[Movie 313 / Day 333]
One of those gentle comedies that needs no thought, CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT is about the mess food writer Elizabeth Lane (Barbara Stanwyck) manages to get herself into when her austere boss and publisher, Alexander Yardley, orders her to entertain a wounded sailor at her farm for a traditional Christmas meal – and invites himself along for good measure. They’re all looking forward to meeting the husband and baby, seeing the farm and tasting the food that Lane is famous for – all as described in her column. The problem with the setup is that Elizabeth Lane doesn’t live on a farm in Connecticut, she lives in an apartment in New York; she’s single; and to add insult to injury, she can barely boil an egg let alone create the sumptuous feasts she describes in mouth-watering detail. The food comes from her chef friend Felix, who owns a restaurant around the corner from her apartment.
She has just about resigned to losing her job and all credibility when her long-time suitor John Sloan proposes to her again – well aware that she has no feelings for him, it seems his plan is to wear her down gradually. In a happy coincidence, Sloan owns a farm in Connecticut and, in return for fleshing out her column-based fantasies, becomes engaged to Lane (and tells her that she’ll probably fall in love with him eventually).
So, it looks like everything is covered – Sloan’s farm is perfect; his housekeeper also babysits for various local women, covering that lie; and Felix tags along for the ride in order to provide the food. Unfortunately, when the sailor arrives, it seems that he and Lane get along like a house on fire… And then everything starts to fall apart, with Sloan desperately trying to marry Lane without Yardley spotting anything; Lane desperately trying to avoid getting married in order to spend more time with the sailor; and the baby changing from a boy to a girl overnight.
As far as comedies go, CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT isn’t the funnies flick you’ll ever watch, but as far as Christmas movies go, it’s not bad. The outcome is pretty well signalled almost from the offset, but the web of lies that increasingly snares Lane is well thought out and it’s amusing to see her digging herself deeper and deeper into trouble. This movie is perfect for watching while lying on the sofa half-asleep after one of the many days of excess to come over the holidays. It’s not amazing, but it’s gentle fun and you don’t have to try very hard to follow it.
My Rating: 
[ IMDB rating: 7.3 / 10 | IMDB link | Running time: 102 mins ]
