Johnson Production Group,
Ashley Williams, Ashanti, Shanola Hampton, Jon Prescott, Michael Durrell, Kylie Price, David Ralphe, Josh Crotty, Beverly Leech
Wendy (Ashley Williams) and her Mom are trying to save her deceased father’s toy store in their town, but the bank is about to foreclose so she heads to the city to take a position at Wolman’s, the largest department store in the city. But the store has lost the family feel that the store once had and is being controlled by the “board” who sends an expert (Ashanti) in to streamline and modernize the store and improve the bottom line. She fires the Santa and brings in a group of hunky Santa strippers, eliminates the Christmas bonuses and the day care facilities that the family friendly store used to have. So Wendy is trying to help, but runs afoul of the scheming woman who sets out to destroy her. Can she save the store and figure a way to save her Dad’s store at the same time?
This is a traditional Christmas film about the evils of big corporate and the niceness of family owned businesses. There’s a lot to be said for that scenario I guess, in real life every day. In this case though Ashanti plays a really good villain, and it’s not hard at all to hate her from the get go. She seems to be having a great time playing the bad guy in this movie, and she does a great job. Of course the owners of the store are an elderly father and his son who plays the love interest for Wendy. All in all it’s a concise story, well written, and very well performed. It’s interesting and fun, and a really nice Lifetime movie premier in 2013.
[Here is the official Lifetime home page for the movie and a link to watch it in full on-line]
