Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Wholesome but unrealistic holiday romance; kissing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Christmas at the Chalet
What's the Story?
At the urging of her 25-year-old son George (Brendan McRae), Lex (Teri Hatcher) is reinventing herself as a constantly-posting social media 50-something advisor on homemaking and life in CHRISTMAS AT THE CHALET. Before Lex had George, she was a well-known reporter on the celebrity beat and apparently in the seven years since George left home, she's been figuring out what to do next. She's been divorced a year and is looking for her next chapter. She reluctantly agrees to join George in Aspen for a Christmas ski trip that will expose her to her ex and his younger girlfriend. Through a mix-up, the only room available at the boutique chalet hotel is an extremely luxurious maid's room that comes with a cleaning job. Lex takes the job, with plans to document it for her social media followers. Could this adventure lead to an unexpectedly memorable holiday?
Is It Any Good?
This holiday confection is brimming with absurdities but it remains fascinating for the performance of Hatcher as a relentlessly upbeat woman who almost never stops smiling. It's kind of fun to hear her tell her followers that she once covered the Red Carpet as a celebrity reporter and now she's vacuuming it.
However, Christmas at the Chalet's inconsistencies abound. Lex declines to wear the seemingly mandatory maid's uniform when she's hired. Then, when we meet the other maid, she isn't wearing one. So what was the owner Eric's insistence on the uniform all about? As owner of a luxury hotel, Eric picks up crates and crates of wine by taxi! Doesn't the hotel have a vehicle? When Lex first runs into Eric at the airport, he is surly and rude, not the demeanor you'd expect of a man whose job is to exude hospitable politeness and helpfulness. Lex refers to herself several times as an "empty-nester." Her kid is 25! Still, for families willing to overlook these details, this is a wholesome holiday movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the difficulties adult children of divorce face during the holidays. Was it insensitive of George to insist his mom spend Christmas with him and his dad? Why or why not?
How does the movie address the issue of dating over the age of 50?
Eric left his dream life in France to return home to help his mother run the hotel. Was that the right choice? Do you think it's common for people to make sacrifices for family?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 25, 2023
- Cast : Teri Hatcher , William Devry , Brendan McRae
- Director : Lucie Guest
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Netflix , Lifetime Television
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Family Stories , Holidays
- Run time : 84 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : December 17, 2025
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