Hallmark has produced more than 300 holiday-themed movies over the past decade and they tend to be romantic comedies or stories about families that reunite around Christmas. The movies are meant to be comfort food on a cold winter’s night, so no one seems to mind that they’re filled with predictable plot lines and cliches.
Hallmark movies have become a big part of America’s holiday tradition. Last year, more than 80 million people watched at least part of one.
Each film usually begins with a single woman in a small, quaint town having a meet-ugly or a meet-cute with her love interest. In a meet-ugly scenario, the boy and girl are either adversaries in a cause or inadvertently injure one another in a freak accident. If it’s a meet-cute scenario, the two randomly run into each other and have an instant connection.
Regardless of how they meet, the couple falls for each other and then a major misunderstanding drives them apart before they are brought together again
Writer Shyla Watson went Christmas tree shopping on November 27 and inadvertently found herself in a situation that resembled the first act of a Hallmark holiday movie. Her tweet about it quickly went viral, receiving more than 72,000 likes.
Christmas tree shopping day. I’m at my most powerful ? pic.twitter.com/I7zJsFLqvq— Shyla Watson (@shylawhittney) November 27, 2022
I can’t believe I’m even writing this but just now I was trying to get my Christmas tree off the roof of the car. Clearly struggling. A voice calls out asking if I need help. I turn around. A HANDSOME, SHIRTLESS, TATTOOED stranger comes forward. (1/2)— Shyla Watson (@shylawhittney) November 27, 2022
Shyla didn’t get his number but that may not be such a bad thing. Liv pointed out that the movie has just begun and it was a total meet-cute situation.
No, it’s good that you didn’t get his number bc they never do in the first scenes. Please frequent your local cafe, join a local cause/protest, go Christmas shopping on a busy weekend, and walk around unaware of your surroundings for optimal results. Please update. Thank you.— liv? (@oIiviacarter) November 28, 2022
Amber Picota noted that there is a surefire way to get the man’s attention: gaze at the snow with a warm drink in hand.
Hear me out: during the first snow, walk w/ a mug of cocoa in hand, to the front porch. You gaze at the miracle of snow. You’re distracted by movement across the street. He too is mesmerized by the snow. Your eyes lock. There’s a softness in his eyes. He waves & walks your way.— Irreverent Reverend ✊??? (@TheAmberPicota) November 28, 2022
Shyla should also prepare herself for a meet-ugly reversal.
?this. Also, carry in the other arm a stack of poorly organised papers and files of different colours to increase the drama of the accidental both or you not looking where you’re going collision— Natasha Guttenbeil (@tashinja) November 28, 2022
Or, she can double down on the heavy-item tactic.
You need to get another bulky thing in your car and struggle to get it out, so he’ll appear again and say “We need to stop meeting like this.”— Henri Hart – Querying ‘Corner House’ (@HenriHartWrites) November 28, 2022
Auld Anxiety knows how to find him and find out if he’s single.
aight so boom, this what you gotta do…call your friends/family and get a caroling group together. Go to every door in the neighborhood till he answer. Now u know where he stay at AND if he got kids/wife cause he’ll call em to the door. pic.twitter.com/FWAFqkI3Kq— Auld Anxiety (@NotFknYt) November 28, 2022
Keep an eye out for ex-girlfriends. They always tend to pop up somewhere in these movies.
And after knowing him for 1 month, he will invite you to his small town family’s Christmas party where his ex is also attending. She’ll try to make a move but don’t worry he’ll shut it down. By the end of the night, you’ll be engaged. Congrats!— cat ???? (@CatIsFamous) November 28, 2022
But of course, problems will arise.
Make sure to tell everyone that you are not interested in a relationship this Christmas and that love is not for you and that you are busy with work or some other big project so that way you will be more shocked and surprise to see him at the office/event party.— Aries Roivas (@AriesRoivas) November 29, 2022
Nonononono! She’s the brilliant designer who comes up with THEE hot Xmas ornament whose sales are going to save the company, which he inherited from his grandparents.— Angelina♣️??? (@MemphisBelle111) November 28, 2022
You’re going to figure out where he lives because you will see him walking out his door with a very attractive woman. You will be jealous but eventually you will find out she’s his recently widowed sister. You will feel bad and relieved at the same time.— Ann Mitchell☮️ (@saythewordmom) November 29, 2022
Pretty sure you might need to go to your local bookstore which may be closing down because a greedy real estate mogul wants the land for development. You’ll find your guy working there because it’s his family store.— Candace Stephenson (she/her) (@defcandy) November 28, 2022
So when is this going to become a movie already?
Patiently awaiting episode two of Handsome Holiday Help pic.twitter.com/OaNJeps7S9— knishiwa08 (@knishiwa08) November 28, 2022
The fact that Hallmark holiday films are so predictable isn’t entirely due to a lack of creativity at the channel. Romantic comedies are generally filled with cliches that date back to Shakespeare.
The Take spells it out perfectly:
“The Rom-Com Formula: Two people at odds, a meet-cute, misunderstanding, or an outright lie, an adorably clumsy heroine, a red herring love interest, a whimsical job, a big apartment, zany side characters, kissing in the rain, the epiphany, the happy-ever-after… and more.”
Shyla has yet to update the world on what happened after she had her meet-cute, but maybe that’s because “Handsome Holiday Hunk” is already in development at Hallmark and she doesn’t want to blow the deal.
