Dhruv Sharma
While Hallmark and Lifetime have always been in the game, with Netflix’s involvement in the festive season, the deluge of Christmas films is now further growing. With hopeless romantics like ‘The Knight Before Christmas‘, teen dramas like ‘Let it Snow‘ and royal family tales like ‘A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby’, Netflix’s schedule for festive films seems merry and bright. Among all the glut of holiday movies, ‘Holiday Rush‘ is another Christmas family movie that centers on the life of DJ Rush Williams. Though he is the single father of three kids, everything seems to be working just fine for him, and for a while, he even seems to be one of the best DJs in his city.
But his jammy ideal life gets a record scratch when he, without warning, gets his job taken away. While his life comes crashing down, even his kids, who have always been coddled by all kinds of luxuries, don’t cooperate with the new lifestyle that is being enforced on them and instead try to defy all the downsizing that he tries to bring into their lives. Eventually, while he tries to revive his career as a DJ, even his kids start understanding that regardless of what their present financial state is, it’s the people around them that matter more than anything else.
There are times when you just want to sit back and, for once, enjoy a film that is not offensive in any way and has nothing controversial going on. Though a bit too predictable and heavily dosed with Hallmark cheesiness, ‘Holiday Rush’ still turns out to be quite a watchable film because of how it reflects on some real-life hijinks and dynamics of a family that is grieving the loss of a loved one and is also somehow trying to make sense out of a Christmas celebration, which is not exactly how they expected it to be. Apart from a few true “magical” moments in the film—especially the part where Rush interacts with an imaginary ghost of his wife—there are quite a few themes in the film that can be relatable to many.
Holiday Rush is an Original Story
‘Holiday Rush’ is not based on a true story, and if you think about it, though on the surface it might seem relatable in some ways, there are several shoehorns in the plot of the film where the characters abruptly go through transformations and are showered with ideas of reinvention. One example of this could be how Rush’s kids suddenly reform themselves and accept their new “not so luxurious” lifestyles. Even Rush’s wife-to-be, Roxy, suddenly sparks up a romantic relationship with Rush, and without even caring about their opinion, Rush pretty much enforces her on his kids.
There is also a scene where his angelic wife later makes an appearance and reassures him that he must move on ahead with his life and even pursue a relationship with his former producer-turned-girlfriend. While all this seems entertaining behind the silver screen, most of it is far more complex in real life. And not to mention, unlike the portrayal of the film, not every stumbling block in life can be overcome solely with a good spirit and uncurbed optimism.
Contrarily, compared to most other Christmas movies that meander a bit too much into the fantasy domain, ‘Holiday Rush’ is fairly grounded in realism. And though many of its themes are not as poignant as they are meant to be, most of them revolve around the lines of positivity and gratefulness that can evoke a sense of familiarity for many. Even the film’s representation of the sorrows of a single father, who is always trying to make a life for himself while giving his children the best life that they can get, can pull a few heartstrings for many out there because, to an extent, it does reflect on real-life predicaments that most parent might face; regardless of whether they are single or not.
Also, despite having an all-Black cast, ‘ Holiday Rush’, for the most part, makes no references to any particular culture and avoids using any form of racial slurs or expletives. This, again, makes it appropriate for everyone out there, making it a pretty decent family film. In conclusion, ‘Holiday Rush‘ is not based on a true story, and from the looks of it, it makes this pretty obvious from the beginning itself. Nonetheless, don’t be surprised if you get a few heart-warming tingles here and there while watching it.
Read More: Where Was Holiday Rush Filmed?
