Is there an unwritten rule that Christmas movies of late must suffer from cheesy plots and rather obnoxious music? Let’s face it “It’s a Wonderful Life” is one of the biggest cheese Christmas films ever made yet once every two years it still is worth a view. “Baking All the Way” is stuffed with cheese to the extent it is a Kraft Dinner Genre film. Now that is not to say the cheese has gone moldy in “Baking All the Way”.
Here is the plot. Julia (Corey Lee) is a restaurant owner and a pastry chef who is finishing her cookbook but as her mommy and her used to make gingerbread cookies at Christmas time she is searching for the perfect recipe as mommy’s recipe has been smudged with too much lard and is unreadable. Julia has a contest and asks readers to send gingerbread cookies they have baked so she can duplicate her mommy’s gingerbread cookies. Well Julia is sent a dandy gingerbread cookie from a small-town bakery in Wisconsin called Homestead Baked Goods. Off she drives from Chicago to a cheesy small town in Wisconsin and strides into the bakery announcing to the owner, Chris Thompson (Yannick Bisson) a rather beef cakey guy, he is the winner but such a powerful author, with perhaps an excessive amount of makeup, seems surprised when Chris expresses no interest in handing over the recipe. Oh this love interest is going to cuddles and kisses soon! Chris has no idea who sent the cookies to Julia but we know don’t we!
The cheese is melting and oozing all over the place! I should probably stop here as one knows 5 minutes into the film where the plot ends.
I would not go so far as to say this is a stinking Limburger cheese film. While the music is overly sweet and annoying the acting is definitely as smooth as Cambazola. I like the huge political statement made about this sweet little bakery being threatened by the evil corporate franchise bakery across the street. OMG a progressive anti-monopolistic Christmas film! Sort of like the seamy underside of “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
The movie does have a bit of personal impact. Don’t we all have some recipe from our youth our mommy made for us or perhaps a family friend that we can’t reproduce. In my case years ago it was Mrs. Tasman’s legendary apple crisp after 50 years I can’t match. A Christmas movie that touches my heartstrings.
Two last comments. With global inclusion and diversity becoming mandatory concerns in society why are these small-town people almost all white. As a Canadian I note the outdoor winter scenes have no frosty breaths about. We all know the shoot location in Hamilton, Ontario gets mighty cold at Christmas and its inhabitants have frosty outdoor breath.
“Baking All the Way” starts with a limited Canadian theatrical release on December 5th and as of December 5th will be available on Super Channel.
How do you like your Kraft Dinner cheesy or milky? You’ll get both here. Suitable for the Harlequin Romance set and young children.
No doubt your family physician has warned you about cheese and cholesterol but a bit of cheese makes life more pleasant.
By the way gingerbread cookies give me indigestion.
RKS Film Rating 63/100.
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