Operation Nutcracker (2024)

Operation Nutcracker (2024)

Posted by Nicholas Ribera on

Listen to or watch the episode here or read the transcript below.

Keywords

Operation Nutcracker, holiday movie, plot summary, character analysis, Hallmark films, Christmas themes, event planning, class dynamics, movie review, family relationships

Summary

In this conversation, Nick and Leslie review the holiday movie 'Operation Nutcracker.' They discuss the plot, character dynamics, and themes of class and privilege, while also critiquing the film's portrayal of women and the overall acting quality. The hosts share their thoughts on the significance of the Nutcracker within the story and how the characters' relationships evolve throughout the film. Ultimately, they provide a rating and reflect on the movie's impact and relevance.

Takeaways

The film features a mix-up of suitcases that drives the plot.
The Nutcracker is a central symbol in the story.
Character dynamics reveal themes of privilege and class.
The portrayal of women in the film is critiqued.
The acting quality varies, with some standout performances.
The film's setting during the holiday season adds to its charm.
The hosts find the character of Tristan unrelatable.
The movie's resolution ties back to the themes of family and connection.
The hosts appreciate the complexity of the plot despite its flaws.
Overall, the film receives a low rating due to its shortcomings.

Sound Bites

"We watched it so you don't have to."
"This guy hasn't had any opposition his entire life."
"I think an alternate title would have been White Privilege Christmas."

Nick And Leslie (00:02.176)
Hello, happy Halloween everyone. Today we are reviewing Operation Nutcracker. So let's roll that beautiful trailer footage.

Nick And Leslie (00:17.652)
Was that a reference to the beans? Yes! Bush's baked beans? I couldn't help myself. Okay. So this movie, Operation Nutcracker, was released 10-25. We watched it last night. Yes, we did. On Friday. Yeah. And we're probably going to be dressed Halloween-y for this whole slew of three movies this weekend. Just so we have excuse to wear Halloween clothing. So Operation Nutcracker.

was starring Ashley Newborough, Christopher Russell as the couple, Daryl Hines as David, Mia Swamminothan as Joey, Laura Amherstie as Pam. Anyways, we don't have to keep going down the list. No, we don't at all. So we had our first repeat actors and actresses from Twas the Date Before Christmas, the Sister-in-law and the

I guess the girl's boss? maybe coworker, Yeah, it was, yeah, anyway, so. Why don't you give us Yeah, it was the coworker of the man.

In this one or the? In Twas the Date Before Christmas. this one. She was the co-worker of this one. Let me just sip on some coffee. It would be really fun if they made these all like an extended universe. it is, isn't it? So, what is your, give me your synopsis on the plot. Give me the synopsis on the plot for Operation Nutcracker. So, of course, last minute, as always, someone drops out of an event that is being

a holiday event that's being planned and it's like the event coordinator is who dropped out. And so this prestigious family that is able to be philanthropist, so happy for them, raises, has this grand holiday event each year that apparently everyone in Boston knows. And so they...

Nick And Leslie (02:19.456)
I'm sorry for the dog toys that are going on right now. didn't show up on the mic much last time. It did. I heard it. okay. But anyway, anyway, there's like a call out for event planners and this woman who is a very well known event planner in some other area of her hometown is Boston because all of a sudden her event planning company is

going to be opening up a branch in Boston, her hometown, and so what an opportunity to see if she's worth it or not. Yeah, so event planning companies are big enough to have branches. Yeah, a branch, yeah. So, I mean, it is, it's true. It's happened, yeah. It's a thing. So anyway, she flies back to Boston, but in the meantime, you know, who doesn't lose some suitcases and get a whole mix up of the same green suitcase? Funny thing is, I have a green hard-shelled suitcase, which is what they all have in mix up. So I'm like,

Okay, really always gonna be looking at my tag, but who's not? Looking at your luggage tag, a whole mix up of slew of three different suitcases occur throughout the travels. So like they did make a point of showing that his like identifier tag fell off? On one of the three. Yeah, which I'm like, okay, interesting. But also you have that giant paper tag that you print out at the... At the kiosks when you check in or your bag. Although that's right, it was a checked in bag.

So he was trying to do a carry-on into the bag. didn't know how detailed you want me to get. Sorry. So it was a detailed, anyway, he was trying to bring his suitcase. The main character, male lead Tristan was trying to take the carry-on as a carry-on of a suitcase. And they're like, no, it's a full flight to Boston. Every bag is checked. He's like, there's something so precious in there, which we'll find out what it is later, which is.

horrendously packed by the way as you see going through TSA. so brief synopsis, let's just get back to that. So a cluster of suitcases get mixed up during the transit of these three people going to Boston and you encounter their trials of trying to get your luggage back during the holiday season, but also

Nick And Leslie (04:34.88)
Each of you has, you know, things that you need and one is a nutcracker and one is a gift for a daughter. the other one's just luggage, I guess. and, so now they are trying to, so the woman, the main lead female lead Lottie is trying to, or she has an interview with the, the mother of the family who is the, I don't think they ever, I can't remember the foundation's name.

of the family foundation that they raised. Yeah, she's in charge. So she raises money and this year it's for a pediatric wing to a local hospital that they have ties to. during the transit part, it is the son of the philanthropy family that is on the way to Boston, but also there is

Lottie that's on the plane who's the event planner. And so they randomly meet each other, just a coincidence, but she doesn't know that it's his family she's interviewing for to be the event coordinator. It's his mother. So, he, she just spills out all the beans of her anxiety, all of a sudden instantly meeting a random strange male. I don't know. That's very strange. She will get to that. And then, so a bag mix up occurs.

He gives a hint of a, you know, really go into the family heirloom nutcracker at the event planning that she randomly brings up. Anyway, so she has the interview and anyway, she gets the event planning event that day and she is then going forth and planning and then, is missing a nutcracker that is.

worth so much money that it could build a pediatric wing on a hospital. So I don't think you mentioned this, but the event is supposed to be an auction of this. a silent auction of the Nutcracker. Of this Nutcracker that he was bringing in, that he found in his travels and is supposedly owned by Tchaikovsky and the inspiration for the ballet. Yeah. Yeah. And it gets lost. And it gets lost. Rather than telling the truth.

Nick And Leslie (06:53.214)
He, in his white guy charm, is like, hey, how about you help me find it these next few days, rather than planning the event. Yes. Let me put my mistake on you, woman. Yeah. So I think an alternate title for this movie would have been White Privilege Christmas. White Male Privilege Christmas, specifically. Because this guy, I don't know if he's supposed to be like such a catch or something, but like they didn't give him a career. He's just professionally rich and he just travels the whole time.

And the family's like, I haven't seen you forever. And he's like, I've been on my travels. And I feel like the movie was written for an 18-year-old actor, but this guy is in his 40s. I don't know. It just seemed weird that he has no job. And everyone's like, you need to run this foundation. That's a full-time job, apparently. Right. And so they go through trying to figure out who was on the flight reporting luggage. then

You see this father who is the other person in this trio of miss luggage. He has the nutcracker, but in there in his suitcase is a special toy that he was wanting to give his daughter and he's a busy businessman. So he is never with his daughter and his daughter just wishes to.

have him for Christmas, but apparently it takes him a while to see that even though the wife is constantly saying, hello, your wife, your daughter just wants to spend time with you. And the tie between the two, how everyone comes together is the wife of the businessman that is absent all the time to his daughter is the, wife is the florist who's providing the poinsettias to the event. And that is a connection that they make, you know, as well, because the little girl gets sick.

and it needs to go to the hospital. I don't know if she has like pneumonia, they never really say, but she just has a high fever. She got one of those 24 hour sicknesses. One of those 24 hour sicknesses and you're in the hospital, apparently. So, you there was a tie to the hospital. And so the little girl who was a ballerina could not be in the nutcracker. So they have little girl perform at the event. They force a sick girl to perform for adult men. She's recovered.

Nick And Leslie (09:03.978)
Anyway, so then they obviously right before then they find the nutcracker everything is solved So now let's get into the nitty-gritty of it all. Okay, so Let's see my notes. So, okay. My favorite actor in the whole movie was Rhonda the woman who ran the lost luggage. Yes

I'm like, she must've been like a TikTok influencer. They were like, let's get her energy. I love it. She stole the show. She stole the show. The little girl who got sick was horrible. I mean, child actors are bad, but like this one, even though she's supposed to be sad, she's just constantly smiling because she's so excited to be on set. And she's like, no, I'm sick. If you're not watching the video, then that sounded weird. Yeah.

I wasn't a fan of Lottie, but I like that character's name. Right. Yeah. mean, know, Lottie's cute. Yes. We had Lottie Morgan, Tristan, Jules is Tristan's sister. So let me take you all back real quick. Do we remember a little nostalgic commercial SNL also did skit on it. that's Saturday Night Live for those that don't know SNL. but it is the brother sister forage with Folger Folgers, a coffee commercial.

We don't drink Folgers, but it is quite an attached sister who is just very excited to have her older brother home. But it's creepy the way she really touches and enjoys touching her brother she said, like, I love you like four or five times over the phone with Numerous times, because I was like, that's his sister. And Nick was like, no, that's his wife. And I'm like, no.

She said mother, our mom. And then so yeah, it's a sister. And so her name is Jules. Yeah, Folgers Commercial Energy is what I get, because she is just touchy. I get it. She was the one when, when everyone was younger, she had childhood cancer, childhood cancer. That sounded weird. cancer kids anyway. So she was in the hospital and that's why the family wants to.

Nick And Leslie (11:20.788)
give the hospital pediatric wing because they cured her cancer. I have an issue with the way that was revealed. Yeah. Yeah. So if I can try and recall correctly, Lottie is having a sweet moment with Tristan and... yeah. Yeah. Where did that other actress go? Character? The friend? she was in like a...

in the beginning when like the credits are rolling, she's like, hey, if you do this, maybe you can run our Bulba Blanch. that's right. then at the end, she was just on the phone. But Tristan was having a sweet moment with Lottie and Lottie's like, we really need to tell your mom that this thing's missing. He's like, she's not going to take it well. You see, this is very important to us. And this is where I expected him to say, when I was young, I had cancer and almost and barely survived. But then when

Instead, he said it was his sister, because I mean, I kind of felt someone was dying as a kid. They just made it through and that's why they care about this school, this hospital so much. But when he said it was the sister, I was like, wow. So this guy hasn't had any opposition his entire life. He hasn't had to struggle for anything. If they had done that, it would have made his character just a little bit more relatable, a little more interesting. And like, he could be like, that's why I'm always traveling, because I want to make sure I see all life has to offer something. But instead,

his sister who survived cancer. He's like, peace, I'll chat on the phone and tell you how much I love you. Right, and they're trying to say, he needs to prove himself to be the leader of the foundation that the family has. is not a catch. He's in the fake beard they gave him in beginning. All Lottie's trying to do is run an event. She's like, and he's like, let's go to the market. and she has her own like side.

of trying to spend time with her father who doesn't give a fly and flip about her, talk about a normal relationship these days, right there is that relationship with your father. Is that, the phone works both ways. That's not how any of this works. It's just about wanting to spend time with your children. I did write unconditional love from dad is one of my notes. Yeah, and that's what Lottie's like, I'm trying, but you know.

Nick And Leslie (13:41.012)
He's running a 24-hour diner. Also, when we first meet Tristan at the airport, even though it's an airport, he's in Hallmark leading man clothes, which is a wide but short jacket. Random children candy. Is that okay? No. Is that okay? I am. Yeah, he's giving random candy to kids. He's helping old people with luggage. It's like, okay, this is Hallmark guy.

But I think it's funny how Hallmark guys always wear coats that are short because they want women to see their waists and their butts. Yes. We're not hiding any pockets. Why are you wearing a winter coat inside the airport? Also, that airport has the nicest TSA. Lottie was able to, was it a phone call or a FaceTime that she was able to do in the middle of TSA? I miss that part.

Who's not yelling at her? Tristan also had on the worst fake beard. The worst fake beard. worst fake beard. we don't mind a wig. We don't mind a fake beard. But whoever was doing hair on this one, you need to check yourself. Because everyone's hair's, they're hair's exactly. Curls just fell out instantly. Wisps everywhere. And just horrendous straight beard.

It looked like it should have been used for a... Scrubbing dishes? Potentially. was gonna... yeah. So, in my mind I'm like, why does his beard look so bad? Maybe between the hours of 8 and noon he's filming one movie, then he has a lunch break, and then between 1 and 5 he's filming this movie. And in that lunch break the directors are like, no, we can't have people think this guy's filming two movies in one day.

we need to slap a beard on him. they did shave it off. I'm like, even though he had like two day old stubble, whenever he was shaved later on, women like that Hallmark stubble. by the way. And again, this nutcracker that's supposed to raise so much money to open a pediatric wing on a hospital. Why are you packing it on a carry on? Why is it just lackadaisely?

Nick And Leslie (16:03.156)
thrown in there. It's just even more clues that this is an irresponsible man. Irresponsible man. I'm surprised it wasn't already broken or lost. And like serious like

Nick And Leslie (16:17.31)
No private plane for this guy? No private plane for this guy. I feel like we can really know the age of the person that wrote this. So one thing I found interesting too is when we meet the woman, Dave's wife, who ends up becoming the florist for the event, the camera lingered on her sign.

Pam's Florals dot com for a very long time. it a real website? Let's look it up. I feel like this is probably owned by Hallmark. Probably owned by it's not a real website, then that was just a weird editing choice. Pam's Florals dot com.

sign, sight can't be reached. Interesting. Okay. That was weird. Then why even put a sight? So I wrote, dude is wealthy, out of touch, aloof. I wrote, do women like cocky men? So, okay, I'm not a big fan of this guy. He's got this actor. He's got very tiny eyes. His skin is so pink. It makes me feel uncomfortable. And he walks into every scene like, I'm the biggest guy here. I know Just interrupting people.

Yes. Interrupting people in their normal day-to-day life. mean, and I'm like, is, I mean, he does a lot of these Hallmark movies. So like, maybe this is what their target audience likes. A guy who walks in disrupts your plans and then brings you on his adventure. If you're in middle of an airport and someone randomly walked up to you for no reason to your family, Yeah. Yeah. I just, yeah. What has not gone wrong? There's just some things.

Like we love a good royal Christmas thing. And my goodness, at least they're in tune to some stuff. Now his mom was also kind of a shitty boss too. Horrendous. Yeah. like Lottie's showing like her plans for the event. Also, it's weird when she gets the job, he's like, let me show you to your office and it's in their house. Lottie's also like has that clumsy trope. Yeah. So she's like, it's annoying. And I thought it was weird too that like

Nick And Leslie (18:30.452)
you hire an event planner, does that mean you have to give them a room in your house to play in the event? It was an office that was like a open office. I mean, I figure her company would have had like a wee work or something, but no, very true. You're cause it was being hosted at their house. It wasn't, it wasn't, it wasn't even, there's no reason for her to have spent anyways. the foundation doesn't have an office that she's not going to anyway. But so,

When Lottie's showing the mom like some of her plans, the mom is not really giving her anything. She's like, hmm. Hmm. On the biggest catches too. So yeah, shitty boss. Then I wrote a seven second hug. I don't remember who was hugging, but it was a very long hug. Who hugged in this scene? It was Tristan hugging Lottie because she was like...

having, I don't want say an anxious moment, but she was just maybe feeling overwhelmed. Can't quite remember. He goes, do you need a seven second hug? It helps your serotonin. And I'm like, are you kidding me? pause. We didn't really come to this part. So when Lottie was showing up to her interview clumsily holding all 30 gift bags that were just in a carrying or a display case and just some random other knickknacks, I guess, to show.

for this interview for the Fit Planner. This was pre-mood board, So she didn't have the mood board with Correct, no, there was no mood board yet. Anyway, that was later on. And so who comes to open the door when she tries to hit the camera or the ring camera, the doorbell? It is Tristan who opens the door, pans over his nice suit that is, yes, a bit too small. I don't think he can squat in that.

Why is he wearing that? So he gets home, he shaves his beard, puts on a suit. yeah, everyone's like, are you to clean up for the event? It's just weird he did all that so quickly as soon as arriving. Well, because everyone, was the sister and the mom that was making comments about cleaning this is also before he opened his luggage. Right, but I'm answering you. I I'm sorry. It's not, that's how. so clearly that rushed up, but yes.

Nick And Leslie (20:50.08)
I guess from the amount that he traveled, I'm so confused about what he does. But you just have suits at your parents' house? Do you still live with your parents? You're that old? That's what I'm reading into this. He had a suit already at the house. Anyway, so that's how they run into each other. She's like, it's you. It wasn't a tuxedo, was it? Not a tuxedo. It was a very formal suit. It was not a formal suit. think it was just a regular suit. It's a slim leg suit with...

Open jacket. I want to a sports jacket. Maybe it's a sports jacket. Why do they call them sports jackets? You don't play sports in them. Maybe it's what it's the type of jacket that you could wear polo. You don't need to wear a tie with it. doesn't like button closed. So, it was, you know, they meet and he's like, I didn't want to say that was my family that you're interviewing. But yeah, really talk about the nutcracker and you'll win my mom over. So

I guess, that's right. had to, I don't want to say fire, they, the other event planner left because they were not meeting eye to eye. So, so their plot to try and find the guy who has the suitcase with the nutcracker in it is they have, because they have his suitcase, they have his agenda. So they're going to all the locations that are on the agenda, hoping to run into him. There's also a photo of him with his daughter. So they're like, bringing that photo around.

And of course they keep just barely missing them, which I thought was a pretty cute plot scenario. they said that she did a great job planning out the planner that they found and where to hit them by highlighting areas green and red. Yeah, that was weird. He's like, wow, you're so amazing. made a map. And I guess, again, like, is that what women want? Approval from a guy? Anyways.

And we enjoy a good homework movie. Don't get us wrong, but this one just felt like offensive to women. Okay. So the final thing on the white man real quick coming with the tapping into your inner child to really understand the Christmas season. that's right. Because he's experienced nothing because Christmas didn't mean that much to her because her dad was always working.

Nick And Leslie (23:11.506)
my God. even I just realized the classes I'm in this like goes even deeper. comes from working class. So she can't enjoy Christmas because her father has to work. And I don't think she had a mom. The mom passed away and that's when passed away recently. And then he's like, you need to take time, relax and enjoy Christmas with your family. It's like, bitch, you don't have a job. You're able to do that.

Some people have to work for a living. Some of us don't know how to rest. That was not a plot point in the movie, but it damn well should have been. It damn well should have been. And then, okay, so the final thing that they go to to try and like find Dave to get his suitcase is they watch the Nutcracker performance. And a large part of it is the camera on Lottie's face as she's watching the Nutcracker. I'm guessing this is supposed to be her finding her inner child.

But it looked like she was having an orgasm as she was watching that. She was like, wow. It was an erotic scene. And he's just watching her watch the I mean, she was seeing all the action between Tristan and Jules, the brother and sister. So she might have had to need a release. Maybe. And it was the nutcracker. Maybe. And can we also talk? OK, so they tried to replace it with a fake nutcracker in case, like,

you know, until they find the real one. And then when the sister wants to see it, they get into like a fight over like, it here. No, you give it here. And the head goes flying off. my gosh. And she's like, I'm going to tell mom. I'm going to tell mom. you guys are adults. gosh, it reminds me of something.

I wrote Engorged Santa, Enraged Santa, Anchored Santa, I don't know what that is. Triggered? Err. Was there a Santa somewhere? It was the Santa, okay. my God, it's like Christmas magic happened at the end. Christmas magic, okay. before we get to Christmas magic though, okay, so this child, you we're gonna talk about like the side piece that was going on with this side piece.

Nick And Leslie (25:21.78)
piece, Dave, Dave's story with his missing luggage and his child getting sick. but yeah, was some toy that hadn't been, or it has been like on back order for like three weeks and he was able to get it. So, he ended up giving his daughter the nutcracker and the nutcracker ended up, she ended up like falling in love with it. That was on that part. my gosh. But to make his daughter happy while she was sick.

He got marzipan mice. Now I, my taste buds and marzipan do not meet eye to eye. At least the type of marzipan, specifically the shape of fruit. Generally speaking, if food can be sculpted, it's not gonna taste It might not be that good. Although meatloaf can be sculpted. And that could be good.

And so can, anyway, So marzipan mice, they also just looked shabby. We could have made them ourselves. I don't know, but this little girl like loves the marzipan anyway. But also this little girl like instantly knew she was becoming sick, which was weird. Like an eight year old knows that. What if she got food poisoning from the bakery?

from the, no it was after because she was in bed. It was right before her fever happened. So at the event there's an anonymous donor. An anonymous Sorry, the whole wing got paid for because an anonymous bidder I guess, bid on the Nutcracker. option. And then gifted it.

to this little girl. And then put it, wrapped it up, putting it in a present, stuck it in the tree and labeled it for her. They tried to have like a smoldering Santa. He was like, he was a skinny Santa. He was like in a red suit. It was like one of those like skinny suits. Yeah. He was a, what do they call it when a grandfather's hot? A zaddy. He was a zaddy Like a lumber sexual zaddy. Yeah. Yeah. But still with the big white beard. And then they're like, he looks kind of like,

Nick And Leslie (27:39.402)
So yeah, they had a little Christmas magic at the end just to get that toy back to the girl and for the hospital wing to be paid for. And it's like, if Santa can do that.

Nick And Leslie (27:53.856)
Why not just put hospital wings on all the hospitals? Why is it just Boston? gets, anyway. Right. Also, so there was something called Pass the Parcel, which, well, obviously isn't that a game everyone plays? I had never heard of it. I guess the concept I've seen as like a game, but didn't know is called Pass the Parcel or if it was specifically a Christmas game, but it is what that family plays. mean, my family would play Uno and you know,

maybe these last 10 years has been a white elephant with ornaments. My family would have a screaming match. Honestly, I can hear it. I can hear it. And I would always run to my room when it was just loud of people. So any other notes for Operation Nutcracker? I think I'm done with mine. the actors love to nod. I wrote magical. So much. got really tired.

of I'm like, do we need, is there a tremors going on? but, also Hallmark's into mood boards this year. And I am not a fan of it. Cause we're just cutting out magazine. Like you couldn't, I like, you probably could have had Canva as, a sponsor. I guess, Pinterest, but just who.

If I had my event plan, maybe it's a thing, maybe it's, I apologize. Okay. I know I'm getting, we only know our own perspective. So I've never used an event planner like that. I've done event planning stuff, but I've never entered, had mood boards. So that's, but maybe that's how people vision all their stuff for vision boards. So, do I think this is worth your time seeing? don't know.

We watched it, so you don't have to. you don't have I'm going to give this one a... So predictable. Not even a cute good predictable. I think I'm going to give it a five. Like I didn't like most of it, but I did enjoy all of the miss them just barely missing the other person when they're going to each of those events. And I feel like that in itself was kind of complex writing. I mean, maybe not complex, but more complicated than a lot of movies that we get out of Hallmark.

Nick And Leslie (30:17.45)
So that is giving me a five out of 10, because it just kind of balances out some of the, no, nevermind. I'm dropping that to four because I'm remembering all the unexplored classicism and misogyny in the plot. Yeah, how everyone was dressed up so nice at the event and yet the dad walks in with a button-up short sleeve shirt and a tie that doesn't match. Talk about classicism. And he's the only one with a Boston accent. He's also the only one of color.

no, I guess the friend. That's the other dad. acting, that little girl brought things down. So I'm going for, for acting. Rhonda was the only one that kept it up. She was the one. I'm three for acting. You're right. The only person I really liked who was like bringing something to it. She's only in two scenes. The woman who's in charge of lost luggage.

Directing, I'm giving that a four. So we got four, three, They worked without the hand. All right. That's a wrap. And we will see you here again for the Christmas charade. I think it's next. Yes, for that Christmas heist. Yeah, I'm guessing it's like spies or something. It's kind of fun not knowing. It's like Ocean's Eleven. Yeah. OK, how do I stop this? All right. Thank you so much.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, happy Halloween!

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