A Christmas Intern (2023) – Review and Summary
Lifetime’s “A Christmas Intern” is a fine but forgettable holiday romance.
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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“A Christmas Intern” Film Summary
“A Christmas Intern” is a classic Lifetime Christmas movie with red and green draped in every scene. The harmless festive romance uses its modest budget to decorate its set with bows and candy canes galore. The mother-daughter relationship in “A Christmas Intern” is sweet, but the actual romance at the center of this cookie leaves you wanting more.
Alexis (Ciarra Carter) built her company, Cyber Santa, from the ground up and is eager to expand her online gift-giving business. She plans to get funding from River Road, a venture capital group that wants to invest in a new company. While River Road’s representative, Donte (Doug Rogers), believes in Alexis’ company, Donte’s boss (Vivica A. Fox) is more apprehensive about investing in Cyber Santa.
As Alexis struggles to demonstrate the strength of her business, her mom, Cecilia (Jackée Harry), arrives. Cecilia has a lust for life, exudes cheer, and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She not only sees that her daughter’s business isn’t reaching its potential, but also that her daughter has put her personal life on hold. Cecilia volunteers to intern for her daughter’s company, and Cecilia’s ideas and presence bring new energy to Cyber Santa and a new zeal in Alexis. Alexis starts to develop a romance with Donte, but their potential relationship is threatened as Donte’s company still isn’t sure if Cyber Santa is a worthy investment.
Despite Jackée Harry demanding your attention in every scene she’s in, “A Christmas Intern” is the type of entertainment to have on in the background. The Lifetime movies embrace the graphic transitions that feel like you’re watching a never-ending commercial, but it still makes you root for Alexis and her team. What “A Christmas Intern” lacks in romance, it makes up for in its mother-daughter story.
Character Descriptions
Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member.
Alexis
Alexis is an entrepreneur and the business owner of Cyber Santa. She’s motivated to expand her business and seeks financial business, and with the help of her mom, it might just happen. Alexis is so occupied with having her business thrive that just puts her personal life on hold.
- The actor is also known for their role in “A Christmas for Mary.”
Cecilia
Cecilia is Alexis’ mom who comes to work for her as an intern. Cecilia cares for her daughter but sometimes forces her cheer and holiday spirit onto her.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Sister, Sister.”
Donte
Donte works for River Road, a capital investment firm that might be looking to invest into Alexis’ Cyber Santa. Donte is torn between his business ethics and his budding romance for Alexis.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Bad Boy.”
Charlotte
As the boss of River Road, Charlotte is more calculated and ruthless in how the company chooses what to invest in. Charlotte and Donte clash when it comes to investing in Cyber Santa.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Independence Day.”
“A Christmas Intern” Review
Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)
Highlights
The Joy of Jackée Harry
While the movie is titled “A Christmas Intern,” Jackée Harry’s Cecilia shares the spotlight with Ciarra Carter’s Alexis. The two have fine chemistry and provide a more intriguing story than Alexis’ romance. But Harry specifically lights up each scene she is in, and the movie could have benefited from focusing more on Cecilia’s budding relationship than Alexis’.
On The Fence
Too Much Business Jargon Takes Away from Romance
Is anyone watching “A Christmas Intern” for the business story? The movie seems to think so, as the majority of dialogue focuses on the characters’ relationship to the fake business, Cyber Santa. The corporate jargon in the movie hinders the chance to develop other characters’ relationships and moments to bond.
A Stiff Central Romance
Potentially due to the dialogue (who wrote this, btw?), but Alexis and Donte’s relationship feels like an afterthought. While the two are cute and carry their individual scenes, they have little to bond over and rarely get to share joyful moments together.
Who Is This For?
Fans of Hallmark and Lifetime movies might enjoy “A Christmas Intern.”
“A Christmas Intern” General Information
| Director | David DeCoteau |
| Screenplay By | N/A |
| Based On Work By | N/A |
| Date Released | December 16, 2023 |
| How To Watch | Tubi |
| Genre(s) | Romance |
| Film Length | 1 Hour, 28 Minutes |
| Content Rating | Rated TV-PG |
| Noted Characters and Cast | |
| Alexis | Ciarra Carter |
| Cecilia | Jackée Harry |
| Donte | Doug Rogers |
| Charlotte | Vivica A. Fox |
Content Rating Explanation
“A Christmas Intern” is rated TV-PG due to its suggested romance.
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