For many people, a familiar pastime in the weeks leading up to major winter holidays is gathering with family members and watching holiday movies, be they in a theater or on television. While vaccines are more widely available now than they were last year, for some plans still remain the same this holiday season, unsure about going to movie theaters. However, this shouldn’t stop us from enjoying holiday movies with friends and family.
During the month of December, therefore, the Falls Free Press will reprise “The 12 Films of Christmas,” focusing on new holiday movies for the year 2021—a year that can still do with plenty of spirit. We will review each film, whether naughty or nice, and let you know where to watch it.
Of William Shakespeare’s many plays, multiple adaptations on stage, in audio, print, and film have been produced. From comedy to tragedy, and love throughout all, the themes of these works continue to have meaning in our lives no matter the age. One play in particular, “Much Ado About Nothing,” has had modern film and stage adaptations in the last decade, directed on screen by Joss Whedon in 2012, and starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate on stage in the UK in 2011. For 2021, an even more modern adaption has been made; however, this time with a new script and a story set around Christmas.
In Shakespeare’s original story, Claudio, friend and soldier-in-arms with Benedick, attend a party held by Leonato, celebrating their return from war with fellow friend Don Pedro. At the party, Claudio quickly falls in love with Leonato’s daughter Hero. As Claudio and Hero are engaged to marry, Don Pedro’s brother and his soldiers attempt to deceive Claudio, saying that Hero has cheated on him. This deceit goes so far that on their wedding day, Claudio denounces his bride, causing her to act as if she has died from shock. His true feelings for her are revealed later when he is offered the hand of a woman claimed as Leonato’s niece, only to reveal that Hero was never dead. At the same time, sworn bachelor Benedick and Lady Beatrice bicker and speak their mind about each other, while still loving each other after multiple sworn off trysts together. Deciding they are ideal together, Don Pedro, Hero, and Claudius mysteriously make conversations loud enough for either of the two to hear to trick the couple into realizing their love.
Much Ado About Christmas introduces the story’s main characters and places them at Christmastime in Winterstone, England in 2021, where Claud (played by Torrance Coombs) attends a Christmas party held by Leona Lloyd (Jacinta Mulcahy), whom he works with at a marketing firm. He attends the party with his boss Don and friend Ben, hoping to gain attention from a hot cocoa-making elf, Haley (Susie Abromeit), who, unbeknownst to him, is Leona’s daughter. Meanwhile, Haley’s friend Beatrice (Emma Colling) has noticed her friend and ex-boyfriend Ben (Jame Rottger). As Claud and Haley spend more time together, she tries to keep her identity as the daughter of the town’s richest women a secret, but ultimately this becomes the couple’s undoing when the firm gets a meeting with Leona and is embarrassed with an ad featuring Haley.
Leaving many scenes out of the original story, screenwriters Janeen and Michael Damian turn a classic romantic comedy into a heavily-troped holiday movie commonly seen on the Hallmark channel. No death can be found in these 85 minutes of sugar-sweet goodness, with barely an instance of infidelity seen in a mistaken glance by Claud. Haley, taking on the original role of Hero, wishes not to attract men only interested in her mother’s riches, which puts Ben on guard when such a lie is revealed. The banter of all characters involved with recouping Beatrice and Ben’s relationship has also been written out, having fewer characters involved in the main story. In turn, it is acknowledged merely once that the two have broken up multiple times, explaining that they drive each other crazy, regardless of their current actions and emotions.
The film’s setting is extra confusing too, first introducing Haley, an American, followed by a majority of English accents that come and go depending on the character’s interactions. The actual filming location for Much Ado, meanwhile, was Bucharest, Romania, specifically for its backdrop, which fits neither England nor America. Given the film’s similar stance to hundreds of other made-for-TV movies though, none of this is extremely overwhelming.
Much Ado premiered this year on GAC Family, one of two channels, with GAC Living, formerly known as “Great American Country.” The networks, started by ex-CEO of the Hallmark Channel Bill Abbot, appear to be standing up against Abbot’s former employer with their own lineup of Christmas movies and specials, most of which are also available to stream for free on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.
Much Ado about Christmas is available to watch on GAC Family and stream on Peacock and Frndly TV services.
