Emma relinquishes her job so a colleague with a family can keep his. Contemplating life's next steps, Emma meets a professional dancer, Leo, whose love for competitive dancing is waning, until a once in a lifetime opportunity arises for the novice to join the pro and sweep all of Paris off its feet.
Starring: Jen Lilley and Matthew Morrison
Image: Great American Media
My Movie Grade: A+
What Is A Paris Christmas Waltz About?
Emma Harris is an accountant who's been taking ballroom dancing lessons for a year when she meets Leo Monroe, a professional dancer seeking a new partner for a Yuletide Pro/Am Competition.
Emma is ready for something new. When her office decides to cut staff, she doesn't hesitate to quit her job to save her co-worker from losing his. With her schedule wide open, she quickly accepts Leo's offer to travel to Paris to participate in the well-renowned, annual Yuletide dance competition.
Emma is flabbergasted to learn that the famous Henry Fontaine from Fontaine Dance Studio will be choreographing their routine. Henry is old and struggling with health issues, but he wants to create one last thing of beauty, and Leo is like a son to him.
Conflict arises when Leo's former dance partner, Giselle, enters the competition. Not only does her expertise intimidate Emma, but it's clear Giselle has designs on Leo.
Leo has a strict policy of never dating his dance partner, but he and Emma generate unbelievable chemistry on the dance floor, which she can't flip a switch to turn off. As her feelings for Leo grow, she questions whether or not he feels the same way.
The emotional toll creates strife between Leo and Emma, which causes their onstage connection to tank. Can they resolve their conflicting feelings in time for the competition?
A Paris Christmas Waltz Showcases Amazing Talent
Many actors today are one-trick ponies, but in previous decades, entertainers could sing, dance, AND act. Lilley and Morrison check all three boxes and deliver a wildly engaging performance in A Paris Christmas Waltz.
Morrison is a dancer best known for his role in the television show Glee. He is trained in ballet, tap, and jazz and has performed on Broadway.
Morrison shares that Lilley, on the other hand, was "not much of a dancer" going into the movie. They both started learning ballroom dance two weeks before shooting commenced.
In the movie, both stars look like they've been dancing for a lifetime! They are naturals. The dance tells a story, and the two are very fluid, executing each step flawlessly. It's mesmerizing to watch them, and with the dance sequence set to O' Holy Night, many viewers find themselves being moved to tears.
Location, Location, Location!
It's tough to beat Paris at Christmastime. The setting is perfect, and as Great American Family promised, the movie "sweep[s] viewers into the magic of the city's most iconic destinations."
We see Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and more, but my favorite reference is to the Paris Opera House. Emma says, "The Phantom of the Opera lives there." The Phantom of the Opera is my favorite classic novel, stage play, and movie!
A Paris Christmas Waltz Has Heart
When networks mass produce Christmas movies to meet viewer demand, something important often gets lost--heart. Too many movies are light and fluffy and lack substance.
Lilley's character wears her heart on her sleeve. As Emma discovers Paris, sheer delight shines on her face and through her eyes. Emma's expression of pure joy, especially when she's dancing, is what attracts Leo to her in the first place.
When Leo asks Emma her favorite Christmas memory, she tells him it was the previous Christmas when she saw him dancing--she's not afraid to show raw emotion from the depths of her soul.
From the moment Leo pulls Emma into his arms to dance, the fireworks between the two are palpable. The viewer shares in Emma's frustration when Leo tries to maintain a professional divide between them despite their obvious attraction to one another.
The two pour their entire beings into their final dance--a dance that your own heart responds to while watching. The couple delivers what Henry hoped to create, and he is visibly moved during the thunderous applause following their performance.
Ultimately, Emma and Leo learn that more important than winning a trophy is winning each other's hearts.
A Paris Christmas Waltz delivers on faith. After giving up her job, Emma says that sometimes God's plan is "different from what we expect." Leo credits "prayers" for helping Henry recover. Even the selection of O' Holy Night is moving because so many movies choose secular songs that don't reflect the true meaning of Christmas.
Michael & Janeen Damian Create a Masterpiece
From beginning to end, A Paris Christmas Waltz is rich with content, spellbinding to watch, and filled to Frosty's hat brim with heart.
We have Michael and Janeen Damian to thank for creating what could be a Great American Family classic. The duo wrote the story, and Michael directed the movie.
Image: Twitter @michaeldamian1
The Damians introduced viewers to Christmas Waltz in 2020 starring Lacey Chabert and Will Kemp. The movie aired on Hallmark Channel, and it was the most watched cable movie that year. Fans were in awe of Chabert and Kemp gliding across the dance floor--it was pure holiday magic.
A Paris Christmas Waltz is not a sequel, but more of an additional installment to what might be a budding franchise. It's even better than the first one! The Damians have hinted to soaps.com that they are already toying with ideas for future installments. Let's hope we'll be treated to another Damian masterpiece in the future!
FUN FACT: One of Michael's Christmas songs from his latest album is featured in the movie!
Watch the Trailer for A Paris Christmas Waltz
A Paris Christmas Waltz is a keeper and deserves real estate on your DVR. Let's hope Great American Family releases it to DVD in 2024.
If you haven't yet had a chance to see it, check out the trailer below:
I loved this masterpiece as well!
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