Christmas 2020 Reviews: Day 21 - The Christmas Setup (2020)
This is the third "diverse" film that Lifetime has brought to television screens this year. I've already looked at Christmas Ever After, the first Christmas film to star a wheelchair-using actress, and A Sugar and Spice Christmas, which was the first Christmas film to star Asian-Americans in the main roles, as well as the most prominent side roles. Now, we're looking at The Christmas Set-Up, the first Christmas film to focus on a male-male romance.
Hugo (Ben Lewis) is a successful but unfulfilled lawyer in New York. Tired of feeling overlooked at work, he tells his boss that he wants to be made a partner at his firm after three failed applications for the role previously, and if he doesn't achieve this, then he will quit.
However, Hugo is a quiet-natured man at heart and regrets the severity of his proposed deal almost at once. Luckily, he is heading back Milwaukee where he grew up, to distract himself for two weeks for Christmas, with his best friend Maddie (played by Ellen Wong). They are staying with Hugo's festivity-loving mother, Kate (played by Fran Drescher) who reunites Hugo with his high-school crush, Patrick (played by Blake Lee, Ben Lewis's real life husband). Sparks begin to fly between Hugo and Patrick, but could it develop into something real, or will Hugo's career carry him away?
This. Yes. Finally. This is the LGBTQ+ film that everyone should be talking about this year, not Happiest Season. In The Christmas Set-Up, we have two gay men who are happily open, and everyone around them is accepting of it. There's no villainous homophobe, or even a villain of any kind to create drama. The only drama comes from the fact that Patrick and Hugo may have to decide whether or not they would want to commit to a long distance relationship with each other. That is it.
I wish more the media put out content like this, instead of two people being in love being someone else's struggle to overcome as they learn to accept it.
Lee and Lewis are adorable together, and simply a joy to watch. I wasn't surprised to learn that they are married in real life, because this is some of the most authentic chemistry I've seen in a long time. After watching Happiest Season in particular, it was such a delight to watch two out characters just be themselves, and have everyone around them accept them for who they love, making it much easier for the two of them just taking their romance in their own time. This is the kind of message films should be putting out for the LGBTQ+ community, and as an ally, I hope to see more content like this on my screen in the nearest possible future.
This content within the film clearly meant a lot to everyone involved, from the cast, to the fact that the director and screenwriter are also gay.
There's a subplot connected to two men who are important to the town's past, who may have also been a gay couple, and there's a scene with a drag bar. It's all great.
So in terms of the positive LGBTQ+ representation, this film is 10/10. In terms of the characters and story? Well, that's where the film is a bit weaker I'm afraid.
If the main couple were heterosexual, honestly, this would be a boring film. Charming in a quaint way, but boring. Not a lot happens, it's really just about these two people reconnecting and getting to know each other for the first time, after secretly crushing on each other when they were teenagers. Drescher as Kate is enjoyable to watch, and there's a nice, minor subplot regarding a blossoming romance between Maddie and Hugo's brother Aiden, as well as a storyline about trying to save the local train station.
In terms of characters, I actually struggled a little bit with Hugo. Lewis is enjoyable to watch, but he plays Hugo as a quiet, geeky type who lacks some confidence. He's endearing, but I just don't see how he's such a successful lawyer in New York -worthy of a firm partnership- with a personality like that. The first scene we see him in is the one where he's demanding a promotion to partner at his firm, and it's not a good first impression. Thankfully, the following scene puts him with Madelyn, who Lewis also shares wonderful chemistry with, and the character begins to settle into what he's supposed to be from there. I just don't believe in the New York, top lawyer part. It may have worked better if we had seen him acting like a tough, powerful lawyer in court and then seeing his true, quieter personality when he's out of his element.
Otherwise, the film didn't need to be as long as it was (not that I'm complaining, our two leads get lots of screen time together, and every second of it is a joy to watch, but it is noteworthy) and I didn't like that there wasn't a real resolution to what would happen to all of these characters at the end of the film. The other two Lifetime films I mentioned, Christmas Ever After and A Sugar and Spice Holiday both benefitted from the fact that their ending was a one year flashforward, that nicely wrapped everything up. The ending of this film was just a bit too ambiguous for my taste, although I can say that it doesn't end in a disappointing way. However, I will admit that I don't know what this means for Hugo as a character, and I'm not sure if I like it.
The production quality was also a bit low at points. There's a scene where a group of children crowd around Hugo when he's dressed as Father Christmas, and there's audio of excited children playing over the moment, while none of the kids mouths move. It's a bit awkward, but not completely jarring.
Lewis and Lee are wonderful to watch, and if you want to watch any LGBTQ+ Christmas films this year, I implore you to prioritise this one at the top of your watch list. It's a real feel-good picture, and I can't see anyone not liking it. At worst, some of the slow parts may bore you, but thankfully you have two lovely leading men to guide you through those parts.
THE SCOREBOARD
Would I recommend this film? Yes.
Christmas quote of the film: "Why don't you come home for Christmas with me?" - Hugo to Maddie
Film rating: 6/10
