By Rachel Priest and Julia Esposito
Due to this unpredictable year, everyone is wondering if the holiday season will be like past years. Even though a movie is not a cure for the coronavirus, a cheesy, lighthearted, festive film can surely remind many of the true meaning of the holidays, even for just an hour or two.
Pulling at everyone’s heartstrings in 2018, the action-packed family movie “The Christmas Chronicles” left viewers wanting more. The sequel came out on November 25 and reached number one on the Netflix Top 10 chart shortly after its release. The movie focused on the protagonist, Kate, trying to save Christmas with her quirky side character, Jack, all while learning the lesson that accepting change is a part of growing up.
“I thought it was better than the original and I really enjoyed it. It had a great plot that kept me and my family interested,” said sophomore Adrianna Gomes.
Another 2018 Christmas staple, “The Princess Switch,” came out with its part two on November 19. “High School Musical” star Vanessa Hudgens plays three leading roles in this movie: a princess, a baker from Chicago, and a money-hungry schemer. With the confusion of who is who, it leads to stressful yet laughable scenes and moments filled with romance that leave viewers on the edge of their seats.
Source by Saanvi Mirchandani
"The Princess Switch: Switched Again" is a holiday movie starring Vanessa Hudgens that recently released on Netflix.
“I recently watched ‘The Princess Switch 2’ and, although cringey at times, it was overall a hilarious sequel that met my expectations. I would definitely recommend it to someone who is looking to get into the holiday spirit and who wants to feel like a kid again,” said sophomore Gabriella Bonetti.
Other streaming services such as Hulu are also currently taking part in holiday releases. A new movie, “Happiest Season,” is a typical holiday story with a modern-day twist. It is based on the premise of a student going home for the holidays with her roommate, who is actually her lover. Unfortunately, Harper and Abby have to hide their relationship from Harper's conservative father whose political career is on the line if their secret is revealed.
“LGBTQ+ representation in film is very much long overdue and now is definitely the time to do it. While I appreciate the film’s efforts to spread acceptance in an especially divided time, the idea that this film is groundbreaking on the basis that it centers around an LGBTQ+ relationship is flawed. I personally believe that it’s sort of discouraging that a film about something so common is being societally praised. I think it says a lot about society if a movie about a love story is something so controversial. That being said, the cast is incredible and it seems like a really good film so I definitely think that overall it does a very good job, not just as a good film for LGBTQ+ representation, but also as a good feel-good film in general,” said sophomore Anna Detke.
“While I appreciate the film’s efforts to spread acceptance in an especially divided time, the idea that this film is groundbreaking on the basis that it centers around an LGBTQ+ relationship is flawed...”
Although it was not easy, these movies were made despite the pandemic. Most American movies switched filming locations due to restrictions from the virus. “The Christmas Chronicles” decided to make the movie in Canada due to its lower number of coronavirus cases. The cast and staff took precautions to ensure a safe environment.
“The Princess Switch 2” was affected as well. The first movie was filmed in Romania for the beautiful views of the castle and a real princess vibe, but due to the virus, it was changed to Scotland. The virus also took a toll on holiday movies because no one was able to see them in movie theaters. The majority of a movie's profit usually comes from ticket sales in the theater, but those that are not signed to a particular streaming service like Disney Plus or Netflix could not profit from anything.
Although the holidays will most likely look different this year, those in the film industry are working hard to provide the best form of entertainment given the circumstances.