Watched: 11/16/2025
Format: Hallmark
Viewing: second
Director: Maclain Nelson
Job: Copywriter/ Editor? She never works during this whole movie
Location of story: Evergreen Lane - which I think is in Salt Lake City
new skill: Mastery of the Christmas Arts
Man: Wes Brown
Job of Man: Architect
Goes to/ Returns to: stays in same place (this is the 2nd installment)
Event: Several ongoing Christmas festivties
Food: Cookies
Editor's Note: So, y'all. Despite my stated goals and belief I'd done a phenomenal job documenting ChabertQuest 2025 (pats self on back), I messed this one up. Yes, I'd seen this movie, but had I written it up? I had not. Thought I had, but that was a lie I told myself, and discovered my error in July. I felt terrible as we agreed the the deal was I would watch and review all of the movies I could find starring one Lacey Chabert and you'd be like "why are you doing this?"
So, here we are, rewatching this one. And writing up this movie. For you, the people.
There were really only so many directions one could go with the premise of Haul Out The Holly (2022), the first film in what is now a trilogy.
The premise of the first film is that a woman breaks up with her live-in boyfriend and goes home for Christmas, only to find that her parents weren't expecting her and are actually moving to a seniors' condo in Florida. She's essentially left behind in her parents' McMansion. However, her own father was head of the HOA, and he set up a very Christmassy set of rules, which Chabert finds herself required to adhere to (despite the fact she does not own the house) and is force marched through the holiday season. Guys, she also falls for Man nextdoor along the way.
So... we end the film with Christmas, love, and a 5000 square foot house in which she'll creep around like a Victorian ghost, I guess. But what next? Haul out another holiday? Tragedy strikes Evergreen Lane? She casually starts putting out inverted pineapples when the neighbors come over?
Here in the sequel, Emily (Chabert) been gifted her parents house, she's all-in on Christmas madness, dating Man, and helping out with the neighborhood festivities.
However, as Christmas approaches and events are just beginning, the Jolly Johnsons, winners of a Christmas-themed reality show, move into the cul-de-sac. To the longtime Christmas-nerds of Evergreen Lane, this is like having your favorite quarterback or rock star move in and they flip out (yes, these movies operate in a cartoonish heightened reality).
The *conflict* is that the Jolly Johnsons want to own Christmas. The well-oiled machine of the HOA starts to break down as the Johnsons immediately start elbowing in and try to make Christmas theirs - turning community events into a series of competitions with different rules and essentially pitting people against each other.
To be real, as someone who has to organize group activities as a PM and who used to manage *large* activities (conferences, workshops, etc...) for a living, this one is maybe too close to my personal point of irritation, as I have been in *plenty* of places where someone waltzes in at the last minute and wants to keep grabbing the wheel and drive. Sometimes people do have good ideas, and you can't just shut anyone down who wants to participate. Further, shutting people down can also halt participation from more timid souls watching how this plays out. It's a challenge!
But because most of the characters are default "nice", and the Johnsons are Grade-A assholes, Our Heroes keep getting railroaded, and eventually bullied as the Johnsons set up their own events.
To be honest, I am sure playing the Johnsons was a lot of fun. I am less sure that maybe the movie didn't need to dial it back a bit, because at some point, it's honestly sort of unpleasant. You don't really see anyone coming back from this. They will, it's Hallmark, but if it were me? I'd now be in a cold war with the folks down the street and hand over the keys to the neighborhood events and wish everyone the best of luck. Sometimes you have to let people self-immolate.
Fortunately, our film ends with a mostly unearned kumbaya moment, and then a proposal. I guess these two forty-year-olds are ready to seal the deal. But peace is restored as Chabert's character shrugs and does the first sensible thing all movie.
The cast from the prior movie is back, including Melissa Peterman, Stephen Tobolwsky, Ellen Travolta, and Walter Platz. The Johnsons are played by Seth Morris and Jennifer Aspen (apparently an old Party of Five co-star with Chabert).
Is it any good?
It's at least trying something! Many of the jokes land, especially if you're already in and onboard from the first movie. Without it, it's going to take a minute to sort out.
My favorite joke of the movie is Lacey Chabert's frustration as she learns the Johnsons refusing to participate in HOA mandated activities is an actual option, and she could have skipped everything in the first movie.
I've previously opined that Lacey Chabert is underserved as a comedian. She is pretty funny, and as the straightman here (the hardest bit of all), she has some genuinely good moments of exasperation with both the Johnsons and the still unfolding reality of Christmas mania on Evergreen Lane. Plus the recurring Nickleback jokes are pretty solid.
Hallmark movies are divorced from reality in so many ways, they kind of critic proof themselves. As a screwy comedy, the Haul Out the Holly movies kick it even further up a notch, and practically dare you to challenge the movie's premise. And that premise is that what people want to do during Christmas is hang out with their neighbors and play games and drink cocoa. Not deal with visiting family, obligatory activities, etc...
At least this one is *trying* to be funny, have some zaniness and has, like, characters.
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