Christmas Cupid

Starring Christina Milian as Sloane Spencer, Ashley Benson as Caitlin Quinn, Chad Michael Murray as Patrick, Jackée Harry as Sloane’s Mom, Ashley Johnson as Jenny, Burgess Jenkins as Andrew and Ryan Sypek as Jason.

Sloane Spencer works in PR in LA. One of her biggest clients is Caitlin Quinn, a Lindsay Lohan wannabe and massive handful. Sloane is competing for the VP spot in her firm, along with ex Jason, whom I thought would be her main love interest in this clearly romantic centered Christmas movie. Sloane surprisingly (or not if you’re more perceptive than me) is dating her boss Andrew – the big boss’ son. Sloane’s focus is on her promotion – even making her staff work on Christmas Day to launch a big party for Caitlin’s new movie Snow Angel, and promising and then forgetting to help launch her BFFs new restaurant. Ironically before the Snow Angel party, Caitlin herself dies, choking on a martini olive (this reminded me of that singer who died choking on a ham sandwich) and the Snow Angel launched is merged into a memorial as well. You know what they say, any publicity is good publicity. Caitlin visits Sloane right after she dies, telling her that she’ll be visited by three ghosts, and that she must change her ways. Caitlin seems to accept her death very quickly, which I found a little unrealistic. She also carried a martini glass around with her at all times, which people can see when she’s not holding it.

Sloane doesn’t believe her, of course, because why would you believe the vapid ghost of a dead client? (I would believe ANY ghost that visited me, for real). When viewing Caitlin’s body at the hospital, Sloane runs into the real ex of this movie, College boyfriend Patrick. Sloane puts off having dinner with him, and that night is visiting by her first spirit, who has taken the form of her first ex, High School boyfriend Brad. Brad and Caitlin take Sloane to visit all her exes, and Sloane starts to realise how she has been ‘trading up’ all these years, just like her mother. When they reach the scene of her break up with Patrick, Sloane realises that Patrick was going to propose to her, before she packed up her stuff and took off on him. The Spirit Brad tells Sloane how her current boyfriend Andrew is cheating on her, and breaks up with Andrew the next day. She also agrees to meet Patrick for dinner, and everything is going well until Andrew shows up and proposes to Sloane. She accepts, and poor Patrick slinks out with his tail between his legs for the second time. That night Caitlin and the ghost of Christmas Present ‘Jason’, show Sloane how her actions have affected the people in her life on this Christmas Day. Her friend Jenny and husband Ed talking about how Sloane takes Jenny for granted, her secretary Ella misses out on spending Christmas with her son, and her mother spending Christmas totally alone. Lastly, Sloane sees Patrick the night before watching her kiss Andrew after the proposal and finding out Andrew was actually on the phone the whole time.

While Sloane attempts to fix things with Jenny and Patrick the next day, she only makes things worse, and as the third night approaches, everything seems bleak. Sloane finally sees what her selfish ways have cost her and those around her – Her mother replaces her with a dog, Jenny’s business failed and she is working as a waitress and Sloane is dying in hospital all alone (and divorced from Andrew, who reveals himself to be the third spirit). Sloane wakes the next morning and leans out the window to ask a little orphaned Rabbit what day it is. “Why t’is Christmas Day Sir,” the Rabbit replies (maybe I’m confusing this part with A Muppet Christmas Carol ;)). But seriously, she goes off to her Mom’s, and instead of getting their traditional photo taken like I thought they would, she takes her Mom and drops her at Jenny’s house. Righto, I’d be all like, ‘thanks again for nothing,’ if I was Jenny. But at least her Mom isn’t alone, although she isn’t with family. Next Sloane lets her secretary go home (what about everyone else working?) and makes sure Jenny’s gift cards go in the Celebrity gift bags. Sloane then gets her promotion, dumps Andrew, and sees Caitlin get her wings. Finally, she of course goes to the hospital, convinces Patrick she made a mistake, and they end up at Jenny’s with her family and friends.

“God bless us, every one.”

Rating – This is one of the few movies Sarah and I watched apart. Funnily enough, we both gave it a seven. For me, the fact that Ashley Benson and Chad Michael Murray were in it was awesome, and I love almost any adaptation of A Christmas Carol, although it wasn’t the best I’ve seen. Still, 7/10 isn’t bad!