Film Review: 'Dashing in December'

Wyatt Burwall (Peter Porte) isn't particularly keen about returning to his hometown of Harmony Springs, Colorado. Having been away for years pursuing a business career in New York, Wyatt's not sure how he feels about returning home and facing the people he left behind--and the memories of his late father. Upon returning home, though, he receives a warm welcome from both his mother Deb (Andie MacDowell) and his childhood friend Blake (Caroline Harris). Giving a less-than-warm greeting is Heath Ramos (Juan Pablo Di Pace), a newer employee of the Burwall family ranch.

Not only does Heath know about Wyatt's long absence, but he's also upset when Wyatt reveals his desire for Deb to sell the ranch. But despite their rocky introduction, Wyatt and Heath begin to bond once they learn they share something in common: they're both gay. Through this discovery, these two vastly different men find common ground and a connection is forged. But with Wyatt still intending to sell the ranch, is this Colorado Christmas romance destined for disaster?

With December 2020 being a month of increased representation (LGBT+ and otherwise) in both Lifetime and Hallmark's holiday movie catalogs, it only makes sense to take a look at Jake Helgren's recently released gay Christmas romance. After all, Helgren has frequently written and directed for Lifetime and has dabbled in a bit of Hallmark work too. This time, though, his work premiered on Paramount as well as TV Land and Logo. The change in venue is appropriate, as Dashing in December takes a page out of A New York Christmas Wedding's playbook by delving into some heavier topics than what Hallmark or even Lifetime Christmas flicks typically show. While it ultimately leans more towards fluffy escapism than the aforementioned Netflix release, Dashing in December is nonetheless a heartfelt watch with quite a bit of depth to separate it from other Hallmark-esque films.

With the plot focusing around two openly gay men from a small town, it's only natural that Helgren's script would address the issues attached to that. While neither Wyatt nor Heath are shown experiencing any homophobia or discrimination (everyone they encounter is either indifferent or expressly supportive of their sexualities), they bond over their shared struggles with coming out and Heath is revealed to have faced overt bigotry in college. It's not as hard-hitting as what was seen in A New York Christmas Wedding, but the conflicts between Dashing in December's main characters still pack heat. Wyatt introduces his "Sell the Family Ranch" plan not long after arriving and is quick to throw attitude Heath's way, so things get off to an almost instant bad start between them. And even as Wyatt and Heath begin to tentatively bond and develop a mutual attraction, the former's plans for the ranch still loom in the background, waiting to stir things up.

And stir things up they do, as shown in a remarkably acted dinner scene that starts out warm and inviting before taking a sharp turn. SPOILER ALERT While Dashing in December's middle act suffered from a bit of slow pacing, it can't be said it doesn't make Wyatt's lashing out all the more shocking. If you were already having trouble liking Wyatt before, this moment will likely really test your patience. But in addition to his instant remorse for his outburst, Wyatt does end up making some good points. He's right about the financial state of the ranch, as well as how Deb allows her residual grief to interfere with her potential happiness with Carlos. The fact that Wyatt's rant is sparked by Heath brashly refusing to come back to New York with him also gives it some sympathetic colors. It's nice how all the rising conflict about the ranch comes to a natural head where neither side of the conflict is fully innocent or guilty. Spoilers Over

In addition to the sluggish pacing that plagues its middle act, Dashing in December gets off to an unsteady beginning with some stiff deliveries and bouts of exposition-heavy dialogue. But when the movie finds its stride, the acting evens out and allows you to get invested in the characters. While Wyatt is bound to lose fans with his initial treatment of Heath, the script gives him some good character development that Peter Porte effectively sells. As the film goes on, Wyatt allows his guard to drop and for his emotional layers to unravel, with Porte bringing a lot of resonance to this character growth. Juan Pablo di Pace is similarly endearing as the easier-to-like Heath, with Pace and Porte sharing great romantic chemistry. The honest, tender moments Wyatt and Heath share are made beautiful by Porte and Pace's performances--and get you invested when the time comes for Wyatt and Heath's bond to be tested.

Porte connects just as well with Andie MacDowell and Caroline Harris, with Porte and MacDowell's interactions as an estranged mother and son being emotive highpoints of the film. MacDowell is the best of the supporting cast, bringing sincerity to Deb's motherly warmth and struggle to move on from her husband's passing. And while you might get annoyed with how lax she is about Wyatt's rudeness, Deb is given a moment to call her son out once he crosses one line too many. Caroline Harris makes Blake an easy-to-like ally for Wyatt and his romance with Heath, with Blake being more consistently vocal against Wyatt's callousness than Deb. Blake's backstory as Wyatt's high school girlfriend also adds another fold of depth and a bit of a subversive edge to Dashing in December. In a more typical Christmas movie, Wyatt and Blake would be the romantic leads in a classic "Reunion With a High School Sweetheart" plot. Memorable side characters include Deb's supportive love interest Carlos and playful high school friend Willa, played with memorable charm by Carlos Sanz and Katherine Bailess.

Dashing in December is (to my knowledge) Jake Helgren's first LGBT+ Christmas romance, and in terms of writing, it's a success. The film's biggest problem comes in its second act, as there are moments when the pace drags to a crawl as Wyatt and Heath's slow-boiling attraction builds. But if you can weather out such moments, the compelling story and well-defined characters/relationships make a good reward for your patience. With plenty of touching scenes that will pull the heartstrings and characters you'll love to watch grow and evolve, Dashing in December survives its rougher patches to create a sweet and moving Christmas love story.

Score: 7.5 out of 10 sauvignon blancs.