'Christmas On Wheels' Review: Lifetime's joyous film revives festive spirit and pays homage to age-old traditions
One of the most blissful memories attached to Christmas is presents! To see your X-Mas tree adorned with colorful gifts or finding your red stockings filled with goodies. Maybe, a surprise under our pillow too! Any of these memories revive our Christmas spirit. Lifetime's latest romance drama ‘Christmas On Wheels’ brings out all these emotions and more.
The movie explores the theme of charity and service to society, while paying homage to age-old traditions. It dives deep into paying reverence to human bonds – be it with family or strangers, because what’s a celebration if it's not with the community!
The film has Ashley as an auctioneer (Tiya Sircar) and Duncan (Michael Xavier) as a lawyer in lead roles. Their pairing exudes sobriety and affection that touches our hearts. The pair meets when Ashley returns to her small hometown to care for her uncle Tony who recently broke his ankle. However, what saddens her is that he has sold her mother’s vintage red convertible car.
The car was special to Ashley as it is reminiscent of wonderful Christmas memories. It was used by her mother and her to spread joy and give gifts to kids as part of charity at Christmas. So it's not just her, but the entire neighborhood that loves that red vintage beauty. This ignites a zeal in Ashley to bring back the car and restore it to its former glory so she can again revive the tradition that is long gone after the demise of her mother.
Will Ashley get the car back? That is left for the viewers to watch as she braces up to drive it again. Moreover, Duncan plays a key role and acts as a lucky charm for her on her journey. One would like to see how the pair who meets in a fretful way ends up being close to one another. Theirs is a bond that goes way beyond the usually gushy romance. The pair has done a splendid job in bringing a raw appeal to their characters. They open up about their vulnerabilities and fears and share a platonic love. The comfort they find in one another’s company over little camaraderie chats makes for organic chemistry. Their natural bond complements the overarching theme of cherishing traditions over the sham of modern.
These simple customs bind the community and spark bonhomie which lies at the core of the film. Be it the Christmas auction, lullabies, charity sale or a petition to just bring back the old embellished Christmas trees on pavements, it truly portrays how Christmas “just came home”.
Moving beyond traditions, the film also unravels how Ashley feels torn about her plans to return to the big city as she has to return for work after the Christmas festivities. She realizes in the end that it was not just the loss of her mother that dispirited her to celebrate Christmas but also how she distanced herself from the harmonious jingles of the festival. As she comprehends what she was missing all these years while staying away from her family and traditions, will she now go back to the big city to where she escaped? If she does what will she be leaving behind? To seek these answers you have to watch this festive film.
'Christmas on Wheels' premieres on November 14 at 8 pm ET on Lifetime.