Having recently broken up with her boyfriend back home in Louisiana, a young woman by the name of "Jolie Guidry" (Hilarie Burton) has since moved to New York City to pursue her career as a professional website designer. During this time, she becomes best friends with a female lawyer by the name of "Naomi" (Danneel Ackles) who, as it so happens, has an older brother named "Jack Friedman" (Robert Buckley) that Jolie doesn't much care for since he stood her up on a date several months earlier. Be that as it may, Jolie is looking forward to returning home to Louisiana to stay with her family during Christmas. Her initial excitement fades, however, when she learns that her former boyfriend "Foster Broussard" (Hunter Burke) will be there with a new girlfriend--leaving her as the only person among her family and friends being single and without a date. Naturally, not having anyone else to confide to, she turns to Naomi for advice and is shocked by her suggestion that Jack should accompany her to Louisiana as her new--yet totally fake--boyfriend. Jack, for his part, doesn't particularly like the idea either until Naomi suggests that, in return for his cooperation, Jolie must create a new website which will help his struggling career as a writer. Yet, even then Jack is still reluctant. That changes, however, when his publisher gives him a new assignment to ghost write a romance novel that just happens to take place in Louisiana. So, in order to ensure that both Jack and Jolie fulfill their end of the agreement, Naomi drafts a contract for the two of them to sign. What none of them realize, however, is the emotional commitment necessary for this effort to succeed. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that my initial expectations for this movie weren't that high due to the overall made-for-television format. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised as the film managed to deliver a nice balance of humor and emotional suspense to carry the day. Likewise, I also enjoyed the chemistry between both of the main actors as well. That being said, I recommend this film for all viewers looking for a good "Christmas movie" and I have rated it accordingly.
Review of The Christmas Contract
