A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride

Some things just go well together.  Peanut butter and chocolate.  Thelma and Louise.  And of course, Christmas and Lifetime original movies.  Like most people, Lifetime movies are a big guilty pleasure for me and the Christmas ones are the best.  If I had to choose a favorite, though, it would have to be A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride.  Just like the regular ones, Lifetime Christmas movies have an identity that is based a few very basic shared elements. VMDB just happens to hit all the sweet spots.

Roxanne (JoAnna "Vicki from Freaks & Geeks" Garcia), the film's protagonist, is an attractive, successful, independent woman whose life is dominated by her job - a bridal store which she runs with her mother in a small, charming hometown where the Christmas season is in full swing. After her mother announces her plans to marry a man she met on vacation, Roxanne schemes to break up the couple with the help of C-list celebrity guest star Luke Perry, who plays the new boyfriend's son. She also meets a handsome guy who she hates at first but is clearly perfect for her. In the end, the magic of Christmas causes Roxanne to realize that Luke Perry is evil, her mother should marry the dude, and the handsome guy is, in fact, perfect for her. Also, the movie is filmed in Canada and prominently features an original Christmas song used to save money on music rights. The only thing missing is a precocious child.

Lifetime used to call their Christmas programming "Fa La La La Lifetime", which I thought was great, but this year they're going with the slightly less-ridiculous sounding "It's a Wonderful Lifetime". No matter what they're called, though, they're a heartwarmingly lame way to get into the spirit and kill time before the network starts playing stuff like Gospel of Deceit again.