Midnight at the Magnolia (2020 Netflix)
Midnight at the Magnolia (2020 Netflix)
Cast: Natalie Hall, Evan Williams, Alison Brooks
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Synopsis (via Netflix)
Longtime friends and local radio hosts Maggie and Jack fake it as a couple for their families and listeners in hopes of getting their show syndicated.
Thoughts
Chicagoans Maggie and Jack are two-morning radio talk show hosts at 98.8 BREEZE. They are two totally different types of people. Maggie is 100% Type A and Jack is laidback, almost too laid back. It is the day AFTER Christmas and they recap the holiday on the radio. Maggie and Jack are longtime family friends and host a co-family annual dinner event at the Magnolia hotel. They debate about when it is appropriate to bring dates to family events. Maggie doesn’t want to bring her boyfriend Hunter and Jack isn’t bringing his girlfriend Serena.
The radio show is trending on Twitter and Satilate Radio wants to air the program nationally. Even though their business is booming, their family’s is not. Both their parent’s businesses are struggling. To make sure that their radio show is a hit, Maggie and Jack agree to host an NYE event at the Magnolia and bring their significant others. The only problem is Serena and Hunter break up with Jack and Maggie because they spend too much time together. They decide to pretend to date to ensure the radio show is picked up and boost ratings.
Awkwardly, Maggie and Jack attempt to convince their producer and family that they are really dating. Jack’s parents are thrilled. Maggie’s dad opens a fancy bottle of wine and they celebrate. He even goes as far as to give Jack Maggie’s dead mother’s engagement ring. (Did anyone else think the Dad’s were dating on the DL? Just me okay, bye.)
Maggie sees Hunter with another woman and is depressed. Jack takes her sledding and they drink hot cocoa. Maybe Maggie and Jack aren’t pretending to be in love with one another. They keep up appearances in public and even slow dance at a party hosted by their soon to be boss Jud Crawford. Then they eat pan pizza cut into slices (So you know it isn’t Chicago pizza. Chicago is all about the deep dish or thin crust squares. Come on, movie!) They practice kissing, bit get interrupted. Apparently, Maggie has never had a New Years’ kiss. (Meh, they’re fine.)
Along comes Bianca Bell, a high school girlfriend of Jack and Maggie’s. She asks Jack to get a drink and talks to him about how even back then everyone knew they should be together. He loses track of time and misses a dinner date with Maggie. Jack shows up at Maggie’s door and apologizes. Maggie literally says “Fool me once shame on you, Fool me twice shame on me.” WHAT!? Who says that. Maggie is done with him and acting totally irrationally. (I kind of wish their fake relationship would end because it is exhausting. Who is rooting for these two to be together? The parents, I guess.)
It is finally NYE. The event is sold out and a live stream will be broadcasting all over. (The most 2020 thing ever.) Before we can get to the event, we have to have multiple scenes of Maggie and Jack talking to people about their relationships and a good old fashion Jack seeing Maggie talking to her ex and thinking they are getting back together. The only thing that can fit things will have to be a grand gesture!!!!
When it comes time for the big reveal, Maggie comes lean about the lie. She tells Jack that she wasn’t lying to him and she is in love with him. The producer of the radio show asks to cut the Livestream to commercial, which is not a thing. Jack tells Maggie on air that he is in love with her and was afraid to admit it. He plays her a song he has been writing since high school for Maggie. This is his grand gesture, you’d think the song would be better since he has been writing it for 15 years or whatever. They kiss while the crowd chants “Kiss Him!” (Which is not very romantic.)
The movie ends with the couple sledding together. They celebrate their one year anniversary and Jack proposes to Maggie. She says yes. They kiss by a gazebo.
Side Note
Minority Report: A Party Guest, Bartender, blues musicians,
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Overall rating
🎄 (1 Christmas Tree)
🍷🍷🍷🍷 (4 glasses of wine required.)
*Photo Credit: © 2020 Netflix
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