Reporting for Christmas is a light-hearted romance directed by Jack C. Newell. The film has a very Christmassy vibe, making the entire mood of the film very festive. The story involves a news reporter who has been assigned the task of making a documentary on a toy factory in Brunswick. Initially, she looks at it from a professional point of view, but the welcoming city and the handsome toymaker fill her heart with warmth, and she starts developing an emotional bond with the factory and its past legacies. The brilliant cast includes Tamara Feldman, Matt Trudeau, and others. How will Mary’s story affect her bond with Blake? Will he realize that she had no hand in commercializing the story? Let us find out!
Spoilers Ahead
What Assignment Was Given To Mary Romero?
Mary Romero, a successful news reporter, was given the assignment to make a documentary on Johnson Toys, a successful toy factory in Brunswick, Iowa. Hank, her boss, wants her to cover a story on their famous mistle toads on their 40th anniversary. She initially thinks of it as a joke, but Hank wants her to take up the advertisement because Johnson Toys is one of the biggest advertisers for their company. She is considered to be one of the best reporters and is therefore sent to the town, despite her disdain. She says that she would be ready to do it if she was given complete creative control, and Hank agrees to it. Her creative spirit had drawn her to the new story in a small town. She travels all the way from Chicago to the small town and is amazed at the hospitality of the people there. She meets Mr. Alton Johnson, the owner of Johnson Toys, and his son Blake. Blake does not seem to be too excited about the piece, as he was not looking to highlight the commercial success of the brand but the joy that their products brought to their customers.
How Does Brian’s Selfless Spirit Affect Mary?
Mary had a word with Bernice, the innkeeper in the town, and she was told that the Johnson Toys had employed a lot of people from the town. She says that the company had the opportunity to employ foreign machines and labor from other places, but they chose to employ people from their own place. Mary meets Brian, and he tells her about the way their empire started. He says that when his father was a baby, his grandfather made a toy for him on Christmas, as they were not wealthy enough to buy him one. Their business had started from there, and his father had expanded it. He also tells her that his grandfather was a great painter but could not sell his paintings. He was turning his grandfather’s old house into a gallery for his paintings.
Mary’s interview with Alton goes well, but she faces challenges in convincing Brian for the interview. She visits his place and tells him that his story has to be presented better through a good narrative to the people so that the town can attain better exposure. He says that he would trust Mary to tell the real story of the town to the people, not just a commercial story of their progress. In his interview, he says that he is not interested in the monetary side of the business but in the ways their factory brings joy to the people. Mary understands that Brian does not have a commercial outlook on things but is more focused on preserving the essence of old memories, which attracts her further towards him.
What Tension Do We Notice Between Mary And Lexi?
We see the VP, Alexis Barnes, interfering too much in Mary’s work and trying to set things up as per her own preference. Mary does not like her intervention much and asks Alexis to stay out of her business. Mary learns from Blake that he and Lexi had dated for a while, a long time ago, and she tells Blake that it must have been weird to be her employer now. Mary tells Blake that she did not want Lexi to intervene in the interview that she would conduct with him, signifying her clear resentment towards her and her bossy nature. Later, Lexi comes up to Mary and tells her that all the paintings that he had shown her were not of his grandfather, as he had told her, but some were his own. He had tried his luck selling those paintings in Chicago but could not succeed. It is possible that she could have given this information to Mary to drive a wedge between her and Brian. When Mary returns to the town later, she is confronted by Lexi, and she tells her that she had previously been disappointed because she did not get a spot in the documentary that she had been hoping for. There are also possibilities that Lexi still had feelings for Brian, making her jealous of Mary’s closeness with him.
Why Was Mary Disappointed With The Story?
When Mary goes back to Chicago, she is unable to cope with the mundane lifestyle. She misses the warmth of Brunswick and, mostly, Brian. Her show finally airs on television, and she sees that her station hasn’t allowed her to maintain her creative control and tweaked the story as per their own preferences. She is very disappointed and thinks that Brian will never forgive her. She sets out for Iowa and meets Alton there, who congratulates her and tells her that the documentary has been a commercial hit for the factory, as they have been receiving more orders. When she meets Brian, he seems to be disappointed with her, even after she tries to explain things to him. On Christmas, when Mary is supposed to head back to Chicago, Brian meets her and tells her that he knew of her innocence. He had gone through her film shots in her assistant’s camera and knew that she had good intentions and not just commercial plans for his factory. He apologizes and tells her that he no longer wants to flee from his past and open a new line of Christmas paintings to honor his grandfather’s legacy. She decides to stay back in Iowa and take up a spot on the town council.
Final Words
Mary and Brian had become quite close to each other within a very short span of time. They had shared their dreams and wishes, and they supported each other fully. Mary had expressed to Brian her dreams of becoming a politician when she was young. He had told her that he wanted to carry forward the legacy of his grandfather rather than be focused on commercial benefits. The unique dreams that they had set them apart so much, but the fact that they supported each other makes their love story unique. The minor misunderstanding between them was part and parcel of the story, but the fact that it got resolved left us feeling at ease. Even though it is not a perfect story with an excellent plot, the sweet love story puts a smile on our faces. The festive mood has been beautifully presented throughout Reporting for Christmas, which has helped in lightening our emotional state to a great extent. Would I watch the film again? Well, the answer would be “no,” but I would recommend this as a one-time must-watch for you.
