Hallmark Channel‘s Countdown to Christmas is in full swing, and the latest Christmas movie to arrive is “Mistletoe and Mimosas.
Ahead of the film’s premiere, stars Tamera Mowry-Housley and Kristoffer Polaha opened up about what makes their new movie stand out from the rest.
Pushing the Boundaries
In “Mistletoe and Mimosas,” Mowry-Housley stars as a woman who has unexpectedly inherited a Christmas-themed bar, The Tipsy Reindeer, in a small town in upstate New York. Complications ensue when she winds up in a holiday competition with Polaha’s character, the owner of a rival — and much more successful — bar.
Discussing the film with Movieguide, the co-stars explained why viewers who tune in will not encounter the typical Hallmark holiday rom-com.
“You know, Hallmark, over the last five or six years, has been really trying to broaden their horizons and push boundaries as far as storytelling goes within the confines of what Hallmark offers,” said Polaha.
“And I feel like this is a return to the old format, but really kind of wonderfully popped on its head, because it’s about two competing bar owners, which is already an adult theme,” he continued.
“And they are competing, and they kind of start off, you know, in opposite corners in a ring, ready to duke it out,” he added. “But there’s this really wonderful theme of community and connection and love. And also there’s a throughline of grief and grieving it out, and what that looks like within community.”
From the Ground Up
For Mowry-Housley, who is both star and producer, bringing “Mistletoe and Mimosas” to the screen has been a passion project.
“I literally produced this film. I created this film from the ground up,” she told Movieguide.
“I’ve been a part of the Hallmark family for about six or seven years. I love all my Christmas movies I’ve done. I just wanted to make one that was slightly different. Slightly a littie bit more mature, sexier, flirtier,” she added.
“And this character, she’s very independent and strong,” she said. “And I didn’t want to create a character where she felt like she needed a romantic partner to feel complete. I wanted it to happen kind of naturally and authentically. And I think the story has that, and has all the Christmas goodies that a Hallmark Christmas film looks for. And I’m still shocked that we got it all in.”
Competing Bar Owners
“Claire Bennett (Mowry-Housley) is a successful business consultant in Manhattan who unexpectedly inherits her beloved Uncle Lou’s Christmas-themed bar, The Tipsy Reindeer, in upstate New York,” reads the synopsis.
“When she returns, Claire discovers the bar comes with high debt — her Uncle Lou was overly generous to people in town while the booming business of Algorithm, an upscale and trendy new club, added insult to injury,” the synopsis continues.
“She intends to turn things around before Christmas and sell to someone who will preserve her uncle’s legacy and then return to her life in the city. Claire meets Zach (Polaha), Algorithm’s part owner and manager, who tells her they want to buy The Tipsy Reindeer so they can expand,” the synopsis adds. “Claire bristles at the proposition and they agree to face off in a ’12 Days of Christmas‘-inspired series of festive events to see who can bring in the most business — if Claire wins, Zach will use his contacts to find the right buyer but if Zach emerges victorious, Claire agrees to consider Algorithm’s offer. As they compete over the course of the 12 days their attraction is undeniable. Rivalry leads to romance and the two are faced with figuring out how their shifting priorities might somehow lead them down the same road, together.”
“Mistletoe and Mimosas” debuts Sunday, November 15 on Hallmark Channel.
Tamera Mowry-Housley & Kristoffer Polaha Put a ‘Sexier’ Spin on Christmas with ‘Mistletoe and Mimosas’