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Reba McEntire brings her beloved cheer to the holiday season in Lifetime’s Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune. I really don’t know what else to tell you up top other than it stars country music icon—and let’s be clear: all around icon—Reba McEntire. That’s enough. That’s all you need to know.
REBA McENTIRE’S CHRISTMAS IN TUNE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The Gist: Reba McEntire stars as Georgia Winter, a famous country musician who’s a solo sensation. That wasn’t always the case, though. Way back when, she was one half of Joe and Georgia with her husband Joe Winter (John Schneider). They’ve since gone their separate ways, both romantically and professionally—and that puts their daughter Belle (Candice King) in a bit of a bind. Belle’s PR firm is working with the Army to put on their annual Snow Ball concert, which raises money for the children of soldiers stationed overseas. And once the general found out who Belle’s parents are… you can see where this is going! Convincing her parents to reunite for one Christmas Eve concert was the easy part. Now Belle has to get them through a week of rehearsals without bad feelings reemerging. Or maybe, just maybe, some good feelings between Georgia and Joe might reemerge…
What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: A country music singin’ duo getting back together at the request of their kid for a big Christmas Eve concert? That’s Hallmark’s (excellent) One December Night.
Performance Worth Watching: I know this is supposed to go to someone who isn’t the lead, but how can I not applaud Reba McEntire for jumping into the holiday romcom genre with such confidence? It should come as no surprise that McEntire’s a natural fit for this kind of movie; never forget that McEntire gave one of the most underrated comedy performances on her sitcom Reba! Reba McEntire is Christmas cheer personified. Her smile shines brighter than the tree at 30 Rock. She’s just the goldarn best.
Memorable Dialogue: “You slept on the left side of the bed and you sang on the left side of the stage.” “I haven’t done either one of those things with you for a very long time.”
A Holiday Tradition: The Snow Ball rolls around every year at Christmas time, held at Belmont University. That’s a real Nashville college, but that’s a fictional annual event.
Does the Title Make Any Sense?: Christmas in Tune is a reference to music, so it’s passable. But like One December Night, this movie is also built around a song—a darn good one, too! This movie could’a easily been called Reba McEntire’s I Needed Christmas or Reba McEntire Presents I Needed Christmas. Gotta get her name in the title.
Our Take: It’s hard to imagine a Reba McEntire Christmas movie that wouldn’t be absolutely charming. But of all the different very McEntire Christmas movies that could be made, Christmas in Tune has a premise that puts every single one of McEntire’s talents to work. You want to hear McEntire sing Christmas songs? Here you go. You want McEntire to tell it like it is? This is your movie. You just want to see effortless down home charm in every single scene of a movie? Christmas in Tune is for you.
The cast assembled around McEntire makes this movie even more of a delight. John Schneider’s spent 40 years perfecting the role of good ol’ country boy, from The Dukes of Hazzard to Smallville. He’s a perfect match for McEntire, and he brings a bit of playful edge to the role of her estranged husband. He’s not an outright cad and their separation came as the result of a lot of little problems that piled up. That is to say, when Georgia and Joe start feeling those feelings again, you believe it and actually want them to run back to their ex (which ain’t always the case IRL).
And as a bonus, you bet there’s another romance brewing between Georgia and Joe’s daughter Belle and the Army liaison. There’s just a lot of love and music going around, and that’s exactly what you want for Christmas. No wonder Lifetime scheduled this particular movie for the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Our Call: STREAM IT. There’s no better way to start the Christmas season in earnest than by watching a Reba McEntire movie.
Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune premieres on Lifetime on Friday, November 26 at 8 p.m. ET
