A Freaky Christmas Friday
Party planner Dannie Hartford (Amber Benson) finds herself working for the King family who want her to work on their spoilt daughter Britney (Britt McKillip) and get her to toe the line by giving a speech all about family to impress her parent's prospective business partners. A promise of the school dance is enough to convince Britney but at the dance she shows her true colours by mocking Rachel (Katie Keating) the new foster kid at a ranch run by the Bradleys. But it is at the dance that both Britney and Rachel wish on a Christmas tree star at the same time with Britney wanting a horse whilst Rachel wanting a family and if by magic their spirits switch bodies. But at the same time Dannie also wishes on the star as she has longed to find her long lost sister and finds herself trying to sort out the mess when she works out there has been some "Freaky Friday" stuff going on.
Do I need to write anymore in this review of "Holiday Wishes", I've already sneaked in a reference to "Freaky Friday" in there and I am sure with a bit of effort I could have found a way to drop in "Vice Versa" as well. As such what we get is the good girl soul of Rachel in the body of Britney and causing confusion when of course all of a sudden Britney doesn't act like a spoilt brat. And of course you get the opposite with the spoilt Britney' soul in Rachel's body and coming across as bitchy and no longer a push over. It is only typical stuff with only the real variation being that we have Dannie looking for her long lost sister; yes it is that obvious that this is one of those movies you end up writing in your head as you watch.
The thing is that whilst "Holiday Wishes" may entertain the younger audience which it is clearly intended for it doesn't have much for those who have gone from teen to adulthood. In fact as a grown up I found myself wondering why they tried to pad out the basic idea with various sub plots from Dannie's friendship with a guy to Britney's parent's business dealings, it all adds to what feels like a messy movie.
What this all boils down to is that "Holiday Wishes" probably entertains those who it was made for but it doesn't have much to offer those who are no longer children.
Tags: TV Christmas Movies, Christmas Movies
