MOVIE REVIEW
Movie: Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy
Network: Hallmark Channel
Original Air Date: November 29, 2019
*Please Note: Change of Date!
*Part of Hallmark Channel's 10th Anniversary of Countdown to Christmas!
CAST:
Maggie Lawson ... Katie
Paul Greene ... Ben
Ashley Williams ... Allie Shaw
Jill Wagner ... Lisa Palmer
Barbara Niven ... Carol Shaw
Malcolm Stewart ... Joe Shaw
Patty McCormack ... Nan
Holly Robinson Peete ... Michelle
Rukiya Bernard ... Hannah
Colin Lawrence ... Thomas
Marlon Kazadi ... David
Niki Wipf ... Young Nan
Chris Cope ... Ezra Green
Antonio Cayonne ... Elliot Lee
Michelle Martin ... Megan
Keith Martin Gordey ... Nick
Michelle Martin ... Megan
Laura Soltis ... Pam McConnell
Daryl Shuttleworth ... Henry
Addyson Applin ... Young Carol
Kristi Mcmullan ... Young Carol’s Mom
Denis Kyzmin ... Young Carol’s Dad
Kesen Shongu ... Young Hannah
Taiwo Uthman ... Young Thomas
Charell Bonds ... Young Hannah’s Mom
Trae Jaxen ... Young Hannah’s Dad
Niki Wipf ... Younger Nan
Brandon Vick ... Younger Nick
Ray Crowth ... Ticket Taker
Geoff Greenleaf ... Himself
Jacqueline Robbins ... Cooper Twins #1
Joyce Robbins ... Cooper Twins #2
Taio ... Brutus
Gidget ... Max
PLOT:
Storyline via Hallmark: As the town searches for a rumored Christmas Time Capsule, a skeptical writer arrives in Evergreen to get the story on the town's "too-good-to-be-true" Christmas-fever.
Novelist Katie meets Ben en route to picturesque Evergreen, where her holiday retreat is interrupted by an assignment to write an article about the town. Though Katie is skeptical about the town’s love of Christmas, she’s enchanted by Evergreen and Ben. Katie and Ben grow closer while enjoying Evergreen’s Christmas traditions, and even help unearth a time capsule hidden 50 years ago. Meanwhile, inn owner Hannah struggles to confess feelings for a long-time friend, and town mayor Michelle is happier than ever in her relationship. As Christmas approaches, Evergreen’s holiday magic holds promise and hope for each unique love story.
Movie Review:
Coming...
See or Skip:
Coming...
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*images via: Hallmark Crown Media Family Networks
Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: David Strongman
Glad to see so many of the original actors from the "Evergreen" movies in this movie! This is one of my favorites! I really enjoy Paul Greene's character in "When Calls The Heart"! Donna Wilson
ReplyDeletelooking forward to this one
ReplyDeleteMaggie Lawson as Katie
ReplyDeletePaul Greene as Ben
Antonio Cayonne as Elliot Lee
ReplyDeleteHe’s possibly Hannah’s love interest
This one was a doozy! My daughter and I laughed and rolled our eyes through the whole thing because of how silly and full of bad acting that it was. And seriously, could they not have shown more than literally 1 second of each of the previous couples from the first 2 "Christmas in Evergreens?"
ReplyDeleteI loved this latest Evergreen movie. It was by far my favorite of the three, and it was my favorite Maggie Lawson Hallmark movie out of the 4 that she has done. I love all of the characters in the movie much more now than I did in the first movie, and seeing them now is like seeing old friends! lol
ReplyDeleteI've seen people on social media carry on and on about how unhappy they are with this movie and I think it's because they are assuming that every sequel has to feature the same couple(s) from the first movie or second movie in more substantial roles. I think the format of the Evergreen movies is what is throwing people off, but I like it!
Don't look at the Evergreen series as a series of movies that give equal time to each character or each couple. That's not the point of the movie, and it's not going to happen. We didn't need to see to the delightful Jill Wagner & Ashley Williams in more scenes in this one, because this movie was not about them, specifically. The romance at the center of the movie was the Paul Greene-Maggie Lawson story.
The magical, enchanting town of Evergreen (and all of its surprises and hidden gems) is the true star of this series of movies, and it is the place that brings new couples together. We can't focus on a new couple getting together if they keep going back to the old ones, so we get fun extended cameos from some of the other characters to check in with them and see what they're up to since we last saw them.
In a town full of that many people, there is not enough time to focus on everyone whose romance has already blossomed when they are trying to show us a new romance, and a new "mystery" in the town.
Jill Wagner, Ashley Williams and Holly Robinson Peete each have their own starring/lead roles in separate Christmas movies, but this was Paul Greene's first leading man role in any Hallmark movie of any theme in TWO full years, so I am glad he came back for this one. He and Maggie like working together, so they made a nice couple in this one.
Again, I liked it. I thought it was super-Christmasy, which is what I want from a Christmas movie. I love the town. I love the people in it. I love that Rukiya Bernard's character fell in love. I loved getting to check in with Jill's character and Ashley's character for a short bit. I love Barbara Niven. I love Holly Robinson Peete's relationship. I love the giant calendar. The whole thing worked for me. I liked the ending of the movie, because it sounds as though it could lead to a 4th movie.
If you want a movie that focuses more time on each of the B stories and not as much time on the A story, watch "Write Before Christmas" -- while I loved that movie, the lead couple did not spend enough time together because the movie was focused on the other stories too. That's what would happen with the Evergeen movies too, if more time was spent on the couples who have already had their Evergreen tales told -- we'd get only a couple of scenes with the lead couple.
I think it will help if people go into the Evergreen movies (should there be a 4th one) knowing that whoever has already had a lead role in a previous Evergreen movie is not going to be a huge part of the new story (if they are in it at all) and they are not going to be in a lot of scenes. If that is not a format that works for viewers or one that they like, they know to avoid the movie. But the second Evergreen movie should have told us how the third one was going to do -- new couple, new focus, appearances by characters we already know.
I'm honestly unsure of how I feel about this Evergreen movie. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. Truthfully, I think I just wasn't really in to Katie & Ben's story, TBH. They have a great chemistry (that kiss scene!😍) , but their storyline is just not engaging enough for me. On the other hand, Hannah & Elliot truly shines and I personally think they deserved their own Evergreen movie! Loved Rukiya Bernard & Antonio Cayonne!
ReplyDeleteSPOILERS -
ReplyDeleteFavorite scene with Katie (Maggie Lawson) - Ben upset when he finds her article bashing Evergreen.