The Art of Christmas Plot Summary
A struggling artist, Liv James, begrudgingly accepts an elementary school teaching position to make ends meet after her exhibition literally goes up in flames.
Starring: Brigitte Kingsley and Joe Towne
My Movie Grade: B-
Image: Great American Media
A Sweet Story with an Immodest & Untalented Actress
When you first watched The Art of Christmas, you may have scanned the commercials to find out if Hooters was sponsoring the movie since viewers certainly got an eye full.
Brigitte Kingsley not only produced and starred in The Art of Christmas, but she also wrote the screenplay, proving that while she enjoys using her own creativity, she doesn't leave anything up to the imagination of her viewers (if you catch my drift).
Kingsley's character, Liv James, loves puns, so let's just say when she "spills" her drink twice in the movie, she still has more than enough left in her "cup."
The story is sweetly unique. A former teacher pursues her passion for painting, is forced back into teaching to pay her bills, but finds she can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Kingsley's acting, however, leaves little to be desired and doesn't do the story justice. Her shallow performance draws from an empty, soulless well, indicating that she's accustomed to her looks paving her way when her talent couldn't.
In fact, Kingsley's co-star, Kelly Kruger, is the better actress. Brit (Kruger) is Liv's best friend, and though she also dons a risqué dress for the art exhibit, she still manages to "knock" her part out of the park. Kingsley's voice is too muted and airy, and though she's always smiling, she is emotionless. Her acting is the same in every scene.
Based on the nearly pornographic images of Kingsley that pop up when Googling her name, she is not the caliber of character we want on a channel that prides itself on offering wholesome content, especially when her personal style seeps into the characters she plays.
Ariella Cannon is wonderful in her role as Trisha, the new kid at who struggles to fit in. The award for best performance, though, must go to the leading man, Joe Towne. Why? The entire movie, he manages to maintain eye contact with Kingsley. That had to be very difficult for an average, red-blooded male.
Image: Great American Media
The Best & Worst of The Art of Christmas
One of the best lines from the movie is the advice Jake remembers receiving from his grandfather after a break-up. He repeats, Life moves on after huge disappointments. You have a choice. You can either wallow in that self-pity, or you can move forward. That sentiment contains much wisdom.
The art in the movie is interesting. When Liv tries to paint, she finds herself uninspired. Mary Jenkins, former principal, tells her to paint the places and faces she loves. Liv does just that, and she creates enough paintings to fill the walls of a new exhibit at the gallery.
It's also lovely to see schoolteachers honored for the time and care they invest in their students. We hear in the news about the indoctrination that happens in schools, which it does, but we need not let the bad apples ruin the bunch. There are still tons of wonderful teachers who make positive impacts on students every day.
Some GAF fans remarked on social media that they liked seeing older couples find love. Both Kingsley and Towne are in their late 40's.
Other pieces of the movie are a bit lame.
It's apparently a good omen for artists to receive a beet smoothie before a show to symbolize "beating" the competition. How many of you could manage to drink a beet smoothie in a white dress without staining in?
Image: Great American Media
Liv invests all of her time and money into producing enough paintings to fill an exhibit. Her future and her dreams depend on its success. Yet, when all but one painting is ruined in the fire, she doesn't have a meltdown, cry, or languish. She smiles and eats ice cream with her BFF and says she's fine. Even more unrealistically, Liv manages to bang out a gazillion paintings within days for the next art show, even though she's teaching full-time and helping Jake prepare for the concert.
Finally, the typical "misunderstanding" that occurs between Liv and Jake for the movie's conflict is not done well. Liv has made it clear that she and her boyfriend, Bradley, have broken up. When Bradley appears at the school on Liv's birthday to whisk her away to celebrate, she tells Jake that she can explain. He says she doesn't have to, so she doesn't--even though she could have easily insisted and assuaged his fears. Even after she sends Bradley away, making it abundantly clear they are through, she still can't effectively communicate this to Jake. She says her relationship with Bradley is "complicated." It's not complicated!
The Art of Christmas is an enjoyable story, but it's overshadowed by Kingsley's B-rated acting and her perpetually exposed bajongas.
I agree!
ReplyDeleteI actually stopped watching the movie because of the immodest clothing choices.
ReplyDelete