Eloise at Christmastime is an made-for-TV movie based on the 1958 children's book of the same name, written by Kay Thompson and illustrated by Hilary Knight. Originally aired on The Wonderful World of Disney anthology program on November 22, 2003, it is a sequel to Eloise at the Plaza. It was produced by Handmade Films and DiNovi Pictures for Walt Disney Television with distribution handled by the ABC Television Network.
Synopsis
The movie begins with a shot of the Hotel Lobby, with a large pink gift box leaning on the display table, in the middle of the room. The hotel manager, Mr. Salamone, asks one of the staff to take the box to the package room. Two of the staff take the gift box to the package room. When they leave, the box is opened and we see Eloise crawling out. Eloise is on a mission to find any presents in the package room from her mother, who has taken a trip to Paris.
When Eloise does not find any packages from her mother, she then leaves the room in a large mess. She skips towards the lobby, and pushes into a long line at the check-in desk and interrupts a conversation between Mr. Salamone and two patrons, wishing to upgrade their current hotel suite to a park-side view room.
Eloise asks Mr. Salamone if there have been any packages from her mother in Paris, and he replies that there hasn't. He pushes her away, telling Eloise that he is currently very busy. Eloise pushes in the line again, offering Mr. Salamone some unnecessary assistance. Mr. Salamone declines, pushing Eloise away from the hectic line.
Eloise leaves, but is instantly back in a flash, when she notices a suspicious man waiting in the queue. She thinks that this patron is a spy, but Mr. Salamone declines, and instantly changes the subject so that Eloise can leave the line. He requests Eloise to look out for the hotel's Christmas Tree Delivery, which is due to be at the Plaza any moment. He tells Eloise to inform him when the delivery arrives.
Eloise leaves the line, and tells the "spy" that she is keeping her eye on him.
The main focal point of the story deals with the impending marriage between Rachel Peabody, the hotel owner's daughter, and a bachelor named Brooks Oliver, who was chosen by Rachel's family to be her husband.
Eloise eventually learned that Oliver is into doing something suspicious. She also found out that Rachel had taken a liking with Bill, a room service waiter and one of her friends, four years earlier. When Mr. Peabody became aware of his daughter's relationship with Bill, he then sent his daughter to a university, hoping to break his daughter's ties with the waiter. Eloise then intervened with the relationship, much to the disappointment of Rachel's father.
She then succeeded at restoring Bill and Rachel's romance with each other; Oliver is then arrested for forgery, and Mrs. Thornton, who was in danger of being evicted, is granted a permanent stay at the Plaza. And to top it off, Eloise's mom arrives and they rejoice.
Broadcast history and availability
The movie airs on television throughout the holiday season, currently on the Hallmark Channel.
The film was released on both VHS and DVD by Buena Vista Home Entertainment on November 16, 2004. The DVD contained two bonus featurettes - "Absolutely Kay Thompson" (a profile of the author of the books) and "Making Eloise at Christmastime" (a featurette about the making of the film).
Cast
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Julie Andrews | Nanny |
| Sofia Vassilieva | Eloise |
| Kenneth Welsh | Sir Wilkes |
| Debra Monk | Maggie |
| Gavin Creel | Bill |
| Rick Roberts | Brooks |
| Sara Topham | Rachel Peabody |
| Victor A. Young | Mr. Peabody |
| Corinne Conley | Mrs. Thornton |
| Christine Baranski | Prunella Stickler |
| Jeffrey Tambor | Mr. Salomone |
| Tannis Burnett | Ms. Thompson |
| Seann Gallagher | Rick |
| Debra McGrath | Cornelia |
| Julian Richings | Patrice |
See also
External links
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