Pour The Wine, It's Rom-Com Time

Hallmark's Christmas at the Catnip Cafe

• Garry & Amy

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Join Garry and Amy for this episode of Pour the Wine, It’s Rom-Com Time as they break down Hallmark’s Christmas at the Catnip Café. Olivia (Erin Cahill) heads to New York determined to sell the cat café she’s inherited, while Ben (Paul Campbell) fights to save the place that’s become a haven for both neighbors and rescue cats. He agrees to let it go but on one condition: Olivia must complete every fundraiser listed in her late great-aunt’s Christmas binder. As they team up, Olivia and Ben discover that something deeper may be brewing than just their shared love of furry companions.

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https://uppbeat.io/t/abbynoise/mood-of-summer

SPEAKER_02:

Welcome to Pour the Wine. It's rom com time where we'll sip some wine and review all things rom com on the Hallmark Channel. I'm Amy.

SPEAKER_00:

And guess what?

SPEAKER_02:

What?

SPEAKER_00:

I'm Gary.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, you are. Yes, you are. Today we're gonna dive right in. We're reviewing Christmas at the Catnip Cafe. It originally aired on the Hallmark Channel on Sunday, November 30th, 2025. And you can find it streaming right now on Hallmark Plus. Plus Plus.

SPEAKER_00:

And you can also hear us on all social media platforms, including Apple and Spotify. And if you want to watch our video, you can now catch it over on YouTube.

SPEAKER_02:

On the YouTube. Yeah. You can also send us an email to pour the wine. It's romcomtime at gmail.com and let us know your thoughts on all things countdown to Christmas that have been going on. There has been a lot, a lot of content or Christmas at the Catnip Cafe specifically. Shoot us an email. We would love to hear from you.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, we would. Yes, we would.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes. Season. Yes, it has. Christmas season. Yeah. Not as busy as last year. Would they have like 40 some movies last year? I think.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I can't believe there's no way.

SPEAKER_02:

Woo! I know, I know. It's a little bit crazy. Yep.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. So you want to tell us who is in this one?

SPEAKER_02:

Maybe. Maybe I will. Maybe.

SPEAKER_00:

And while you're doing that, I'm going to take a sip.

SPEAKER_02:

Take a sippy sip. Erin Cahill plays Olivia. She's been in a ton of Hallmark productions, of course. We just saw her in this year's A Grand Ole Opera Christmas. And earlier in the year, she was in Journey to You. She's also so great in holidays. She's in two of the Cherry Lane movies, The Christmas Quest, Autumn at Apple Hill. Of course, she's great in everything she does. And she's also in a Timeless Christmas, and that is one of our favorite Christmas movies.

SPEAKER_00:

Really enjoying that.

SPEAKER_02:

It's up there. It's up there. Yep. That's really cool. I, you know, it's a time travel one, and we love time travel. So pretty, pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00:

Sci-fi.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. Paul Campbell plays Ben. He, of course, is a fan favorite. He starred in more than 20 Hallmark movies. He was in this year's Three Wisest Men. Last year, he was in four count them four movies for Hallmark. The Santa Class, Three Wiser Men and a Boy, Falling Together, and the Cases of Mystery Lane, Death is Listening. Listening.

SPEAKER_01:

I hope not.

SPEAKER_02:

Francis Flanagan plays Esther. Francis is no stranger to Hallmark. She was in last year's A Reason for the Season and an Easter Bloom. A few of her other Hallmark films include A Maple Valley Christmas. They seem to be playing that one a lot.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Lately. The 27-hour day, It Was Always You, and Time for You to Come Home for Christmas. Ian Cal Ian Collins plays Frank. Megan Young shows up as Meredith. Mila Morgan plays Young Olivia. Jess Brown is Victoria. And William Carson plays Joshi.

SPEAKER_00:

Joshy.

SPEAKER_02:

Joshy.

SPEAKER_00:

Is that it for everybody? Most of it. All right. Well, Christmas at the Catnip Cafe was directed by Lucy Guess. Lucy has had a big past few years directing at Hallmark. We love it. In addition to Christmas at the Catnip Cafe, she directed this year's An Alpine Christmas and two of the three Providence Fall movies.

SPEAKER_01:

All of which we loved.

SPEAKER_00:

We loved. I know some people out there didn't, but you know what? That's my type of that's my type of movie. A few of her other directing credits include The Santa Claus class, Christmas Under the Lights, Jingle Bell Run, and Sealed with a List, all of which we enjoyed watching.

SPEAKER_02:

I know, I know. That's why we love her. She writes us good stuff, right? Yes, very good stuff.

SPEAKER_00:

And here are the writers Tracy Andres and Alana Valdez. Tracy's writing credits include this year's A Grand Old Opry Christmas, a Keller Christmas Vacation, and Royalish. A few of the other credits include Holiday Crashers, The Magic of Lemon Drop, and Two Tickets to Paradise. Two tickets.

SPEAKER_02:

It's been a big year though. A lot of those were this year, I think, or or within the past few years, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Very, very good too.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, her very first hallmark, believe it or not, was written, was a writing credit, was Snow Bride in 2013.

SPEAKER_02:

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00:

That's a long time ago.

SPEAKER_02:

Uh-huh. That's awesome. Good for her.

unknown:

Good for her.

SPEAKER_00:

Ilana also wrote 2021's A Very Merry Bridesmaid.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So that's it.

SPEAKER_02:

That's it?

SPEAKER_00:

So is it time to drop the synopsis?

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, I'm gonna drop this. Let's do it.

SPEAKER_00:

Let's do it.

SPEAKER_02:

Olivia Pierce, a marketing executive, discovers her late great aunt's cafe in New York, which she believes will be a Christmas miracle. She helps plan fundraising events, gaining appreciation for the feline inhabitants.

SPEAKER_00:

The kitty kiddies.

SPEAKER_02:

The kitty cats, the kitty kats. Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

And this is the part in our podcast where we tell you if you have not seen this one, go ahead and pause our podcast, go watch the movie, come back, listen to our podcast, tell you what you think, or do it in reverse.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

How about that? Listen to our podcast, listen then watch.

SPEAKER_02:

Or watch and then listen. Listen then watch. Either way, either way works.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. There you go.

SPEAKER_02:

All right. So let's get into what you thought. What did you think?

SPEAKER_00:

Um again said the cat note. This is another of Hallmark movies that I was pleasantly surprised with.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, me too. Me too.

SPEAKER_00:

I for some reason, and I'm not a big cats person, I prefer puppets. But I really enjoyed this one. I I I liked the um the concept of a cafe with cats.

SPEAKER_02:

You know, we have those.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00:

And finding, you know the the healing aspect through cats, you know, same with dogs. Um and just the overall acting in this, I thought was very good.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

What about you?

SPEAKER_02:

I agree with you. I think this year we have seen movies that have surprised us in good ways and in bad ways, right? And this is definitely a good way. I I'm not sure really what I was expecting. I mean, I thought it would, you know, we love Aaron Cahill, and of course. Um Paul Campbell. Help help me, Paul Campbell. Yes. I drew a flank for a minute. I just said his name. Paul Campbell, we love you. So we love both of them. We've seen them in, you know, in lots of movies and things. And but it's just like you said, the concept, I was kind of like, you know, and it's not like we hate cats. I'm just not a huge cat person. But we, you know, I did have a cat at one time. We do have kids who love cats, so we have had cats. Um, but I really, really enjoyed it. I just thought it was fun and playful. And yeah, there were some serious moments, but and can we just talk about the it's a wonderful life of it all for a minute? Oh my goodness. There were some, so maybe that has my heart a little bit because that is, of course, I know it's one of mine, one of yours, our all-time favorite holiday movies. Is it's a wonderful life. You know, we have a tradition of watching that along with others, but that for sure, I cry every time I watch it. I'm, you know, in my 50s and I have seen it a lot in my 50s, and I cry every time. I just love Jimmy's. So there were so many references to that, and and but not not exact, not exactly replicated, right? Like it's not that so so it was kind of referenced in some parts, and some parts were kind of similar. So I have to believe the writers, you know, really enjoy It's a Wonderful Life. And if they don't, this is an awfully big coincidence because there were lots of them throughout the movie, and maybe that kind of drew me in a little bit more too. But I just thought it was, I I thought it was really well done. I I just yeah, I thought I thought it was great, and I I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't think I would hate it, right? But I enjoyed it much more than I thought that I would. And that's always that's always nice.

SPEAKER_00:

And the opening of this with all the cats. Yes, I have yes, I just thought it was so cute. And it and that reminded me of um uh Christmas vacation where they're messing with the lights, and the cat in that particular movie was messing with the lights and got it when the same outcome. But I just thought it was really cute.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it was really just a fun way to open the film, and then you know, we see a shot of right of Olivia and her aunt, and it says like 30 years ago. Right. And I'm like, how was 1995 30 years ago? I don't know. Can we talk about that for a minute too? I know.

SPEAKER_00:

I remember growing up thinking like the 20s and 40s were.

SPEAKER_02:

I know when you say 30 years ago, I think like 1960. Like, what am I doing? You know, no, no, it's 1995. It's it's definitely that was a little bit, you know. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I'd think about that and calculate that and think about how old I was at that time. And I'm like, oh my gosh, what was going on in my life then?

SPEAKER_00:

So it's pretty good. Yep. So you want to get into our favorite scenes?

SPEAKER_02:

Sure.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, you start off. You want me to scenes?

SPEAKER_02:

One of my favorites is um towards the very beginning where um oh, are we gonna talk about the meat cute?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

Did you want to talk about that first or you want to talk about you talk about the meat cute cute first? Okay, so Aaron or um Olivia is walking down the street and she sees Ben through a window and he's the he's a vet, right? So she sees him and she's kind of like, uh, isn't she like staring at him?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

And she because you know, he's a good-looking guy, right? So she's kind of caught in the moment, and then he looks up at her and she backs up into a tree, right? A guy carrying a Christmas tree.

SPEAKER_00:

Two guys carrying a tree.

SPEAKER_02:

Or two guys, yeah. So I thought that that was cute and just kind of a fun, you know, way for them. So it's sort of a meat cute. They see each other, but they don't actually meet. So I guess maybe that's not the meat cute. Maybe I'm talking myself out of this now, but it is the moment where their eyes kind of lock in, right? And then they end up, she's going to the catnip cafe because she has inherited inherited it from her great aunt. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. Well, part of it, right, right, right. And um, she's going there to meet somebody not knowing that it's Ben. Right. And then so, and that kind of leads into one of my favorite scenes is when, you know, she meets him for she's like, Oh, I'm waiting for somebody. And he's like, Yeah, I think I'm the person, you know, and he kind of is like, Oh, she's like, No, really, I'm waiting for somebody. No, really, yeah. And he's like, No, really. Um, yeah. And the writing was real good too, right? Like the the banter between them a little bit. So so they meet each other and they start talking, and she's really honest with him that she does not want the cafe. Right. She, you know, she wants to sell it, and she just outright tells him, you know, she which I thought was very interesting because I'm like, there are some people who are just, you know, verbal diarrhea of the mouth. Like she's just met this guy and she's like, I'm buying this condo, I need the money for the down payment. I want to sell, but in a nice way, right? That was so funny. Yeah. And then, and then he's kind of like, Oh, and he's kind of annoyed because he loves the catnip cafe. And she's like, Oh, you're annoyed. And he's like, No, no, no, no, it's fine, you know, and she goes, Are you sure? It was just, it was so, it was so cute. I mean, it was just so cute. I I thought. And then she I think she says something like, We seem to be on the same page. And he says, Well, what page would that be? You know, because he doesn't want to sell, and she does. So I just I thought that was so there's they end up at like an impasse, right? In that moment. I so that's one of my favorite scenes when they they not only meet, you know, you have the literal meet cute then at that moment, and then they start a discussion about the cafe. So I like that. What about you? What's one of your favorite scenes?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, well, I was gonna go off of what you were saying. The condo that she was going to purchase, you have pointed out.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_00:

What was what was it that you noticed about it?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, you can say it.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, this particular condo, we have seen that room in what, two or three other hospitals?

SPEAKER_02:

At least two movies that we know of, right? Oh my god. It was in Return to Office. Yes. And it was in um oh, what was that other one? I can't remember. The it's uh Brennan Elliott and Lacey Shabert were their attorneys. His and hers, maybe.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, I think you're right. I think it's called But I just thought it was so Yeah, his and hers. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

You notice it well, it's very it's a very unique kitchen. Whenever they show the kitchen part of it, it's very unique. It's kind of so I was like, and I'm sure it's probably been in other movies and we just don't remember or having you know seen them yet.

SPEAKER_00:

So it's it's the island and that big uh like arch. Arch. Yes, yes, yep.

SPEAKER_02:

And the refrigerator and the refrigerator on the one side, yes, yes, yes. You recognize the set.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, you do, and you did, and you pointed it out right away, and I was like, oh my god, it is. Yeah, yeah. Hey, wait a reuse those props, right?

SPEAKER_02:

That's right.

SPEAKER_00:

Um my first favorite scene was you just you mentioned it, is when she was walking on her way to the catnip cafe, and she had I think she dropped something, and when she went to pick it up, she noticed um uh Ben through the glass, and he's a veterinarian, he and that was his his storefront. And she was just kind of you know eyeing him, right, giving him the eyeball. And I thought it was so funny, and then he just happened to look at her, and then you know, when you get caught in that moment looking at somebody, you're like, Oh, oh, I'm not looking at you, and then she backs up, and those guys walk by with a tree, and she goes right into it.

SPEAKER_02:

Right into it.

SPEAKER_00:

And then, and then when she kind of gathers herself and looks back through the window, he's kinda he's got this little smile on his face, he's kind of smirking a little bit.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it was really cute.

SPEAKER_00:

It was a good it was a good fun scene.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I agree.

SPEAKER_00:

So, what was one of yours?

SPEAKER_02:

Another one of mine was the puppet show, right? Right. So, so Ben and Olivia throw a or they have a puppet show at the catnip cafe, and it's to bring people in. And is it one of the fundraisers? Yeah, and they only end up having like four people there or something, you know, like it's a small crowd. And you know, Olivia really doesn't want to do it because you know she's not really familiar with it, and it was just the banter's really cute because Ben is, you know, like, oh, I sent you the script. And she's like, five minutes ago, who sends a script for a puppet show? You know, and it's just and then when they actually do the puppet show, he's like, he's got a British accent, yes, right? And she's like, What? You know, you have a British accent, and he's like, I watched a lot of BBC, you know, documentaries. And then she's very literal, and then she's like, and then his puppet asks her, like, what is your wish? And she's like, To not be here, and he's like, Come on, you know, these are in front of kids, and it just the writing, the banter there was really cute and really fun, um, but not over the top, right? And I just thought it really worked. And then, of course, when they're done with the with the puppet show, you know, they both stand up and there's like one person left, right? Because so I thought that was really cute.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that was a that was a really good scene. Um, another one of mine was uh when Ben he had gone over to uh Olivia's house to find the binder, it was our aunt's house that she was staying at, and he was looking for the Christmas binder, and then she found it and she gave it to him, and they were outside talking. And this is when he kind of made the deal. If if over the next couple of days you don't, you know, you don't think you're gonna stay, then I'll sell I'll sell my part of the the business um so that you can sell your part. And he gave her the book and said, just go through it and then we'll talk tomorrow. So the next day they were going through the book and she's like, Okay, we'll do this one, this one, and this one. And he's like, Oh, that's cute. We're actually gonna do them all. And that was a thick binder.

SPEAKER_02:

It was a thick binder, and she says, What? She goes, Wait, what?

SPEAKER_00:

So that's that was that's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_02:

Their reactions with one another were so good and so spot on.

SPEAKER_00:

It was, it was, it was a fun scene.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I think I I had that written down. That was probably like a an honorary fave scene for me, yeah, somewhere in my notes. Yeah, but I I liked that too. Because she was she was like, What are you talking about? And I like that's why the writing was just so good because there were some, there wasn't a lot of like um, you know, sarcasm, which is what we really like, but there were enough kind of thrown in there, right? Like when Olivia goes to his house and he has all this Christmas stuff, right? And she's basically like, it looks like Christmas throw up in here. She doesn't say it like that, but she's like, Oh my gosh, you have a lot of and it's not decorated yet. And he's like, now don't judge. And then she says, Wow, this is she makes some comment and he goes, Kind of sounds like you're judging. You know, it's just it was writing, it was quips like that that I just loved throughout the movie.

SPEAKER_00:

So yeah, I agree with you.

SPEAKER_02:

Um, another favorite scene for me would be when Olivia and Ben are making a dish to take to his sister Meredith's house. Right. And they're kind of I think they're in his kitchen, right?

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I think it was his.

SPEAKER_02:

Huh?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I think you're right.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, yeah. I think they were in his kitchen. And they both talk about their parents, and you know, it's just kind of a not an emotional moment, but they kind of get to know each other.

SPEAKER_01:

Right.

SPEAKER_02:

You know, and he tells her her aunt talked a lot about her, and she's surprised to hear that. And, you know, she she's also throughout the film trying to figure out why her aunt left her the cat, the cat nip cafe, right? And then throughout the film, she's having these memories. So it was, it was probably, you know, I mean, it was cool because she's like, I don't know why she left it. And he's like, Maybe it's as simple as she loved you. You know, and it is like sometimes it is the simplest things, right? And and I love that Hallmark actually part of this story was that both sets of their parents were alive.

SPEAKER_00:

Right.

SPEAKER_02:

They just weren't there because a lot of times it's like my mom died, or you know, when I was, you know, five or whatever, and you know, and he he'd be like, you know, my or someone would be like, Oh, my parents left, you know, my dad left in the middle of the night, never again. But I just like that they both talked about their appearance and what they were like, and they're still alive and they still have a good relationship with them, right? So I agree. Or I think he did. Right, didn't he?

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So and um, so another one of mine, well, my my last one, was when, and this is where the reference to like it's a wonderful life, and it was one of them. One of them. But I'm gonna go ahead and talk about the one where he taught where Ben talks about his dog, George Bailey. Oh, yes, crossing over the rainbow bridge.

SPEAKER_01:

Was a dog or a cat?

SPEAKER_00:

It was it was a dog.

SPEAKER_01:

It was a dog, okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

His dog, George Bailey, crossing over the rainbow bridge.

SPEAKER_01:

I know.

SPEAKER_00:

That that tore at my heart.

SPEAKER_02:

I know.

SPEAKER_00:

Started tearing up.

SPEAKER_02:

I know. And as soon as he said George Bailey, we both looked at each other, we're like, oh.

SPEAKER_00:

And they've been doing it a lot this Christmas season. There's a lot of these movies that we've seen this then. These references. Um, but then that leads me into when he was talking about going to Brussels, right?

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And something just always came up and he didn't ha he couldn't go. And that kind of reminded me of this is a wonderful life because George Bailey always he was always uh on the verge of going somewhere when something happened and then he had to stay and help. And not really being upset about having to stay because he was just a good person.

SPEAKER_02:

Right, right.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, and and I just thought that particular scene um reminded me of that.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, of that movie. I I you know that's one I'm I didn't write down, but you're right, you're exactly right.

SPEAKER_00:

And then to finish off that part, you know, he he's he's gone to the the restaurant to decorate it by himself.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, I have this one. This is my last favorite scene. Yes. Okay, well I'm gonna go. No, go ahead. No, you do it.

SPEAKER_00:

And then all of a sudden, you know, Olivia comes in and she's the first one in, and all of a sudden everybody else from the the community starts coming in to help him decorate for the uh for the party. That was so good.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, she's like bringing all the townspeople in, right? Like his family and people he's helped, and it is definitely and it's a wonderful life moment for sure. 100%, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

So did you have any more or um that was my what you just mentioned about he's decorating for their final fundraising party, right? And and you know, all the you know, the brother-in-law comes in and he says, you know, you've always been there for us. Now it's time for you know, yeah for us to be there for you. And they walk in with boxes, and it's just so reminiscent of It's a Wonderful Life when they all come in with the money to help George, you know, and you know, Anna says that Olivia called them because he would never ask for help himself. Again, what I what I also love, I want to go back to is all the It's a Wonderful Life moments. We've talked about a few of them, but you know, in the beginning, we see Ben right away. Someone can't afford to um come back. They've brought their pet to him, and he's like, Oh, you know, we'll see you in a month. And she's kind of like, Well, you know, the holidays, and she's kind of, you know, she doesn't really want to say she can't afford it. Right. And he goes, Don't worry, the next visit is free. I mean, hello.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

It's obviously, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

And then she's like, I'll bring you some cookies.

SPEAKER_02:

Right, right. Well, and then his sister's like, you know, we can't pay the bills with cookies, not to the woman, but to her brother, you know, right? So I thought that was that was so cool. You mentioned George Bailey, the dog that passed away. The fact that he knows all of the townspeople.

SPEAKER_00:

I know, right?

SPEAKER_02:

And then they come in and that's yep, yep. Um, the restaurant scene where everybody comes to help. Yeah. Excuse me. And then there's um towards towards the end. So Olivia has found a man who's like a he's gonna he wants to buy the catnip cafe, he's like an investor or whatever, and he buys what businesses or buildings or whatever. Right. And he's at the catnip cafe and he's ready for signatures. And Ben has signed it, but Olivia hasn't signed it. She comes back and she decides she does not want to sell it. And he he rips up the contract, yeah, even though Ben has signed it. And, you know, the bank examiner and It's a Wonderful Life rips up the the banknote or the warrant for, you know, George Bailey's arrest or whatever. So um I just thought, or maybe it's the banknote, but anyway, I just thought that that was really cool, you know, in that moment. And then I really liked that they made this is a sidebar, that they made the um investor guy a nice guy. He's like, if you don't want to sell it, I don't want to buy it. Like, I'm not gonna force you just because you signed it. You changed your mind, we're good. And then he adopts a cat, right?

SPEAKER_00:

So yeah, he was like, I'm not here for a fight. I was just here for signatures. And if you don't know, so I just yeah, that would that was a really that cat almost looked just like him.

SPEAKER_02:

I know. Well, not really no, you don't you mean that in a good way, like your phone?

SPEAKER_00:

You know how your pets start to look like you after a while, so people say, but yeah, yeah, yeah. But that that was a cute scene, too.

SPEAKER_02:

Yep.

SPEAKER_00:

But that's I was just waiting for everybody to break out and you know, maybe old Enzyme, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

So you haven't was that it's no no, that'll that'll wrap it up for me. What about you?

SPEAKER_00:

That's it for me.

SPEAKER_02:

That's it for you. All right, let's talk about cheers. What's your biggest cheer?

SPEAKER_00:

Um the fact that Ben was a man of his word. Yeah, you know, he said if he if you're not happy and you still want to leave after this, you know, after we finish the Christmas party, then I'll sign off on it. And he did.

SPEAKER_02:

And he didn't try to convince her otherwise. I mean, there was a little bit of, you know, I'm falling for you, I thought you were falling for me.

SPEAKER_01:

Right.

SPEAKER_02:

You know, there was a little bit of that, but he didn't push her, he didn't try to, you know, he wasn't mad at her. He he was disappointed.

SPEAKER_01:

Yep.

SPEAKER_02:

But he wasn't mad, and he's like, No, I, you know, it it is what it is. You live there, I live here. And so yeah, it was really it was really well done and a lot more realistic. Right. Because sometimes things just don't work out. Although, spoiler alert, they end up working out. It's a Hallmark movie, but you know.

SPEAKER_00:

What was one of your cheers?

SPEAKER_02:

My cheers would just be overall. I thought it was cute and playful and fun, and I loved that it wasn't over the top cheesy.

SPEAKER_01:

Right.

SPEAKER_02:

You know, it could have been, there could have been moments where they took things too hard, too, too hard, too far. Um, but I thought it was really, I thought it was really just just overall well done. And you know, like we said earlier, we were both I like that we were pleasantly surprised at how good it was, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

I was really, really surprised.

SPEAKER_02:

These movies that air on Sundays, you know, you gotta think Saturday night's the popular spot and Sunday is a good spot, but but they've turned out to be pretty good, you know, a lot of them. So yeah. So yeah, so I was I was pleasantly surprised, and I I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.

SPEAKER_00:

That's my biggest cheer. So I have one more cheer.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, one more cheer.

SPEAKER_00:

And that was the fact that Kimberly Sesta made a cameo.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, yes, yes, we didn't talk about that. You're so right. And not only did she make a cameo.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, she she talked about, oh, you know, you should get you a fireman and have him at home and a cat at home. And that's so funny because she was referencing, you know, the movie The Nine Kittens of Christmas.

SPEAKER_02:

Right, right. Or is it the nine lives of Christmas? Is it both the nine?

SPEAKER_00:

It's it's probably both, but yeah, yeah. I just thought it was funny that she referenced them, you know, the you know, you should get you a a fireman.

SPEAKER_02:

Yep, that's it.

SPEAKER_00:

So that I that was one of my cheers.

SPEAKER_02:

That was really good.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

So I I agree, I agree. That was really cute. And and I wasn't expecting it. That's what I liked about it too. I wasn't I wasn't expecting it.

SPEAKER_00:

That is true. Yeah. Do you have any more cheers?

SPEAKER_02:

Uh no, that's it. I talked about the It's a Wonderful Life of It All. That would be a huge cheer for me. Oh, big. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

All right, what about jeers?

SPEAKER_02:

I don't have any.

SPEAKER_00:

Me either.

SPEAKER_02:

Did you have I I don't have anything that I just was like, they could have done without that, or you know.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, let's jump into tinsel top moments. When was yours? Or what was yours?

SPEAKER_02:

The tinsel top moment for me would probably be when they were making the the appetizer to take and they sort of had that moment.

SPEAKER_01:

Right.

SPEAKER_02:

Uh Ben and Olivia in Ben's house where they're in the kitchen and they're making stuff and they're talking about their parents and their lives and you know, kind of what they want. And, you know, you kind of realize that Ben, you know, and I don't know if it's in that moment or not, but Ben has felt like he's been left behind, like all of his friends have moved on. That's another, it's a wonderful life moment, right? Because all of George Bailey's friends have gone to college. They now Ben obviously has gone to college. He's a vet, right? So he's moved out, he's done some things, but he's not married, he doesn't have kids yet, and you know, his sister's on her third baby, and so he feels a certain way. But I just I liked that moment of them in the kitchen. Like I said, I don't know if they talked about that particular part in the kitchen scene. Right. But I liked that when they were making something, it was just kind of fun and just sort of an intimate moment. So that would be a tinsel top moment for me.

SPEAKER_00:

That was a good time.

SPEAKER_02:

And then she she talked about her parents, right? And how they travel, they're like nomads really, and they're always like on the go.

SPEAKER_00:

And there was really no home.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

Where the heart was.

SPEAKER_02:

So what about you? Tinsel top moment?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, Joshie gets adopted.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, yes, we didn't even talk about that. Yes, another story within the story, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Um, Joshi, uh Molly, I think was she was the one that adopts him in the end, but they were always at the cafe because it kind of they were, I guess, in transition um with adopting him, and they would always bring him to the to the cafe, and he was just, you know, in love with one of the cats.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

It kind of reminded me of Sylvester, you know.

SPEAKER_02:

But Sylvester, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

The cat from um like the Werner brothers? Like Tom and Jerry.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, Sylvester, okay.

SPEAKER_00:

He was just drawn to that particular cat, and then and then in the end, they both get adopted.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it was so cute. You're tearing up. Look at Jerry, you're all too. I'm not tearing up. I have something in my eye. In your eye, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

The wind just blew from the body.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, you know, for people, and they they do calm people down. People like to have them around, they can elevate your mood, and and for him, it was somebody that he connected with, right? It was it was or you know, an animal that he connected with, not someone, but um right. And then when he got adopted, so did the cat. I forget that cat's name, but what was the cat's name? Yeah, I I yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

They they they mentioned him and I it wasn't like snowball or anything like that, but I can't remember. Yeah. And then one more side piece is the uh the cat Christmas tree.

SPEAKER_02:

I'm sorry. One more side piece.

SPEAKER_00:

The um the cat Christmas tree. All the where the cats kind of laid down.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

To a Christmas tree. I thought that was kind of cute.

SPEAKER_02:

Little nooks for them to go in and lay down, but it was in the shape of a tree. Yeah, that was pretty cute.

SPEAKER_00:

I thought that was pretty cute. So out of five ornaments, how many would you hang?

SPEAKER_02:

I would hang, I would hang four.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

I really enjoyed it. I thought I thought it was really good. We we really did enjoy watching it. It's a great, you know, holiday movie. I would encourage everyone to watch it at least once. I don't think you'll be disappointed. I hope you won't anyway.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, neither do I. Well, is that a wrap?

SPEAKER_02:

That is a wrap.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, we'd like to thank you for listening and also thank you now for watching.

SPEAKER_02:

Yep, thanks for watching or listening or both.

unknown:

There you go.

SPEAKER_02:

Follow us wherever you get your podcasts and on social media so you don't miss a thing. Until next time.

SPEAKER_01:

Cheers.