Lacey Chabert (the undisputed queen of Hallmark Christmas movies) plays Isabel, a high-ranking inspector for Santa's Naughty or Nice Group. What is N&N? Well, it's the corporation Santa outsources the management of his naughty and nice lists to, because the job got too big for the elves. Isabel, who is human, is tasked with spying on children, sending information back to N&N headquarters, and deciding whether the child gets a lump of coal or not.
Anyway, Isabel's current case involves a young girl named Charlie (Compton) who is teetering on the edge of being naughty or nice. The case gets even more complicated when Isabel literally bumps into Charlie's father (Hallmark Christmas king Andrew Walker). That's a big no-no. Also, dating the father of someone involved in a case is also a no-no. But, hey, you know how this goes! It wouldn't be a Hallmark movie if the main characters adhered to the rules, even the rules of a reality where Santa Claus is real.
Director: Stacey N. Harding
Writer: Joey DePaolo
Stars: Lacey Chabert, Andrew W. Walker, Cadence Compton
Christmas at Home: We spend a lot of time at the Naughty or Nice Group headquarters, which is apparently in Delaware (Mrs. Claus is a big proponent of working from home). And if all of this sounds complicated, it is. There are a lot of rules and regulations (which is kind of the point of the movie), but our protagonist, Isabel, cuts through all the ritual and bureaucracy by talking directly to the audience. It's a clever, albeit much-needed, device that makes "She's Making a List" stand out from the usual Hallmark Christmas movies.
The Night Before This Movie: How did Isabel get into this unique career? Don't worry, it's explained via flashback. And who founded the Naughty or Nice Group? We hear that story too, told by CEO Rudolph (not <i>the</i> Rudolph the reindeer). Unlike almost every other Hallmark Christmas movie, this one needs extensive explanations because, wow, this movie actually has a concept. Okay, the Santa Claus in this movie is <i>hot</i>, right? I mean, if you're a gay man who likes big, bearded men (like me), Santa Claus is already on the hot list. But this Santa Claus, who wears modern clothes and has an impeccable haircut, but still retains that twinkle in his eye? Dax Belanger should play Santa Claus in a movie every year.
Ho Ho Ho: I'm giving this award (yes, it's an award this time) to Alessandro Miro (The Santa Class), who plays the hyper-charismatic and very Italian "reader" Giuseppe. He steals every scene he's in, and even though he's a quasi-antagonist, you still like him.
Just as advertised: That is, Isabel is literally making a list. She's making the list. The most important list of the holiday season. It's her list.
This is a strange movie, and I tend to root for the weirder Hallmark movies. And by putting two stars like Chabert and Walker in the lead roles, Hallmark clearly wants to expand the definition of a Hallmark Christmas movie. This film has much more in common with The Santa Clause and Elf than with the typical cable TV romance, as evidenced by the plot and the budget. There's some really careful production and set design, as the film establishes what the Christmas tradition is like in this reality.
Just... don't think too hard about that Christmas tradition. Leave that to the crew members, because the entire narrative structure holding this movie together could crumble with the slightest touch. I mean, it's incredible that there's an entire company dedicated to giving coal—actual coal—to "naughty children" at Christmas. Andrew Walker delivers a monologue towards the end of the film that really highlights how absurd that is, and it's a great performance from Walker.
The problem is, the rest of the movie is so much fun. It's easy to forget that it takes place in a world where I guess everyone knows that Santa Claus is a real, living, breathing being. How else do almost all parents in the world explain the lumps of coal that appear under the tree some years? And yes, I say "almost all parents" because children seem to be on the naughty list by default. I'm still trying to figure out what's wrong with She's Making a List, and I keep thinking about Sugarplummed, last year's Hallmark Christmas movie, with its original premise. For starters, in Sugarplummed, I didn't perceive the underlying cruelty that is present in this film (the CEO of the Naughty or Nice Group would fit right in on Selling Sunset, and that's not a compliment).
Another point: I think She's Making a List is hampered by having such a well-known cast. Lacey Chabert and Andrew Walker are so associated with the formula that She's Making a List is trying to avoid.
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