by Noella Noelophile®
Didn’t get quite enough Christmas yet? How about a Christmas movie tonight?
Here’s one we really liked, from 2015, available on Netflix.
The Spirit of Christmas is, admittedly, a romance. But it’s saved from predictability by the fact that it’s also a mystery. There’s also a hilarious breakup scene at the very beginning-and I won’t ruin it by telling you anything further.
Add to that a major plus: one of the “stars” of the film is a glorious, real-life New England historic inn. I want to see it “in person” next Christmas–or maybe in a less snowy season.
The plot? In the days of Prohibition, handsome young Daniel Forsythe is heading back to his New England home, and his fiancee, for a Christmas Eve party. Just outside the Hollygrove Inn, which he co-owns, he meets a sudden, untimely death at the hands of an unseen assailant.
Fast forward to the present day. Kate Jordan, a rising star at her legal firm, expects a promotion. Her supervisor assures her the promotion is hers–if she can broker the sale of the Hollygrove Inn, in a timely manner. There are just two problems. One: a “timely manner” would mean getting it appraised and sold within the next three weeks.
The second problem? Well–Kate’s just about to meet him.
Daniel’s ghost haunts the Hollygrove, scaring away both prospective buyers and the appraiser who was to have worked with Kate on the sale.
In the best tradition of romances, Daniel and Kate initially despise each other. He accuses her of “trespassing”, while she, in her turn, reminds him that his day is long past.
But they eventually begin a dialogue, and Daniel tells Kate that he is “cursed” to return to the inn every Christmas. For twelve days every year, he becomes a solid-flesh human being. However, he has no idea why the curse exists. Why twelve days? Why Christmas? And who is responsible for his untimely end?
So Daniel and Kate broker a deal. If she can solve the mystery of his murder, he will leave. The curse will be broken, the Hollygrove Inn will, in all probability, sell, and Kate will start the New Year in the position she’s been craving.
But Christmas is working its magic…
Besides the fun of the supernatural mystery and the “how” of getting to where we’re going in the story, a definite high point is the beauty of the snow-covered, Christmasy landscape and the vintage decorations inside the inn.
The inn in question? A Google search reveals it to be the real-life Victorian landmark Proctor Mansion Inn, in Wrentham, Massachusetts. And, yes, here is the link to more information about the filming of The Spirit of Christmas, complete with photos. And while they don’t promise you a ghost–at Christmas or any other time–they do accept lodging reservations and host weddings and special events.
Meanwhile, for this evening or weekend, you may just want to brew some hot chocolate, grab the popcorn and check out The Spirit of Christmas on Netflix. After all, there’s always room for more Christmas spirit–or spirits, as the case may be.