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You’ve Got Christmas Tree
12 Plays5 days ago
Movie spoilers abound! We’re watching “A Lot Like Christmas” (2021) starring Maggie Lawson! The small town of Hudson Springs, New York has many Christmas traditions… The most important of which is buying a fresh Christmas tree at The Roberts Family Farm. But when super store HGS opens up shop down the road, The Roberts Farm is in jeopardy of closing. Can Jess (owner of Roberts Farm) and Clay (exec of HGS) find happiness during this busy Christmas season? We’re talking You’ve Got Mail, Hallmark movies, grief, and more. So hug your favorite tree and join Kylie and Skyler on their second annual “Christmas Jules” episode of Phsysics 101!
Want to keep up with us and new episode drops? Join us on Instagram and Tumblr @phsysics101podcast.
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Transcript
Introduction to Sci6101
00:00:21
Speaker
All right. Hi, everyone, and welcome to the Sci6101, where we discuss everything about the world of psych and the antics of Sean and Gus in sunny Santa Barbara. I'm Skylar, and this is my partner, Sheila.
Christmas Jewels Tradition
00:00:32
Speaker
And today we'll be talking about A Lot Like Christmas. It's our second round of A Christmas Jewels. How exciting. yeah I really love a Christmas jewels. I love that this is- Such a great tradition. Yes.
00:00:45
Speaker
She's just so adorable. And Maggie Lawson is just so cute in everything she plays. feel like she plays the cozy hometown girl very well. It's a very nice cozy- Yeah, and this is like really a different role than um Sugar Plumb. Like, even just because this was her last, her previous one, right? What year was this? 2021. 2021 was one.
00:01:11
Speaker
one was one And Sugar Plumb was last year? right? I think it was yet relatively recent until last year when we watched it Because it I think it premiered when we were doing you're right. You're right. You're right. Yep.
00:01:24
Speaker
um We're going backwards on the Christmas tools. Yeah.
Maggie Lawson's Character Evolution
00:01:27
Speaker
So it's interesting, like a difference of three years, she goes from like being kind of a, you know, a a young single small town girl to being like a urban yuppie mom yeah yeah of like teens yeah that is kind of interesting just like how they how like aging works in the acting world h you know because i feel like there's a period where like everyone plays young people and then there's a period where like everyone plays more senior people
00:02:05
Speaker
yeah where everybody yeah where every female role is a mom of course um well she i feel like she was sort of aged up yeah sugarplum how old is she well okay we have to remind ourselves we're 30.
00:02:26
Speaker
Because I feel like we often forget that. Oh, wow. She's 45. Yeah, see? I think also because we talk so much about how young Jules is. And she is like 23 or whatever the pilot in the season and season one. Yeah.
00:02:42
Speaker
So that's shocking. Yeah. Yeah. um Not that 45 is all that old, but it is surprising. And also like watching, re-watching things, people stay fixed in these like, yes totally in this moment.
00:02:58
Speaker
um But that is not real. No. Life continues.
Societal Pressures and Jessica's Story
00:03:06
Speaker
So I guess it'd be more like in, uh,
00:03:14
Speaker
A lot like Christmas, maybe she's kind of playing younger little bit because i thought of her as like maybe 30. Yeah. Well, think they they do make a point in the movie of being like, why are you still single?
00:03:27
Speaker
You know, you you could have had someone by now and like had a family and like all this stuff. She's like, well, you know. stuff has gotten in the way or like I really liked helping my dad or you know whatever was so I wonder if that was maybe a nod to like oh she's a little bit quote unquote older than she should be whatever that means um to get married and have kids but this is the reason yeah I get it it funny because like she doesn't seem very old at all she is a very she's very young like face like facial features mm-hmm
00:04:02
Speaker
I am wondering if there's like a a transcript to look at for this, but. Oh, that would be helpful. Everything I'm seeing is just that it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Let's see.
00:04:18
Speaker
Oh, yeah, that might be too much to ask. So hopefully I can remember. I watched this okay a little while ago. Try and guide us through as usual if we need. Yeah.
00:04:30
Speaker
What do you think of the, what do you think the name means? Well, I think it is supposed to be some kind of play on like Christmas tree lot.
00:04:42
Speaker
whoa yeah because i was as you were talking i'm like oh well i guess you know they're going through a lot of change the first christmas since her dad died like a lot is changing like yeah the town there but and then christmas was a lot i would have never thought of that's but yeah that yeah i mean that's kind of what i thought of yeah wow i'm working on multiple levels just like a psych title that's like a psych title totally well maybe yeah I do like the whole, like it's it's similar like Christmas. It's not exactly like Christmas, but it's a lot like Christmas. Like I like that idea because her a lot has changed. Yeah. That's like tip one of my favorite Christmas songs is Where Are You Christmas from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Oh, i love that movie.
00:05:29
Speaker
yeah and that that's a sad song that cindy lou who sings about like christmas changing o that's so true man man um and she does seem to have this energy this character you know her name jessica Jessica, that's right.
00:05:51
Speaker
She seems to have, and don't know if it's really a naivete, but like an idealism about how things are supposed to be. And like, you see that a lot in the contrast with her and her brother.
00:06:05
Speaker
Yes. More of a numbers guy. And like she. Yes. Yeah. Maybe she's just never had to deal with kind of the the real difficult parts of this job.
00:06:20
Speaker
This like family establishment that they have. And so she kind of is very like.
00:06:31
Speaker
Rose colored about it all. Which. Yeah. so this Yeah. Like Christmas changing in a lot of ways would be difficult for her. I could imagine too. Like, you know people deal with grief and very different ways.
00:06:47
Speaker
So I could imagine like, yeah, their their dad passed in the spring, but Christmas was a really important thing for all of them. And tradition was really important. man My God, they have a Christmas tree farm. like you know I could also see maybe her way of coping at this time is to just be like, it's all good. We're going to be good. like Don't worry, everyone. This is awesome. Why make this magical? you know um Because I'm sure it's stirring up a lot of a lot of grief-filled feelings for her.
00:07:14
Speaker
That's true. And I guess it's the nature of the tone of the movie. But they never really go there. No, don't. In the terms of how anybody's feeling. Like the mom is particularly like, well, this is the first Christmas since your dad died. I'm like, are you sad?
00:07:31
Speaker
Are you all right? i know, I'm not. seem fine. I'm not. I'm not. I have not watched a lot of Hallmark movies. I know you've watched many more of a Hallmark movie. Is that like pretty standard for Hallmark? Like it's, it's kind of like a feel good. Like we're just going to keep everything.
00:07:48
Speaker
don't know. I would think I do tend to, when I watch this sort of thing, i am looking for like a something light or like, uh,
00:08:01
Speaker
ah
00:08:04
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. It's just not too heavy emotionally. Yeah. So, but I do feel like there are movies in this kind of realm that would be, would lean more on the melodrama. um I don't think it would be like out of place.
00:08:23
Speaker
I'm trying to think, was there, I feel like there was maybe a scene where in this. That was a little... Was it the scene in the diner where she finds out that he's the HGS?
00:08:35
Speaker
Maybe. Or HSC or whatever it is and she's like, you lied to me? And he's like, I didn't want to. And there's like this dramatic music behind them and then he's like, let me pay. And she's like, no! And throws down the cash and walks out.
00:08:47
Speaker
Yeah. It was definitely, yeah, more dramatic. Yeah. And I feel like there maybe was something with the family, but I can't remember now. ah But...
00:08:59
Speaker
But yeah, I was kind of like, it was almost like off-putting just how little they cared about. I mean, but but to your point, that could be like a coping mechanism for them all, this being their prime time.
00:09:16
Speaker
Yeah, and and that's true too. To some degree, they they kind of have to be on because people are coming to the tree lot for this Christmas spectacular, you know.
Coping with Grief during Holidays
00:09:26
Speaker
Yeah, that's really interesting. Like they are kind of, working kind of around the clock here because they are so representative in this town of Christmas.
00:09:39
Speaker
um ah My goodness, the the mom is in the senior choir, senior caroler group as well. There's a lot.
00:09:49
Speaker
The mom was funny. She she reminded me. i Did you watch You've Got Mail at all? No, I didn't. I didn't watch it either, but I know it very well. Yes. But the mom kind of reminded me of the Birdie character in that movie, which is the older woman who has worked at the protagonist's bookstore for a very long time. and um And she's sort of a lot more
00:10:17
Speaker
don't know. Maybe it's just like that by nature of being older, like just having not being as
00:10:28
Speaker
devastated by like the potential of losing what it was. And I maybe because like in a lot like Christmas, the mom has just lost her husband. Like she's really lost.
00:10:42
Speaker
it already kind of like you know like the tree farm is already not what it was and christmas is already not what it was so maybe it's just like not as not hitting her and maybe that's part of how she's reacting and then whereas jessica isn't a little more clinging to yeah what it's supposed to be when i do think there's a lot too of like children and parents and parents' expectations and legacy. Like I think that's that's a lot kind of wrapped up in there where I think with a, you know, with a partner or a spouse, it's like, well, you wanted to have a tree farm. Cool. But like we don't. That's true. Maybe it's not her passion. Yeah. But I was just going to call her Jules. Jules. Jessica.
00:11:27
Speaker
Jessica thinks when she thinks of family, the tree farm is one of the things that she thinks of when she thinks of Yeah. Of course. Yeah. I wonder if they had another... like if her parents had other jobs because the dream farm doesn't do anything else. Like that is the impression we get because the spoilers, the solution is that it will do other things throughout the year. yeah So yeah, I would think that maybe they had other things going on. And then we also learn at the end, which maybe it would have been helpful to Jessica to hear this sooner, but like that the dad kind of kept it going for her. Right. Right. yeah Because like it was so important.
00:12:06
Speaker
to her classic miscommunication. Not that it's not important to either of them, but just that they they're kind of so committed to it on the other's behalf. Right. Yeah.
00:12:21
Speaker
Yeah.
00:12:25
Speaker
So the general the general premise of the movie is that, very much like us, the general premise of the movie is that Jessica Roberts and her family run a mom and pop tree farm, which they say the term mom and pop, like 17 times in this movie, and a big box superstore, harvest grown supplies or something like that. h HGS is the symbol we constantly see.
Jessica Roberts vs. Corporate Threat
00:12:55
Speaker
Yeah. and something Something like that. They have just arrived in this small town in what I assume is going to be northern New York because they make a bunch of jokes about new York. Those are fun jokes. Yeah, they are. They are cute. I thought it was funny when he was like, I live in New York and she's like, this is York. This is New York.
00:13:15
Speaker
New York City. ah Manhattan. ah Those annoying Manhattanites. God, those city slickers. Yeah. Yeah, so so this new box store is opening up this chain and one of the corporate marketing specialists comes to the town to make sure that the opening of this big box store is going to go well.
00:13:39
Speaker
And he bumps into Jessica, almost gets knocked down by a tree while he's doing some, what they call market research about the town?
00:13:50
Speaker
And sparks a fly and we follow their journey. Yeah. The first thing I noted about this man was he has great hair and Sean would have been very jealous. Yeah.
00:14:04
Speaker
Oh my gosh, that's funny to imagine Sean being in competition with this guy. Oh no. you Yeah, immediately there would have been so many hair quips. Yeah, this guy definitely seemed like he's done some modeling.
00:14:20
Speaker
Yes. Yeah, very angular. Very...
00:14:25
Speaker
polished looking. Yes. Which also evokes the New York City m corporate guy. Yeah, which they do even reference at one point. Someone's like, you're not from around here, are you? Yeah.
00:14:39
Speaker
Looking at him. Yeah. But he's never... he doesn't really have any bite to him like the way a character like that might and again you've got mail um little more uh like that character in you've got mail is um i guess there's just a bit of more of a not darkness but just like
00:15:11
Speaker
Edge, maybe? Yeah, that's a good word. Yeah, I think to that whole storyline, there's more edge. um So, yeah, he he really, like, his only,
00:15:29
Speaker
i guess, flaw in the context of this movie and yes the values that we are presented with, which are, I don't know, they're fine values, but he, ah I guess the main thing is like his, his podcast is what comes to mind that he listens to. you That's like, like a a real caricature of, um,
00:15:52
Speaker
like business bro yeah yeah try to make it in corporate america and like you need to the matters is winning yeah yeah kill everybody get to the top get to the top yeah um and it doesn't it's like he is subscribing to these things and like he is really working hard to you know to move up the ladder but it doesn't seem to really jive with his his inner yeah self yeah and it's interesting i thought like right off the bat when he drove into the town he like opened the door asked about the starbucks we see earl and felix sitting there and they're like oh you got to go to dotty's like it's the best whatever he's like can i get you anything and then they start listing all these things like i literally thought he was just going to be like
00:16:41
Speaker
Yeah. Say something snarky and walk off. He literally got them with a hand. I know. That's like. Yeah. That's very unusual. Yeah. That's so sweet.
00:16:53
Speaker
Yeah, you're right. Yeah, the way he comes in he does, I feel like as a viewer, having a certain amount of literacy in these kinds of stories, like I would have expected him to be more of an asshole. Yeah. And him have to learn, not like, learn the true meaning of Christmas or something. yeah Very sugar plumbed. Yeah. yeah um But it's more like
00:17:24
Speaker
he is sort of pretending to be something that isn't really true to himself, which is kind of interesting. And I'm thinking now about like other kind of hallmarky tropes.
00:17:39
Speaker
um And I feel like there is a cliche of like ah a working woman coming back to her small town and then like realizing that small town ways are so much better and learning the two minutes. meeting Christmas and staying there. um So this is kind of refreshing. Yeah. It's kind of a twist on that because you get the man giving up his big city career. Yeah. um So that's nice. Yeah, totally.
00:18:08
Speaker
Yeah. And I like that um kind of in the same vein as that. I like that There was at no point where he was like, plant sucks you like your family farm. like Yeah. Dying. He was like, you're I want to encourage you to run the business. and Yeah, he's like trying to help. I feel like his conflict is more that he he doesn't want to right chase them out of business, which again, in You've Got Mail,
00:18:37
Speaker
That there is like this pleasure that especially the male Tom Hanks' characters, like dad and grandfather have, they seem to take this pleasure in chasing these like little businesses out of business.
00:18:55
Speaker
Yeah, he is. This guy, Clay, I'm like... clay yes. I did write it down. um Yeah, he seems to be like a sweet, well-meaning guy. and he's just And also, i i thought the kind of twist on Harvest um on HGS was also interesting.
00:19:21
Speaker
That like... part of what resonated with him in going to that job. And there are a lot of, i think, I think that's probably resonant for a lot of people of our generation, you know, like, where or or just people in general who like are looking for like a good job, but also want to sort of have, have it align with their values little bit. Um,
00:19:46
Speaker
So this, this store has a story that it was founded by some guy and it was a small family business and then it grew and blah, blah, blah. And that really, you know, he really likes that. He likes the values at the foundation. And then at the end, it comes about that that was all made up a lie as like a a marketing thing.
00:20:11
Speaker
And insult to injury, he is a marketer. Yeah. Well, yeah and you can tell too that it's like, it makes him feel icky. Like it makes him the wrong way. And it makes him start thinking about like, oh, not wanting the promotion and not going back and supporting the small business.
00:20:31
Speaker
Yeah. It's like his whole life is like a lie. um Yeah. It does kind of feel like that, huh?
00:20:40
Speaker
Because I think that's how he kind of
00:20:45
Speaker
reconciled it for himself was that like, well, this is also a good, ah good business and it's bringing lots of jobs to this community and it's more affordable and blah, blah, blah, blah. But as we know.
00:21:00
Speaker
Big box stores have many ethical drawbacks. Yes. so Oh, one of my favorite things, speaking of like quote unquote ethical drawbacks, when Jessica goes undercover to the store and she's like looking around and she's looking at the Christmas trees. She's like, $24.
00:21:20
Speaker
How are they doing? It's not even a Northeastern fur. Ooh, the last two weeks. yeah that's cute. It's like she knows her Christmas tree She knows her Christmas trees, gosh darn it.
00:21:32
Speaker
Her whole life. Yeah. Oh, and I love that this is slightly tangential, but I love the whole like people come to this farm and they like plant the saplings. and then Yeah, that was very sweet. I was like, oh my gosh. And her dad planted that first sapling of that one big tree. i was like, oh my goodness, that's such a wonderful idea.
00:21:54
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. It's like making it a whole event. Yes. A whole family thing, you know? And imagine that little girl being like, well, if she, I don't know, if she doesn't think too much about the fact that you're killing a tree, but think about being able to like go and be like, wow, this tree was planted when I was born. Like, yeah it's like waiting for me. You know what I'm Yeah. So i don't know. I love that idea of like making it a whole family thing.
00:22:24
Speaker
extravaganza yeah well and that is like like their trees probably are more expensive but it's like whole event so yeah it's an experience yeah yeah but it's hard it's a tough subject matter because like people don't have enough money but also big businesses a lot of times suck and small businesses have to be able to make it too they have to have certain prizes it's tough stuff it is don't know if there's any happy answers it was nice that this movie gave us a happy ending that was happiest of endings yes um because you've got me on a happy ending but also she does lose her store
00:23:16
Speaker
yeah Yeah, that's sad.
Hallmark Movie Expectations
00:23:18
Speaker
And some people I think, you know, it would be hard. I think it's hard for them to like that movie because like, sure um you know, you don't want to watch a family business be put under by a big box store. So.
00:23:34
Speaker
Yeah, and we've we've talked in the past too about like how it can be hard when things don't resolve in the way that you want them to. Like want to enjoy and watch that movie. But if that and makes sense for that character and that storyline, then yeah.
00:23:51
Speaker
Yeah, and I guess also just like and we've talked about like the gray areas. Yeah, all of them. Like not everything can turn out perfectly all the time, but in a movie like this, I can't.
00:24:05
Speaker
Yeah, well, and I think that I do think there is something to be said for that. Like people come to Hallmark movies, at least when I think of people who watch Hallmark movies, like you said before, they go for something light, they go for something happy, they go for something that makes them feel good. And in the most dystopians of world.
00:24:24
Speaker
currently live in I think that's okay. People want to let go and just watch a feel good movie. um I think that's all right. Those are allowed to exist too. Yes. Yeah.
00:24:37
Speaker
Yeah, and there is something very, like, sumptuous, too, about movies like this. I do think this movie did a good job. Because sometimes you watch um some on, like, other channels. And it's, like, it doesn't quite give you what you want out of it. you know, in terms of, like, the look. Like, maybe there's not enough snow. Or there's just, like, the vibe. Yes.
00:25:04
Speaker
But like this, you know, we've got this beautiful Christmas tree farm. Their their house is so pretty huge and and beautiful. yeah it looks yeah um And it's so warm and cozy like it at night.
00:25:17
Speaker
I wonder where they filmed it. There was some like, it kind of felt like B-roll where it was like you were actually looking at roads. Yeah. So yeah,
00:25:29
Speaker
so yeah definitely was a nice Christmas vibe. Yeah. And I liked that it was it was cozy.
00:25:41
Speaker
Like there were aspects of sugar plumbed at times where I was like, this house is massive. And it's so massive that like no matter how many trees you put in it, it is still massive. But this was like everything was very like close and very like familiar. and Yeah. Very warm.
00:25:57
Speaker
Yeah. And I feel like in Sugar Plum, that kind of worked for that because it was a story of... Right. Yeah. There was a lot of distance between all those characters. Right.
00:26:08
Speaker
Yeah. I feel like Sugar Plum is a really unique one, as we said at the time. love Sugar Plum. Yeah. Just waiting a second one. It really needs to be. Because like you were talking about like snow and stuff. They were not in a snowy place. But I feel like that was all like all served...
00:26:22
Speaker
that character and that story. So, you know, shout out to Sugar Plum. watch it. Yes. is it's true There was a lot going on in this movie, even though it seems like it was just going to be like these two people. liked that there was also like a best friend and her and they were like going to the town halls together. And then this best friend also happened to be in a band and we did like a charity event. Yeah, that's true.
00:26:53
Speaker
Yeah, and that kind of helps like... with the with the setting of like kind of Gilmore Girls-y you know like this town there's like all this stuff going on and and it's interesting seeing a town like that that is sort of this ideal place like Gilmore Girls, Star's Hollow, going through budget issues and like suddenly now they can't do all that stuff and like what that means like it it was I do feel like they made some interesting choices Yeah, and I liked that ah to Clay's credit, as we talked about him seeming like a very nice person.
00:27:27
Speaker
He wasn't just like, haha, sucks. like Everyone's coming over here and spending their money here. It sucks that you don't have money. He was like, well, let me donate to I mean, it wasn't just him because he like wanted business. He didn't want them to then yeah fail. Yeah.
00:27:41
Speaker
right he wanted to help them and he really i mean maybe more than anything nice jessica yeah but also he was like just as invested in getting people in the new store so it's like he kind of plays both sides yeah but i'll i'll take marketing for good i'll take donating a tree and opening a skating rink so people have a nice christmas like that's you know something kind of nice about that even if it's a limitless he teaches people now but age little and little elative yeah but it's tough i mean again it's tough the people in the town are also trying to do like their best by their family and stuff like they're in the town meeting there's that man who's like because i forget they canceled something the christmas village the santa's village santa's village yes and he's like what am i supposed to tell my kids yeah
00:28:35
Speaker
I also like that there was like a brother and his best friend Xavier, like that they had like a little thing. i really thought they were going to fall in love. I hoped she kind of thought so too. I kind of thought so too. actually because I think maybe they were, but it was like one of those things where maybe the actors knew that they were, but but maybe you can't do that on a movie on Great American Family or whatever. Yeah. Whatever for the small work is.
00:29:01
Speaker
Yeah, I thought so too because he was really he was really taking it hard that Xavier went to work at HGS. Yeah. That's a rom-com. I mean, it's a very similar... So yeah, exactly. Very parallel rom-com happening.
00:29:16
Speaker
It's a very parallel rom-com. Yeah. And the way they talk about Xavier too, like and he was looking for a job for like, what, four months or something? is Like, yeah, that's hard. Like we can't, it's hard to like really commit to certain ethics when you can't.
00:29:35
Speaker
Yeah. You don't pay your rent. Totally. i one she And she said too, the mom said to Scott, the brother at one point, like not everyone is as fortunate as you to like go to college and pick their career and come back. Yeah. And that's the, it's interesting that,
00:29:51
Speaker
like Because in that situation, the mom was really, again, like a voice of reason. Like she was really not bent out of shape about. yeah She just seemed to have, i guess, the wisdom of age.
00:30:01
Speaker
Yes. She's like, yeah, I'm going to go have fun at the HGS skating rink and now we have to sell a farm. I want a free scarf and hot chocolate. Yeah. You know, it is what it is. Yeah. Yeah.
00:30:12
Speaker
I know. Yes, Scott, not wanting to let Xavier or Clay into the the charity. And she was like, it's for a good cause. Thank you. Take the money. Yeah. Like, oh, we're full. Yeah. I was like, dude, calm down. you I feel like the it turned romantic for me because he was so like...
00:30:34
Speaker
aggressive about it. Totally. It was like he was like deeply Yes. Yeah. Defended. Yeah. Deeply offended by this choice. well And I love, I just think it's so interesting too that at one point they were like, I guess we could have given him a job. And I was like, it took you four months to feel like felt like you guys could have given him a job.
00:30:54
Speaker
you But I think also they couldn't have, like they, they seem to be like. Yeah. Pinching the pennies too. Yeah. Yeah. one of the One of the jokes that I just remember from this movie that I was like, oh, good Lord.
00:31:07
Speaker
So Clay's doing market research. He goes into the tree lot. Jessica's cutting down a tree. The tree almost hits him. she's She's like, oh, my God, I'm so sorry. And he's like, don't people yell like timber or something when they get on the tree? She's like, people don't people don't say that. And then later on, they're at the town hall.
00:31:26
Speaker
And there's one Christmas tree cookie left. And she's like, oh, you take it. Like, please. And then he like picks up and he's like, oh, i've I've got it. Don't worry. We can both have it. Timber. And then he cuts it like – not cuts it half. Very cute. Part to her, part to him.
00:31:41
Speaker
And then at the very end – I guess because she – I guess because she falls for him. Ah-ha. Ha-ha. Wait. She says timber again.
00:31:53
Speaker
I think I missed that. When? At the very end, the last scene of the movie, he gives her the car. We're like in the driveway. And he's like saying that he's going to, he wants to stay.
00:32:04
Speaker
And um she's like here in whatever the town is called. And he's like, wherever you are. And she like jumps, they like kiss. Yeah.
00:32:16
Speaker
And then she like pulls away and she's like timber. i think I missed that. That's funny. I feel like I was really taken out. I think maybe I missed it because I was so taken aback at how abrupt the ending was. It was so abrupt. With all these movies, it's like kiss credits. yeah like what we We're done.
00:32:35
Speaker
you know i We don't want to unpack any of that. No, none of it. We want no resolution outside of a kiss. I was just like, this timber. was like oh I guess that makes that very full circle. They probably were very excited to come up with that. Yes.
00:32:52
Speaker
They thought that was very clever. have a couple of notes about how ah adorable Maggie is. I loved her outburst at the um town meeting. Like how she is like, not going say anything. And then yeah when she gets going, she's like, mom I feel like she is so good at really bringing depth to these things.
00:33:19
Speaker
characters because like yeah I mean these channels are churning out like so many of these movies it would be so easy to just have them have zero personality and I feel like she really brings an energy to these characters yeah i thought that was a really fun scene and then um when her and delaney are talking to maybe it was also part of that scene i'm talking to clay and they have like a moment and delaney kind of was like making fun of her a little bit she's like yeah i didn't see anything yeah yeah it was right after right after that yeah the tree bit the cookie bit
00:34:00
Speaker
yeah they were really cute together her and delaney i love them as friends like i totally bought that yeah yeah that was a fun character too and you're right like her having you like a band and stuff it's just like it's just taking that extra step to make them like a little more interesting yeah or even like um the cameraman he was not a cameraman the newsman the news yeah sherman Yes. I loved their interactions with Sherman when they were like delaying me like blackmailing him. Do you remember what I had to do for you for senior prom?
00:34:36
Speaker
And I was like, this is very psych moment right here. Yeah. And he gets all nervous and like runs away. was going to call her Jules again. Jessica is like, were you bluffing? Was that real? And she goes, no, that was real. She's like, okay, because I couldn't tell it was real or if it wasn't.
00:34:54
Speaker
I'm glad you're on my side. That's all I know. Yeah. Yeah, the role of the news was funny. Yeah. Their news seems like the the scale of it was, it seemed like for a bigger city.
00:35:12
Speaker
like when they I think, I mean, maybe it's like all of upstate New York or something, but some of, I think they're in the diner and it, ah when it cuts to the lady like talking about, I think HGS,
00:35:30
Speaker
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. like CNN or something. Yeah, like if she's in the newsroom. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and I love this diner. Yeah. I love this Dottie Steiner. As a New Jerseyan, I love diner. did think it was funny that like Dottie has this relationship with Clay. A lot of people know Clay. Yeah. And know who he is. And nobody, don't know if they just don't think that Jess doesn't know.
00:35:59
Speaker
But like nobody like clues her in Yeah. I think up and until um until their diner date, it's not... like I don't even think he's necessarily certain who she is until he walks into the house with the mom and he's like, oh you're here and this is the farm. And crap.
00:36:22
Speaker
And I wonder too if like they had even been seen out together yet. You know? Yeah. Well, when they walk into the diner for their date, it does like clay seems a little on edge.
00:36:35
Speaker
Fair. And I was like waiting for it to come up and it's not until Sherman comes in. a little Sherman. Yeah. Yeah. But I feel like. What was his line? I was like, oh, landed on thick Sherman. I feel like we could have had more like.
00:36:54
Speaker
Dottie didn't seem to think anything of it. they were Were those guys there too? Yeah, they were. Earl and Felix. Yeah. And they all kind of, it doesn't faze them at all, which oh no yeah I guess maybe they're just not thinking of it as the competition. Whereas Sherman knows very well kind of what's going down because they're kind of using him. They're both using him. Yeah, yeah.
00:37:17
Speaker
It's true. Yeah. Yeah. He says it's really good to see you two rivals at peace talks. oof dont Yeah. Yeah.
00:37:29
Speaker
Yeah.
00:37:32
Speaker
yeah And it was interesting too. Do you think she would have taken it any better if it had come up So like there, you know, she he goes and picks her up and he goes in to help her get into the car. And he's like, I have to be honest. And he's going to tell her that he works for HGS and then he chickens out and says he doesn't like eggnog.
00:37:56
Speaker
And then they go to the diner. And later on, Sherman kind of like sneak attack reveals it essentially to the two of them. Do you think it would have gone any differently if he was like, I'm going to tell you because I like you and I want this to go well um instead of it being like a secret that he kept from her? Or do you think she kind of would have reacted the same way?
00:38:18
Speaker
I'm laughing because that's such a Jules question. It is. I like asking you these theoreticals. Well, and it's so like, is Jess, how similar is Jess and Jules? Yeah. Are Jess and Jules? Because that fascinating.
Impact of Open Communication
00:38:32
Speaker
that is funny how that's kind of a psych parallel in that we have this sort of big lie yeah maybe it would have gone better um i feel like her disdain for the store also kind of grows over time um and is sort of like delaney really brings it out and um and maybe had she known earlier anne
00:39:04
Speaker
And if he was more open, like when he's giving them advice and stuff, like right if he was more open about his, like where he worked, because he did like lie, like in that scene. forget where he says he...
00:39:19
Speaker
Where he says he works. Just as in marketing. Yeah. He like is purposefully not telling them. To lie by omission. Yeah. So maybe maybe it would have been awkward, but like maybe m they could have actually had a conversation, whereas it becomes something he's hiding from her. Right. Yeah.
00:39:40
Speaker
And now that I'm thinking, I'm looking at my notes, going back a little bit, but there was the, that part where Clay is at the diner and Maggie's on the TV and talking about really bad mouthing HDS, which is right out of You've Got Mail, I gotta say. Oh yeah. Oh, there you go. Hey. Um, But Dottie is standing right there. So like she is aware that there's tension. And so I think and then it's like the scene after that they come or like like right after basically that they come to dinner there. And I'm like, why didn't Dottie like even like give him a look or something? It's like she doesn't seem to even think about it.
00:40:21
Speaker
Yeah. Well, don't, yeah, don't know. Maybe she's thinking kind of similar to Sherman. Like, oh, maybe he like went to the Roberts and was like, hey, we we can figure this out. Like we can, work you know, we're we're working in the same community. Like let's go have a business dinner maybe know together. I mean, who knows? Is this the only establishment in the town to eat? It's apparently the best place for coffee. So who knows?
00:40:48
Speaker
It does seem like maybe it is. It seems like a really small town. Like that's. Yeah. yeah And they talk a lot about people coming from other counties to go to the store. So it's not even that like their town can sustain store like this, but more that it's a draw.
00:41:07
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Which if this is such a small town, like maybe the mayor is right in saying, hey, a big box store like this could be helpful in getting more people to come to the town, gives us more jobs, gets people to do. I mean, it is totally true. But that's kind of the challenge is like that is true. And also...
00:41:29
Speaker
those can be bad for other businesses and i mean i don't know we don't it doesn't seem like this store is as bad as some of our other real life stores um like it seems like a good job for xavier hopefully he makes good money you know yes we also don't really know what the store does other than has christmas trees outside we never go inside thought it was just like a hardware store That's what I kind of imagined, but we're never like walking through the store. yeah ales We're either outside or we're in like the offices.
00:42:04
Speaker
Yeah. Well, that would be whole nother set. Oh, true. We can't have that. And a big one. Might be, yeah, might be a little bit too much. But I was thinking like ah like a Lowe's or something, which does have trees and blowups yeah and and then just like.
00:42:22
Speaker
stuff. Hardware stuff. Yeah. No, very dorky dancers. Oh, I put that down too. They were such dorky dancers. Like the the little shoulder moves. Yeah. Oh my gosh. meet each other. I was like, oh gosh, here we go. can't deal with this.
00:42:41
Speaker
Yes, that would be so hard to film. I mean, I guess there's a lot of things that are embarrassing about acting, but like, sure I feel like that would be hard. Well, and I wonder too, like, did i always think about like, the choices that are made and, and who has the most say?
00:43:00
Speaker
So like did they say you guys need to be like really just dorky, not great dancers? Just like, you know, you want to near each other, but you don't want to be near each other. Like you want people notice, but you don't want people to notice. like Or did they just executively choose?
00:43:16
Speaker
It didn't, I don't know, it didn't read like a choice to me. Maybe just not. not That's fair. We don't have the most. We don't all. Yeah. that's We don't have our own talents.
00:43:32
Speaker
who Yes, I did think that whole thing was it's very silly. And even him suggesting that they dance near each other, i was like, this is silly. It's like, this is very silly.
00:43:46
Speaker
Yeah, the way he approaches their whole dynamic once she does know is interesting. Like he's and just kind of hoping she'll get over it i guess he's very persistent yeah mean he like i mean he essentially walks up to her like five or six separate times throughout this interaction of her not liking him but to be fair i mean she is not necessarily like i really need you to stop talking to me she's like like your sweater she yeah I like you, but I don't know how to i don't know how to deal with this. so Yeah. And I do feel like she...
00:44:24
Speaker
Like some of the anger for Harvest Grove. There you go. um It must just be like the Harvest Grove store or something. Could be, yeah. Harvest Grove store. Like why would you call it that? don't know. HGS. I don't know.
00:44:42
Speaker
Supply? maybe supply. Supply. Whatever. Whatever. Yeah. But her... her anger really does seem to kind of come from like her brother and her friend and stuff. Like I feel like she is a little more receptive, but it's like, and then kind of like stops herself.
00:45:10
Speaker
Yeah. It does almost feel like if, if maybe there were no other influences, if she, she maybe would have gotten over it a little bit faster. Yeah. And it might be also like, her naivety because like thinking about like you've got mail which I sorry I just I'm thinking about you've got mail sounds like you're like the parallels yeah they're basically things in
00:45:36
Speaker
in in that movie, like in the beginning when this bookstore is coming in, like that character, Meg Ryan's character in that movie is very similar to Jessica in that she's like, it's completely different. Like they do something completely different than we do. We are like an experience, like, and she's really worrying about it. And that like sort of becomes a problem as they are losing money and like stuff.
00:46:03
Speaker
So, um, Yeah, I could see her being like, not worried about it. And then maybe, so maybe then it would have been more, like maybe if they did start dating, it would have grown into like a problem for them.
00:46:26
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, I think that would also, you know, they they talk a little bit about like the the business and the personal. in Which that's also, you've got mail oh is it really yeah you gotta this is you've got christmas tree that's what i'm naming this one you've got christmas tree yeah because there's yeah that's like a whole running thing in that movie where tom hanks's character it's not personal it's business and oh my gosh um and meg ryan has this wonderful little line speech thing where she says
00:47:02
Speaker
it's just not personal to you. It's personal to me. um And yeah, so that is a big running thing. So I did write down, it's not personal, it's business. Yeah, okay. Because that's what good what I was essentially going to say in in a situation where even if they had dated before this became a problem for Jules, well, it's going to turn, Jules, Jessica, going to turn personal because he works for the company and essentially whatever he does directly impacts her. So it it is kind of hard to separate the two yeah in in this case.
00:47:35
Speaker
Yeah. Well, and when it's your family business, like that is inherently personal, like of course. Right. Very true Very true. And so I feel like that as in you've got mail, like it they just have these fundamentally different relationships to what they're doing. Although it's also kind of his family business and you've got mail, but in this, like clay just works there. Right. And like, he wants to do a great job and he wants to get a promotion and he wants to make a lot of money and live in New York city and blah, blah, blah. But it's like, that's just his job.
00:48:09
Speaker
Yes. And it's easier when it's, you know, if you just have a job, it's easier to be like, well, that's, you know, not who i am.
Life Beyond Work
00:48:17
Speaker
Right. Like it's made probably also easier for him to keep it from her because it's like, that's only a piece you know. Right. That's a good point. Right. For her, it is who she is. Yeah. For him, it's just a piece.
00:48:31
Speaker
Yeah. I do like that the the kind of resolution for him is that there's more to life than work. which I think is really important nowadays. yeah I think the world is trying to tell us that work is or should be our entire lives. and yeah But you could argue you that the same is true for Maggie and her family because it is their whole world. Although, yeah, again, the logistics of the tree farm, I don't know. I guess you have to like grow the trees, which takes right all year and you're probably doing stuff on the farm all year. But yeah, wonder if they have other pieces to the farm.
00:49:15
Speaker
like Do they have, do they grow produce and like throughout the rest of the year they sell the produce? know. It seems like a radical idea to her at the end that they could, like when he's like a pumpkin patch. Yeah, that was so cute. Yeah. pat And I feel like like around where I live, it's pretty agricultural community. And most places that are pumpkin patches also have Christmas trees.
00:49:35
Speaker
Like that is kind of, so i I feel like because she was so like, blown away by the idea that they could do other things throughout the year it kind of yeah gave me the impression that that's really all that the farm does is the christmas trees it's kind of wild yeah but like if they had another like if her parents had other jobs right outside of the farm yeah and it would kind of make sense that i mean maybe her dad was like a handyman or something like maybe it was more of like a flexible or like um not like a nine to five kind of job um allowed him to like or maybe he had like other seasonal work in like the summer um but but yeah and now them coming
00:50:24
Speaker
if Clay comes to live in Hudson Springs and they like run this farm together all year round, like that's also like their whole life is definitely going to be that far.
00:50:37
Speaker
So it's just a different kind of thing, but at least they have a community. Yeah, and at least it's you know it's theirs. They're not slaving away for somebody else's dream or somebody else's dream. and always trying to achieve and like always trying to get the next thing.
00:50:55
Speaker
Yeah. Like the podcast he was listening to. Yeah. Yuck. Yeah, yuck. Agreed. Not our kind of podcast, clearly. Not like this podcast. No.
00:51:07
Speaker
This is just us having fun. This is scholarship. This is scholarship. Scholarship. Scholarship. Yeah.
00:51:19
Speaker
I think Sugar Plum Stool. Sugar Plum Stool reigns number one for me. But it was fun. yeah I mean, it was a nice Christmas movie. like it was in like Yeah, definitely worth a watch. Yeah. I've seen far worse.
00:51:32
Speaker
There you go. It was fun. I thought... And I think... she's just fun to watch she is i think a lot of the performances i feel like that can really make or break these movies sometimes um like if they're able to sell yeah this kind of story and yeah i thought they did a great job yeah was it was very fun i would If there was another one, I would genuinely consider watching it.
00:52:00
Speaker
About what happens next. Do they open their pumpkin patch? What does that wedding look like? They should do a pumpkin patch. That's what I was, when it ended, I was like, okay. Like, because they had the whole setup of like these, the couple. Yes. And she's like, oh we're going to do weddings stuff. And I'm like, I want, in the credits, I want to see that wedding. Oh my God. If this was in a movie theater, you would see it. Oh.
00:52:26
Speaker
He has like a special like after scene. That would have been so nice. Yeah. Or even just like just like pictures. You know? Like the credits. like yes On the farm. Yeah.
00:52:39
Speaker
i I craved that at the end. lot like Christmas too. This is what we need. but Every single time we do this we're just going to be pitching the sequel. We did. We did. for sugar flu yeah We're going back in time. So the longer we go the less likely.
00:52:56
Speaker
That's okay. I'm all right with that. One never knows what will happen. That's true. We've got a Devil Wears Prada 2 coming out. so I'm so excited. right really because i know that well i I feel like because we always say what we're going to I want to look at what our next Christmas movie will be, but we we're not going to watch it for a year. That's okay. We could always do that too.
00:53:19
Speaker
And right before that is Christmas in Evergreen, colon, Tidings of Joy. Tidings. Okay. Tidings of Joy is making me feel like it's to be a happy.
00:53:33
Speaker
and this is a true Hallmark movie. this is Oh, it's a Hallmark, Hallmark. Hallmark Channel original movie. Oh, okay. Like Sugar Plum. Very good. Was. Yeah.
00:53:46
Speaker
We'll just stew on that for a year. Yes. Why not? It'll be here before we know it, honestly. i feel like this one came around really fast, too. Yeah, that's how it goes. But we have got a lot to watch between now and then.
00:53:59
Speaker
We do. Yeah, our next episode, I believe, is She's all that. And Mrs. Bright. Yeah. Yes. I am down to fantastic movies.
00:54:14
Speaker
Very fun. And foundational in the, uh, the iconic humans they gave us. and yes like Yes. And I feel like they they play into, especially Princess Bride has like a lot of the humor, like that very kind quick paced, like silly goofiness that we see in Psych. So I think it'll kind of parallel in that way.
00:54:38
Speaker
course, we're going to get to see, oh, Freddie Prinze Jr. and she's got, she's all that, right? oh Yeah. And he comes into Psych later. Oh my gosh. Okay. I'm so excited. This going to be so much fun. Yeah. Two movies though.
00:54:50
Speaker
Jam packed. Yeah. yeah we're going to have to really pace ourselves. Well, happy holidays. Yes, happy holidays. Happy Christmas, happy new year, happy solstice. We're recording this on the solstice. Oh my gosh. thanks In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice.
00:55:09
Speaker
um Stay safe out there. Enjoy time with... the people that you love, whomever that may be. And if you'd like to join us back here next week, we'll be watching She's All That and Princess Bride. And of course, discussing the Fame TV show Psych. Bye.
00:55:28
Speaker
The Say 6101 would like to thank and credit the design efforts of Olivia Genesis, musical talents of Skane Music and Mikael Hunt, the production abilities of Kyle Dalton and Skillard Jensen, and of course, the support of our friends and family.
00:55:42
Speaker
If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to rate and review and join us back here next time for more of the Sci6101.