IT'S CHRISTMAS, CAROL! (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television film is a modern-day adaptation of the classic 1843 Christmas-themed novella by Charles Dickens. The program begins as Carol Huffler, the cold-hearted head of Springwood Publishing company, calls her senior editor Kendra and orders her to move up a staff meeting, much to her employees' alarm. Carol reminds them all that they are to work on Christmas day, and the classics editor, Tanya, nervously tells her about a new novel by an unknown author, saying that it is well-written and deserves to be published. Carol abruptly fires her, however, stating that they publish works for their potential profit alone, not for their writing quality. Kendra asks Carol about her long-awaited transfer, reminding her yet again that she hopes to move to London with her boyfriend, Zac, but Carol turns down the request. Later, Carol talks on the phone with Gloria, her mother's longtime nursemaid, and says that she is too busy to visit for the holiday. At a Christmas Eve party, the staff complains about Carol's unfair methods, and an agent, Pam, criticizes Carol for firing Tanya over the book and introduces her to the writer – who turns out to be her ex-boyfriend, Ben. They quickly begin to argue again, with Ben feeling that he is "still not good enough" to meet her approval.
Carol escapes to the bathroom and is shocked to encounter Eve, her late boss. Eve explains that she has been sent by her own bosses, the "board of correcters," to help Carol repair her life. Carol realizes that it is suddenly 1985, and though she is sure that she is dreaming, Eve urges her to "give herself over" to the experience. They visit a department store and Carol spots her own mother Linda hard at work at one of her many jobs, visited by little Carol herself. Jumping ahead fifteen years, Carol encounters her younger self browsing at a bookstore, and she realizes that it is the day she first met Ben, watching as they chat and bond over their favorite works of literature. Carol remains dismissive about love, however, and Eve takes her to visit the day on which she and Ben moved into their first apartment together, observing as Carol gives Ben a typewriter and urges him to finally write his novel. Carol complains that Ben was never "realistic" about his dreams, and sometime later she tells Ben about her plans to make Springwood more competitive, exasperated with Eve's "head-in-the-clouds" idealism. She declares that financial success defines a good writer, pointing out that he does not have ambition, and Ben reflects sadly that she has changed and leaves her for good.
Carol jumps out the window in an attempt to wake up, while elsewhere Fred and the other employees hatch a plan to start their own publishing company and ruin Carol as revenge for her years of shoddy treatment. Carol "wakes up" and is annoyed to find Eve still there, realizing that she recognizes the story that she is in. Eve agrees that "Chuck" Dickens embellished the details when he wrote about the spirits' visits, and Carol notes that she always saw Scrooge as the victim of the tale. Eve then takes her to Tanya's house, explaining that her husband died in a car accident and that Kendra sent flowers in Carol's name, adding that Tanya must now return her kids' presents for the money since being fired. They next visit the bar where the staffers are hard at work on their plan, and Carol is outraged to hear that they are planning a coup. At home, Zac urges Kendra to simply quit her job and come to London with him to write, as she has long wanted to do, but Kendra says that she has a future at Springwood and will not leave Carol despite her unkindnesses, and Carol grimly observes the parallels between herself and Ben.
Eve then takes Carol to Linda's home, where she sadly confides in Gloria about missing her daughter, and Gloria gives her Carol's gift, really purchased and sent by Kendra. Carol points out that she supports her mother financially, but Eve tells her that her time is the truly priceless gift. They visit Ben, who tells his sister Susan that he envies her family life and wishes to have kids of his own, but when Susan urges him to reconsider his feelings for Carol, he states that she is no longer the woman she once loved. Stung by this, Carol storms out and finds herself home alone, and she researches the Dickens tale and finds that she still has to visit the future. Eve reappears and takes her to a cozy scene in which she and Ben have been happily married for decades and have several children and grandchildren, though Eve explains that this is only one version of her fate. She next shows her through "door number two," in which she dies a lonely death and her funeral is attended only by Kendra, who took the head job and became just as ruthless as Carol was, and Carol finally declares that she wishes to truly change.
Carol wakes up in her bed and realizes that it is Christmas, and she finds Ben's manuscript at her door and quickly reads it. She then visits Tanya's house and apologizes, telling her that she was right about the book and requesting that she come back to work. Suspicious, Tanya bargains with her for more days off and benefits for the staff, and Carol agrees at once. At work, Kendra is alarmed to hear of Fred and the others' plans to "rebel," but they are all surprised to find that Carol has set up an elaborate holiday party for her staff. She announces that she has reformed her mean ways and that they are all now board members and will receive two weeks' paid vacation, also promising to publish books for their artistic merit, and the happy employees agree that she must stay president after all. Carol then gives Kendra a year-long paid sabbatical, urging her to go to Europe to write, and thanks her for the many extras she has done over the years. She then reunites with Linda and Gloria and has a heart-to-heart with her mother about their relationship, and Linda urges Carol to go find Ben, saying that it is "never too late." She arrives at Susan's and fears that she has missed him, but Ben returns for the typewriter just in time and Carol gives him a heartfelt speech about how she has changed her ways and wishes to spend her life with him, and he happily agrees. Later, all of Carol's friends and family sit down for a Christmas dinner. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: Hallmark
- DATE: November 30, 1999 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 2:03:58
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 109276
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Christmas; Classics
- SERIES RUN: Hallmark - TV, 2012
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - 3M Command adhesive hooks
- TV - Commercials - 5-Star Urgent Response device
- TV - Commercials - AirWick color-changing candles
- TV - Commercials - Allstate insurance
- TV - Commercials - Aluma Wallets
- TV - Commercials - Bissell vacuum cleaners
- TV - Commercials - Cabbage Patch Kids dolls
- TV - Commercials - Canada Dry soft drinks
- TV - Commercials - Chevrolet automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Christian Mingle dating website
- TV - Commercials - Crest 3D White products
- TV - Commercials - Dairy Queen restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Daisy sour cream
- TV - Commercials - Dannon Light & Fit Greek yogurt
- TV - Commercials - Dawn dish soap
- TV - Commercials - Delsym cough medicine
- TV - Commercials - Ensure Complete nutrition drink
- TV - Commercials - Febreeze air freshener
- TV - Commercials - Finishing Touch personal grooming devices
- TV - Commercials - First Health Part D insurance
- TV - Commercials - Garnier BB Cream
- TV - Commercials - Gray Away root concealer hair spray
- TV - Commercials - Hershey's Air Delight chocolate bars
- TV - Commercials - Humana Medicare Advantage information
- TV - Commercials - Hunt's tomatoes
- TV - Commercials - Jif hazelnut spread
- TV - Commercials - Jolly Rancher candies
- TV - Commercials - K-Mart stores
- TV - Commercials - Kashi health food products
- TV - Commercials - Kellogg's Special K protein bars and shakes
- TV - Commercials - Lifestyle Lift cosmetic procedure
- TV - Commercials - Lysol disinfectant spray
- TV - Commercials - M&M's candies
- TV - Commercials - Macy's stores
- TV - Commercials - Marie Callender's frozen dinners
- TV - Commercials - Mucinex D congestion relief
- TV - Commercials - Nectresse natural sweetener
- TV - Commercials - New York Life insurance
- TV - Commercials - Nexium heartburn medication
- TV - Commercials - Nook e-book reader
- TV - Commercials - Nutro Natural Choice dog food
- TV - Commercials - OrGreenic non-stick kitchenware
- TV - Commercials - Osteo Bi-Flex joint supplement
- TV - Commercials - P.F. Chang's frozen snacks
- TV - Commercials - Ped Egg pumice stones
- TV - Commercials - Philadelphia cream cheese
- TV - Commercials - Physicians Mutual insurance
- TV - Commercials - Pillsbury Grands! biscuits
- TV - Commercials - Pillsbury chocolate-chip cookies
- TV - Commercials - Quilted Northern Soft & Strong toilet paper
- TV - Commercials - Qunol CoQ10 vitamins
- TV - Commercials - Robitussin cold medication
- TV - Commercials - Ruth's Chris Steakhouse restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Sears stores
- TV - Commercials - Smart Balance butter substitute
- TV - Commercials - SodaStream soft drink fountain device
- TV - Commercials - Spiriva C.O.P.D. medication
- TV - Commercials - Susan Boyle music album
- TV - Commercials - Symbicort C.O.P.D. medication
- TV - Commercials - Tena Twist pantiliners
- TV - Commercials - Tide Pods laundry detergent
- TV - Commercials - United States Army
- TV - Commercials - Wal-Mart stores
- TV - Promos - "Hitched for the Holidays"
- TV - Promos - "Naughty or Nice"
- TV - Promos - "The Wishing Tree"
- TV - Promos - 12 Original Movies of Christmas Hallmark lineup
CREDITS
- John Morayniss … Executive Producer
- Michael R. Goldstein … Executive Producer
- Michael G. Larkin … Executive Producer
- Armand Leo … Supervising Producer
- Harvey Kahn … Producer
- Michael M. Scott … Director
- William Penick … Writer
- Christopher Sey … Writer
- James Jandrisch … Music by
- Emmanuelle Vauiger … Cast, Carol Huffler
- Carson Kressley … Cast, Fred
- Tygh Runyan … Cast, Ben Woodward
- Olivia Cheng … Cast, Kendra
- Carrie Fisher … Cast, Eve Mailer
- Patti Allan … Cast, Gale
- Chelah Horsdal … Cast, Tanya
- Rebecca Davis … Cast, Wendy
- Susan Hogan … Cast, Linda
- Robin Douglas … Cast, Gloria
- Jim Thorburn … Cast, Zac
- Johannah Newmarch … Cast, Susan
- Dalila Bela … Cast, Young Carol (9)
- Tanya Champoux … Cast, Young Linda
- Joshua Balfour … Cast, 9-Year-Old Son
- Kennedi Clements … Cast, Emma
- Lucy Jeffrey … Cast, Grace
- Geoff Gustafson … Cast, Jim
- Linden Banes … Cast, Manager
- Marshall Caplan … Cast, Older Ben
- Karin Konoval … Cast, Older Carol (70)
- David Milchard … Cast, Oldest Son
- Catherine Lough Haggquist … Cast, Pam Jacobs
- Frank Crnkovik … Cast, Salvation Army Santa