Five stars: Nope. Background noise only
When students go home for Christmas break at a university in Vermont, those sad souls left behind (or just live there), participate in a 45-year tradition of Christmas trivia at Nick’s Bar. Celeste (Tammin Sursok) is obsessed with winning the trivia tournament, but is thrown when her ringer bails and she’s stuck with Max, a football coach (Brant Daugherty) as their sixth and required member of the trivia team.
Trivia is fun, but this movie was absurd and not in a funny, laugh at yourself way. There are some funny one-liners, but it’s certainly not enough to carry the contrived story line that somehow tries to be funny and sincere, but fails at both.
One liners
-I’m a football coach, not a wheel magician!” When he can’t change a tire.
-“If you’d like, I’d be happy to share my syllabus…” Professor, keep your pants on. Really a dick joke?
-After asking a nun to be on the trivia team, the nun replies, “I will pray for you. Hard.” Wow, the nun thinks you’re silly.
-“Belay! You gotta Belay!” Best rock-climbing advice ever.
Goofy notes
A whole week of trivia nights is a bit much, even for die hard trivia buffs.
This movie was filmed on location in Connecticut. Why was it placed in Vermont?
Shouting your trivia answers in a crowded bar is a great way to lose to other people who can hear you.
Everyone drinks different colorful holiday beverages – no one has any ice.
The Stan trophy had to be worth at least $7, but no more.
And who was Stan in the photo? They show him like an inside joke. Help us out.
When they eat cookies, the sound department didn’t add the ever-present crunch, like every other Hallmark movie. This is the right decision.
Measuring Christmas Magic: None, except the super meta final trivia category – Hallmark Christmas movies! Nice work there.
Cast Kudos: Brian McCarthy who plays Nick the Quiz Master. Nick dons a different holiday outfit each night, which helps show the different events, and is a nice running joke. Give Nick a movie.
Alternative Titles: The Greatest Trivia Tournament Ever; Trivia for the Lonely; Just go home for the Christmas holiday.
Aired on Hallmark on Nov 8, watched Nov. 9.