‘A Sugar & Spice Holiday’: Christmas Charm Trapped Within A Sea Of Mediocrity
Thousands of Christmas films have come and gone, and none have been more repetitive than those where romance and family take center stage. The formula has certainly become tired and played out. The cliches are all well-known, and unfortunately, Lifetime’s A Sugar & Spice Holiday goes through absolutely all of them. Yet, despite going through the same formula as its brethren, there is still an underlying charm and ironic enjoyment that can be found in this film. There’s a beating heart at its center.
Released on Sunday, December 13, 2020, and directed by Jennifer Liao, A Sugar & Spice Holiday follows Suzie, played by Jacky Lai, who is a rising young architect with a unique way of looking at people along with a passion for baking. Suzie is returning home for the Christmas holidays, and when she gets there, she is persuaded to take part in the town’s gingerbread baking competition and follow in her grandmother’s footsteps. Along the way, Suzie reconnects and develops a romantic relationship with Billy Martin, played by Tony Giroux.
The script itself is basic and obvious. A viewer could easily predict every plot beat and line of dialogue from beginning to end. The plot initially focuses around Suzie’s struggle to balance her career aspirations with her desire to follow in her grandma’s footsteps and give back to her family and community. She desperately wants a promotion, which inevitably does not matter in the end as she obviously chooses family and friends over her career. The arc is as predictable as ever, but there is enough sincerity in the performance and dialogue to at least be considered heartwarming.
Perhaps the most interesting facet of Suzie’s character is how she views others. Every new character is introduced with a voiceover from her comparing each respective character to a baking item. It is a smart choice by the writers that not only characterizes Suzie in a unique way, but also allows the audience to keep track of every character and understand their personalities. The film unfortunately does not maintain this idea and style throughout, however, resulting in a lot of its charm being lost.
Another prominent aspect of the plot is Suzie’s relationship with her grandmother, which is unfortunately underwritten and thus lackluster. The idea is initially introduced as a potential point of contention for Suzie, a part of her having not moved on from her grief. This is even sometimes reinforced by dreams Suzie has with her grandmother in them. But in the end, all her grandmother is there to do is push the message forward about love.
The plot gains some fun momentum when the baking competition becomes the main focus. Not only does it feel like a unique aspect of the film, but it also ties the whole plot together and introduces an entertaining conflict. The antagonists, in this case, while snobbish and condescending, are nonetheless enjoyable to watch. A stronger script would lean into this aspect of the film, developing proper rivalries between the bakers.
With every plot element being as generic as they come, this also extends to the supporting cast. Every character barring Suzie is a one-dimensional caricature. This is most evident with Billy, who is nothing more than a generic love interest that is either there to move Suzie where the plot demands her, or to spout the film’s message verbatim. Furthermore, their romance is severely underdeveloped and basic despite the actors having a handful of moments of good chemistry.
Speaking of acting, the performances are all decent, but nothing special. This is likely just a fault of the script not giving the characters any true depth. The cast does what they can to elevate the material they have been given, but ultimately, most performers feel like they are going through the motions. They do all succeed in making the comedic moments count, with good wit and humor that at least allows them to remain charming. They certainly make the clunky, generic dialogue more enjoyable, whether that be in an ironic sense or unironic. The script is often so painfully generic that the actors’ deliveries even convey that in a way that can easily be laughed at. There’s a certain feeling of self-awareness in some of the deliveries that at least makes the film feel more authentic and heartful, rather than stale and soulless.
The only real standout performance is of course Jacky Lai as Suzie. She is the only character that has some form of layered personality and inner conflict. Jacky Lai makes Suzie feel the right amount of real and unique in her performance, easily balancing the facets of Suzie’s personality. Her moments of weakness, regret, and introspection are performed well, and the moment where Suzie breaks down with her father is done quite well, even if the script is predictable.
It probably goes without saying that the filmmaking on display is about as generic as the script. Nothing remotely unique is done with the camera, editing, or soundtrack. Perhaps the only instance of a good edit is when Suzie hallucinates a conversation with her grandmother and is suddenly snapped out of it by her mother. But that is the only moment to really speak of.
Overall, A Sugar & Spice Holiday lacks anything unique. Audiences have seen this story before and done better. It might prove pleasant viewing whilst indulging in other chores around the house, and there is certainly some enjoyment to be found in just how painfully predictable it can be. Everything here is at its best fine, but nothing here is approaching anything great.