| Eloise at Christmastime | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Based on | Eloise byKay Thompson |
| Written by | Elizabeth Chandler |
| Directed by | Kevin Lima |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Bruce Broughton |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | |
| Producers |
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| Cinematography | James Chressanthis |
| Editor | Gregory Perler |
| Running time | 89 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | November 22, 2003 (2003-11-22) |
| Related | |
| Eloise at the Plaza | |
Eloise at Christmastime is a 2003 AmericanChristmascomedytelevision film based on the 1958 book written byKay Thompson and illustrated byHilary Knight. The film starsSofia Vassilieva asEloise, a six-year-old girl who lives in thepenthouse at the top of thePlaza Hotel inNew York City.Julie Andrews,Kenneth Welsh,Debra Monk,Gavin Creel,Christine Baranski, andJeffrey Tambor also star. It is a sequel toEloise at the Plaza and the story takes place immediately after the events of that film.
The film was directed byKevin Lima, written by Elizabeth Chandler, produced byHandMade Films and Di Novi Pictures forWalt Disney Television, and filmed inToronto and New York Cityback-to-back with the first film. It aired onABC on November 22, 2003, as an episode ofThe Wonderful World of Disney. It was released on bothVHS andDVD byBuena Vista Home Entertainment. Since 2009, the film has been part of the25 Days of Christmas programming block onFreeform (formerly ABC Family), but it was not part of the block in 2010.[1] From 2011 to 2013, it aired on theHallmark Channel as part of the channel's "Countdown to Christmas".[2]
The Plaza Hotel is getting ready for the Christmas holiday season. Eloise is on a mission to find 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 hotel manager 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 learns that Brooks is doing something suspicious. She also finds out that Rachel took a liking to Bill, a room service waiter and a friend of hers, four years earlier. When Mr. Peabody learned of his daughter's relationship with Bill, he then sent his daughter to a university, hoping to break them up. Eloise intervenes with the relationship, much to Mr. Peabody's dismay.
Eloise succeeds with restoring Bill and Rachel's romance; Brooks is then arrested forforgery, and Mrs. Thornton, who was in danger of beingevicted, is granted a permanent stay at the Plaza. Also, Eloise's mother arrives and they rejoice.
Filming took place mostly inToronto, Canada. Scenes were also filmed in front of the Plaza Hotel in New York City.[3] The film was shotback-to-back withEloise at the Plaza.[4]