Holiday Spin is one of the latest movies in the Christmas movie lineup. The movie will attract dance fans. You can say it is sort of a ‘Step Up’ for Christmas time. An average story coupled with mediocre and sometimes strained performances makes this a drag to watch. There is hardly any Christmas cheer, or any Christmas scenes or activities.
Holiday Spin
Director: Jonathan A. Rosenbaum
Stars: Allie Bertram, Garrett Clayton, Karen Olivo
Holiday Spin begins in North Carolina where we meet Blake, a typical teenage kid and his single mother who owns a dance studio. Blake is all for being a professional fighter and wants to stay away from the dance studio which is not a ‘big deal’ to him. As Blake and his mother sing ‘Jingle Bells’ at an intersection, fate strikes and Blake loses his mom. Enter Ralph Macchio ( boy genius from those classics – Karate Kid and My Cousin Vinny) in the unlikely role of Blake’s father.
Ruben (Macchio) ships Blake to Miami for a month until he turns 18 where he meets Pia, dancer extraordinaire, who is touted as the next dance champion. ‘Holiday Spin’ is the great event of the season that Pia needs to win to save Ruben’s studio. What follows is quite predictable. Pia dates jerk – jerk cheats on Pia – Blake and Pia fall for each other – Blake enters the dance event for Pia etc.
Other than a Christmas tree and some poor background decorations, there is hardly any Christmas spirit in the film. Some lines are very awkward, and scenes quite predictable. Even as a 35+ dad, Ralph Macchio looks quite the kid himself. Overall this movie lacks the emotional depth that is generally present in Lifetime movies.
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