Christmas in July 2021: Holiday in the Wild (2019)

 

Happy Christmas in July! It's Day #28 of the Christmas in July party. All month long I'll be celebrating Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies with a FUN IN THE SUN attitude. Expect a run of Christmas in July stories, tropical yuletides, and island themes. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition being released later this year). 

Today's Christmas in July discussion is on the 2019 Netflix movie Holiday in the Wild set in Zambia, a nation in southern Africa with a tropical climate.

Kate Conrad sets out on a safari adventure after her husband leaves her despite being alone. She is escorted while on the safari by a handsome pilot named Derek across an animal preserve in Zambia. Helping out a baby elephant, Kate is introduced to the elephant orphanage and decides to stay. Kate is a New Yorker with an unused veterinarian degree. She finds new purpose when she feels needed at the animal preserve. She stays several months and celebrates Christmas with her new friends--the staff at the elephant orphanage. When her divorce papers come through, Kate decides to return to New York for the new year. When the orphanage’s funding falls through, Kate is excited to share her wealthy contacts to assist in fundraising. But true love finds Kate wanting to return to the animal preserve. In the spirit of the season's call for compassion and giving, the movie’s end credits request viewers' support for elephant conservation efforts.

The cast includes Kristin Davis as Kate Conrad, Rob Lowe as Derek, and Fezile Mpela as Jonathan.

Our Christmas in July party discussions will continue all month long. Got another favorite tropical Christmas program? There's more to come. Feel free to leave comments down below.

 

Joanna Wilson is a TV researcher and book author specializing in Christmas entertainment. More about the TV programs mentioned on this website can be found in her book "Tis the Season TV: the Encyclopedia of Christmas-themed Episodes, Specials, and Made-for-TV Movies." Her latest book "Triple Dog Dare: Watching--& Surviving--the 24-Hour Marathon of A Christmas Story" was released in 2016. She is currently updating and expanding the encyclopedia for a 2021 release. Her books can be found at the publisher's website: 1701 press.com

*Support this website and its research by purchasing the books at 1701 press.com