So we are.

[01:06:26] A very merry podcast.

[01:06:28] At gmail.com.

[01:06:30] Yeah.

[01:06:31] Or we are.

[01:06:31] A very merry podcast.

[01:06:32] Also on.

[01:06:33] X slash Twitter.

[01:06:34] And.

[01:06:35] Or no.

[01:06:35] Sorry.

[01:06:35] On Instagram.

[01:06:36] And a very merry pod.

[01:06:37] On Twitter.

[01:06:38] A very merry podcast.

[01:06:39] On Facebook.

[01:06:40] So find us.

[01:06:41] Tell us what you think.

[01:06:43] And.

[01:06:44] Next.

[01:06:44] And the next episode.

[01:06:46] Will be.

[01:06:46] Dear Santa.

[01:06:47] And this is the one.

[01:06:48] Where we veer off into holiday land.

[01:06:50] A little bit.

[01:06:50] So.

[01:06:51] Holiday land is great.

[01:06:52] Yeah.

[01:06:52] You definitely sit down.

[01:06:54] For that one.

[01:06:55] With a glass of wine.

[01:06:56] Or like.

[01:06:56] Put it on.

[01:06:57] Yeah.

[01:06:57] When you're.

[01:06:58] When you're.

[01:07:00] You know.

[01:07:00] Just chilling out.

[01:07:01] Doing something fun.

[01:07:02] Because it.

[01:07:02] If that's a holiday land.

[01:07:06] It's.

[01:07:06] It's.

[01:07:06] It's a.

[01:07:07] A little bit different.

[01:07:09] Than Christmas land.

[01:07:11] So we're going to have fun.

[01:07:13] We're going to.

[01:07:13] Well.

[01:07:14] Amelia.

[01:07:14] I.

[01:07:14] I.

[01:07:15] No matter what.

[01:07:16] You know.

[01:07:16] This wasn't the greatest.

[01:07:17] Of movies that we've watched.

[01:07:19] But it's always a great time.

[01:07:20] Breaking down these movies.

[01:07:21] With you.

[01:07:22] And as I said before.

[01:07:23] It's always a great time.

[01:07:25] Being in Christmas land.

[01:07:26] Because.

[01:07:27] Things are.

[01:07:27] We always know.

[01:07:28] What to expect.

[01:07:29] And everyone's going to get.

[01:07:30] Their happy ending.

[01:07:32] So Amelia.

[01:07:32] Until.

[01:07:33] We meet again.

[01:07:34] I wish you.

[01:07:35] Days filled.

[01:07:36] With.

[01:07:38] With.

[01:07:39] Couture.

[01:07:41] Perfectly tailored.

[01:07:43] Suits.

[01:07:44] Thank you.

[01:07:45] Thank you.

[01:07:46] And I wish you that feeling.

[01:07:47] When you have a new scarf and earrings.

[01:07:50] Oh.

[01:07:51] Merry Christmas Amelia.

[01:07:53] Thanks.

[01:07:53] Merry Christmas Kara.

[01:08:04] This has been a presentation.

[01:08:06] Of the FCB Podcast Network.

[01:08:09] Where real talk lives.

[01:08:11] Visit us online.

[01:08:13] At FCB Podcast Network.

[01:08:14] Family montests dot com.

[01:08:16] Thank you.ãoн