There is a purpose why Sarah Drew and Justin Bruening proceed to do tasks collectively. They merely by no means miss.
Their chemistry is out of this world and at all times so endearing to look at that it attracts you in every time they’re onscreen collectively. Reindeer Video games Homecoming is a primary instance of this.
And Sarah Drew was as beautiful as at all times, starring in, government producing, and penning this heartfelt story of grief, love, and discovering oneself.
Reindeer Video games had most of the widespread staples for a traditional Christmas movie. We had the small-town heroine reconnecting with the hot-shot highschool crush who went off and have become well-known.
We had these enjoyable festivities and a terrific sense of group that was distinguished because of the supporting characters. And a few battle and different issues nearly interfered with our couple discovering their means again to 1 one other and having their fortunately ever after.
Plenty of the movie took some barely totally different approaches too. Refreshingly, whereas the attraction and love between Mac and Chase had been obvious, they balanced properly with their respective particular person tales and challenges.
Mac’s grief, displaying that not solely is it removed from linear, nevertheless it by no means lets up regardless of how way back a loss of life was — it was very distinguished within the story.
It made Mac a really rounded character, and her love story with Chase was solely a tiny fraction of what she wanted to face, tackle, and overcome within the movie.
Mac was a lady who felt caught, and it was such a relatable sentiment that the period of time they spent exploring that side of issues for her was a breath of contemporary air.
Grief has a means of freezing an individual in a second. And Mac’s whole life stood at a standstill when she misplaced her father. She was too afraid to maneuver on, discovering some consolation in her hometown, the sense of group there, her father’s associates, and extra.
However she additionally felt stagnant and had but to pursue her dream of ending her residency.
I received a pleasant chuckle at the truth that Mac is a health care provider, too. April Kepner will at all times reside on; it felt like a pleasant deal with and nod at her followers.
There’s nothing extra life like than somebody not ending up the place they supposed to be or taking an extended, windy path to succeed in their objective.
The loss of life of Mac’s father derailed her a bit, however she nonetheless discovered one thing significant to do in instructing AP Sciences at her alma mater and serving as a volunteer EMT, too.
And whereas it is doubtless that she’ll choose up her residency once more, the time she spent instructing nonetheless counts for one thing and felt like a essential pitstop.
Seeing somebody as promising as Mac nonetheless take an surprising path to turn out to be a health care provider was comforting and good.
We have fostered a society that constantly sells the notion that in the event you do not instantly attain your objective in a specific means or throughout a selected timeline, then it is too late.
We received to see by way of Mac how that is not the case.
In that sense, her main objective on this story wasn’t particularly about getting the man ultimately. Positive, a part of her lesson to be taught was not operating away from love, trusting it and Chase, and never ruining this good factor.
However it felt prefer it took a backseat to her reaching the subsequent degree of her grieving course of and therapeutic by opening her father’s letter to her and studying to reside once more moderately than exist.
It was an easy story that did not have the same old hokey, zany, festive objectives like saving an annual Christmas occasion, a B&B, or one thing.
Even Christmas felt like a backdrop greater than a distinguished theme of this movie.
Mac’s main story was about reconnecting with herself and wishes, which was lovely.
It eliminated a few of the traditional cheese within the movie whereas nonetheless bringing all of the emotion and coronary heart, a shift from what has turn out to be the usual formulation for vacation flicks and mockingly taking us again to the extra traditional Christmas movies of yesteryear.
Chase had the same journey he needed to take throughout this film, too.
He was dealing with his personal crossroads as an motion star too near the improper facet of “washed up.”
He was keen about appearing, however he additionally felt stalled in his profession and life. Hollywood is a fickle business, which was taking a toll on him.
When an individual feels a bit untethered of their life, generally one of the best factor they will do is return residence. Positive, he got here to help his pregnant sister and nephew, however you would inform that residence go to was one thing he desperately wanted, too.
At residence, he received the ego enhance and adoration from his group that he should’ve been missing within the large metropolis as he was combating for roles.
Everybody was beside themselves along with his return, which offered quite a lot of amusing moments. And it was additionally cute to see him slowly shedding that Hollywood persona and remembering who he was.
He was nonetheless very Hollywood, from the very engaging albeit at instances unsuitable leather-clad, dangerous boy aesthetic to his reluctance to do issues like partaking within the Reindeer Video games till his palms had been tied.
However even when he appeared most out of contact, Chase was at all times a down-to-earth, fun-loving character. Even when he and Mac spoke about their previous, you bought the impression that whereas he was a preferred, engaging jock, he wasn’t the stereotypical kind.
He was a little bit of a lovable dork, too, they usually had a mutual appreciation for one another and attraction since that they had shared a kiss as teenagers.
They each had been guarding their hearts again then and even within the current, however as adults, Chase was probably the most keen and comfortable to take the leap.
Mac’s reservations had been legitimate, although. For one, that they had that historical past the place she felt like he left her within the chilly and friend-zoned her as if he was embarrassed to be with the science nerd after their college journey.
It isn’t the kind of factor you shortly recover from or do not take into consideration, at the same time as an grownup. However now, she was very conscious of their totally different statuses and the way it appeared they had been on totally different paths.
In her thoughts, it did not make sense {that a} Hollywood star would find yourself with this small-town woman from Vermont, whether or not she was a trainer or a health care provider.
It made her really feel like a fleeting fling moderately than one thing sustainable and tangible with longevity. Mac’s emotions had been comprehensible, however everybody with eyes, whether or not it was Mac’s hilarious scene-stealing finest buddy Simon and father’s buddies or Chase’s sister, might see how smitten Chase was along with her.
Chase continually checked out Mac like she held all of the secrets and techniques to the universe and was his final lifeline. It was evident to everybody however her that he was critical and dedicated to what they may very well be as a pair.
Mac was an excessive amount of in her head about what might get in between them that she wasn’t respecting what Chase needed, what he was saying, trusting that his emotions had been deep and that he wasn’t the identical man he was when he made that mistake in highschool.
It did not cease them from having fun with themselves, although. Whether or not it was the enjoyable antics of polar plunge challenges and their aggressive shenanigans or the intimate moments the place they bonded over secret hiding locations and confided in one another, they really accomplished each other.
Once more, Drew and Bruening and the chemistry between them is the life drive of this film and the way it thrived.
There’s a pure consolation and ease between them due to their historical past of working collectively, which interprets superbly onscreen.
You should buy into the characters as outdated associates, former flames, and soul mates. The familiarity between Chase and Mac wasn’t compelled within the least.
And Bruening nails all of the features that make a unbelievable main man. Chase was a person in love, and he did not disguise it in any means. However what was so fulfilling about his relationship with Mac is that regardless of their years aside, he knew her extremely nicely.
He might see proper by her, very attuned to her wants and wishes. He matched her power, balancing the issues she wanted most and realizing when she required them.
Chase was Mac’s greatest cheerleader and motivator. He held her in such excessive regard and cherished her with out essentially inserting her on some not possible pedestal.
And when he supported her, it was as a result of he genuinely cared about her and needed to, and it was with out ulterior motives.
This pairing was beautiful as a result of even when they did not find yourself romantically linked, you would imagine they’d be each other’s “particular person” anyway.
All of this made you crave the romantic payout much more, although. The movie did not disappoint when it got here to delivering on that.
Their first kiss was excellent, particularly it approaching the heels of Chase encouraging and hyping Mac up. It was steamy and sizzling, and a peak distinction is likely one of the finest romantic tropes in existence and freaking catnip for the style.
Clearly, somebody understood the project with this as a result of there wasn’t a single time once they weren’t enjoying into their peak distinction to ship on the feels.
Chase already gave one of the best sort of hug, the place he embraces an individual along with his full physique and even lifts them.
However that first kiss took it to a different degree. One of many hottest makeout periods, and when Chase lifted Mac off her toes within the course of, it was not possible to not swoon.
Simon was most likely residing his finest life watching that from his window. He was the proper viewers stand-in, if there was one.
And that was simply the primary kiss! How nice was it to have one among these movies the place they do not save the primary kiss for the epic conclusion?
It hits otherwise when you possibly can watch the couple you are falling in love with share a number of kisses all through a movie. It additionally places extra of the romance and bodily expression of it again into play. The chaste takes on romance can fairly actually take the steam and momentum out of a love story, and that is turn out to be too commonplace.
Reindeer Video games Homecoming delivered on that sensuality and romance tenfold. Every of their kisses was uniquely particular and solely solidified how Mac and Chase had been made for each other.
And their first and second under no circumstances detracted from the candy conclusion when Chase used the crossword puzzle to ship her on a scavenger hunt to seek out him on the station.
He made certain his emotions for her and the way actual he thought of the connection identified and plain as he gained her over as soon as and for all.
And that last kiss was simply as swoon-worthy as the primary, and good grief did they earn it.
As a conclusion, it felt proper that neither of them needed to deny their objectives or sacrifice one thing to be with each other. They had been nothing however wholly supportive of one another.
Chase received the three-movie deal that was taking him to Prague, and whereas we did not have any affirmation, Mac would both be in Boston ending her residency or in Vermont instructing nonetheless.
It may very well be difficult as a result of filming films and residency packages are time-consuming, and long-distance may be troublesome, however they’re dedicated to creating it work. It hasn’t even crossed their minds that they cannot do that, which bodes nicely for them.
Reindeer Video games Homecoming felt like an all-encompassing movie that reduce to the guts of the vacations with out essentially making them a precedence. It was much less camp, cheese, and fluff.
It did its finest to seize on a regular basis human and life experiences past the season. It did not restrict itself to its style and may very well be one to look at all 12 months spherical.
And Drew and Bruening can undoubtedly go on the listing of one of many hottest pairings value rooting for within the style. Whereas it is uncertain that the request even must be put into phrases, given their intensive, repeat historical past of working collectively, I would like to see them sort out the style once more.
Critically, extra please! And I want to see Drew’s subsequent foray into writing one other story and bringing it to life.
Over to you, TV Fanatics.
How did you want this movie? Did you respect the understated give attention to Christmas and fewer hokey takes? Are you a fan of the dynamic duo of Sarah Drew and Justin Bruening? Hold forth under.
Jasmine Blu is a senior employees author for TV Fanatic. Comply with her on Twitter.
