Haul Out the Holly Movie Review

Emily gets an unexpected surprise when she heads home for the holidays. In Haul Out the Holly, an over-the-top neighborhood requires everyone to deck the halls for Christmas. Will the visit help Emily appreciate Christmas, or will she continue to think of it as the season of the never ending to-do list?

Haul Out the Holly Synopsis

When Emily (Lacey Chabert) breaks up with her boyfriend, she finds herself on the losing end of the deal when it comes to who gets to stay in the apartment. With most apartments not available until after the New Year, she heads home to spend the holiday with her parents. But much to her surprise, she arrives to find her parents leaving for Florida.

When Emily was young her parents created the Christmas Carnival for the neighborhood. A whole production of activities that the neighborhood enjoyed on Christmas day. Her parents viewed it as their duty to provide cheer and enjoyment for their neighbors, but for Emily it just made Christmas a day of service. She wanted to wake up and open presents, and not have to work at the carnival. So when she goes home to find that they are giving that up to move to Florida, she is shocked.

As her parents desert her for fun in the sun, Emily is left holding the bag for decorating their house. The Home Owners Association (HOA) has strict rules on decorating, and participating in Christmas activities. With no decorations in site, Emily is stuck having to do it all. Her childhood friend Jared (Wes Brown) has taken over for her Dad as the new President of the HOA, so all of the Christmas activities fall on him.

When Jared gives Emily violations for not meeting the HOA's Christmas requirements, she is forced to embrace the holiday. And while she starts off doing it begrudgingly, by the end it has helped her appreciate the holiday and how it can bring a neighborhood together.

Haul Out the Holly Cast

The cast of Haul Out the Holly is part of the movie's charm. On top of having fan favorites Lacey Chabert and Wes Brown, the movie also includes a bunch of popular character actors. There is Peter Jacobson as Emily's Dad. Plus, Melissa Peterman, Ellen Travolta, and Stephen Tobolowsky as neighbors. It is such a treat to have all of these amazing actors and actresses in this Christmas movie.

Haul Out the Holly Review

The Verdict: Fun-Filled. Haul Out the Holly is a lot of fun. In a season where movies tend to focus on romance, and drama, this movie is all about the humor. It's just a light, and refreshing change to the usual Christmas movies. Of course a movie like this can go terribly wrong. Some movies try to be funny, and they miss the mark. A perfect example is the Lindsay Lohan Netflix movie from this year. That movie couldn't carry-off the humor, but Haul Out the Holly shows how to do it. And, do it well.

Most of the success for this movie goes to the amazing cast. You can't pull off National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation humor without having the right actors and actresses to pull it off. I always love watching Lacey, so I had high expectations for this one. Thankfully I was not disappointed.

Haul Out the Holly Recap

If you want a movie that gets you in the Christmas spirit, then look no further than Haul Out the Holly. This charming and light-hearted Hallmark movie is the type of movie you can watch again and again. Packed with lots of Christmas activities, it is a unique look at how our neighbors impact our lives and truly are one's village of support. And when we celebrate the holiday by helping others and being neighborly, it really does bring out the Christmas spirit in us all.

I am so happy that Hallmark movies are now on PeacockTV. This means that I don't have to fast forward through all of the commercials on my DVR. I get to enjoy watching 1 hour and 24 minutes without interruption.

Related Article:

See how I ranked Haul Out the Holly on my ranking of Hallmark Christmas Movies 2022.