I hope you enjoy all of the movie reviews below...
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* 2022 CHRISTMAS MOVIE *
REVIEWS
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*Christmas movies are listed in order by their premiere date below - underneath each individual network.
🌟GREAT AMERICAN FAMILY:
Destined at Christmas - October 22, 2022
🎄 "Destined At Christmas was absolutely delightful." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Just watched GAC Destined at Christmas very nice story. It reminded me of Hallmark movies 5 years ago. It was family friendly." ~Ken
🎄 "We thought Destined at Christmas was delightful too." ~Karen E J Klein
🎄 "Destined at Christmas was so lovely! And the ads with Candace in them were also really sweet." -Maria
🎄 "Review: Destined at Christmas Family-friendly? Yes Keeper? Borderline...no I am probably in the minority here, because yes, this is a very cute movie with the two leads doing a great job in their roles! And I like the plot about the characters trying to find each other. But...the fact that there were just so many - so many! - near misses in hooking up made the storyline just too unbelievable. (In fact, at one point I said out loud to the TV, "okay, this is ridiculous!" Yes, I talk to the TV!) While obviously we have to forgo some sense of reality with these movies, this one just went too far for me. Oh well..." ~Mark 25
🎄 "Mark 25, I agree with you. The missing each other went on much too long which made the movie tiring. Not a keeper for me!" ~kitkat
🎄 "Quite enjoyed Destined at Christmas. Thought the actors/actresses were very natural (including the young girl); I felt like I was watching a story unfold instead of watching them acting out a story. One of the only negatives for me was that it felt like the directors dragged out the search between the star-crossed lovers for way too long; it became a bit frustrating, although the story was still entertaining. And then when they finally found each other it all ended quite abruptly and a bit oddly with some loose ends. Not sure if this one's a keeper for me but it's definitely worth a re-watch at some time. This one would probably be good for the whole family to watch, partly due to the refreshing young girl and the dinosaur angle and partly because there wasn't an overkill of sappy romance or long lingering looks at each other's lips." ~~Jane
🎄 "Destined at Christmas won my optimistic, romantic heart over! The movie's concept was more unique than the typical romantic-comedy. I love that these two people, Kim and Theo, met by happenstance while doing some early shopping on Black Friday. It was also fun to get a taste of Thanksgiving weekend – as the family discussed eating leftovers. I thought Kim and Theo’s individual searches for one another were fun throughout the movie, and I personally enjoyed all of the close-calls; however, I would’ve liked just a little more time seeing them actually together at the end. My only real qualm was that Kim never really finalized things with her ex-boyfriend, and (*SPOILER ALERT*) knowing he was standing there at the end when Theo and she finally met again, felt a little awkward. (*SPOILER END*) Overall, though, this was such a delightful, feel good movie, a wonderful start to the second Great American Christmas season! I will look forward to watching encore airings, especially as we get closer and closer to Black Friday!" ~Net
🎄 "DESTINED AT CHRISTMAS - It was sweet, but there was too much separation time. The way that they keep missing each other was pretty frustrating, although I guess that's the whole point of the movie. I found myself wanting to fast forward a lot. I do think it's cool that the leading female is a paleontologist." ~CH Mom
🎄 "Destined at Christmas is family friendly. The movie is delightful. (Review may contain Spoilers) After Dr. Kim French & Theo Hall meet in the midst of Black Friday shopping madness when the store blackout just before dawn. When there’s spark in between Kim & Theo but they get separated due to panic while they’re searching everywhere when they attempt to find each other? They doesn’t forget each other to try to search information. Ashley is at the Dinosaur museum with their classmate where Kim works as a paleontologist. They across same path as their families, Ashley’s Aunt Clarissa & Uncle Hunter search their Niece as Kim finds Ashley at the playground unless her Aunt & Uncle look everywhere for her. Kim’s family & her friend’s family are attending Christmas Carol when Kim’s Mom hands an extra tickets to Theo & his Daughter named Ashley. Kim’s friend tells Kim he’s a carpentry is Theo. The Families & Zack are attending Christmas Festival in the middle of the night. Ashley tells her Dad, Theo that she’s Dinosaur Lady is Kim who works at Dinosaur Museum. Ashley runs toward to Kim & her Dad, Theo follows his Daughter, Ashley to find Kim. Ashley tells Kim that she’s with her Dad. Theo & Kim look everywhere that night. Kim us searching for Theo during daytime. Theo gets his Daughter; Ashley a triceratops ornament to put on Christmas tree. Ashley wants to be a Paleontologist just like Dr. Kim French. Theo & Kim introduce each other again with Ashley. One year later, the family celebrates Christmas. Hunter & Clarissa are having a baby so, Ashley will become Cousin when she thinks it’s a girl. They named their Daughter; Victoria “Vicki” Hall. Ashley hands her Dad’s gift to Kim & Kim’s gift to her Dad, Theo. She hands Christmas gifts each other." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Thank goodness for GACF saving my weekend with their movies from last year and new premier I saw, Destined At Christmas. It was a beautiful story in several ways." ~Anonymous
🎄 "This was family friendly even though the hunt was long & tiresome. ~Namegirl
🎄 "Destined at Christmas - This was a nice family friendly story. I thought the case did a fine job. The families were believable. The story line had a leisurely pace and wasn't choppy. This is one of those movies that sets the scene for Christmas. I would watch this again or having it playing as a backdrop to my own Christmas preparations." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Mark 25 & Kitkat...I just watched this movie "Destined at Christmas". I agree with you both. The TON of near misses drove me bonkers. It actually made me start to feel anxious...haha. Cute movie but oh my!! Drove me nuts!" ~Jim
Catering Christmas - October 29, 2022
🎄 "Catering Christmas was very sweet!" –Maria
🎄 "I loved Catering Christmas! Daniel Lissing and Merritt Patterson had great chemistry. The storyline was enjoyable and shared some great messages about family, helping the community and making the most of the gifts you’ve been given. Loved the side characters and the fun surprise towards the end. I don’t want to spoil it. Oh and the sets were beautiful and pulled it all together." - Jennifer R
🎄 "Catering Christmas is family friendly about fledgling caterer Molly Frost whose owns Molly’s Menu Magic is hired by perfectionist Jean Harrison for renowned Harrison Foundation’s Annual Christmas Gala, but things get complicated when Molly falls for Jean’s Nephew named Carson Harrison. Carson’s family owns Harrison Community Center. Some yummy Christmas fudges, Christmas fudge with walnuts, Christmas fudge with Hickory nuts. Molly used some research Jean’s Grandfather’s Christmas fudges with Hickory Nuts from Hickory Trees in Maine but didn’t use walnuts in his recipe. Jean plays matchmaker for Carson & Molly at Christmas in h to r Square when Molly brings Christmas Cookies for Harrison Foundation Booth" ~Anonymous
🎄 "I watched “Catering Christmas” and “Christmas Bedtime Stories.” Both were family friendly. “Catering Christmas” was absolutely delightful and if you are a fan of “Anne of Avonlea” with Megan Follows you’ll recognize Aunt Jean as Katherine the Principal of the Kingsport Ladies College where Anne taught. So fun to see her again. I wasn’t a fan of the paring of Erin Cahill with Steve Lund in “Christmas Bedtime Stories,” but the story was good and *possible spoiler alert* has a surprise ending. I also shed some tears." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Catering Christmas was worth the excitement. This is a keeper! Enjoyed seeing Merritt Patterson and Daniel Lissing together." ~kitkat
🎄 "Catering Christmas – This was such a sweet story throughout. I enjoyed the surprise romance I didn’t know I needed, and Daniel Lissing and Merritt Patterson were a fantastic pairing. I could definitely feel a growing tension/spark between them. The fudge storyline was satisfying, as well. Overall, this feel-good, family-friendly Christmas film is a definite keeper for me!" ~Net
🎄 "I echo what Jennifer said. This is a great feel-good movie with wonderful chemistry between Daniel and Merritt. That said, maybe I'm biased here, because Merritt has become one of my favorite actresses. There could probably be a movie of her reading a phone book in front of a Christmas fire, and I would praise it! ;) (Oh, for those of you young ones, a phone book is what people used years ago to...oh, never mind!)" ~Mark 25
🎄 "Catering Christmas. Sweet, feel-good movie. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Keeper, and would probably buy the dvd. Family friendly." ~~Jane
Christmas Lover's Anonymous - October 30, 2022
🎄 "Christmas Lovers Anonymous is family friendly about a best selling book author named Katrina Marks hides her love for Christmas after an ugly breakup, but she finds love again when she joins a website for people who are crazy fur Christmas called; “Christmas Lovers Anonymous”. Just Say No to Ho Ho Ho!, by Katrina Marks." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Christmas Lovers Anonymous is really sweet!" –Maria
🎄 "Review: Christmas Lovers Anonymous - Family-friendly? Yes - Keeper? No - This movie just seemed like a cheap rip-off of You've Got Mail (except the leads are no Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan). The main problem I had is that the story takes place in a very small town, yet it never occurs to anyone that Santa's Little Helper and Jolly Soul are the same people as the main characters. I mean, there was even a hint about a broken Santa figurine that was completely missed! Also, without mentioning names, some of the acting by the cast was terrible! Not a GAF winner for me." ~Mark 25
🎄 "Christmas Lover’s Anonymous – This movie is family-friendly, but rather cheesy, at times. I tried to get into it, but just couldn’t do so. The story concept was interesting – about a writer who is tired of being pushed into doing all sorts of activities EVERY Christmas and writes the book, Just Say No to Ho, Ho, Ho. Well, her book becomes very popular and basically traps her into having a public persona of NOT doing Christmas at all. And then, the trouble comes when she realizes how much she misses doing Christmassy things. Overall, it’s a sweet, wholesome movie, but not a keeper for me." ~Net
🎄 "Christmas Lovers Anonymous. Ugh. No. Just, no! On so many different levels – acting, writing, directing, production & budget -- just, no! Who at GAF thought running this movie would be a winner??!" ~~Jane
A Royal Christmas on Ice - November 5, 2022
🎄 "A Royal Christmas on Ice is very beautiful!" –Maria
🎄 "A Royal Christmas on Ice - My only thought is that it left a lot of things up in the air. Maybe a lead in to a sequel." ~JoCo
🎄 "A Royal Christmas on Ice is family friendly about a dashing Prince of Donegel is looking to escape his royal life z& he comes to United States of America to start a business in small town in upstate New York & winds up falling for a former Olympic Ice Skater. He meets up with Dylan Blake is a Creative Consultant. Prince John fondly of hockey. He has a Brother & Marshall. Abbie returns on Ice for Christmas Ice Parade at Evanston Ice Area. Prince John Lackston of Dongel takes a duo or duet with Abigail to take a bow" ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Royal Christmas on Ice- First, the highlights… this movie is light-hearted, family-friendly, and the ice skating is fun and lovely to watch. The low points for me… there was very little chemistry between the leads, Abigail and Prince John, and the acting was a bit stiff. At first, Abigail seemed moody all the time, and the lead guy, who happens to be royal Prince, of course, is a bit too pushy for my liking. Also, the romance seems very rushed, in my opinion. Actor William (Billy) Baldwin also makes an appearance, but his role is very small. Overall, this was not a keeper for me, but to put a positive spin on it… someone who really likes ice skating may enjoy it, and it’s wholesome for all ages." ~Net
🎄 "Review: A Royal Christmas on Ice - Family-friendly? Yes - Keeper? No - I think after having so many "royal" Christmas movies lately, it is going to take a really special one for me to recommend it. And this isn't it. The main problem I had is the lead actress - maybe the script called for it, but she seemed so gloomy throughout the movie, especially at the beginning. Whenever she smiled - which was rarely - it seemed forced. (She's not even smiling in the poster.) And maybe that's why there didn't seem to be any chemistry between the leads. For me, not a fun movie at all!" ~Mark 25
🎄 "Royal Christmas on Ice, just had to review this one...so far it is my favorite one and I've watched it about 4 times already. I love both actors and I noticed one person stated that the actress was too sad, but I think she did a great job portraying someone who had watched her dreams being shattered. I could identify with her. Good chemistry and definitely family friendly." ~Clara
🎄 "A Royal Christmas on Ice. NOPE. That’s it. I have no more words -- which is surprising since I usually have a plethora of words! 😊 I had high hopes for this movie, not because of the “royal” part (royal movies are usually like nails on a chalkboard for me!), but I was hoping to enjoy it because of the “ice” part (in my younger days I spent lots of hours training in the ice rink with Olympic stars in my youthful eyes). But this movie just left me cold and at a loss for descriptive words, and even the beautiful sound of blades on ice couldn’t save it for me. Well, okay, I can’t help myself, so here are some more words 😊. . . . awkward -- contrived -- stiff -- mediocre -- prickly/unlikeable leading lady -- unnecessary angst -- incomplete -- lacking sparkle. Unless you’re the target audience (which I’m guessing might be tween-agers?), my advice is to read a good book or head out to an ice rink for some fun and just skip this movie." ~~Jane
Love At the Christmas Contest - November 6, 2022
🎄 "Love at the Christmas Contest was really fun and sweet!" –Maria
🎄 "Love at Christmas Contest is family family us about Angie enters a tree decorating contest to honor the memory of her Mother. Angie seems seems surprise that her High School Sweetheart named David & his Daughter named Gabby have entered the contest too" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Review: Love at the Christmas Contest - Family-friendly? Yes - Keeper? No - I just couldn't get into this movie - it just seemed to plod along. You know how some people like to make fun of these kind of movies for being to cheesy or whatever? Unfortunately this seemed like the kind of movie that would make an easy target for them. So-so plot, so-so acting, very predictable with a lot of the usual happenings (snow-ball fight, building a snowman, baking Christmas cookies, decorating a tree, etc.). And in the story, unless I missed something, he turns down a job offer in London, but in a later scene he says he is leaving for London because he has taken a job there. Sorry - not for me." ~Mark 25
🎄 "Love at the Christmas Contest – This family-friendly movie was sweet and simple, fairly straight-forward. It was fun to see the different styles of Christmas trees designed for the contest, but none of them were truly spectacular, in my opinion. I didn’t feel a spark between the leads, so this movie was not a keeper for me, but it’s still a pleasant end-of-the-day watch. Children may even like it, too, since there is a young girl included throughout the story." ~Net
A Merry Christmas Wish - November 12, 2022
🎄 "Loved A Merry Christmas Wish! Loved Jill Wagner and Cameron Mathison together! Another movie with a fantastic message and so many Christmas carols as background music. I also loved the actress who played the sister. She added a nice element to the story." - Jennifer R
🎄 "Watched A Merry Christmas Wish last night and was not disappointed. Loved the music for starters and acting was up to par as usual. Scenery was so much better than other movies so far. Only complaint was that it was very predictable. Storyline follows many that I have seen before. Would definitely be a keeper." ~JoCo
🎄 "A Merry Christmas Wish – I enjoyed this movie so much I didn’t want it to end. Jill Wagner and Cameron Mathison are absolutely fantastic together. I only wish we could’ve seen more fun moments of Janie (Jill Wagner) and Dylan (Cameron Mathison) on the farm together. It was obvious that Jill and her character, Janie, were at home there. This movie is completely family-friendly and ideal for all ages. I also loved seeing the little girl, who was adorable, by the way, from When Hope Calls. This is one of those sweet, lighthearted movies I already know I’m going to enjoy watching over and over again!" ~Net
🎄 "A Merry Christmas Wish is family friendly about an NYC Advertising Executive returns to her hometown to her family farm but instead reconnects her childhood friend named Dylan & gets involved with organizing the yearly Woodland Falls Winter Wonderland, which takes place on the property. Dylan is staying at guest house next to Randall’s farmhouse. They manage to save farmhouse whose runs by Dylan. Dylan has a Sister named Nicole, their Mom named Esther, & Niece named Gracie. It tells the story of Janie. She returns to her hometown of Woodland Falls when her great-uncle passes away. He surprises Janie with a special gift: the family homestead, her childhood home." ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Merry Christmas Wish is worth watching. It has a great and festive atmosphere, a beautiful setting, a great acting from Jill Wagner and Cameron Mathison, a heartwarming story. I'm so happy we have the Great American Family, their movies are always great and you can enjoy them without worrying about their content." Oksanka
🎄 "A MERRY CHRISTMAS WISH. For starters, I'm never a fan of love triangle, so I couldn't love this as much as I wished. Cameron Mathison was so charming and Jill Wagner was just wonderful, and I'd watch anything they're on. Both are really great actors and perfect for the roles. The plot is wayyy overdone though. It's another "cookie cutter" type of Christmas movie to me. I wished the storyline was more interesting but it's same old "city girl going back to country" story. It was enjoyable to watch but not a keeper for me." ~CH Mom
🎄 "Review: A Merry Christmas Wish - Family-friendly? Yes - Keeper? Most definitely! - I'm not sure how you can go wrong with having Jill Wagner and Cameron Mathison together in a movie. In my opinion, these are two of the very best actors for these kind of movies! You can tell that they enjoy each other's company - they both seemed to be having fun and even ad-libbing some of their lines to each other. The movie itself seemed like a throwback to the old Hallmark movies of years ago, and the supporting cast - especially the sister and the little girl - were great! One of the best so far this year!" ~Mark 25
🎄 "Finally found the time to watch A Merry Christmas Wish, and I loved it!" -Maria
🎄 "A Merry Christmas Wish. A feel-good, family-friendly, movie that I liked but didn’t love. Nice for a small dose of Christmas cheer. I liked the Christmas set on the farm (with real Christmas trees – thank you!). And the story was sweet but it’s been done over and over and over, and this particular version had nothing to really make it stand out and sparkle, other than a pair of good veteran actors and a nice cast and nothing fake or cringeworthy happening. Love Jill and Cameron, they were nice in this movie and I could maybe see them together as a couple, but they’ve each had better chemistry in other movies with other actors. I kind of wish they would embrace their real-life ages a bit more in these movies; I think there’s room in the movie world for stories focused on younger romances as well as older romances. So, for me, a sweet movie that’s maybe worth a re-watch next year but not really a keeper on the dvr." ~~Jane
Christmas Sweethearts - November 13, 2022
🎄 "Christmas Sweethearts" aka "My Best Friend's Christmas" is one I watched via streaming earlier this year. Maybe I was just in a mood, but, as I recall, it just didn't seem quite on par with Great American Family's movies last year. The music was loud over the dialogue in parts, and the plot was a wee bit too silly for my tastes. Still good for a one time watch, though--everybody likes different things, and maybe it'll be a winner for you! ~Alicia
🎄 "Christmas Sweethearts is family friendly about when a woman named Ashley returns home to find her ex boyfriend named Grant is in relationship with Bella, she enlists her best friend named Liam to act as her fake boyfriend. Grant & Bella and Ashley & Liam get along at the lodge" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Review: Christmas Sweethearts - Family-friendly? Yes - Keeper? Ugh! It's not too often when I want a movie to end before it actually does, but this was one of those times. This movie is bad in so many ways! First, the storyline. Ashley will lie and deceive in order to get back with her ex-boyfriend Grant. Grant meanwhile has hooked up with arrogant Bella, although he keeps eyeing Ashley. Liam, Ashley's friend, has romantic feelings for Ashley, but is willing to help Ashley in her deception to win back Grant. People, can't you just be honest and tell each other how you truly feel? How old are you anyway? Which leads me to what I really dislike about this movie. The two leading ladies act like they are teenage schoolgirls. Their mannerisms, their displays of giddiness, their mile-a-minute talking - this really wore on me after awhile. Finally, the whole movie (and especially the ending) just seemed rushed and had a cheap look to it. For me, there is nothing to recommend Christmas Sweethearts." ~Mark 25
🎄 "Christmas Sweethearts was a bit of a dud for me. -Maria
🎄 "Christmas Sweethearts – I must admit, I didn’t care for this movie. Some of the characters act rather strange, at times. The lead girl acted superior to everyone else and took her best guy friend for granted all throughout the movie. It was painful to watch her tell him she actually had feelings for him near the end after basically treating him like a doormat the entire time he was pretending to be her boyfriend. One bright spot: It was delightful to see Beth Broderick (Romance at Reindeer Lodge, Christmas Town) in this, but her role was too small to save it. This was not a keeper for me." ~Net
🎄 "Christmas Sweethearts. Completely agree with everything said by Mark25 and Net and I just have to add. . . ugh!! Totally ugh! Seriously, could it get more ugh?!?! If you haven’t watched this movie yet, I suggest you hit delete and pick up a book instead. I am strongly pulling for GAF to succeed but this kind of movie is not going to make that happen." ~~Jane
Christmas in Pine Valley - November 19, 2022
🎄 "Christmas at Pine Valley. Not up to Great American past presentations. Built on a Lie from the beginning and then continuing to add on as it went just to justify the first. Definitely not a keeper no matter how it ends. Not really my idea of a strong Christmas movie." ~JoCo
🎄 "Christmas in Pine Valley was quite charming!" -Maria
🎄 "Christmas in Pine Valley is family friendly about a reporter named Josh interviews an entrepreneur named Natalie Cameron thinking her company is family owned that not knowing it’s run by her friends. (Review may contain Spoilers) Natalie Cameron is the owner of a successful handmade soap company that garners the attention of a major magazine. The magazine sends a reporter named Josh to profile Natalie’s company thinking it’s a family-run business. Little does he know that Natalie’s business is run by her with the help of longtime family friends, Mary, Carlos, Elsa, & Lisa! Knowing how much the article will help Mary hang on to her struggling Christmas tree farm, Natalie must convince Josh that her “family” and Christmas traditions are all real. As Josh spends time around Natalie & her “family” to write his story, Natalie narrowly avoids blowing her cover, especially when Lisa’s friend named Dave arrives unannounced. Determined not to jeopardize the ruse, Lisa introduces Dave to Josh as Natalie’s fiancé. Everyone struggles to keep up the façade of being a family-owned business, & matters only get more complicated when Josh uncovers the truth—just as he & Natalie are falling for each other. Angry about being lied to, Josh plans to leave the farm but, after seeing that Natalie’s business really is a “family” effort, decides to stay to be with Natalie & her so-called family." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Christmas in Pine Valley is NOT family friendly in my opinion. Near the end of the movie, a couple is walked in on getting up from the floor or couch with there clothes disheveled and in the process of being removed. It's obvious what was in the process of happening. It could have been totally family friendly if they were walked in on sharing an innocent kiss but this ruined the movie for me." ~J. Adams
🎄 "CHRISTMAS IN PINE VALLEY - I am not a big fan of the deception story line. It was making me nervous and uncomfortable the whole time. It felt so much better once the lies were out in the open. If you’re watching with younger kids, there was a scene that insinuated Dave and Lisa was making out. That said, overall it was a cute movie. Some cute and funny moments. Chemistry was spot on. Would love to see the 2 leading actors again in other movies." ~CH Mom
🎄 "Review: Christmas in Pine Valley - Family-friendly? Yes - Keeper? No This movie seemed disjointed to me, like a bunch of writers were given scenes to write - the stereotypical Christmas scenes - and then someone took them and put them together to make this movie. There didn't seem to be any flow to the movie, and the characters weren't believable at all. Skip it!" ~Mark 25
🎄 "The Holiday Swap was family friendly but not something I’d watch again. Same goes for Christmas in Pine Valley. The actors/actresses seemed like they were uncomfortable around each other." ~Mary
🎄 "Christmas in Pine Valley – I thought this movie was somewhat fun. The story is based upon a bunch of people pretending to be a family, which unfortunately, snowballs into lying, but thankfully, the characters do feel a sense of guilt about deceiving others. The worst part in the story was when Natalie’s best friend Lisa is caught making out with this guy she likes, Dave. The scene was a bit too much – and cheapened the story, in my opinion. Overall, this could’ve been a cute movie, but the romantic chemistry between the leads was a little stiff and that romantic situation I mentioned – was completely unnecessary." ~Net
My Favorite Christmas Tree - November 20, 2022
🎄 "I've enjoyed My Favorite Christmas Tree so much! It was a great movie with great actors, very beautiful Christmas tree farm, cosy winter atmosphere, great story, actually two stories: about Christmas tree farm and search for the answers about family ancestry. The leading actors Emma Johnson and Giles Panton were so great together. Recommended!" ~Oksanka~
🎄 "My Favorite Christmas Tree is family friendly about Kyla is a genealogy researcher who travels to the charming town of Conifer, hoping to piece together her ancestry. The search leads Kyla to a Christmas tree farm, its stubborn but handsome owner - and, possibly, love. Kyla visits a small town who attempting her ancestry & meets a Christmas Tree Farm owner named Joel" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Awww, My Favorite Christmas Tree was so charming and sweet!" –Maria
🎄 "MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TREE - It was a sweet movie. The leading actress was new to me but she was very likeable. The leading actor I've seen before but not as a main character. Their bickering was pretty cute. I like the sisterly's relationship too, and that the sister got a developing romance. The mystery aspect is quite engaging. It was enjoyable to watch. ~CH Mom
🎄 "Long Lost Christmas and My Favorite Christmas Tree were other family friendly movies." ~Mary
🎄 "My Favorite Christmas Tree. I rather liked this sweet and gentle movie. The genealogy angle was a refreshing change of pace which kind of made up for the other, standard, save-the-family-business angle. The bit of mystery was fun. I liked the two lead actors (especially the leading lady) and their banter was cute and I also enjoyed the relationship between the two sisters. Parts of the movie felt totally unbelievable but there were also parts that felt quite natural. I thought the snow angel scene was done better than any other movie I can recall. And, like Oksanka mentioned, the “cosy winter atmosphere” was quite nice. Family friendly. Not sure yet if I would buy the dvd but this is definitely worth a re-watch next Christmas." ~~Jane
Christmas at the Drive-In - November 25, 2022
🎄 "Christmas at the Drive-In was great! Danica and Neal have such great chemistry and the one-liners were funny. Definitely family friendly and a must watch!" - Jennifer R
🎄 "Christmas At The Drive-In was great! Family friendly and the atmosphere screamed Christmas. Keeper for me." ~Misty
🎄 "Christmas At The Drive-In is a fun movie. I would have enjoyed it more if Xfinity had been working last night. The sound kept disappearing along with the picture. I stuck with it anyway. Neal Bledsoe is so much better without that accent. He and Danica are most definitely a perfect match. Love them together!" ~kitkat
🎄 "Christmas at the Drive In is very lovely and charming! Plus, A Hot Cocoa Christmas makes a brief cameo." –Maria
🎄 "Christmas at the Drive-In is family friendly about Sadie Walker is a property lawyer fighting to save her hometown’s last surviving drive-in. In a You’ve Got Mail–style twist, the person trying to sell the property is a developer in favor of a more profitable tenant. He also happens to be Sadie’s high school ex-boyfriend named Holden McCarthy. Sadie hasn’t seen Holden in 20 years when they become rivals. Sadie finds romance during the holidays while trying to save her town’s local drive-in from closing down. Sadie & Holden manage to save McCarthy Drive-In & including Mendoza Christmas Tree Farm as collaborators" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Don't give up before the miracle" "Christmas at the Drive-In" was such a great and wonderful movie. I've enjoyed every minute of it. The whole theme of the drive-in was so exciting to watch. I've watched all the movies with Danica McKellar and Neal Bledsoe and it seems that every time they're greater and greater together. They look so comfortable around each other. All in all it was one of those movies which leave you feeling so good and warm. It's like Christmas movies used to be some time ago. Looking forward to the rest of Great American Family Christmas movies. Happy Thanksgiving!" ~Oksanka~
🎄 "Still going through the DVR here. Christmas at the Drive - In is family friendly. I enjoyed the story line." ~Mary
🎄 "Christmas at the Drive-In – This was a fun, unique, family-friendly story! I liked the tension between Sadie (Danica McKellar) and Holden (Neal Bledsoe) and how they both had unresolved issues and feelings from the past. Not sure about an outdoor drive-in theater during winter in real-life (brrr!!!), but it sure looked pretty on screen with all the decorated trees and Christmas lights around. Plus, I liked the nostalgia and history of the drive-in theater and how these characters fought so hard to save it. The movie brought to mind my own sweet personal memories from the past at the drive-in, and I’m sure it will do the same for others. Christmas at the Drive-In was an enjoyable watch with a feel-good, happy ending." ~Net
🎄 "Christmas at the Drive-In. So, I think I’m the oddball here because I didn’t love this movie like everyone else did. I liked it for a one-time viewing, but I just didn’t love it. It certainly had a bunch of nice Christmassy decorations and the drive-in felt so nostalgic and fun (we have one, locally, but it’s only open in the summer – all I could think about in this movie was breathing in all the exhaust fumes as people in cars around you tried to keep warm for a two-hour movie in below freezing temperatures - instant migraine headache for me!). The leads are good together and there was chemistry between them and some fun dialogue. But I just found the whole premise of saving the drive-in to be too separated from reality and quite silly and melodramatic. I definitely rolled my eyeballs way too many times while watching. I mean, seriously? A save-the-drive-in “miracle”? Plus, Danica’s character just annoyed me from the get-go. I didn’t like how she butts in and tells him what to do with HIS inheritance and his money; evidently, SHE - not him - knows what his late father really wanted, and she has also appointed herself the keeper of the entire town’s best interests. “This town NEEDS the drive-in and I have to save it!” Really? Really??? Obviously, the drive-in is way more important than a proposed distribution center that would provide employment for many people. Nostalgia & movies => good. Capitalism & financial security for people => bad. And the town zoning board tells the two of them that they have to work together and try “in good faith” to reinvigorate the drive-in instead of allowing him to go forward with his signed contract of sale?!? Say what?? And he ends up footing most of the bill for her nonsense?! None of this has any base in reality. Ugh! Misguided do-gooders! Rolling my eyeballs as I type and there’s a good chance they could get stuck up in my head. Honestly, if Miss Do-Gooder loved the drive-in that much, she should have taken out a mortgage and bought it for herself. And then she could, benevolently, give it away to the town or attempt to make it into a viable and profitable business prospect for herself. But, nope, that wouldn’t be as rewarding as the glory of fighting for a “cause”, at someone else’s expense. Of course, in this fairytale movie everybody ends up happy because not only do we save some unprofitable and unsustainable nostalgia but we also save some trees. And, oh yeah, we manage to find a spot to build the big bad warehouse facility back behind the trees where we don’t have to see people actually going to work so they can afford to pay to go to the drive-in every night to keep it up and running. Yay. {Alrighty then, I guess I might be done with my snarkiness (for now😊).} I really do think Danica and Neal are good together in movies (my favorite is Coming Home for Christmas), I just wish they would give them a more believable and mature plot and script to work with. This movie would’ve been better, for me, if they had focused less on the unrealistic drive-in stuff and put it more in the back seat of the movie to just quietly and nostalgically and festively carry the story forward, and then focused more on D & N gradually getting to know each other again and re-kindling their old romance. The movie was family friendly and I think if you’re not as critical as me, it could be a fun movie to watch with the whole family as it’s fun to see all the Christmas decorations and food truck going up at the drive-in, plus it could be fun to then research drive-ins and plan to visit one in the warmer months." ~~Jane
I’m Glad It’s Christmas - November 26, 2022
🎄 "I'm Glad it's Christmas is verysweet! 100% recommend." –Maria
🎄 "Review: I'm Glad It's Christmas - Family-friendly? Yes - Keeper? Undecided - I was really looking forward to this movie! I liked the idea of music being a part of the storyline, and I know that both Jessica and Paul are wonderful singers. And Gladys Knight - what a treat! It was so nice to hear religious songs being performed by the three of them, and they were fantastic! So my problem? Surprisingly, it was the acting by Paul who I have enjoyed in so many other films. I don't know if it was his excitement of being part of this movie, but in just about every scene he was like a giddy little boy! For example, in the scene where Jessica's character Holly tells Paul's character Jason that she can't do the show, instead of acting upset or at least disappointed, he smiles and seems pleased! And yet later, when Holly tells her friend about what happened, she says he seemed really upset. I thought, "Wait, what, no he didn't!" Still, because of Gladys and Jessica (who were both excellent) and the music, I might keep this one. I'm just not sure yet." ~Mark 25
🎄 "Loved, loved, loved I'm Glad It's Christmas! Everything about this movie is wonderful. Gladys Knight still has a beautiful voice. My surprise was how much weight Jessica had lost, and that she cut her hair. This has nothing to do with the content of the movie; just an observation." ~kitkat
🎄 "I’m Glad It’s Christmas is family friendly about An aspiring singer named Chloe Bose is convinced to participate in a local production. Along the way, she finds hope and mentorship in her career. But will her professional success come at the cost of her chance at love?" ~Anonymous
🎄 "I’m Glad It’s Christmas is family friendly & an entertaining movie about Chloe Bose has aspirations of becoming a Broadway star, so when the mysterious Cora Lawson enlists Hollingsworth Clerk Chloe & the talented/handsome store santa, Jason Murphy, to put on a Christmas musical revue, she sees it as an opportunity to make a splash. But as she and Jason work together, they realize they have more in common than just musical talent... Chloe is an aspiring singer is convinced to participate in a local production. Along the way, she finds hope & mentorship in her career. But will her professional success come at the cost of her chance at love? (Review may contain some Spoilers) Jason owns Home Studio with his Daughter named Angela in apartment. Jason sings Christmas Feels Like Falling Love. & Cora sings Go Tell It on the Mountain. Jason as store Santa cracked me up at Hollingsworth Gift Shop. Brickton Brings Back Holiday Lane Christmas Concert Tonight on December 23 at 7pm. Chloe has audition at 5pm for Cassandra Rogers just before concert. Cora’s red dress looks completely ravishing. Cora & Jason sing Christmas Feels Like Falling in Love when Chloe comes along onstage to sing Christmas Feels Like Falling in Love so, Cora too as trio. They’re all singing Christmas Songs. Chloe gets the part for Broadway Musical. Cassandra’s assistant found a song that she never heard - original song maybe falling in love . Jason is a songwriter who wrote Christmas Feels Like Falling in Love. Chloe looks amused when she gets part that she’s so exciting from Cassandra Rogers. I hope there’s I’m Glad It’s Christmas sequel - “I’m So Glad It’s Christmas”. I hope there’s legendary singers to sing in I’m So Glad It’s Christmas. I hope there’s another Christmas songs." ~Anonymous
🎄 "My daughter and I just finished watching I'm Glad It's Christmas. I think it is a fabulous movie. I wasn't sure but I was so involved from the very beginning. The characters were so well written and acted that during part of it when she got the call to come in and see the woman for a second call back, my daughter looked at me and said why are you smiling and I looked at her and I said I am so excited for her it felt like she was a real person that I knew. It's been a long time since I have had a movie that I have felt so connected to that I thought was so well-rounded in every aspect. This is definitely a keeper and I hope they can make more shows together it was fantastic." ~Anonymous
🎄 "I’m Glad It’s Christmas was a pleasant family friendly watch. I enjoyed the singing." ~Mary
🎄 "I'm Glad it's Christmas – This is a family-friendly, delightful movie. I thought Jessica Lowndes and Paul Greene were great together; they have such a natural chemistry on-screen. Paul Greene’s character, Jason Murphy, is sadly divorced, and his adorable, cheerful daughter, Angela, lives with him, off and on. Jessica Lowndes plays the role of the struggling wannabe Broadway actress well, and all of the singing was beautiful with her, Paul Greene, and Gladys Knight. I especially liked the scene where Cora Lawson (Gladys) teaches Chloe and Jason to sing from the heart. The new Christmas song, “Christmas Feels like Falling in Love,” is lovely and very catchy. In fact, I’m still humming it! Overall, “I'm Glad it's Christmas” is an upbeat, entertaining movie, and there’s, of course, a happy ending!" ~Net
🎄 "I’m Glad It’s Christmas. Another feel-good, family-friendly movie that I liked but didn’t love. The music (of course!) was the best part of this movie. The very best part was when Gladys Knight sings a bit of Joy to the World to demonstrate to Jessica and Paul how to sing “from the heart”. Nice movie for a re-watch next year but not a keeper on the dvr." ~~Jane
A Christmas… Present - November 27, 2022
🎄 "A Christmas…Present was great. Of course family friendly and it's a keeper! Can't believe that we actually have such a strong faith based movie on tv in the world we live in! A must see film!!" ~ Joyce in Carolina
🎄 "A Christmas…Present is absolutely the best Christmas movie I’ve watched in a very long time. Such a wonderful message for Christmas! All the actors were fantastic! And Hillary Scott singing at the end! So beautiful!" - Jennifer R
🎄 "A Christmas Present is by far the best GAF movie I've seen all year! A + from me!" –Maria
🎄 "There are no words to express how I feel about A Christmas Present. Just WOW! Awesome! My heart was overflowing with joy at the end of this movie. Thank you Candace and GAF!" ~kitkat
🎄 A Christmas... Present is a beautiful story that focuses on the true meaning of Christmas! It is heartwarming, inspiring, emotional, funny, and inspirational all wrapped up in one film! This movie is by far deeper than your typical Christmas romantic comedy, and I loved all of the heartfelt brother and sister talks about faith and scripture. Plus, Candace Cameron Bure and Marc Blucas (who portrayed her husband) had wonderful chemistry on screen together. It was nice to see a family go to church with one another, and I loved hearing Hillary Scott (of the country music group Lady Antebellum / Lady A) singing Silent Night! Candace has starred in many wonderful Christmas movies throughout the years, but this moving role that focuses on faith and family is truly her best! You’ll definitely want to watch A Christmas... Present this holiday season on Great American Family and unwrap the true gift of Christmas... Jesus! ~Net
🎄 "I have been looking forward to watching "Candace Cameron Bure Presents: A Christmas… Present" since I first saw the trailer and heard Matthew West's song. Now the wait is over and I'm just so happy to have watched this truly special movie! It really is about Christmas, about our greatest gift - Jesus, about family, about what really matters in life. I'm so grateful to Candace Cameron Bure and all the creators of this movie for all the Bible verses, for all the deep conversations about God and faith. You don't happen to see it often in Christmas movies though they're called Christmas. Thank you GAF for not being afraid to be different in this world. That's what faith all about!" ~Oksanka~
🎄 "A Christmas…Present is family friendly about Eric & Maggie Larson are professionals, with busy work schedules that include some high-maintenance clients. The entire Larson family has every moment scheduled, with activities and events. However, they stop all their extra holiday plans because they are reminded that this is the first Christmas for Maggie’s brother since her sister-in-law passed away. Therefore, they have decided to spend Christmas with Maggie’s brother, Paul, and his daughter, Ashley. This is a difficult time and family is more important than ever. Things don’t start too smoothly. Maggie likes to stay busy, and check items off a list. Meanwhile, her brother prefers to take things slower and embrace the moment. Therefore, their ideas about Christmas are dramatically different. Yet, after a few unexpected events, things start to transform for the Larsons. Maybe Christmas is meant to be more peaceful than busy?" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Candace Cameron Bure Present: A Christmas Present is family friendly. It’s refresh & emotional movie about Real Estate Agent Maggie Larson is determined to give her Brother named Paul & Niece named Ashley the best Christmas possible & to lift their spirits when they most need it. (Review contains Spoilers) It’s about God, Faith, & Family. Bible Reference & Quotes. Bible Verses: 1 Corinthians 13:8 - Love never fails ❤️ Love bears all things … endures all things. Love never ends.” (1 Cor. 13:7–8a). Maggie & Eric keep their marriage strong & heal. What’s God has plan for them? Hilary Scott sings Thy Will?; at the church" ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Christmas Present The message of faith means so much, especially at this time." ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Christmas…Present was a wonderful Christmas gift to everyone. GAC and CCB wrapped up a special gift that when opened we have faith, family and the reason for the season." - Gabe’s Mom
🎄 "The Christmas...Present...Wow! I was really looking forward to this one partly because Marc Blucas would be in it, but it was way more than I expected. I haven't watched a movie of this caliber in a long time. Kudos to GAF and Candace for presenting this wonderful spiritual movie that presented Christ, Scripture and a great message about death of a loved one and living a Christian life." ~Clara
🎄 "Candace Cameron Bure Presents: A Christmas Present FEATURED REVIEW from IMDb 10/10 Beautiful! I loved this movie! It's what Christmas is about, spending time with family. It's a beautiful Christian Christmas movie, and it's not traditional. There are a lot of Bible quotes and that's why our family really enjoyed it. I think we tend to forget what Christmas is all about, and this movie really shows the true meaning behind Christmas. It has a lot to do with church too. Her kids in the movie are respectful and kind to their parents, when we rarely see that in movies nowadays. Candace is a beautiful actress, her movies are all wonderful. I love her! This movie is different from all her other movies, but it's more meaningful. I recommend this movie!" ~Anonymous
🎄 "I watched this last night. Really well done and something I could (and would) watch again. I happen to believe that Candace is actually a very good actress. I never feel like I'm just watching her act like she did as a previous character, i.e. I really buy into her characters because she does. But, I also really loved Paul Fitzgerald as her brother and I thought she and Marc Blucas were a great match as well. I read a review by a critic who claimed she watched unbiasedly (as if that is really possible) and just dumped on the movie for saying that everything will be fixed by going to church. Point missed. If religion and God, but especially Christ during the Christmas season, is not something you care for, then there really is no point in even watching this movie. But, hey, for those of us who see Christmas as actually being about its namesake, we will always love a movie that showcases this. Bravo for A Christmas . . . Present for doing this." ~Marianne
🎄 "A Christmas Present; Wow! What a treat! We finally have a network that says Jesus's name! Hallmark always did everything they could to avoid it. This film was family-friendly. Candace and Mark were great. It was nice to see a movie with Christ in the center of it! It was neat to see how God worked in the brother's grief. He would always miss his wife, but rejoice that she was in Heaven and would see her again one day. I would have liked to see it have the true gospel in there, but it was still good to see a Christian film with Bible verses. If you haven't seen it, watch it, it was great!" ~Abigail
🎄 "A Christmas … Present. I was surprised with how much I struggled with this family friendly movie. It didn’t feel authentic. It seemed like the conversations were forced and not natural at all." ~Mary
🎄 "Review: A Christmas...Present - Family-friendly? Of course! - Keeper? By all means! - Nothing really to add that hasn't already been said! A pure joy! I hope this is the first of many faith-themed movies that will be coming our way!" ~Mark 25
🎄 "Review: Candace Cameron Bure and Marc Blucas deliver in their new film Actors Candace Cameron Bure (“Full House”) & Marc Blucas (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) deliver in their new film “A Christmas… Present,” which premiered on Great American Family over Thanksgiving Weekend. In “A Christmas… Present,” real estate agent Maggie Larson (Candace Cameron Bure) & her family will be spending Christmas with her recently widowed brother, Paul (Paul Fitzgerald), and his young daughter named Ashley at their house. Maggie is determined to give her brother and niece the best Christmas possible and to lift their spirits when they most need it. Though Maggie’s plan is to aid her brother, his faith and parenting style ultimately help her to understand issues within her own life and a need for closeness in her own family. Marc Blucas is charming in the role of Eric Lansing. Director Lesley Demetriades did a solid job with its direction, and the movie deserves to be enjoyed for its rawness, honesty, and authenticity. There is something in it for the entire family. Compliments to screenwriter Rick Garman for writing such a relatable, realistic, and resonant screenplay. It garners two thumbs up." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Best GAF movie of all time!" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Just watched "A Christmas...Present". Only the 3rd Christmas movie I've seen so far. I'm sure I'll watch more but after watching this movie it almost seems pointless to watch any more of them. This had everything that we've seen missing from all the others. I know in my life when Jesus isn't front and center in my life, I am lying flat on my face in the mud trying to figure out the chaos and I am so totally lost. Thank you, Candace, for making me cry and thank you God for your light that dispels the darkness. Loved it!!" ~Jim
🎄 "I am SO thankful for Great American Country. We have thoroughly enjoyed their wonderful movies this Christmas season, and it is such a blessing that Candace Cameron Bure is influencing the content. I just finished watching "A Christmas...Present." I LOVED it. It is so God-filled, and they even quoted Scripture in it." ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Christmas… Present. What a good movie!! I quite enjoyed it. The cast was great. Obviously, loved the faith and family elements. Loved the verse of Silent Night sung in the church at the end! The movie is a keeper for me, and I'll definitely buy the dvd, but I’m not sure yet if it will make my top 5 movies of this season (I need to watch it again plus I’ve got lots more movies still waiting on the dvr). I totally agree with Abigail’s review and, oddly enough, I also kind of agree with Mary’s review – it was nice to have a movie focused on God and faith (and I was holding my breath just hoping they’d be brave enough to mention the name of Jesus and, yay!, they did), but I also felt a little bit of what Mary mentioned, in that parts of it felt somewhat forced or not authentic, and, yet, other parts and dialogue felt completely natural to me (so, a bit of a mixed-bag there). Overall, a great movie and I hope Candace and GAF will continue along the same lines. - - - - - I have to keep reminding myself that, although Candace and others who profess a faith in Christ are a part of GAF, it is still a secular tv channel. I feel as if watching Hallmark-type Christmas movies leaves me parched for genuineness and truth and, therefore, the little nugget that was put in this movie makes me rejoice. Until… I stop and reflect and realize we didn’t really get the WHOLE Truth, but just a piece of it. I’m very thankful for that little sliver of truth in a secular movie on a secular tv channel, but I’m sad that in our society it is considered bold and controversial to talk about Jesus in a Christmas movie. Kudos to Candace for pushing the envelope, but it’s sad that she couldn’t push it further and, as Abigail said in her review, “I would have liked to see it have the true gospel in there” –- me, too!" ~Jane
🎄 "A CHRISTMAS… PRESENT I finally got a chance to watch this. Wow, if there’s a Christmas movie that speaks to me the most, it would be this. I am a Type A planner mom so I can totally relate to CCB’s character (Maggie), and my husband is a jokester. The issues and the storyline in this movie are simple but just very real-life. Love all the Bible verses and the faith filled messages. Love the message of being present. The ending was touching. It’s definitely more family oriented movies, instead of romance. For me I think it’s the best movie GAC has put out this year." ~CH Mom
🎄 “A Christmas…Present”. It wasn’t the traditional boy meets girl love story but rather a true-to-life love story. It was good to see love in this way as love is often somfantasized in these movies. Instead, in this one, it was wonderful to see faith restored and love renewed, not only between husband and wife but between brother and sister as well! Thank you to CCB and GFAM! Also, I haven’t seen all of Mark Blucas’ movies as I don’t have HMM, but this is his best performance that I’ve seen. ~Anonymous
🎄 "I still have somewhere around 110 yet-to-watch Christmas movies on my "always full" DVR, but I did manage to watch "A Christmas... Present!" which is the only one in this list. The other two are still on my DVR. (I erase them after I watch them. And I rate them to keep track of what I’ve already seen in case they come around again.) I rated this one a 7 out of 10, one point higher than the IMDb consensus (as often turns out to be my practice). My comment on this one in my Check-Ins, where I note my impression of movies for later reference, was: "As an executive producer it was clever of fundamentalist Christian Candace Cameron Bure to cast herself as the one who needed rescue from being too busy to get back to the real Christmas with the help of her scripture-quoting brother (Paul Fitzgerald)." In other words, her casting was against type, which was just fine. BTW, I collected a list of 30 Christmas movies I'd seen to compare against a list you created in December before the season of Christmas movies was complete, but I ran out of time and didn't get to finish the comparison. I admire your ability to keep up with your blog the way you do and I'm thankful for it." ~Anonmyous
Christmas on Candy Cane Lane - December 3, 2022
🎄 "Christmas on Candy Cane Lane is very delightful!" –Maria
🎄 "Christmas on Candy Cane Lane is family friendly is based on the book by Shiela Roberts about Ivy Donaldson struggles her Mom’s shadow, Muriel Sterling was the Christmas Darling of Icicle Falls. (Review contains Spoilers) She is now separated from Husband named Rob & tries her best with her Daughter named Jordan. Devon Johnson decorates Officer Tilda Morrison’s House. Rob decorates Christmas Lights at Donaldson’s house. Devon & Tilda kiss under the mistletoe. Rob proposes Ivy at Officer Morrison’s house. Rob & Ivy are back together." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Christmas on Candy Cane Lane was a good movie. Family-Friendly, and somewhat funny. The neighbor lady did get a little annoying and Dan Payne is a horrible Santa. I also didn’t really like the whole divorced couple thing where he decides he doesn’t want to be divorced anymore. **Spoiler*** I’m glad they got back together, that’s how it should be, but it was still really weird. All in all it was a good movie that I would watch again." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Christmas on Candy Cane Lane was a cute movie. Loved Andrea Barber! And for her first Christmas movie, I thought she did a great job. The secondary storyline with Tilda and Devon was fun to watch as well." ~Jennifer R
🎄 "Christmas on Candy Cane Lane – I really enjoyed the ensemble cast in this movie, and Andrea Barber was fantastic in her first leading role. Everything about it seemed plausibly real and down-to-earth. The casting of Ivy and Jordan as mother and daughter was such a great match-up. It was fun that there were several different storylines going on within this suburban community, and there was a little mystery as to who the Christmas décor prankster was. I also liked the storyline about how things aren’t always as they seem. This lighthearted movie has everything… it’s a wonderful mix of comedy and heartwarming moments. Note: A couple does discuss their separation and the possibility of divorce intermittently throughout the movie. I’m not going to spoil the end, but I’ll just say there is, of course, a happy ending for everyone on Candy Cane Lane." ~Net
🎄 "CHRISTMAS ON CANDY CANE LANE This was a sweet movie. Family friendly, but there was a divorce/separation topic. I really like Rob’s character who appeared very loyal and steadfast. Ivy’s character was not as likable, but as a wife I do understand the her struggle and why she was acting more resistant and guarded. I liked the secondary storyline also with Tilda and Devon. They made a cute couple (although their kiss scene was a tad awkward, ha!). Enjoyable and sweet but probably only a one time watch for me." ~CH Mom
🎄 "Christmas on Candy Cane Lane. Cute for a one-time viewing and I imagine others will enjoy it more than I did. Overall, it was a sweet, lighthearted movie, but I also found parts of it to be rather awkward and silly and not quite as heartwarming as I’m sure they intended it to be. And the pesky, busy-body-neighbor character was overdone to the point of being so annoying I almost hit the delete button. I thought the actor who played the handyman was excellent in his role, the best of the whole bunch. Family friendly but the whole muddy separation/divorce thing was weird and never really made clear and it just felt awkward." ~~Jane
B&B Merry - December 4, 2022
🎄 "I watched "Merry B&B" last night but didn't get through it. It was implied that Tracy would be sharing a room with her boyfriend, had he arrived for the trip. I also felt the best friend "chemistry" was non-existent and the relationship felt forced. I love Jen and Jesse but this movie had me scratching my head for one on GAC." ~Anonymous
🎄 "B and B Merry was quite charming. (even though I was mostly distracted because the time that my mom decided to turn it on was when I was busy on my computer)." –Maria
🎄 "B&B Merry is underwhelming. The writing is uninspired and while I liked all the leads, I feel like they could have benefitted from much better directing. There are many awkward moments (aside from the scripted ones), and the ending isn't as satisfying as I would have liked. And as another reviewer mentioned, there's talk of the couples traveling together with no mention of marriage. While I'm happy to support GAC as an alternative to Hallmark, I hope the quality of their movies improves as they get going." ~Sharon
🎄 "Review: B&B Merry - Family-friendly? Yes - Keeper? No - I don't know, I guess I'm at a point where because I have seen so many "Hallmark" (or such) movies over the years, it takes something different or special to make me recommend it. Unfortunately, as much as I love Jen, this movie was very run-of-the-mill and predictable. Also, the acting seemed wooden with little chemistry between the leads. Not a bad movie, just nothing to get excited about." ~Mark 25
🎄 "B&B Merry I really enjoyed, it had a unique story line and the chemistry was good between the actors. The only thing that bothered me is that it is hinted in the beginning that the lead actress and her boyfriend will be sharing a room for the weekend, although this is never shown or spoken of again." ~J. Adams
🎄 "B&B Merry.... How wonderful to have a channel that's always family-friendly! This film was a treat and a huge success! The story was so warm and heartfelt and had the sweetest, kindest characters. I loved his aunt, she made me laugh. Another good film from Jen Lilley and they had great chemistry, which I believe is very important. I would have been nice if she told them the truth early on, but she was in a difficult situation, she does try to in the beginning. And I would have liked it if they didn't mention Mother Nature, but other than that it was a delightful movie. Makes you want a peppermint hot chocolate! Give it a try! You'll all LOVE it!! P.S. The mother made Peppermint smores, as much as I love peppermint... Stick with the original smores! No adding or changing them. Hahaha ;)" ~Abigail
🎄 "B&B MERRY. Family Friendly. This movie was just alright for me, sort of forgettable. I wished it was written better and directed better. There were some good moments, but I feel that it's just another one of those cookie cutter Christmas movies with a similar storyline. Not a big fan of the deception storyline. I do loooove Jen Lilley and Jesse Hutch and I was really hoping and expecting more from this. I hope they will be paired together again in another movie with a better storyline." ~CH Mom
🎄 "B&B Merry. Agree with Mark 25 and CH Mom. It was an okay, cute movie with some Christmassy settings, but not a keeper. I enjoyed the whole cast and would like to see them in a movie with more polish and feeling. ~~Jane
🎄 "B&B Merry – I really enjoyed this lighthearted movie! Jen Lilley and Jesse Hutch were both wonderful in their roles – I could feel a spark building between their characters. Jen portrayed Tracey Wise, a travel writer, and Jesse Hutch portrayed Graham, who owns a B&B with his mother. I loved seeing the contrast between the small town Bed & Breakfast vs. the luxury hotel with all the amenities, except the homey feeling. This sweet, family-friendly movie was a keeper for me and my family!" ~Net
The Art of Christmas - December 10, 2022
🎄 "The Art of Christmas is a gorgeous movie!" -Maria
🎄 "Maria, I loved this movie too! The Art Of Christmas surprised me in a good way. It is a keeper for me! I noticed Bill Abbott was listed as a producer or director of this movie. Could that be the Bill Abbott of GAF?" ~kitkat
🎄 "The Art of Christmas is family friendly about After her latest gallery exhibition literally goes up in flames, struggling artist Olivia “Liv” James accepts a teaching job at a local elementary school to make ends meet. Through this reluctant career move she discovers her true self, a new sense of purpose and a surprising romance. Liv meets Jake Hartley at J. Morgan Heights Elementary since she hasn’t catch his name at Art Exhibition for Christmas Gala. Jake introduces Liv to Reggie at ice rink who plays hockey. Britt & Reggie get along at art gallery exhibition for Liv. Jake has Christmas Concert 🎵 with students on stage at school. Bobby plays guitar 🎸 while Trisha sings Silent Night. Trisha misses school & her friends." ~Anonymous
🎄 "The Art of Christmas was family friendly, except for the lead female characters dresses were always way too revealing." ~Grace
🎄 "ART OF CHRISTMAS I started watching it a while ago and never finished and it’s been just sitting on my DVR. It didn’t really keep me engaged in the beginning and I’m not sure why. The boyfriend’s character (Bradley) was so obnoxious to me, I couldn’t stand him. The female lead is sweet but her expression was borderline phlegmatic to me… and I might have worded it wrong but I can’t quite explain it. Male lead was such a perfect gentleman though. There are many cliches in the movie that made me cringe, but it has some good moments that made me smile. Unfortunately it was not a keeper for me, but I can see that others might like it more than I do." ~CH Mom
Crown Prince of Christmas - December 11, 2022
🎄 "Crown Prince for Christmas was so adorable!" –Maria
🎄 "Crown Prince Of Christmas was cute and family friendly. I did notice that they changed the line in "Hark The Herald Angels Sing". She did not say "God and sinners reconciled". That makes me sad. Especially on GAC." ~Grace
🎄 "Crown Prince of Christmas – Cindy Busby is lively, cheerful, and delightful in this family-friendly film. Some of the other acting isn’t the best, but Cindy is great and carries the movie. The romance is sweet and gradual. Agree with others, that the changing of Christmas Carol lyrics was disappointing, like in “O Night Devine.” However, I think it may have been done for time and not for religious reasons, since she still sang the line, “It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.” Overall, the story is lighthearted, a little cheesy, at times, but it’s a feel good Royal movie." ~Net
🎄 "Crown Prince of Christmas is family friendly about Madison is an aspiring musician, jokingly tells her overbearing family that she is dating the prince of a small European nation. (REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS) The joke goes to far as her friend/co-worker Sebastian is roped into impersonating the prince while visiting her family in New Jersey. Little does Madison know that Sebastian happens to be hiding a royal secret from her. Sebastian is his middle name. Although Sebastian’s real name is Prince Andreas Sebastian MAGNUS OF LUXENBERG. Madison sings Silent Night in front of audience of Prince Andreas Sebastian’s parents, Queen & King. Sebastian tells Madison Sebastian is his middle name & although he tells Madison, she may wants to call him Sebastian. His Full name is Andreas Sebastian Magnus. Madison & Sebastian dance on the flloor." ~Anonymous
Aisle Be Home for Christmas - December 17, 2022
🎄 "Aisle be home for Christmas was so amazing!! Plus, there was a sneak preview of the January line up! Here's 2 of the movie titles: Lease on Love (trailer too!) and A Royal in Paradise." -Maria
🎄 "Aisle Be Home for Christmas is family friendly is an exceptional movie about 2 exes named Drew Watts & Dr. Michelle Nicholas reconnect when a snowstorm leaves him stranded in superstore called; “Angela’s Super Mart”, (without cell service & Wi-Fi) just before Christmas when snowstorm is over. Angela, Courtney, Michelle, Drew, Richie, & Tristan Havan have hot chocolate, trimming Christmas tree, gingerbread house, etc... Michelle & Drew get some cookies & others. Including Michelle gets Vitange LED Lantern with D battery. Although there’s no D Batteriee at the store. Michelle, Drew, Angela, Tristan, Richie pray before meal during Thanksgiving & Christmas Day while Courtney plays guitar 🎸 with Christmas songs. Michelle finds Robotic Building Kit for Tristan’s Granddaughter with Drew gets for Coach Tristan Havan. Drew & Michelle go to Drew’s Aunt Bev’s place without his Uncle Doug. Drew puts wreath on the door at his Aunt Bev’s house." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Aisle Be Home for Christmas - December 17, 2022 This, in my opinion, is the worst of all the GAF new movies this year. It was over the top silly. Not great acting and pretty mindless story line. Even my kids, who love Christmas movies, stopped watching. Their comment was “this is boring.” I know GAF can do better. I wished I had shut it off. I kept waiting for it to get better but it didn’t." ~Anonmous
A Brush with Christmas - December 18, 2022
🎄 "A Brush With Christmas Is family friendly about Disheartened & struggling to find time for her art, Charlotte throws out her latest painting, only to discover that it has been anonymously submitted to the Christmas art festival Charlotte works at her family restaurant & she’s an artist. She allows her painting 🖼 at art gallery. When Charlotte meets Wyatt is also an artist just like Charlie!!!" ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Brush with Christmas was very nice! I'm very grateful for this 2nd year of Great American Christmas, and I look forward to see what they do next year!" –Maria
🎄 "Review: A Brush With Christmas - Family-friendly? Yes - Keeper? Nope - I was intrigued with the opening credits when I saw that Robin Dunne was the producer and director of this movie. Robin was the lead actor in a couple of my all-time favorite Hallmark movies some years ago - On the 12th Day of Christmas and Sound of Christmas - and I thought he was excellent. So I figured that if he's directing, he would have the actors do a great job. Not the case! While the two main ladies were fine (one of whom is Robin's wife and who co-starred in Sound of Christmas), the two main guys were sooooo bad that it took away any sense of reality. A lot of the dialogue was pretty lame as well. A skipper for sure!" ~Mark 25
🎄 "A BRUSH WITH CHRISTMAS Family friendly. This was alright for me. I wanted to love it so bad. I really like Jillian Murray and she was actually great in this, but the rest of the movie was not really that great. I love art and have a degree in Fine Art, and the brush vs pencil thing just doesn’t quite make sense to me. When you paint, don’t you need to sketch with pencil too? I’m also not a big fan of the mom. Although she did make it up in the end, for the most part she just didn’t seem sincere and warm to me, and she came across as selfish, more like a boss not a mom. The dialogues between the two leads were way too cheesy for my taste. The whole thing was just meh.. to me. So after watching many GAC movies after movies, I hate to say that although I love what the GAC network stands for, many of them are just lacking in finesse and left much to be desired. A lot of them are very cookie cutter, forgettable, and dare I say it… boring. I know this is going to be unpopular opinion as many of the regular commenters here seem to be very pro GAC and love many GAC movies… and that’s okay, we can agree to disagree :) I am still pro GAC also and I believe in them. I do really hope that GAC movies will get better in the coming year. They are just getting started." ~CH Mom
🌟HALLMARK CHANNEL:
Noel Next Door - October 21, 2022
🎄 "Noel Next Door is family friendly and has a great theme: "You never know what someone else is going through." The "Grinch" of the story, Jeffrey, had a stroke that left him disabled and unable to continue his career as a pianist. My heart broke for him when he was on a blind date and struggled to get his coat off. The woman told him he was embarrassing her! Enter Noelle, who melts his grinchy heart. It was a very sweet story. My only complaint was the kid who played Noelle's son. He was really annoying and looked way too old to be her kid. Minor complaint, however, especially these days!" ~melnewlife
🎄 "Noel Next Door" -- Sort of family-friendly. Not best for younger viewers, as adultery is the reason for Noel's divorce, there's a scene involving a box of tampons, and grumpy neighbor eases his frustration with a bottle of booze. The storyline had some plot bumps and sharp turns that really needed smoothing, as well as jumping quickly between very serious and goofy, leaving me feeling a bit of whiplash. There were some sweet parts that I liked, for sure, even though I probably won't watch again." ~Alicia
🎄 "Didn't watch Noel Next Door, but from reading a few Tweets, I heard that it went political by saying that the earth is flat and that conspiracy theorists are awful people. I definitely recommend skipping this one." -Maria
🎄 "It is with great disappointment I write a negative review of the new Hallmark movie- Noel Next Door. I stopped watching when the main characters (Jeremy and Noelle) meet at a drug store. Noelle presses the fact she is purchasing a feminine hygiene product to Jeremy, a man she recently met. Why not be purchasing wrapping paper or a Hallmark Christmas card? This is the character she will have a romantic interest. Hallmark -it’s a Christmas movie. On a positive note, the children were very good actors and far better than the “adults”. Oh, well maybe the next one will be better." -Gabe’s Mom
🎄 "Noel Next Door is family friendly.. It’s based on the book called; “How the Grinch Who Stole My Heart”, by Annabelle Costa. Jeremy met Noelle where’s Noelle works as a waitress & they across the same path. They live in neighborhood. Noelle’s name on her apron where she works. Jeremy is a grinchy neighbor & He meets Noelle’s Son named Henry who plays soccer against the wall of house for many times. Jeremy stole Noelle’s heart & they spend more times together. Henry calls Jeremy Geier Scrooge because he’s grinch but he turns out that he’s a nice guy. He owes Jeremy an apologize at his own faults because Jeremy is telling the truth to Henry’s Mom; Noelle. Jeremy is listening orchestra on his turntable for records. Noelle asks Jeremy why he hates Christmas because Jeremy had a stoke & he lost his Wife for 3 years. Although it’s been a lonely day!!! Jeremy & Henry play soccer ⚽️ . Jeremy gets Henry & Noelle Christmas gifts 🎁 when Noelle asks him for coming Christmas Morning. He has 1 more surprise for people by Christmas tree. Jeremy, Noelle, Henry, & others attending orchestra in concert. Jeremy will teach Henry chorus when he, Noelle, Henry will get home from concert." ~Anonymous
🎄 "We weren't sure whether we should watch "Noel Next Door" since we weren't sure if it was family-friendly, but we took a chance. I was on edge the entire time, afraid they would slip something in that wasn't right. Sure enough, they let us down. The movie was laced with liberal, woke vibes, & was poking fun at "conspiracy theorists" & talked about someone spreading "misinformation" & being banned from social media! Seriously? Could they have been any more obvious in their disdain for conservatives & those who don't buy into their lies & woke agenda? They even chose an actor who looks exactly like Matt Walsh, (a very conservative talk show host with the Daily Wire.) It was sickening to see how blatant they were about it. There was also a disgusting scene where the lead actress was standing in a store aisle holding a box of tampons!! Again, seriously, Hallmark? So tacky, such poor taste, & so off-putting! Other than the lead male actor, the acting wasn't the best, & I just really wish we hadn't wasted our time & regret giving them a view. Hallmark has completely lost their way." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Review: Noel Next Door Family-friendly? Yes Keeper? Yes And we're off and running with the new Christmas movie season...and I am happy to say that, after the disappointing movies that premiered in July, we are off to a good start here! I enjoyed Noel Next Door mainly because of how good-natured it is. It's not too often we have a lead character who is handicapped and whose love interest treats the person with such warmth and kindness! Corey was really great in this role - you could sympathize with his suffering - and the chemistry between him and Natalie seemed right on! I agree that Natalie's son seems to old for the role, and he is not likeable at first, being a brat and a liar, but at least he redeems himself in the end. There is a scene where Corey hits the bottle, but the scene fits. For me, the movie is definitely worth at least one viewing." ~Mark 25
🎄 "Mark 25, this movie wasn't a keeper for me, but I agree with much of what you noted. I loved that Corey portrayed someone who had had a stroke and was having a hard time dealing with all the many physical and emotional facets of that situation (and who wasn't the usual "Hallmark-perfect" character!). His portrayal seemed, for the most part, real and natural (as opposed to Hallmark trying to hit us over the head with their lesson on the right way we should all view and treat anyone with any type of challenge or handicap or disability!). I also loved how Natalie treated him with warmth and kindness and offered help when needed, but didn't make a huge deal over his situation. For me, this movie had flaws which took it off my keeper list; but as you said, it also had a "good-natured" feel about it." ~~Jane
🎄 "p.s. - At first, I actually thought it WAS Matt Walsh in the movie doing a cameo as a sort of refreshing, tongue-in-cheek, laugh at all the woke, "misinformation", silliness in these movies. Ah, silly me for thinking Hollywood could actually have any self-awareness! I love Matt and now I'm curious if he'll mention all this on one of his shows this week on the Daily Wire?" ~~Jane
🎄 "Noel Next Door was a beautiful movie! I thought it was well-written, well-acted, a refreshing set, good costumes, neat tie-ins, and a beautiful story! I was pleasantly surprised for the first Hallmark for the season. To top it all off -- the main character had a paralyzed arm and used a cane. Turns out later he says he had a stroke. I loved that Hallmark went so far to create such a relatable storyline. My mom watches every Hallmark movie and she is a double-stroke survivor. I was so pleased to be able to put this movie on for her, to have a character to relate to." ~Anonymous
🎄 "I watched Noel Next Door and it was alright. What I didn't care for was the lying of Noelle's son Henry. At least he apologized to Grinch Jeremy at the end." ~Namegirl
🎄 "Noel was cute but once is good for me, I’m so disappointed in the other two movies, they stunk, I could not even watch them till the end!" -Susan Ann
🎄 "This was a different story line than I was expecting. As mentioned, one of the characters had a stroke. The viewer sees his various emotions about living life and how different it is for him now. The message I got was don't judge others because we don't always know what they are dealing with. Over all, I liked it." - Maire
🎄 "Noel Next Door Firstly, I'm not sure I have a problem with a few of the issues other commenters have mentioned. The drug store meetcute with Noel holding a Tampon box was a bit too cringey, but that was it. It is family friendly, in my opinion. Other than that, I think that the chemistry is spot on. Noel's character might be a bit too flirty for my taste, but she is alright I guess. Couple things I'm not a fan of: - I'm not sure I liked it that Henry lied, but I guess that's very normal for kids his age. - Jeremy quickly opened a bottle of alcohol after the date was canceled But I do love these couple of things: - Henry apologizing to Jeremy and their whole conversation at his door - I adore all the classical music - Love that the main characters are not perfect." ~CH Mom
We Wish You a Married Christmas - October 22, 2022
🎄 "We Wish You a Married Christmas" -- Not family-friendly. A gay couple owns the inn." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Unfortunately, according to what I just read. The folks on here who were getting a bad feeling after looking at the photos for We wish you a Married Christmas were right: There's a gay couple in this movie." -Maria
🎄 "Sadly my suspicions about We Wish You A Married Christmas were correct. When they get to the inn at the very beginning one of the owners introduces himself and then says “and this is my husband….” I turned it off and deleted it after that." ~Anonymous
🎄 "The suspicions are confirmed. We Wish You a Married Christmas is not family friendly. Married gay couple run the hotel and are thus an integral part of movie. I love Kris Polaha and really wish he'd said "no" to this movie and instead chosen to be a part of a family friendly movie." ~~Jane
🎄 "We Wish You a Married Christmas is not family friendly. Greenbrae Inn: Resturant & Cafe. Robby & Becca take a advice from their marriage coach. A Marriage therapist or Counselor hands a travel magazine to Rebecca to go to Gracious, Vermont with her Husband; Robby & their dog named Jerry. A couple meet the owner of Greenbrae Inn; Vince & his Husband named Brian. The ornament falls on the car shield. Robby & Becca own their dog named Jerry. Their marriage problem could be fix because of they’re still family. Becca gets present for Robby of a portrait of their dog; Jerry until they’re back together. The couple at Greenbrae Inn that when the ornament falls on the car shield too" ~ Anonymous
🎄 "Was really looking forward to the new Kristopher Polaha movie. NOT family friendly. This time really in your face with the same sex relationships. Deleted if from the dvr. So sad." ~ Anonymous
🎄 "We Wish You A Married Christmas is not family friendly. So disappointed but not surprised. I was expecting this as they pushed the movie so hard. Turned it off after about 15 minutes. That was hard for me as I am a huge Kristoffer Polaha fan!" ~Joyce in Carolina
🎄 "I didn't see all of We wish you a Married Christmas but what I saw looked terrible." ~Chris
🎄 "We also agree with you about We Wish You A Married Christmas. We turned it off at the same time you did and also deleted it from our DVR. Disappointed with Hallmark." ~Karen E J Klein
🎄 "We Wish You a Married Christmas as mentioned is not family friendly. I appreciated the storyline and the lead actors but not the PDA of the two innkeepers." – Mary
A Kismet Christmas - October 23, 2022
🎄 "A Kismet Christmas - I found it to be family friendly. I’m not a believer in the whole magical Christmas cookie thing, but it was still cute. The father of the little girl is divorced, by the way." Allie B
🎄 "Of all the movies i tried watching this weekend, I liked Kismet Christmas the best. Was not a fan of Noel i didnt even watch it all, it was drabby, boring, and I guess HM's new theme in movies for the year is people that are divorced. And she even called her ex's new girl a "mistress" at least twice that i heard. The We wish you a married christmas, i watched it, it was ok. Glad someone finally didnt get divorced, but if you thought this one didnt contain divorce, oh it did, the girl that painted the animal portraits, just went thru a terrible divorce. I get it, people get divorced, but it is not something i want to hear in every single happy christmas movie. Kismet Christmas, did have a divorce, if counting 3rd movie in a row, but I kind of figured that was coming since he married a woman when he probably loved Sarah. And they didnt dwell on it, and there were no "mistresses". I loved the actress Sarah Ramos, she was a good addition to HM. Loved the girl Jazzy too, I always cringe when i see child actors cause some of them are just way to over the top, but she was great and this movie was great, I kept and will watch again. It was a bit rushed at the end making the kismet cookies and i was like when are we going to get to the kismet cookies and it wasnt til the last 5 mins or so. But it was a great movie." ~Sabrina
🎄 "A Kismet Christmas is family friendly. Sarah Grace Collins is a children book author. She is book storyteller at the bookstore. She lives with her Grandma Mia while confronting a legend that may actually come true is a magical Kismet Christmas Cookies according to Helen it’s actually work because Sarah made Kismet Christmas Cookies are true love kinds unless Jasmine “Jazzy” Walker overheard them talking when Sarah discovers her family legend might come true. Jazzy & her Dad, go Scavenger Hunt with photographs taken. Sarah read a book called; “A Winkle in Time” They keep saying it’s work because of Kismet Christmas Cookies. Jazzy puts Kismet Cookie with a wrap under the pillow on Dad’s bed. Travis finds under the pillow is Kimet cookie with gift wrap. If Sarah asks Travis dreamt about her but he doesn’t matter what dreams of. Sarah & her family have family recipe of Kismet Christmas Cookies recipe in the cubby. When Sarah makes Kismet Cookies by using a family recipe?" ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Kismet Christmas was really sweet. I enjoyed everything about it. What impressed me most is in the beginning it wasn't like they had always loved each other but they were very good childhood friends. There was time getting to know each other again and falling in love. It wasn't a rushed relationship. A gradual growing is much more realistic." ~kitkat
🎄 "I just finished watching all the Christmas movies I recorded last weekend. A Kismet Christmas was a playful surprise. Any storyline involving books or a bookstore gets my attention. I really like having the children in the movies. This is another family friendly movie that I'd watch again." – Mary
🎄 "I thought A Kismet Christmas was very sweet and family-friendly. The whole Kismet cookie predicting your soul-mate part was a bit silly to me and made the movie seem somewhat cheesy, at times, but overall, it was still very cute, a delightful watch for all ages! ~Net
🎄 "A Kismet Christmas. I almost stopped watching this in the first 15 minutes because the beginning was just a highlight of all the silly ridiculousness of this movie and the "magic" cookies nonsense. However, I'm glad I kept going because it turned out to, overall, be a really sweet movie. I've come to appreciate Carlo Marks as an actor and I like Marilu Henner. I'm not sure I really knew who Sarah Ramos was, but I liked her in this movie. I'm sick of "magic" turning up in more and more Hallmark movies and the whole premise of these cookies was absolutely silly and ridiculous. But the movie, as a whole, was very cute and worth a one time watch. Other than the emphasis on "magic", this was family friendly and lots of fun." ~~Jane
A Cozy Christmas Inn - October 28, 2022
🎄 "A Cozy Christmas Inn is family friendly. I was nervous going into it in regards to it being a sequel to Candace’s Christmas Under Wraps, but I really enjoyed it and I’m just going to pretend that they are two separate stories." 😊 ~Anonymous
🎄"A Cozy Christmas Inn is family friendly. (Review may contain Spoilers) It’s a sequel to Christmas Under Wraps. Real Estate Executive Erika MacNicoll’s Boss named Sharon Farris in Seattle. Erika talks to Stephanie who owned Restaurant when Andy was dating that doctor as referred to Dr. Lauren Brunell. Erika ahead to Garland, Alaska to Garland Inn to meet up with Claire. She finds out Garland Inn owned by her ex-boyfriend named Andrew “Andy” Holliday. Andy shows Erika The Alaska Volcano Observatory to look up the stars⭐️ 🌟 ⭐️. Andy gets Erika space registry to name Star after her as a Christmas gift. Andy & Erika do Christmas Mixer, by adding coffee & tea cafe at the Garland Inn. Some yummy cappuccino. Erika is such a genius. Andy tells Erika about that he & Lauren haven’t keep in touch each other. Frank Holliday tells his Son, Andy that Garland Inn is his. Garland Inn is to keep its belong to Andy’s. Andy’s Cousin Joy works at his Dad; Frank Holliday at Holliday Shipping Family Company. Erika meets Ed, Oscar, Alanna, Taxi & Reporter, & Real Estate Developer. Erika is staying at Andy’s Mother named Faith Holiday. Erika gets Andy a frame of Garland Reaches for the Stars by check in front desk for Andy gonna run Garland Inn. It’s not for sale. Although Erika quits her job to be with Andy if he’ll still have her. There’s Santa Claus with reindeers by saying HO HO HO! Merry Christmas! Frank Holliday is Santa Claus." ~Anonymous
🎄 "It is disappointing they made the couple in Christmas under wraps not work out. I’m not sure if this was to do a dis on Candace leaving Hallmark or if they wanted to do a sequel and had to do something different because Candace left Hallmark. The movie was cute to watch once for me." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Christmas Under Wraps is in my top 5 favorite Hallmark Christmas movies (others include Crown for Christmas, Return to Christmas Creek, Let it Snow, and The Christmas Secret). That said, I felt it was a dig at CCB. C'mon, those of us who know CUW KNOW that Lauren and Andy were meant to be together! Their chemistry was perfect, while I found Andy and Erika's chemistry to be sorely lacking. And I did not for one moment believe that had a previous romantic relationship. I also found it strange that Jodi Sweetin (not a fave of mine) actually starred in this "sequel." I really wanted to like it, but I truly felt Lauren fell in love with Garland just as much as she did Andy, and never would have left." ~Savvy Girl
🎄 "A Cozy Christmas Inn NO - JUST NO I suppose I always knew how this would pan out but some part of me was just hoping that there would be a surprise twist that I couldn't possibly have imagined. I'm sorry but I can only describe Hallmark's actions in airing this movie as despicable. This is a "sequel" to Christmas Under Wraps which was first aired some 8 years ago so there will probably be many unaware of it. For years the whole purpose of Hallmark's Rom.Coms was that whatever path they tread the two leads fall in love and "live happily ever after". That seems to be changing - in fact in many of their recent movies I have felt at the end they were just in a "relationship of the moment". I did like Christmas Under Wraps and although it wouldn't be on my all-time favourite list we were left in the glow that Lauren and Andy had fallen in love and Lauren would re-locate to Garland where she realised what direction her future life would take. We are, of course, aware of the changes which have been occurring at the channel in the last couple of years. Candace Cameron Bure was always recognised as their leading female actress although she was becoming increasingly challenged by Lacey Chabert. Then came the shock news that Ms Bure had signed a lon-term deal with Great American Family a new rival channel. Suudenly this sequel to Christmas Under Wraps appears in which Lauren and Andy have broken up. Can we really believe this is random? - I don't believe so. I know last year Hallmark aired The Nine Kittens Of Christmas a sequel to The Nine Lives Of Christmas which had one of the most perfect Hallmark endings ever. Marilee and Zachary had broken up but at least in the end they re-united. I somehow don't think this was Hallmark's hand. The movie came through Reel One Entertainment - it seemed to me as if someone else had produced this and Hallmark decided it would be better if they aired it and at least Marlee and Zachary ended up together. Why would Hallmark want to produce a sequel to what in terms of number of viewers is their highest-ever rated movie and totally negate the whole content of the original movie? I could never watch Christmas Under Wraps comfortably again. Personally, I can only believe that it is an act of revenge against Ms Bure - what else could it be? It really is an insult to their long-time fans and like a slap in the face. I would dearly love to say I will never watch Hallmark again but why should I cut off my nose to spite my face? Although, sadly, it happens with less frequency now when they get it right Hallmark is still the leader in the Rom.Com field. I can only say with a heavy heart in this case: SHAME ON YOU HALLMARK" Florence
🎄 "A Cozy Christmas Inn – So much of what was said by Savvy Girl and Florence above is how I feel, as well. This story truly felt like a revenge plot against Candace Cameron Bure. I felt this movie betrayed Candace and her past with Hallmark, especially since she and Jodie are so close in real life, from their many years on Full House portraying sisters. I personally don’t understand why Jodie would take this role, which was an obvious replacement for Christmas Under Wraps. Basically, this new movie erased the possibility of Andy and Lauren’s happily ever after. This truly makes Christmas Under Wraps a complete mockery. Lauren was supposed to put love before work, and now we find out in this new movie – she didn’t follow her heart after all – and took the medical fellowship instead. None of this made sense and the sequel felt pointless. On it’s own, A Cozy Christmas Inn felt rather silly, in my opinion. Nearly every scene, or at least, every other scene, someone used the phrase: “That’s Garland for ya!” It started to become so consistent, you could almost predict it and say it along with the characters. Overall, it was family friendly, but most definitely not a keeper for me." ~Net
🎄 "Review: A Cozy Christmas Inn - Family-friendly? Yes - Keeper? Absolutely Not! - Much of what I was going to say has already been said by Net, Savvy Girl and Florence. There are so many things wrong with this movie - the town doesn't look anything like it did in Christmas Under Wraps (CUW), they never reference or show the hospital where Candace worked (or have any of the staff appear), the continuous saying of "That's Garland for you", and so much more. But worst of all, yes, this movie seems like a dig at Candace and CUW! I mean, saying that she left Garland because of a fellowship in the same year that she arrived there, just contradicts the main storyline of CUW of Lauren putting the town and its people, and her relationship with Andy, above her career aspirations! As far as I am concerned, this sequel doesn't exist, and I will continue to watch CUW and assume that life goes on with Lauren and Andy." ~Mark 25
Jolly Good Christmas - October 29, 2022
🎄 "Jolly Bad Christmas is not family friendly" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Jolly Good Christmas is NOT family friendly. In first 15 minutes we are introduced to Will Kemp's closest friend in London and, of course, the guy talks about his husband. I fast forwarded and about halfway through the movie Will is in the married guy's home and he's asking them how they knew they were right for each other, how they knew when it was "the one" they wanted to marry. This is the second big disappointment for me (after Kris Polaha) since I loved Will Kemp in other movies and this could have been such a cute movie. Ugh, I'm so done with this tarnished society that's out of control! ~~Jane
🎄 "Jolly Good Christmas is NOT family friendly. Gay married men shown. ~Anonymous
🎄 "Jolly Good Christmas, unfortunately, is NOT family friendly. Gay couple are friends of lead character & even kiss. So sad Hallmark has come to this decision. ~Anonymous
🎄 "Unfortunately Jolly Good Christmas is not family friendly. There is a gay couple! I stopped watching it after 12 minutes. ~Anonymous
🎄 "I was so looking forward to watching Jolly Good Christmas. Another one ruined by Hallmark along with We Wish You a Married Christmas. It might be better for us to stop watching Hallmark altogether if this is their agenda. Really disappointed." ~Anonymous
🎄 "I thought that Jolly Good Christmas was terrible and very boring." ~Chris
🎄 "Jolly Good Christmas Didn't really know what to expect of this movie. Will Kemp, of course, is remembered for the enchanting Christmas Waltz but I hadn't heard of Reshma Shetty before. Right from the start you could feel the amazing chemistry between David and Anji although Will's American accent was a bit off-putting - I don't think him being American particularly added anything to the story. The movie was filmed in London so the setting was authentic and it was good to see so many familiar landmarks. I felt there was a lot of depth to the movie, the dialogue was to the point and witty and the situations were entertaining if perhaps a little OTT! David's girl-friend was stiff and lacking in emotion. I particularly enjoyed the glimpses into Anji's Indian heritage and it was nice the way they portrayed her parents with upper-class British accents and running a pub! It was just unfortunate that they decided to include a gay couple as David's best friends but they didn't take up overmuch screen time and I could live with this - unfortunately, of course, this means that many here won't watch this movie which is sad as it is well worth an airing. One particularly pleasing aspect was a superb ending - something which Hallmark often fails to provide now. There was no ambiguity and the short "one year later" clip gave the feeling of permanence which sadly I don't feel is the norm now. If only they had given the same thought to the ending of Christmas Waltz instead of the shoddy one they employed it could have been the best Hallmark Christmas movie ever. If the rest of Hallmark's Christmas output is anywhere near this standard then it's going to be a great Season and it's removed a little of the bad taste left in my mouth after A Cozy Christmas Inn. Florence's rating 9 - could have been a rare 10 but for the inclusion of the gay couple. As the Blog says "It's A Wonderful Movie" and at least it' " ~Florence
🎄 "Jolly Good Christmas - I missed watching this one during its first run, but saw it last night. It is NOT family friendly as it prominently features two homosexual men who openly celebrate their twelve years of marital bliss and give Will's character relationship advice based on their courtship experience. Good grief." ~MPT
Ghosts of Christmas Always - October 30, 2022
🎄 "Ghosts of Christmas Always is family friendly is about “a little riff” on A Christmas Carol, Katherine Marley works for the Department of Restoring Christmas Spirit as a Ghost of Christmas Present. This year, Katherine and her co-workers, Arlene is the Ghost of Christmas Past, & Roy is the Ghost of Christmas Future are sent to earth to help a man named Peter Baron. But Peter isn’t lacking in the holiday spirit, leaving Katherine & her colleagues wondering why they’ve been given this unusual assignment. “I don’t want to give anything away, but we definitely find out that there is more to it than just restoring Christmas spirit this year. Katherine is a Ghost of Christmas Present and she must help one soul, Peter, rediscover his Christmas spirit. But this year has something unusual in store.” Peter is only person can see Katherine at his restaurant. Charlie hands portfolio books to Arlene, Katherine, & Roy of Peter Baron. Arlene takes Peter & Katherine to Christmas Past - Peter’s Grandma Betsy was with Katherine & his Grandpa Bob. Arlene, Katherine, & Roy return to Department of Christmas restoring spirit. Roy asks Katherine to see the future when she closed her eyes. Katherine enters The Great Unknown. Katherine starts her life with Peter." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Ghosts of Christmas Always" -- Family-friendly unless something happened during the few minutes I missed. 🙂 On the whole, I found it to be quirky and entertaining; just don't think too hard! Be prepared to accept the fantasy of it. I found it to be a fun twist on Dickens with delightful leads and heart-warming redemption of all scroogey-ness." ~Alicia
🎄 "Ghosts of Christmas Always. I felt like I should have stopped watching this movie. But, I didn't - I kept going. I kept going because the main actors were quite good, and the storyline and production were very well crafted and, overall, it was a fun movie with a lot of positives and warm fuzzies. But... there were also negatives... I probably should have stopped because this wasn't an innocuous, sweet, Dickens' story - it was Hollywood's version - so, therefore, it included a whole lot of questionable spiritual things and lots of magic and, of course, ghosts. I'm so tired of "magic" in Hallmark movies. I understand when some of us refer to Christmas magic we really just mean the specialness of the season, or the sparkle and twinkle, or kindness, or warm fuzzy feelings, or the mystery and miracle of the birth of our Savior. But, more and more, I feel like Hallmark really wants us to embrace actual magic. And every time I watch a sweet movie that has some silly magic cookies or ornaments or snowglobes or whatever, I feel like I'm opening my mind and my heart just a tiny bit more to something that I shouldn't be giving a foothold in there. My faith is strong but I worry about people and children who are more impressionable. I don't have any young ones in my household right now but if I did, I don't think I would let them watch a lot of these movies (at the very least, we would sit down and have a biblical teaching moment!). So, is this movie family friendly? Maybe?? Maybe not?? I think people should prescreen it before sharing with kids. Also, btw, Hallmark added two characters who were female but teetering on that genderless line. There were no "gender" "statements" made (only implied) so I think it would be okay for families, maybe with some discussion, or perhaps just ignoring it would work, as well." ~~Jane
🎄 "I'm reviewing Ghosts of Christmas Always - I'm way behind on my Christmas movie-viewing, and am wondering if everyone else is too. I am very surprised there are only 3 reviews of this movie, and none of them glowing. I found it to be absolutely delightful! I thought all the actors were excellent, I loved the chemistry between Catherine and Peter, the storyline was engaging, there was some great humor, and I can't wait to share it with my family!" ~Sharon
🎄 "Also, really liked A Big Fat Family Christmas(the song at the end was amazing), A Maple Valley Christmas, Ghost of Christmas Always(looked at the ghosts more as angels, ghosts wouldn't help people), and Time for Him to come Home for Christmas(favorite since the first one), and Long Lost Christmas. Noel Next Door and The Royal Nanny were good also." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Found Ghosts of Christmas Always and Three Wise Men and a Baby not only family friendly but fun to watch. I would buy both of those." ~Anonymous
🎄 "GHOST OF CHRISTMAS ALWAYS Going into this I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I guess the best way to enjoy this movie is by keeping an open mind and knowing it’s not your regular Hallmark movies. I do really like it when I don’t know how the story would end… since that doesn’t happen often in Hallmark movies. I’m not sure how I felt about the magic element, but I guess that was a given, knowing that it’s inspired by the Charles Dicken’s story. That said, the movie was so engaging and I was invested to watch from beginning to end. Loved both leads which were new to me. Even though the storyline was unrealistic, the flow of the story and the way it was written made it felt natural. Even my husband agreed he quite enjoyed this one. Really well done by Hallmark." ~CH Mom
A Magical Christmas Village - November 4, 2022
🎄 "A Magical Christmas Village" -- free from same-sex content. However, the grandmother is a bit of a free spirit type who was living with some man we never meet before he sells his house and moves away. She is very into "the universe" working things out. Also confused about Alison Sweeney's character and her daughter's father—we just hear that she moved nearer family when she "decided" to have her daughter. I enjoyed parts, including Alison's acting and, especially, the daughter, who is sweet and imaginative and not a brat! But, for me, the movie is not going to make the favorites list. ~Alicia
🎄 "Alicia, I totally agree with you! I had a feeling I wasn't going to like this movie because of the "magical village" thing, but on top of that, they go on about relying on "the universe". Whatever happened to praying for help and guidance?? And that ending, where Alison totally interrupts Luke when he's handing out gifts to the kids? Ughh! I won't be watching this one again!" ~Mark 25
🎄 "Just finished Magic Christmas Village - this falls into the category of a previous comment about the silliness of Christmas "magic." Seems the Hallmark writers are hung up on a pseudo-hippie view of the world - just do your own thing - the daughter who works hard, and plans things out will be shown the error of her ways by the end of the show by just believing in magic. Probably the biggest mistake in the production was the casting of Marlo Thomas, her appearance was actually scary. One last thing - this is the second Hallmark movie I watched recently where a woman was a mother and there was no mention of a father - his absence due to either divorced or death - a father figure is no longer considered an important element in their movies? ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Magical Christmas Village is family friendly about a woman named Vivian Todd tells her young Granddaughter named Chloe, that her miniature Christmas village can be magically grant holiday wishes. as Chloe begins setting up the figurines; real life events seem to mimic the scenes she creates. Vivian moves in with her Daughter named Summer & Granddaughter named Chloe and immediately sets up a miniature Christmas village. Vivian is a firm believer in magic & her Daughter Summer who doesn’t believe in magic & Granddaughter who does believe in magic. Chloe playing with figurines to make Summer & Ryan together alongside the way to cross the path when the Christmas village lit up like magic. Ryan meets with Summer’s Mom named Vivian by saying that his Brother named Chris bought her house. Christmas Village seems Magical. Chloe tells her Mom; Summer that’s him whose turned out to be Ryan when her Mom tells her he’s Toy Drive Donations. Ryan meets Matt Dutton & Chloe. Matt tells Ryan that he knew his Brother; Chris. Summer’s Sister named April & her Brother in Law named Matt Dutton have children on their own. Summer is totally into Ryan when he kisses her they dressed in costumes. Chloe makes a snow in Christmas Village when comes true when her catchphrase “Best Christmas Wishes Ever”. Summer shows Ryan a Christmas Village & when they go outside & sees the snow. ~Anonymous
Lights, Camera, Christmas! - November 5, 2022
🎄 "Light, Camera, Christmas is family friendly about a fashion designer named Kerry Devine signs on to be a costume designer for movie called; “My Favorite Santa”, that’s shooting in her hometown in LA. While rediscovering her passion for crafts, she winds up falling for film’s famous leading man named Brad Baxter. Jill & Caleb and Brad Kerry get together" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Lights, Camera Christmas. Okay, that was a lot of fun!! Well-acted all around. Not so much a warm, fuzzy, Christmas “feels” kind of movie where they make gingerbread and such, but it was sweet and funny with good banter between the leads. The only thing that didn’t thrill me was the resolution of the conflict, it didn’t ring completely realistic and almost seemed like someone else wrote the ending or was a bit like they patched it in at the end because they didn’t know how to resolve it; but still a good movie. Family friendly. I think it’s a keeper (at least for now)." ~~Jane
🎄 "I loved "Lights, Camera, Christmas!".Kimberley Sustad & John Brotherton were a great pairing. Family friendly. While "A Magical Christmas Village" was a good, Family Friendly, there was talk of chakras, feng shui, & magic. I'm considering deleting it. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!" ~Namegirl
🎄 "Love, Lights, Christmas - I went into this movie with some trepidation, but it turns out I really enjoyed it. It reminded me a little bit of A Christmas Movie Christmas, which also had a character playing a stuck-up actor. (In fact, I found it amusing that in both movies the stuck-up actor talks to a character named "Evie"!) I thought the chemistry here was right on, and the two leads looked like they were having a lot of fun. It had some humorous moments, which is always a plus for me. And what do you make of Kimberly's wink to the audience at the end of the movie? For me, I think she was just saying, "Well, what did you expect for an ending?" (Like I said, humorous.) This one's a keeper for me!" ~Mark 25
🎄 "LIGHT, CAMERA, CHRISTMAS Family friendly as far as i know. This movie was quite hilarious. I love Kimberly Sustad and how she is always so good in making her character appear so relatable. Brad Baxter's character was pretty hard to like in the beginning and I couldn't really picture them as a couple when he was being such a goofball. He did get a bit more vulnerable towards the middle of the movie although I'm still unsure I like how John Brotherton portrayed this character. The chemistry was alright, I personally felt more of a friend vibe. ~CH Mom
All Saints Christmas - November 6, 2022
🎄 "All Saints Christmas" -- family-friendly. This is a gently-paced movie that I enjoyed on a sleepy Sunday night. Not complicated, but had sweetness, family, some nice music, and a touch of humor. Loved the dad's rule that unmarried couples stay in different rooms." ~Alicia
🎄 "All Saints Christmas is family friendly about Lisette is a popular R&B singer who's getting ready to travel home to New Orleans for Christmas. When the media mistakes a photo of her with her ex as an engagement announcement, her family insists that he join her on the trip. Lisette is a successful R&B artist traveling with her music producer—and ex boyfriend—before the holidays. As she prepares to return home to New Orleans to celebrate Christmas with her family, the press accidentally interpret a photo of Lisette and her ex as an engagement announcement. Her family can’t wait to meet him, and pressure Lisette to bring him alone. Lisette & Matthew back together & he proposes to her in front of her family & Gia Cole with cameraman see the snow" ~Anonymous
In Merry Measure - November 11, 2022
🎄 "In Merry Measure" -- family-friendly, this is one I quite enjoyed! Upbeat, with lots of joking, it has substance, as well. Most surprising is the fact that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is celebrated far more than is typical in a Hallmark movie, during the group's performance at the end as they sing of Him in these songs: "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" "Go Tell it on the Mountain" Merry Christmas, all!" ~Alicia
🎄 "In Merry Measure" was such a good and heartwarming movie. I liked the idea of high school choir and all the preparations for the competition. Music was just great in this movie, all these Christmas songs. All the cast was so good. I liked the leading actors Brendan Penny and Patti Murin. By the way I didn't watch any movies with Patti Murin and was very impressed by her acting. She is so bright. All in all it was a really good movie and most importantly it was family-friendly." Oksanka
🎄 "In Merry Measure is family friendly about Darcy was a one hit wonder singer. She’s come home to spend time with her family for Christmas. While there, she discovers her niece wants to sing for a local choir, The Herald Angels, but isn’t selected to join. The choir coach, Adam is very selective on who can join the choir, because it’s won a local competition 6 times and he wants to continue the winning streak. So, Darcy creates her own choir group from the people who weren’t selected. Only one choir can participate in the competition. So Darcy & Adam decide to compete to see who will go to the big competition." ~Anonymous
🎄 "In Merry Measure was one of the best Hallmark movies they’ve had in years! I was not expecting to like this movie at all, but the humor really drew me in. I didn’t care for the teenage actors, although their singing was great fun. I did enjoy the adult actors and how hilarious they were. This is a must watch, highly recommended, family-friendly movie! I loved their choices in Christmas Carols too!" ~Anonymous
🎄 "IN MERRY MEASURE This was sweet and fun to watch. Brendan Penny was quite hilarious especially in the beginning, when the rivalry between him and the female lead was strong. The female lead was new to me but she was down to earth and relatable. The acapella performances were all quite a treat to watch. I enjoyed this one." ~CH Mom
🎄 "In Merry Measure – I thoroughly enjoyed this movie! I loved the delightful, fun relationship between the sisters, and the aunt and niece. The romance was slow and steady; you could feel a spark building between Darcy (Patti Murin) and Adam (Brendan Penny) as their choir groups competed each other and as they combined their teams. All of the singing was beautiful to listen to; I simply enjoyed how happy this movie was from start to finish. One of my favorite scenes was when Patty Murin played the piano and sang an original song. Patty has such a lovely voice; I couldn’t help from cheering for her to succeed throughout the film, even though her character, Darcy, hasn’t had much success in the music industry since her pop album in her youth. It was nice to see her struggle a bit to keep herself current and relevant in that ever-changing entertainment world. Even though her character was/is famous, she seems very normal and at home in her small town. I loved the quick nod to Home Alone – when Darcy and her sister, Gretchen, put their hands on their cheeks and shouted, “Ahhh!!!!” That was soooo cute. This movie seemed so down-to-earth and relatable. This is a definite keeper I plan to watch over and over again." ~Net
🎄 "In Merry Measure. Loved this heartwarming movie. The music was fantastic! I felt the lead actors (and the script and director?) all brought a certain maturity or polish to the production; most of it felt natural and nothing was too overly cringeworthy. I liked the slowly growing and changing relationship between Patti and Brendan; and also loved the relationship between the “sisters” because it felt quite real, both in moments of handling grief as well as in moments of sisterly fun. The girl who played the niece was equally good at acting and singing. This one is a keeper and I would buy the dvd. Family friendly." ~~Jane
The Royal Nanny - November 12, 2022
🎄 "The Royal Nanny was family friendly, very cute, and a fun change from the usual Hallmark Christmas movie. I'm surprised it wasn't on Movies & Mysteries because it had a fun Aurora Teagarden vibe to it with the mystery of who was targeting the royal family." ~melnewlife
🎄 "The Royal Nanny is very interesting, and best of all, clean! Pretty good considering this is the 1st new Countdown to Christmas movie I've actually seen this year." -Maria
🎄 "Review: The Royal Nanny - Family-friendly? Yes - Keeper - Undecided - Well, I give Hallmark points for originality on this one - a combination of a Christmas movie, a spy thriller, and a mystery! It made for a interesting storyline, and I admit I didn't know how this one was going to end. I thought the lead actress did a wonderful job in her role, and the supporting cast was enjoyable as well. Good for a one-time view, although I'm not sure it's a keeper for me - the romance is almost secondary to the spy plot, and that's not exactly what I'm looking for in a Hallmark Christmas movie!" ~Mark 25
🎄 "The Royal Nanny is family friendly about MI5 agent Claire Champion is working undercover nanny & she must resist the charms of Prince Collin while keeping the royal family: Princess Rose & Elle, and Prince Robert safe during Christmastime. Princess Rose’s Husband is a King. Prince Colin is a Prince of Pranks. Claire is trading with a guy & including Ms. Lansbury with an umbrella 🌂." ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Royal Nanny is family friendly about Once Claire gets her unusual assignment in The Royal Nanny, she goes to work inside Kensington Palace. She gets a crash course in nannying from Ms. Lansbury who has spent the past three decades training the caretakers for the royal family. Unfortunately, Clarie’s royal charges prove to be quite a handful. Both Princess Elle & Prince Robert are eager to send the new nanny packing. Claire relies on a combination of her spy skills and nanny training to get the kids in line and make the lives of everyone in the royal household better. At the same time, a spark grows between Claire & Prince Colin is the younger Brother of Princess Rose is the Mother of Claire’s charges & the heir to the throne. However, things get complicated when MI5 wrongly suspects a member of the royal family of plotting against the throne? Claire puts her career, as well as her life, on the line to protect both the royal family and the man she is falling in love with." ~Anonymous
🎄 "The Royal Nanny was a very unique style of Christmas movie which I enjoyed! Family-friendly and intriguing right from the start! They probably could’ve passed this off as any regular mystery movie, but having it set at Christmas time made it that much better. I do wish there was more humor and that the actors showed more emotion." ~Anonymous
🎄 "ROYAL NANNY Finally got to watch this! I almost forgot to watch it, it was sitting on my DVR for a while 😁. I’ve read many reviews about it so going into it, I tried to keep an open mind. I’m unsure how I feel about the spy movie storyline part because there were many things that felt off about it (especially being a detail oriented person, and then in my head I couldn’t help but compare it to a standard Hollywood spy movie production, ha!). But one thing for sure, I think Rachel Skarsten was truly amazing in this role and she was spot on as the Royal nanny character. I also loved the male lead who played Prince Collin. He was so charming and likeable and I would LOVE to see him in more Hallmark/GAC movies! Both male and female lead were sooo adorable together and had great chemistry. The romance part was written really well. The dialogues were not cheesy or lame. I thoroughly enjoyed the romance part! Some nitpicky things: The princess/mom looked so young that I mistaken her as an older sister in the beginning, since her daughter was almost as tall as her. Her acting was just fine though. I also would’ve loved the children to have more personality. I guess I just expected them to be more obnoxious, ha! The spy movie part was not very well executed. It could’ve been made a little bit simpler. In my opinion there were too many twists, but not executed well (such as Claire picking up the package with Collin’s phone inside, not making sure it was not a bomb or something. Or, the way that prince Collin was taken by the thugs… it just didn’t seem realistic. A royal family would have a ton of guards who wouldn’t let this happen on their watch.) Anyhow… that was just me nitpicking. All nitpicking aside, I actually REALLY enjoyed this… a lot! It might even make it to my favorite Hallmark Christmas movie list this year (the romance really won it for me). It is different, it is unique, kept me engaged, and it is a keeper! Will definitely watch again!" ~CH Mom
🎄 The Royal Nanny. "Alert the presses! We have a “royal” movie that I liked. I actually loved it! So much fun. The lead actors were fantastic (along with the rest of the cast, especially “Scary” Poppins). The whole nanny angle was so much fun (I need to start carrying an umbrella!). I enjoyed the warmth of watching the family play charades and other games. The “James Bond” type of spy/intrigue stuff was ridiculous but fun. Thankfully, there were no phony or cringeworthy “royal” uniforms or public proposal scenes at the pre-coronation ball, etc. The whole thing was a refreshing (and welcome!) change of pace for a Hallmark “royal” Christmas movie. Family friendly. Keeper, would buy the dvd, might end up in my top 5 of the season." ~~Jane
Christmas at the Golden Dragon - November 13, 2022
🎄 "Christmas at Golden Dragon is family friendly about Growing up, Romy & Rick spent the holidays working at their parents’ popular Chinese restaurant, the Golden Dragon. When Romy’s boyfriend named Blake invites her to spend the holidays with his family in Vermont, she is thrilled that her parents let her off the hook, so she can finally experience a “real Christmas.” Her Brother named Rick currently works for the restaurant fulltime while he figures out his future, but secretly harbors a passion for cooking. When Rick & Romy’s parents named Jim & Sue Chen & Vincent Cheng announce they will be closing the Golden Dragon for good just before the holidays, the siblings must each figure out what that means for their futures. Also impacted by the news are the landmark restaurant’s loyal patrons and staff: workaholic executive Veronica who longs to be a Mother; recent widow Jane who is planning her first Christmas without her husband; Nate is a single father trying to do the best by his Daughters named Jesse & Vivi during the holidays; and helpful delivery driver named Miguel who is hoping to secure a college scholarship. As each of them face the closure of the Golden Dragon, they discover what Christmas & family truly means to each of them. Romy & her Brother Rick gather some family friends to cook at Restaurant for Christmas & how they manage to pull it out for their parents to save Chinese restaurant. Rick asks Sadie to go prom with him at Golden Dragon Restaurant. Nate & Veronica’s Daughters named Jessa & Vivi make Christmas Muddy Buddies in the kitchen with their Dad named Nate. When Romy & Rick’s parents surprise them with news that they’ll be closing their decades-old Chinese Restaurant, the siblings soon find themselves reevaluating their futures?" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Christmas at the Golden Dragon. Was not the complete dud I expected it to be. It won't be a keeper for me, but it was oddly entertaining for a one-time watch. It wasn't a traditional Christmas movie, but it was kind of fun and heartwarming to watch all the different lives intersect/connect through the Golden Dragon restaurant; and, yet, at times, it also felt a bit out-of-control and weird (the ending seemed a bit "off the rails" and unbelievable). There were some feel-good moments and some good messages in the movie, as well as some questionable ones. I would say, for the most part, it is family friendly. One dating couple appear to maybe be sharing a bedroom when they go visit their parent's home, but it's not blatantly obvious. A single woman is desperately trying to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization to have a baby all on her own with no husband in the picture (unfortunately, this seems to be a new trend in these movies). That same woman has some strong "feminist" ideas and some other questionable opinions, but, thankfully, her mother sometimes points out the opposing viewpoints. There's a single father with two little girls and for most of the movie I thought he was a widower, but then it turns out he's newly divorced and it's all handled kind of weirdly with the kids (I didn't understand why their mother wasn't a part of their lives at Christmas?? Was she out of town? Maybe I missed something in the beginning?). Overall, a cute and quirky movie that is non-traditional and would be fun to watch if you've exhausted all your other options. (By the way, I can't stand it when these movies throw in very obvious commercials for products and try to make it seem like a natural part of the movie. In this movie we got to extol the wonders of Walmart and Chex Mix. Ugh.)" ~~Jane
🎄 "Christmas at the Golden Dragon - We enjoyed "Christmas at the Golden Dragon" as it was a departure from the usual Hallmark Christmas movie formula which is focused solely on romance. It was family-friendly and incorporated multiple story lines that all connected through the Golden Dragon Chinese restaurant and the place it held in each character's heart. The movie would not be interesting to younger children, but I found it heart-warming and engaging, and it even incorporated a scene from a Nativity pageant. I recommend this movie to people who want to watch a little something different this Christmas season." ~Anonymous
🎄 "CHRISTMAS AT THE GOLDEN DRAGON Family friendly. Going into this, I didn't know what to expect. There were several storylines going on in the movie that it was a bit confusing to me at times. I do love the family aspect. It was heartwarming and touching, and some moments made me cry. I can totally relate to some of the storylines, as an immigrant and raised in Asian family. I think there were one too many stories going on though. This was quite enjoyable to watch but I'm not sure I'll watch it again." ~CH Mom
Inventing the Christmas Prince - November 18, 2022
🎄 "Really enjoyed 'Inventing the Christmas Prince' and very family friendly!" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Inventing the Christmas Prince. I should've learned by now not to listen to the cranky reviews on other websites. I almost deleted this movie without even giving it a chance. That would've been a shame since it turned out to be a very sweet movie. Like any other movie, there are, of course, lots of unrealistic parts. And for those who don't like any level of lies or fabrication or deception in their movies, then this should be avoided since it's all based on a mother's fabricated bedtime fairy tale story about a Christmas prince, and her later efforts to basically blackmail her curmudgeonly boss into playing that role after her daughter's imagination leads her to believe the boss really is the actual prince from the story. I don't have a problem with any of that since I find many of these secular Christmas movies have some sort of misleading element to them, or deception, or fabrication, or magic, or the fantasy of a lie known as Santa. Anyway, all of the cast in this movie were good and it was fun to watch the main actor gradually change from a stiff, antisocial person into one who is comfortable and caring. He is so awkward at first it's funny, his version of small talk on a date is "I see you have carrots on your plate. Do you eat carrots often?". Overall, this was a very cute movie and the ending was sweet (especially for those who like a little "royal" element to their movies). Good for a re-watch next year; it's not necessarily a definite keeper for me but I'll keep it on the dvr until I run out of room. Family friendly." ~~Jane
🎄 "Inventing the Christmas Prince is family friendly. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this movie." ~Mary
🎄 "Inventing the Christmas Prince – I must say this one took a little effort to get into, but once the story developed, it was interesting to watch Shelby’s boss, Evan, come out of his reserved shell and step into the role of the Christmas Prince. Evan is someone who has never connected well with people. In his job, as a scientist, he deals with facts and figures, so he seems very disconnected from human behavior, until Shelby’s daughter awakens this new world of emotions for him. Shelby sees and likes this new transformation in Evan, as well. The movie is kind of odd and quirky, at times, but it’s also a unique story with a heartwarming message. Inventing the Christmas Prince is family-friendly, a great watch for all ages. By the way, the little girl is absolutely precious – she often steals the show!" ~Net
Three Wise Men and a Baby - November 19, 2022
🎄 "I LOVE Three Wise Men And A Baby! So heartwarming sprinkle with funny moments. It's a keeper for me!" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Three Wise Men And A Baby is family friendly and hilarious, especially in the beginning of the movie. It also helps the brothers work through some issues personally and as brothers. Very sweet ending!" ~Joyce in Carolina
🎄 "Three Wise Men and a Baby. I laughed so hard during parts of this movie that I think the neighbors probably heard me! Loved it! It's a keeper for me. These three actors are great together. And, thankfully, Paul Campbell kept his woke agenda out of this one. It was family friendly (there was a single mother who left her baby and there were questions and eyebrows raised by people implying that maybe Andrew was the father - he wasn't - but there wasn't anything explicit said and I think it would be considered by most people to be ok for families). There was a part of the movie where they have one of those neighborhood decorating contests and that part got a bit over-the-top; it's the part where they dress up as wise men for a live nativity scene with the baby. I did not consider it sacrilegious; I myself have been in live nativity scenes. I don't ever expect Hollywood to get it right, they usually mess up anything that has to do with church or prayer or pastors or the meaning of Christmas, and it doesn't matter if it's Hallmark, GAF, or UP - rarely do they truly honor Christ in these movies (and I don't go into these secular movies expecting them to get it right, I just hope they'll give us a nice, clean Christmas movie with warm feelings). The whole decorating contest was a small part of this movie and it was wonky and awkward and could have been left out, but at least in this movie the wise men actually say they've come to see the King. Other than that part of the movie, I thought it was a lot of fun. It wasn't the typical "warm fuzzy feels" Christmas movie, it was more about restoring the relationships between the three brothers and I thought they handled that quite well. There were romances, but they weren't the main thread of the movie. Of course it was all unrealistic but, overall, it was just a lot of fun on a night when I really needed a laugh." ~~Jane
🎄 "Three Wise Men & a Baby is family friendly. It’s hilarious movie. It’s parody modern day of 3 Men & a Baby. Three brothers named Stephan, Taylor, & Luke are surprised when they find themselves forced to care for a baby named Thomas during the holidays, during the journey they begin to rebuild their relationships as brothers while rediscovering their love for Christmas. The 3 Brothers’ Mother named Barbara. Taylor & Fiona, Stephan & Susie, and Luke, Sophie, & a baby Thomas. Stephan mentions the show by name; The Twilight Zone (1959), Stephan refers to Taylor as Mommie Dearest (1981), Taylor refers to Stephan as a pet detective from Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), Luke referred to Michael from 3 Men & a Baby (1987) who found a baby with a baby bag at doorsteps. There’s a young woman named Sophie with her baby Son; Thomas that Luke is holding him." ~Anonymous
🎄 "We loved Three Wise Men and a Baby!! Extremely family friendly, hilarious in several parts. Happily the brothers grow in this film with forgiveness for each other and learn to work together for baby Thomas and their Mother (Barbara). The Paul (Michael) Andrew (Luke) and Tyler (Taylor0 were great together. I don't know about a sequel - I don't know how Paul Campbell & Kimberley Sustad can top this script!! We've watched the movie several times and "re-round" the choreographed dance to The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy to see it again (great choreography, btw, and very funny.) I hope it comes out on dvd soon. I was watching my sister when the dance came on because I wanted to see her reaction to it. She laughed until she cried and I was laughing along with her. It's a keeper. This is one of the best Hallmark Christmas movies." ~Namegirl
🎄 "THREE WISE MEN AND A BABY **spoiler alert** Hilarious! And surprisingly heartwarming and touching too. So many scenes that made me chuckle. Loved the unique storyline and the three different personalities of the guys. Not much romance. Family friendly but if you're watching it with younger kids, the story about the baby getting dropped off to one of the leading men (Andrew Walker's character) brought up some conversation that sort of raised my eyebrow and might have a sense of normalizing pregnancy before marriage. I do love the reconciliation that happened between the family, and even with the neighbor. Some of my favorite hilarious moments: - tyler hynes and paul campbell getting the baby to bath after the cookie making fiasco - assembling baby swing - tyler hynes doing a squat putting the baby to sleep - andrew walker grabbed the wrong car seat - the three guys in elf costume - the sugar plum fairy dance" ~CH Mom
🎄 "Hi Net! I haven't had much time to watch movies or hang out here, but I just want you to know I still rely on your blog for all my TV movie info and appreciate your efforts so much! I haven't seen many movies so far, but I couldn't miss Three Wise Men and a Baby. That was the one I was most looking forward to out of all of the movies this season, and, happily, it didn't disappoint! It is as hilarious as I thought it would be and also heartwarming and touching. I giggled and laughed out loud throughout, especially at their dance! That was priceless! I also teared up a couple times. I love that it was something different from the usual storyline. The romances are great, but we get so many of those, I appreciate when the story centers around something else, especially when that "something else" is family relationships. I'm particularly partial to stories involving siblings because I have four brothers and one sister of my own who I'm very fond of. The ending was wonderful. Endings are too often abrupt in Hallmark movies, so I loved the more extended wrap-up in this one. I will definitely be watching this movie over and over again, and I'll be surprised if anything else tops it for me this year." ~Amy Lama
🎄 "Three Wise Men and a Baby Wow, I was not expecting to like this movie. I thought for sure I wouldn't, but I was so wrong. It was wonderful, sweet and really funny! Family friendly (just how we like it ;) and I loved how it was about the importance of family. It was sweet to see them have mistakes in the first half, but then improving after they realised to not think of themselves, but of their mother. I loved how they couldn't resist the Baby's First Ornament, and that baby swap thing(in real life, that would have been terrifying!) Another great addition to the film was the women in the movie. It was so kind of them to help out, and I literally said, "ahh," when she brought a casserole. The year later ending was sweet as well, all of them together! The only thing that bothered me was during the pageant scene. You could tell Hallmark did everything they could to not say Jesus Christ's name. They did not even mention that He's our Savior. That scene really made me upset me, and it's a shame because the rest was fantastic! I gotta say it though, the corgi fan in me LOVED that dog Arnold!😂 And I liked Stephen's character, he kinda reminded me of Niles from Frasier. If you have not seen it yet, give it a try. It has it's corny moments, but it was a delight! I think with the story plot it would have made a great Thanksgiving film as well! God Bless and Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends here!" ~Abigail
🎄 "Three Wise Men and a Baby. I found this movie really good, except for the Nativity scene. I know it was to be funny and in some ways it was but I found it a little sad that they knew so little about Christ's birth. It was family friendly and I found myself laughing out loud many times (and I'm alone so that is a good feat). I did really appreciate the impact of the baby and taking care of it on the brothers." ~Clara
🎄 "Three Wise Men And A Baby - Perhaps it is just me but I felt Three Wise Men And A Baby was a spoof on something sacred to me. If they had not made this a Christmas story, then I might feel differently." ~kitkat
🎄 "Found Ghosts of Christmas Always and Three Wise Men and a Baby not only family friendly but fun to watch. I would buy both of those." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Three Wise Men and a Baby had me laughing so hard. That’s my number one show of the season so far." ~Mary
🎄 "I too liked Three Wise Men and a Baby. Thought it had a lot of funny parts and I liked that the brothers were able to heal their differences. Nice to see a family come back together." ~Anonymous
🎄 "I record the Christmas movies and watch as I can as there are SO many. But I recently watched 3 Wisemen and a Baby and it was so funny! It probably will be my favorite as it was different and all of these actors can be witty and funny. I really laughed when they did the dance to the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. I enjoyed that the romance didn't take over the story but the relationship of the brothers was forefront of the movie. I wish they would make a few more like this. Not dumb/stupid type but the goofy stuff is great. I could watch it again and I say that very rarely." ~Anonymous
When I Think of Christmas - November 20, 2022
🎄 "When I Think for Christmas is family friendly about Sara Ferguson reunites her ex-boyfriend named Josh Hartman when she returns to her hometown to her Mother named Anna Ferguson move. When Sara makes a surprising discovery, she & Josh forge a bold plan for upcoming Christmas concert that takes them back to their musical roots. Sara finds music sheets of When I Think of Christmas was written by Sara’s Dad named Shane Ferguson. Josh convinces Anna Ferguson to sing a Christmas song; When I Think of Christmas onstage. Anna & George and Sara & Josh get along ~Anonymous
🎄 "When I Think of Christmas is family friendly. Some great music and a couple of cameos, one of which is hilarious. ~Joyce in Carolina
🎄 "Watched When I Think Of Christmas last night. It was on Hallmark so I had recorded it to wait for a review. I really enjoyed this movie. Family friendly all the way! Niall Matter is a favorite of mine. There is some beautiful music in this. It is a keeper for me. Shenae Grimes (probably not her full name) from Christmas Inc. with Steve Lund is starring opposite Niall." ~kitkat
🎄 "When I Think Of Christmas - Hallmark has surprised me once again. First of all, with When I Think Of Christmas, which I loved! Now with My Southern Family Christmas. Both of these are rated G on TV guide and completely family friendly. The most surprising thing about When I think Of Christmas is how much they honored the meaning of Christmas. Wish this movie had gotten the attention it deserved!" ~kitkat
🎄 "When I Think of Christmas. This movie was more of a miss, for me, than a hit, but maybe okay for a one-time watch and I’m sure others will like it far more than I did. It’s good that we all like different things in our movies! I have really liked Niall Matter in other movies like Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater, the Father Christmas movies, and the Aurora Teagarden mysteries, but I felt this particular movie was missing something and even Niall couldn’t fix it. There wasn't one thing or one person that was horrible, instead it was just kind of overall lackluster. The movie had a heavy focus on characters who supposedly have great musical talent and, therefore, you would think there would be phenomenal music in the movie; and, yet, the singing (and their famed Christmas music show that the movie revolved around) was just average. I thought Niall’s and Shenae’s characters were both kind of whiny and unrealistic and bitter for no good reason other than harboring anger and pain from a broken high school romance and lost teenage dreams over TEN years ago (and, honestly, both actors look old enough for it to have been 15-20 years ago!). And Shenae’s character (who had a paid scholarship to Yale and then went on to law school and a good career) was especially bratty, blaming her widowed mother for guiding her in wise decision-making as a teenager (and her mother apologizes for being a good mother – sheesh!!). The best part of the movie was the budding relationship between Shenae’s mother and a carpenter she just met (I liked his character the best of any of them). Oh, and Peter Benson had a sort of funny cameo as a guy auditioning for the Christmas show. This one was family friendly but not a keeper for me and not really interested in watching again next year." ~~Jane
🎄 "I also enjoyed the singing in the family friendly movie, When I Think of Christmas." ~Mary
My Southern Family Christmas (8 p.m.) - November 24, 2022
🎄 "My Southern Family Christmas - Hallmark has surprised me once again. First of all, with When I Think Of Christmas, which I loved! Now with My Southern Family Christmas. Both of these are rated G on TV guide and completely family friendly." ~kitkat
🎄 "My Southern Family is family friendly about Turned into a journalist, Campbell gets the chance to meet his biological Father named Bergeron for the first time without him who she really is.. In the end, Campbell must decide if she will reveal the truth, a decision that will change Christmas Campbell is with her birth Father during the holidays with a newfound family coming together and connecting and bonding in Louisiana for Pete Noel Christmas when she doesn’t reveal her truth identity to her Biological Father. Campbell keeps her identity secret or reveal the truth to her birth Father.Although, It’s up to Campbell reveal her truth identity, it will change their family’s Christmas forever." ~Anonymous
🎄 "The Southern Family is family friendly about Campbell is a journalist who has completely lost touch with her Father. They’ve been estranged for years, and he has even settled down with an entirely new family unit. So when she finds out that her next assignment is taking her to Louisiana — where her father and his family now live — for a Pere Noel Christmas celebration, Campbell has to prepare herself for an emotional reunion m. But with holiday magic & warmth all around them, the meeting, article, & Christmas season are sure to be a success. ~Anonymous
🎄 "The Southern Family Christmas "It's basically the reconnection of a girl with her birth father during the holidays. So it's a really, you know, focus on this newfound family coming together and connecting and bonding. ~Anonymous
🎄 "My Southern Family Christmas" is delightful! I wasn't expecting a lot from it but ended up loving every minute of it. It's a beautiful story of family and connection that gave me all the warm fuzzy feelings. There's a fun cameo at the beginning too. It's in my top three favorites of what I've seen so far this year. This was my first time seeing Jaicy Elliot in anything, and I hope it won't be my last. She made Campbell very likable and relatable. ~Amy Lama
🎄 "My Southern Family Christmas--I wasn't going to watch it but kept seeing the previews and it looked good. It was family friendly, and a pretty good movie, probably wont watch again though. The one thing I hate about movies like this is the careless way they go about telling the family "oh and btw, i fathered another child and here she is". I kept wondering when the reveal was going to happen and there was like 8 mins left of the movie and i was like is she just going to tell everyone including her sisters at once and sure enough she did. they were happy, of course, but I just think it is pretty careless how Hallmark movies bring up subjects like this. I remember that Hannukah movie with ben savage and Marilu Henner is sitting at the table with her birth daughter and her other 2 kids and she just tells them all right there, oh btw, this is your sister, i gave her away and never told my 2 grown, adult children until now, just out in the open, in front of my birth daughter, at the kitchen table while having breakfast. Campbell was worried all movie that what she was doing was bad by hanging out with the family and not telling them, and I would have liked some sort of emotions and being a little upset by the sisters and her father, just a little something more than the one sister saying "I knew it" when Campbell told them the truth. You knew it??????? How????? I wanted to watch Haul out the Holly, but honestly from the previews it looked really dumb and just over the top. I hope it wasnt. I guess Lacey is the Hallmark star now, she took over for CCB, but it just seems her movies over the last few years have been not so good, to me. I recorded Cookie Catastrophe movie, and the Holiday Spectacular, and also the Corgi movie, and the kelsey grammar movie and Christmas Spark on Lifetime. I hope they were good. I was pleasantly surprised the 2 hallmark movies i watched this weekend didnt have woke agendas. Thank you Hallmark, for that. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving :)" ~Sabrina
🎄 "This one was so good! I've enjoyed both of Jaicy's Hallmark movies and hope to see her again." :-) ~Alicia
🎄 "Watched two movies with my sister, who is not usually a fan of Hallmark-type movies, and they got thumbs up from both of us. My Southern Family Christmas. Loved it. The whole cast was fantastic. Keeper. Would buy the dvd. Family friendly." ~~Jane
🎄 My Southern Family Christmas – This movie was refreshingly different. I like how the story and the setting were mostly unique for Christmas movies. It was also nice to see Wes Brown have a cameo in this. Too bad he couldn’t be in the part of the story where Campbell went to Louisiana, since he’s actually from there in real-life, and I know those Southern traditions and customs mean a great deal to him. Some drawbacks for me, personally – the shouting of the Christmas alligators or reingators (the southern version of reindeers) was a little odd to me, and was it really ever explained WHY her father divorced her Mother and neither kept in contact regarding their daughter??? Very strange. Plus, WHEN exactly did he see her last? Did he not recognize her, at all? Had she really changed that much? Other than those questions I found myself asking – the movie was rather captivating. It moved at a nice pace, and the romance portion was low-key, but sweet. Watching Everett connect with Campbell, with him not realizing she was his daughter, was interesting and painfully awkward, too, since so many people knew the truth, including his wife. It was suspenseful – wondering how the truth would eventually be revealed, and all I’ll say is… I thought it was done in a sweet way, although it was all summed up rather quickly. If you live down south and enjoy a warm Christmas, then this might appeal more to you. I thought Jaicy Elliot was excellent, but overall, there were many unanswered questions. Not a keeper for me, but still a nice watch. ~Net
#Xmas (6 p.m.) - November 25, 2022
🎄 "I really enjoyed #xmas (despite the name). I was surprised. It didn’t feel that formulaic though the plot line wasn’t unique. The main lady’s acting style in this reminded me of Sandra Bullock in While You Were Sleeping. That added a lot. I recommend this one. Nothing objectionable I can think of if anyone’s concerned." ~Anonymous
🎄 "#XMAS Family friendly, as far as I know. I do like the best friend turned lovers trope. I wish that the lead actress is just a little bit more likeable. I tried hard to like her. I guess she is quirky and cute in her own way. Her quirkiness was hard to watch sometimes. It's hard to explain and I try not to give negative comments on actors, but when she's talking, she appears like she's about to suffocate. Anyway, I tried hard to get past that. Brant Daughterty was adorable. The message of the story about "nothing's perfect" was good too, especially in this age of social media. I also was hoping the ending was elaborated a bit more. It felt like it ended abruptly to me." ~CH Mom
🎄 "Xmas. Liked the movie for most parts, but like Florence doesn’t like the Single parent movies, I don’t really like the ones that start out based on a lie. In real life they don’t always end well." ~JoCo
🎄 "#XMAS is family friendly about when interior designer named Jen is selected for social media competition for a design brand, she poses as an influencer with best friend playing her Husband & her Nephew as her baby? When Jen gets the chance to enter a brand’s design contest, she poses as a family influencer, enlisting the help of her best friend, Max, & her baby nephew. When her video is selected as a finalist, Jen is torn on whether to go on with her perfect ‘family’ or reveal the truth?" ~Anonymous
🎄 "I liked #Xmas too, but didnt save it." ~Sabrina
🎄 "#Xmas. I keep coming back and trying to watch this movie but I can’t quite get through it. I seem to be okay with minor deceptions and fibs in all these Christmas movies, but in this one there was flat-out lying and they knew it was wrong and they chose to continue to keep doing it and rearranging entire lives to continue the deception (and it wasn’t done for romance or to keep the family happy or anything like that, it was basically done just to help their store and brand get ahead financially); it was just too much for me and was distasteful. However, there were things I did like and, therefore, it’s still on my dvr waiting to maybe someday be watched. I liked the interior design/home goods shop – it looked real and not like a Hallmark phony set. The whole production felt a little less cookie-cutter than other movies. I liked the entire cast and would love to see them all in a different movie; especially liked the lead actor. The lead actress is beautiful and quirky but her character might be a tad bit too over-the-top quirky and neurotic to watch, plus it’s hard to understand her dialogue. She kind of talks fast, blurs her words, gestures, mumbles, and drops her volume so that you can’t understand all the funny things she’s saying; I’m not sure if that’s the actress’s normal diction or whether it’s just her portrayal of her quirky, neurotic character, but I felt that she really needed to enunciate better (or give the viewer some subtitles!) because the dialogue in the script was actually quite sharp and funny at times, if only we could hear it!" ~~Jane
A Royal Corgi Christmas (8 p.m.) - November 25, 2022
🎄 "A Royal Corgi Christmas is family friendly about Sparks fly between a crown prince Edmund and a canine behavior expert Cecily as they work together to train a rambunctious dog before an annual holiday ball. To win his Mother’s love, Prince Edmond gives her a corgi & hires Cecily, a dog trainer. Edmond & Cecily bond over the dog is a corgi named Mistletoe, and discover that love can grow in unexpected places." ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Royal Corgi Christmas; The only reason I finished this movie was because of the dogs! The rest was really boring and there was no chemistry of spark between the main characters. Not worth it. It was thankfully family-friendly, although her coworker, Jacob seemed a tiny bit feminine to me. I do wish Hallmark had done more research on Cardigan Welsh Corgis though. There was so much more they could have shown! Like, they love food so much they will practically jump up and down for it! It was obvious to me that those dogs were Pembrokes with their tails not docked. If they were truly Royal Pembroke Corgis, their tails would be docked. And only Pembrokes come in tri color. Cardigans have larger features and are smarter and more serious. They are smart enough, you wouldn't need a trainer. Sorry, I can be kinda serious when it comes to corgis. I love to watch the Westminster Dog Show and I've always bought mine from show breeders." ~Abigail
🎄 "A Royal Corgi Christmas. Ugh. No. Couldn't take more than about 25%; although, to be fair, I pretty much never like the "royal" movies (exceptions are: One Royal Holiday, Crown for Christmas, and a few others that I thought were good). What I saw was family friendly." ~~Jane
A Tale of Two Christmases (6 p.m.) - November 26, 2022
🎄 "A Tale of Two Christmases is family friendly about Emma gets to experience 2 different Christmases — one where stays in the city & celebrates with a new crush named Max & his friends, & one where she returns home for all the traditions with family & reunited with Drew. Thanks to Holiday Magic. An elderly guy looks like Santa says to Emma, May All Christmas Wishes Come true. Emma has to choice Max for going to ski trip or to be with her family & Drew. Although Emma choices to be with her family & Drew. Her Dad drives his Daughter Emma to Drew’s place." ~Anonymous
🎄 "I have barely watched any of these christmas movies this year. I would rather watch Home Alone and Christmas Vacation and Christmas Story. But i did watch 2 this wekeend cause i was looking forward to Tale of 2 Christmases so here goes: Tale of 2 Christmases: It was family friendly, and ok, it was going well, then the twist and I am still not sure i entirely understand what happened. It was like a movie going along, really well and then they had to end it and it wrapped up in a minute and you are left going what happened? Emma gets to "live" 2 different days as she misses her flight home and gets to hang out with the guy who works in her building that she likes, and one of her makes it home in time for the christmas eve party and gets to spend time with her BFF/crush/high school buddy. She gets to see how it would be both ways, she stays back with guy she likes, gets to redo her project for work, and gets good news on the project, but that she wont be heading the project up, but just staying in the office working on other new projects. Then she gets to go home, get offered a job doing what she would love to do, hang out with Drew, a guy who had a crush onher and she on him, but they nevere told each other. I like the choices she made in the end, i just can't stop thinking and playing it thru my head of what actually happened. I liked the movie, but will liklely never watch it again." ~Sabrina
🎄 "A Tale of Two Christmases. Family friendly. Cute for a one time watch (or re-watch next year), not a dvr keeper for me. I'm not a fan of time-jumping types of movies and I'd say this one was a tiny bit confusing in the very beginning until you figure out what they're doing; but I also don't think it would be a reason to skip the movie since it all settles down once you realize how they're jumping back and forth between realities (and it's all Hollywood make-believe anyway:)). One of the characters is an environmental lawyer and I'm not a fan of all the social environmental score points they had to get across in the movie, but it was tolerable (the most annoying was "ethically sourced cocoa" for the Christmas party -> seriously?!?). {And, p.s., what is it with the trend in these movies for the women to be the pursuers nowadays? Has anyone else noticed that the women are becoming more likely to initiate the happily-ever-after kisses?}" ~~Jane
🎄 "Sabrina...I just watched this movie "A Tale of Two Christmases". You are so right. The ending was so confusing. That's because they TOTALLY screwed up. At the end when she wakes up you find out that Big City Emma really did happen. Small Town Emma's story was a dream. However, when she wakes up and looks at her phone it also says December 24th like it did at beginning. Huge blunder by editors. It should have said December 25th on her phone not the 24th...I was racking my brain also trying to figure out how it could say 24th. Thought I missed something. The 24th in the City really did happen so her phone should have said the 25th. The back home story was a dream that night after the 24th happened. It was driving me crazy, so I looked it up and others were saying it was a screw up on editor's part. It was just a mistake. However, a HUGE mistake because it made the whole thing make no sense. Even with that mistake seen there is still some confusion, but I won't go into that now haha. They try to make it seem like the WHOLE thing was a dream and she woke up on the 24th but they then show that the 24th in city really happened so it was the 25th. I think they just botched the ending." ~Jim
Haul Out the Holly (8 p.m.) - November 26, 2022
🎄 "HAUL OUT THE HOLLY Family friendly. So funny and ridiculous, but the ridiculousness made it fun to watch. There was no heavy or intense conflict in this movie, it was just all fun from beginning to end. All the characters in the neighborhood are so interesting, goofy, and hilarious. It's adorable how Wes Brown's character was trying to get close to Lacey's character. The white elephant party was hilarious. Wes Brown was so perfect for the role. It was a fun and stress-free holiday movie!" ~CH Mom
🎄 "Haul Out the Holly is so ridiculous movie about Emily Melrose’s parents have left her behind. Emily comes home to visit her parents, only to discover they’re leaving for a trip on their own. Whole staying at their house for the holidays, Emily meets members of community who want her to join in the neighborhood’s Christmas festivities!!!" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Haul Out the Holly I haven't watched the whole movie yet, but I was disappointed to see it start with Dan and Emily living together." ~Karen
🎄 "Haul Out the Holly; Ok, I am shocked by how dumb this film was! I normally LOVE Lacey and Wes Brown! But really?? I love Christmas and I love decorating the house, inside and out, but I would go CRAZY if those were my neighbors! Bad job whoever wrote the script! Definitely not a keeper. I would be embarrassed if I was Hallmark... The only thing I really enjoyed was she was watching a Hallmark "Christmas in Vienna" movie on tv. But that only lasted for 2 seconds. It was family friendly-ish, she was living with her boyfriend in the beginning. She mentions to her parents, she's going to make him sleep on the couch, so that tells me they shared the bedroom. ~Abigail
🎄 "I was disappointed with Emily's parents telling her at the last moments that they were leaving for Florida. Then dropping the other shoe that she needs to carry on what they have had 30 years in planning and developing the Evergreen Lane Christmas. Personally I think it showed poor choice of the parents pushing her, knowing that Emily needed to rest & relax. But being a loving & forgiving daughter she showed determination to please her parents. Wes Brown was funny. I loved the snowball fight and the White Elephant party. I was so happy to see Kristoffer Polaha and Eric Mabius in cameo roles.. Half-way through it started getting good so, I'm keeping the recording because it was Lacey's first Rom-Com movie. There were some odd ducks in that neighborhood flock of ducks. ~Namegirl
🎄 "Haul Out the Holly. Keeper!!! Everyone’s sense of humor is different, and there are some over-the-top silly movies that I just can’t stand. But this one? … Oh, how I loved this chaotic movie!! This was wacky and bizarre and just downright hysterical. It’s not quite up there with Chevy Chase’s “Christmas Vacation” classic, but it’s now on my list to watch every year. I cannot wait to watch this over and over with my crazy family and recite favorite lines. This movie was outrageously absurd… but that’s the whole point! The one-liners interspersed throughout and delivered so masterfully by the various actors (“I feel like I’m in ‘Home Alone 4: Stuck in the Suburbs’”), the side jokes referring to several other movies (Ned in this movie was also Ned in Groundhog Day), the cameos (Kris Polaha, Eric Mabius & others), the quirkiness, the goofiness --- it all had me laughing hysterically and snorting hot Christmas Spice tea out of my nose!! Watching Wes Brown through the window playing charades with Kris Polaha and Lacey and acting out “Christmas Carlton” had me rolling on the floor! The wacky White Elephant gift exchange was so similar to the fun and craziness with my own friends. The Barry Manilow Santa suit – lol -- who keeps one of those in their closet?!? For this movie, you just have to let go of your expectations and usual critiques and enjoy it as a completely off-the-rails rom-com (heavy on the "com"). For instance, I didn’t like Lacey’s parents in the beginning, and likewise with Wes’s character being too ridiculous (I couldn’t see him ever being a romantic interest for Lacey), and I was scribbling all kinds of critical notes, but then I just put the notepad down and let it all roll, and by the end of the movie I appreciated all of the characters and all of the different parodies in the movie. I would say if you and your family have never liked wacky, absurd movies where you can recite favorite lines and crack each other up (think classics like Christmas Vacation, Uncle Buck, The Great Outdoors, What About Bob, Groundhog Day, Home Alone, etc.), then you should probably skip this movie. Otherwise, this would be fun to watch with the entire family. (Be forewarned on the family-friendly scale: there's a very short flashback prequel to the movie of Lacey as a child, but then when the movie actually starts the first scene is her coming into her apartment bringing Christmas gifts while her loser boyfriend is busy playing video games. The very first scene is them breaking up and then the next day she leaves to go home to her parents’ house. Nothing else is shown (they show worse things in commercials during football games!), but it’s obvious they’ve been living together. I wish Lacey had not put this in her movie; but I think, otherwise, the movie would be fun for the whole family, so maybe use that first scene as a teaching moment or just fast-forward a couple of minutes to the point where she’s arriving at her parents’ home.)" ~~Jane
🎄 "So, I don't think I've ever watched a new Christmas movie twice in the same season but I just did it with 'Haul Out the Holly'. I needed something fun and upbeat to watch last night and this one just appealed to my weird sense of humor. I actually caught funny lines in this second viewing that I missed in the first (Kris Polaha doing charades!). That re-watch was so much fun, I might just watch Three Wise Men and a Baby tonight for some more laughs!" ~Jane
🎄 "Jane...I just watched this movie "Haul out the Holly" and I saw your review of it. I absolutely agree with you whole heartedly. You spoke of it exactly how I felt also. I loooved this movie. Like you, I am not into over-the-top silly movies, but this was not that at all. This was hilarious and so much fun to watch. I laughed out loud. So many great lines. I find myself getting bored with so many of these movies now but this one kept my interest because it was just so quirky and cute and funny. When it comes to Christmas, I picture myself to be just as goofy and quirky and weird as Wes Brown's character. I want to be the President of the HOA!!!" ~Jim
🎄 "Review: Haul Out the Holly -
Keeper? - On the fence -
I know, I'm really late with this review! I recorded it last season to watch, but for some reason my dvr quit recording it after about 10 minutes. I've been waiting for it to air again, and it finally has - yay!
I guess, based on the reviews I read, that I expected it to be better than it was. On the plus side, it did have a lot of funny moments, and some great one-liners. (My absolute favorite was when Lacey goes to watch a Christmas movie, Christmas in Vienna comes on, and she goes, "Oh, I love the guy in this movie", who of course is her frequent co-star, Brennan Elliott!)
But my problem is how selfishness is rampant throughout the film. Hardly anybody cares about her, only about themselves.
Her parents up and leave when she arrives to spend the holidays with them, they and the neighbors expect her to do all of the Christmas work the parents had previously done, Wes keeps giving her citations for not fulfilling her responsibilities, and so on. For a Christmas movie to work for me, it has to have people that I care about, and the only one I cared about here was Lacey. This may be the first Hallmark movie that had me laughing out loud at times, but that I cannot wholeheartedly recommend." ~Mark 25
🎄 "Haul Out The Holly was horrendous, one of last year's worst Christmas movies from Hallmark - a complete mess.
Two stellar actors (Wes Brown co-starred) yet little chemistry between them - not much romance either.
Lacey is being given some poor roles in the past couple of years" - Florence
🎄 "I agree with Florence. Just because it may be one of their prize actresses, it was a cringe movie. I for one don’t like the pushy kind of movie where someone or multiple someone’s feel they can impose their way of doing things on others" ~JoCo
🎄 "We enjoyed Haul Out the Holly and thought it was one of the better movies of the year last year. Both actors are stellar and I thought they played off of each other well. I appreciated the rom-com style as a refreshing change, and I loved hearing about some background from Lacey during a few of the commercial breaks. It was a fun movie for us and we've watched it several times since. I'm interested in what her announcement might be..." ~Chris
🎄 "I see some people are saying how bad Haul out the Holly was. There must have been a lot of people to like it and have good reviews to be having a second one made. I personally liked it and thought it was good. I don't see what some of ya'll thought was so bad about it" ~Anonymous
🎄 "I thought Haul out the Holly was one of the best Hallmark Christmas movies last year. Wes Brown is at his best when he plays funny, I think. His facial expressions are priceless. And Lacey was great! I also think Melissa Peterson is hilarious and she didn’t disappoint!" ~Jennifer R
🎄 "I loved Lacey's movie." ~dstoutholcomb
🎄 "Haul out the Holly was one of my absolute favorites last Christmas. Wes Brown was so dorky and the town was charming. I loved how they all came together to take down and put Christmas back up again just to get her in the spirit. Were they a little crazy? Yes. But that's what made it so fun. I swear I've watched it 10 times, I love it so much. I hope they're going to make another." -Lissa
A Christmas Cookie Catastrophe (6 p.m.) - November 27, 2022
🎄 "A Christmas Cookie Catastrophe is family friendly about “Annie Cooper has big shoes to fill when she takes over as CEO of her late grandmother's small-town cookie company," a synopsis for the film reads. "She's doing her best to help their struggling business get back on track but is under sharp scrutiny by the board of directors. Annie's task gets more daunting when her grandmother's secret recipe is stolen during the Christmas party." However, Annie gets a chance to fix things when she works with a local man to recreate the recipe in case she can't find the stolen one. In addition, she begins to find herself falling in love? As Annie tries to crack the case and uncover the culprit, she works with Sam (Webster), the owner of a local bakery, to recreate the recipe in the hope of saving the company and her job," the synopsis continues. "As Annie and Sam bake batch after batch in pursuit of the perfect one, they begin to learn that their lives go together like milk and cookies." Spark fly between the new CEO of small town cookie company name Annie & the owner of a local bakery named Sam as they try to recreate a stolen secret recipe." ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Christmas Cookie Catastrophe. Quite silly at times but I found it to be a very cute movie. This one has a bit of a mystery element (crazy spy caper) to it, but it also has warm Christmas fuzzies and romance. I feel like Victor Webster makes almost every movie better. This one was sweet for a one-time watch and a re-watch next year; I'm keeping it on the dvr right now, but will maybe delete once I start running low on space. Family friendly and I think it would be fun to watch as a family." ~~Jane
🎄 "A Christmas Cookie Catastrophe was pretty dumb." –Maria
A Holiday Spectacular (8 p.m.) - November 27, 2022
🎄 "A Holiday Spectacular" --family-friendly, this one put a smile on my face. Without time to write more, I'll just say to give it a try! :-) Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!" ~Alicia
🎄 "Time for Him to Come Home For Christmas—is family friendly about a young woman named Elizabeth Athens who receives a mysterious message on her answering machine. It's from an unknown man named Charlie Bishop who is trying to win back his former love. The story then follows Elizabeth's attempt to track down the mystery man and bring the two lovers back together, while she searches for companionship herself. Elizabeth & Josh search for a woman named Madelyn when Josh notices Madelyn Hawn & the Holidays featuring Tenille Towne.. although Madelyn Hawn & The Holidays has concert. Elizabeth shows Madelyn a voice mail from the man named Charlie Bishop. It’s really hers. When Madelyn says Elizabeth’s name in voice mail & Madelyn shows Elizabeth a voice mail from Charlie Biahop? Elizabeth & Josh meet up with Charlie Bishop so, Elizabeth & Charlie talk at the Diner. Josh sees Madelyn & even Elizabeth unless Charlie turns his head around to see Madelyn at Diner. Charlie & Madelyn have second chance to talk each other. While Josh & Elizabeth outside watching them!!! Madelyn Hawn & The Holidays featuring Tenille Towne. Josh & Elizabeth are both at the audience" ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Holiday Spectacular is family friendly about ''In 1958, Margaret “Maggie” Bennett is an heiress from Philadelphia who puts her high-society wedding plans on hold in order to sneak up to New York City to refill her secret dream of dancing in the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular & make her secret dream come true: dancing live on stage in the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.'' She desperately wants to perform in Radio City Music Hall’s annual Christmas Spectacular, and will do whatever it takes to become a Rockette. Maggie Bennett & the featuring a real life Radio City Rockettes onstage." ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Holiday Spectacular; This was a spectacular film indeed!! And very refreshing! It was incredibly wonderful to step back in time when women were considered "ladies" and were not overly independent. It's nice to have the protection of a man when it's offered. And the young men were also a delight! So kind and gentlemanly! I loved how he walks with her outside because it wasn't safe for a lady alone. Oh, how I wish it were that way today! The movie was family friendly and speaking of friendly, the bond these women had was something special!! This film was a treat! With a positive kind cast! A little tiny thing....I would have liked it better if it didn't have the dancing part. I know that's practically the whole movie...😂😂 I was raised to be modest in how I dress. I would have liked not seeing that much skin exposed...but I still adored the movie and would watch it again!" ~Abigail
🎄 "A Holiday Spectacular was a wonderful movie that I enjoyed with my mom and teen daughter. I love how the story was told from the perspective of the grandmother (Ann Margret) looking back in time. It was a heart-warming movie about friendship, family, and the following your dreams. The time period in which it was set (1957-1958) added to the story, and the inclusion of real Rockettes helped make the story more realistic. This was a beautiful Christmas movie." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Review: A Holiday Spectacular - Family-friendly? Yes - Keeper? Yes - I loved this movie! It was so nice to see an original movie with a storyline that hasn't been done before. And I loved how this movie was able to go back in time without resorting to time travel. It truly recaptured 1957 with the settings and way people acted and talked. It was nice to see the friendships among the women develop and the men treat the ladies with such respect. And finally, the Rockettes - such talent, and I enjoyed the dancing (of course I did...I'm a guy!) and seeing the behind-the-scenes action. For me, one of the best of the season so far! ~Mark 25
🎄 "A HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR So refreshing to see a movie set in a different time period. I was drooling to see all the costumes and cute dresses. I was not familiar with the Rockettes before watching this so I didn't know what to expect. In the beginning, I was not really a fan of how naive the female lead was with her rich girl attitude. Her character developed nicely though. I do like both male and female lead. I loved the camaraderie between the Rockette girls. I’m usually not a big fan of love triangle, but I guess this was not so much a love triangle between Maggie, John, and Maggie’s fiancé… but more of Maggie, her rich life & family ties, and her new life as a Rockette. This was a very good one this year by Hallmark." ~CH Mom
🎄 "A Holiday Spectacular – This movie was such a delightful surprise! I thought the focus would just be about the Rockettes, and while it was definitely a part of the story, the dancing wasn’t shown as much as I had anticipated. I loved! – loved! – loved! the vintage clothing and retro hair styles. Plus, the old-fashioned cars were really cool, and the sets all included furniture and props from that era, too! The one thing I didn’t like, was that Maggie was lying to her parents about her whereabouts and why she was really in New York. Besides that, I really enjoyed the story, the friendships of the dancers, and the romance part was sweet too. This was a definite keeper!" ~Net
A Big Fat Family Christmas - December 2, 2022
🎄 "A Big Fat Family Christmas" -- I was in and out, but what I saw was family-friendly." ~Alicia
🎄 "A Big Fat Family Christmas is family friendly about a photojournalist named Liv gets a dream assignment of covering the Chang family’s annual holiday party for a front-page story – nobody at work knows that they are in fact, her family. She wants to confide in new co-worker Henry but doesn’t want to jeopardize her big break Changtastic Party" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Also, really liked A Big Fat Family Christmas(the song at the end was amazing), A Maple Valley Christmas, Ghost of Christmas Always(looked at the ghosts more as angels, ghosts wouldn't help people), and Time for Him to come Home for Christmas(favorite since the first one), and Long Lost Christmas. Noel Next Door and The Royal Nanny were good also." ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Big Fat Family Christmas. Great movie. Loved the focus on family and community. This one wasn’t a hot cocoa and gingerbread kind of movie, but it was sweet, nonetheless, with an added touch of humor. Great cast, I especially liked the naturalness of the actor who plays the brother. Lead actor is from South Africa and has a yummy accent. Lead actress is a trained musician and sings ‘O Holy Night’ in Cantonese at the end of the movie – beautiful! The romance in this one was soft and low-key but I kind of appreciated that as a refreshing change of pace. This one is a keeper for me. Family friendly." ~~Jane
A Fabled Holiday - December 3, 2022
🎄 "A Fabled Holiday" -- family-friendly. This cute, imaginative storyline was a nice way to spend an evening! *tiny SPOILER ALERT* I think it may have been Jane who mentioned that so many women, versus men, are initiating romantic declarations in movies this year--this is another one. I'm old-fashioned, and, to me, it seems to detract from the sweetness of the moment. Oh well!" ~Alicia
🎄 "A Fabled Holiday is family friendly and a lot of fun. A definite keeper for me. I loved the fairy tale storybook aspect, the kind innkeeper family and their mission to help their guests get unstuck, and how the guests were brought together and each found what they needed. I didn’t want the movie to end." ~Amy Lama
🎄 "A Fabled Holiday is family friendly about Talia & her childhood best friend named Anderson unexpectedly reunite in a curiously familiar-looking town town full of Christmas spirit" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Our Take: With this year’s Hallmark movies, it’s been fun to pinpoint where the plots venture off the beaten path and into the woods. A Fabled Holiday really starts like a classic Hallmark movie: Talia dreams of being a writer, but instead she owns a small business. Her bestie is, of course, a best-selling author. And the only person who ever really believed in her writing is her childhood best friend Anderson, who’s suddenly come back into her life. There’s another version of this movie where Talia and Anderson reconnect as adults and, as their romance blossoms, Talia realizes that this is the basis for a fairytale romance that could get the interest of publishers. Then, I dunno, Anderson would find Talia’s manuscript and think Talia was only dating him for the story but then she’d turn down the publisher’s offer and they’d get back together and then Talia would self-publish a book and it would become a hit and etc. etc. etc. I’m just riffing here." ~Anonymous
🎄 "A FABLED CHRISTMAS Family friendly. This was cute, although the whole story was a bit odd to understand in the beginning. I do like the unique format of how the story was told like in it’s happening a book. I’m not a big Ryan Paevey fan and I wasn’t feeling the chemistry too much with Brooke D’orsay. I also wished that Brooke’s character didn’t proclaim her feeling before Ryan’s character, but I’m just old fashioned ;)" ~CH Mom
🎄 "A Fabled Holiday – First of all, I loved the pairing of Brooke D’Orsay and Ryan Paevey together! This movie is creative, whimsical, and enchanting. You have to let yourself let go of reality and just step into this magical world. The story is a bit quirky, at times, but it’s sweet to watch this childhood fantasy straight out of a popular children’s storybook come to life. The addition of Lindsay Stirling playing the violin, while dancing, was spectacular. I only wish we could’ve seen more of her. Overall, A Fabled Holiday is a delightful, family-friendly movie, a definite keeper for me!" ~Net
🎄 "A Fabled Holiday is family friendly about A Wunderbrook Christmas by Robertson. Miles is King, Judy is Queen, Izzy is Freckled Princess, Jay is the Fool, & Mildred is the witch. Even Charles wanna stay at Gingerbread Inn if he’s the Wizard. Welcome to Wunderbrook: Where Everything is Magic.There’s only five people are Talia, Anderson, Charles. Diane. & Keith invited to Gingerbread Inn with the owners of Gingerbread Inn are Miles, Judy, & their Daughter named Izzy. When someone heard chime? Talia heard chime when she gave her best friend named Anderson. Talia Munro wrote Another Wunderbrook Christmas" ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Fabled Holiday. I’m not a huge fan of fairytale magic kind of stories but I did appreciate the somewhat-unique way they had the story unfold in this movie. It was cute for a one-time watch but it wasn’t really my cup of tea. Not a keeper. Family friendly." ~~Jane
Undercover Holiday - December 4, 2022
🎄 "Undercover Holiday. Cute movie, but not a keeper for me. Family friendly, except the whole movie revolves around the lead actress lying to her family and constantly making excuses for the lies (and I think her reasons are unfounded)." ~~Jane
🎄 "Undercover Holiday is family friendly about Pop Star Jaylen Rodriguez returns home for the Holidays & tells her protective family that Matt is her new Beau, when in reality, he’s her overzealous security guard" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Undercover Holiday is family friendly about Pop star Jaylen Rodriguez has recently catapulted to stardom and is about to headline her first tour, but before she does, she’s going back home for a REAL, traditional Rodriguez family Christmas. However, when she starts receiving concerning fan mail from a “secret admirer,” her team insists that she hire round-the-clock security for her trip home. Security guards & overzealous fans are everything her family was concerned about when she set off to make it in the music business, but this is her new reality, so she relents. However, not wanting to worry her fun, tight-knit family, specifically her beloved abuela, she pretends her security guard Matt (Huszar), a former Navy SEAL, is her boyfriend. The family is delighted that Jaylen is dating and welcomes him with open arms. Meanwhile, Jaylen finds Matt’s presence invasive. As they do their best to maintain the charade, they continually butt heads. She wants to relive the hometown Christmases of her youth and he struggles to protect her in potentially vulnerable situations. As the holiday progresses, Jaylen & Matt begin to soften to each other and bond over their shared secret, as he embraces her large, Hispanic family’s wonderful Christmas traditions. Matt’s protection takes on a whole new meaning and the line between bodyguard & boyfriend becomes blurred as their lives are changed forever." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Undercover Holiday is family friendly, but it wasn't a keeper for me. Stephen Huszar is a favorite of mine, and I really liked the lead actress who I hadn't seen before, but their characters' relationship kind of fell flat for me. I never felt a connection between them. There wasn't enough buildup to their relationship or evidence that they liked each other romantically. Their first kiss felt like it came out of nowhere." ~Amy Lama
🎄 "Undercover Holiday - Within the first 2 minutes of the film, the lead actress sings a song suggestively with the lyrics "I can't sleep, to busy thinkin bout your hands on me" Not family friendly to me." ~J. Adams
🎄 "Undercover Holiday – This movie was, well, really bad, to be honest. I couldn’t see any chemistry or attraction between Jaylen, a newly famous Mexican-American pop singer, and her bodyguard, Matt, played by Stephen Huszar. Their “relationship,” if that’s what you call it, felt forced and way too fast. Sure, he was enjoying being around her family during the holidays, since he doesn’t have one, but that didn’t necessarily mean they were in love. Even when they pretended to be boyfriend and girlfriend, Jaylen and Matt didn’t seem to have much connection, other than him being paid to protect her from any danger and giving her some encouraging advice. At one point in the movie, Jaylen’s family held a live nativity in front of their home and Matt portrayed one of the Wise Men who brought frankincense to baby Jesus. He made a huge point of saying how ridiculous he felt in the costume. Overall, this movie just wasn’t for me. Spoiler Alert: At the end, Jaylen and Matt have a disagreement, but he returns dressed as the Wise Man, who followed the star, in this case he said it was a Pop Star (so cheesy) and he brings her a gift. I thought this scene was ridiculous and laughable, but also sacrilegious the way they twisted the Holy Nativity story. I’m sure they thought it would be cute, but for me, it was lame and shameful. This is definitely a movie I will never watch again, once was more than enough." ~Net
The Most Colorful Time of the Year - December 9, 2022
🎄 "THE MOST COLORFUL TIME OF THE YEAR Family friendly. I think the storyline was promising, but honestly it was a tad on the boring side. I didn't like how the female lead was really pushy in applying for the trial glasses, and then it was all just too good to be true when the male lead just try it on and it worked. The whole movie wasn't very touching (i thought it would be), and it was just blehh to me, to be honest. Both lead actor and actress were fine, but I think just the writing of the story needs work. Christopher Russell appeared really cold and aloof almost the whole movie to me. I wasn't too convinced he actually had feelings for the female lead. The whole ex-boyfriend story addition was also just plain annoying. Not a keeper for me." ~CH Mom
🎄 "The Most Colorful of the Year is family friendly about Ryan is an elementary school science teacher who meets Michelle is an optometrist, whose daughter Bailey is in his class. While helping out in the school gymnasium giving eye exams Michelle notices something different about Ryan – he lacks interest in color which is surprising given the holiday season. When Michelle is finished seeing the kids, she prompts Ryan to participate in an eye exam. He is reluctant and cuts it short, leaving her to suspect he may be colorblind. To confirm her suspicion, Michelle humorously tries to trick Ryan. He is guarded and sly but ultimately gives himself away. Michelle gain access to specialty glasses for Ryan but refuses them. When Bailey learns of this, she sneaks them into her backpack and leaves them on her teacher’s desk with a handwritten note, “These glasses exist because of science, and you taught me that science should give us hope.” As Michelle & Bailey are leaving, they see Ryan exit his class with the glasses in hand. Michelle follows him into a building where there’s a colorful nativity scene lit up beautifully. When Ryan puts on the colorblind glasses and opens his eyes for the first time, the world appears in technicolor. His reaction is significant and emotional. He can’t believe how beautiful everything is!" ~Anonymous
🎄 "The Most Colorful Time of the Year. Meh. Agree with CH Mom’s review. The storyline was promising but I felt the execution of that promising storyline was a bust. It would’ve been nice if they had bothered to do some research on actual ophthalmological science and grounded the story in reality. But even if they had done that, colorblindness of any variety can be interesting but I don’t think it’s interesting enough to carry the entire two-hour movie; they needed something else added to the story, and if nothing else, at least get us some chemistry between the lead characters. The acting was okay but somewhat lackluster. I really didn’t like the lead actress’s character and her pushy, inappropriate and unethical behavior (I was actually hoping Christopher Russell’s character would fall for the gym teacher instead!). But I think the real problem with the movie was, perhaps, the script or the director. The whole thing was just kind of blah and felt uncomfortable and forced. Obviously, not a keeper for me, but it might be okay for a one-time watch for others who just want a light movie. Family friendly." ~~Jane
Christmas Class Reunion - December 10, 2022
🎄 "Christmas Class Reunion" -- not family-friendly. Early on we meet a very stereotypically flamboyant stylist, and between 30-45 minutes, he's in a couple of brief scenes that confirm my suspicions of a same-sex storyline." ~Alicia
🎄 "As I suspected from the trailers, Christmas Class Reunion is definitely not clean. From what I read, there's a gay couple, references to a 'throuple' (anyone know what that is? Cuz that sounds inappropriate) strip joints, and the whole reunion is actually cursed, for real. Could these movies possibly get any worse like this?" –Maria
🎄 "Christmas Class Reunion is not family friendly!! Here we go again!" ~Joyce in Carolina
🎄 "Christmas Class Reunion not family friendly." ~Anonymous
🎄 "CHRISTMAS CLASS REUNION NOT family friendly. The gay friend was only a minor role, but the gay storyline was mixed in the story and it was prominently shown, not something sneaked in at all. I did watched it until the end (didn’t have my kids around) and I so wished there wasn’t the liberal agenda to this movie because other than that, it was a cute movie. Cute pairing between the two leads and would’ve been a fun watch." ~CH Mom
The Holiday Sitter
(Please note: This movie includes a same-sex couple; I'm not promoting this movie due to it's content.)
Holiday Heritage - December 16, 2022
’Twas the Night Before Christmas - December 17, 2022
🎄 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS Family friendly. I thought this was a really exciting movie to watch. I loved the chemistry between the two leads. Torrey DeVitto and Zane Holtz were both wonderful individually, and together as a couple. I like the unique storyline. I truly didn't know what to expect, and that's something that doesn't happen often in Hallmark movies. ****SPOILER ALERT**** I have to say the ending was quite unsatisfying and puzzling to me when Mr Livingston didn't show up at the trial. Maybe i just didn't understand the whole history behind it. It still didn't take away the fact that this was a good and very enjoyable movie. ~CH Mom
🎄 Twas the Night Before Christmas is family friendly is based upon the entitled “The Trail Before Christmas” wriiten by Duncan Crary & Jack Casey in Troy NY, the city where 'Night Before Christmas about Madison Rush is a former actress & ready to retire from acting and pursue other creative entertainment industry passions, like directing. So, in an effort to break into that new competitive space, she takes on a Christmas Eve courtroom special. The topic: who really wrote the highly debated, and totally famous, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” poem? It’s a holiday challenge that will reveal whether or not she has what it takes to bring a behind-the-camera vision to life. Madison Rush needs to take charge of a town's annual Christmas Eve courtroom production debating the true authorship of the poem "A Visit from St. Nick". The Trail Before Christmas is directed by Madison Rush - one night only at 7pm on Christmas Eve. Madison Rush & Connor Avery meet the spirits of Clement Clarke Moore & Major Henry Livingston Jr.. a former actress, best known for a role she would rather forget, as she tries her luck at directing a play in Troy, New York, hoping to broaden her artistic horizon and change the pace of her rather shallow career. Her casting choices lead her to an old costar, Connor who is struggling to balance time for acting and his young daughter named Josie “The Night Before Christmas” Hardcover: The Classic Edition was written by Clement C. Moore for Children’s Books . Connor & Madison hold “Twas the Night Before Christmas” - by Clement C Moore ~Anonymous
🎄 ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. "Unique. Enjoyable. Fun. Liked the storyline about the history of the poem ‘’Twas the Night Before Christmas’ and the ongoing mystery/dispute on the true authorship. Refreshingly different was the format of this movie where the actors were putting on a play as a courtroom trial where the audience is the jury (and the twists with two particular actors who just might be ghosts). Good cast and I liked the chemistry between the leading lady and man (at first, I wasn’t buying him as a father but he grew on me and convinced me that he was a dad). I especially thought the actors that played the ghosts of Livingston and Moore were both excellent (there were some woowoo ghostly entrances with swirls of dust, etc., but it didn’t bother me like in other movies and it felt more akin to Dickens’ A Christmas Carol). I decided not to keep this one on my dvr (time to make room for new things) but I would enjoy watching it again next year and would maybe even consider buying the dvd(?). Family friendly." ~~Jane
Hanukkah on Rye - December 18, 2022
🎄 "Hanukkah on Rye is family friendly about Molly Spiegelman is the third generation behind the counter of the Gilbert’s Deli family business on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. A matchmaker connects 2 deli owners named Molly & Jacob during Hanukkah 🕎, but their new romance gets put to the test when they realize they’re competing against each other." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Hanukkah on Rye. Loved, loved, loved!! Definitely in my top 5 movies of the season (of course, I've got a lot more movies on the dvr, including most of the GAF ones, but I think this one will hold up as a favorite). Romantic, funny, family oriented, great ensemble cast - what's not to like? Family friendly." ~~Jane
🎄 "Watched Hanukkah on Rye and loved it. Family friendly. Love your card covers Net and all the great scriptures. Let us remember that we all have sinned and Jesus will forgive all who come to Him and ask. What a great gift God sent to us and all we have to do is ask and repent. Merry Christmas to all and God bless." Roger
🎄 "Just watched Hannukah on Rye, ironically enough, on this Christmas night. I found it absolutely delightful. Both leads did an excellent job, and while anyone familiar with The Shop Around the Corner or You've Got Mail knew what would be coming, it was still different enough to be fresh and interesting." ~Sharon
🎄 "HANUKKAH ON RYE Wow I didn’t have high expectations for this but this was exceptional! I truly didn’t know how the MANY conflicts would resolve, which I could usually figure out less than halfway through in a Hallmark movie :) This was hilarious and so exciting to watch from beginning to end. It has an endearing quality to it. I really really like Molly’s character and tenacity, it made me want to root for her. The song contest had me chuckled so hard. I actually enjoyed the movie when the male and female leads fought and argued. I like the “You’ve got mail”-ish storyline without being exactly similar. Loved the banters. That mailroom guy was a gem. And the editing, writing and directing were all just really well done. The ending was so beautiful. This was easily one of the best ones from Hallmark this season for me." ~CH Mom
🎄 "Hanukkah on Rye - This movie was one of the best holiday movies of the season on Hallmark Channel. It was family-friendly, funny, engaging, and rich in Jewish culture and tradition. I watched it with my mom and teenage daughter, and we all enjoyed it. Maybe it is because Hallmark only does one Hanukkah movie a year versus more 30-40 new Christmas ones, but their annual Hanukkah movie is usually better and more creative than at least 1/2-2/3 of their Christmas ones." ~Anonymous
🌟HALLMARK MOVIES & MYSTERIES:
We Need a Little Christmas - October 22, 2022
🎄 "We Need A Little Christmas. Family friendly. Loved it. If you're looking for a cheesy movie with all the typical cringeworthy Hallmark stuff like brushing flour off the face while making cookies, the heroine skipping through town chirping fake greetings to every single person on the street, the heroine falling off a ladder into the hunky hero's arms while putting the star on top of the tree, silly snowball fight that ends in rolling in the snow locked in embrace, community tree lighting that's usually a bit anticlimactic, big passionate kiss at the end after they've only known each other one week, etc., etc.,..... this is NOT that movie. I think sweet, sappy/cheesy movies are awesome but it's nice every once in a while to have some that are a little bit different (maybe a bit more mature?). This one has it's share of Hallmark-non-realistic moments (of course!), but it's more a sweet, feel-good, movie about healing and new relationships than it is about romance (there is a budding romance, but it's just a bit more realistic than most Hallmark movies). I thought all of the actors were quite good. This one brought tears to my eyes and it's a keeper for my dvr (at least for now!)." ~~Jane
🎄 "We need a little Christmas is a winner! Bit sad, yet hopeful, very touching, and best of all, clean! I 100% recommend this movie." -Maria
🎄 "We Need a Little Christmas is family friendly. A single Mother named Julie develops an expected friendship with an older neighbor named Peter. She has a Son named Gavin. Peter’s Brother served in Ajr Force. Irene’s Grandson named Miles. Irene & Gavin make special memories chest just like her Grandson Miles’ memories chest too. Julie gets Peter’s Christmas gift a clock. Julie doesn’t have love interest. Peter brings Irene’s Grandson home because it’s weather delayed. Irene & her Grandson reunited. Miles says new friends bring him him home to his Grandma Irene. Irene introduces Gavin to her Grandson; Miles" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Watched We Need A Little Christmas and thankful Hallmark didn’t ruin it. Was family friendly if you consider we all deal with loss at some point. Only disappointment was that it would have been a great opportunity to include faith and Gods help when dealing with loss. Some may feel it was too deep, but Christmas time is hard for a lot of people, but I thought it was dealt with with respect, especially from a child’s perspective." ~JoCo
🎄 "I thought that We Need a Little Christmas was very good. Julie and Irene are widowed." ~Chris
🎄 "We Need a Little Christmas is family friendly. A single Mother named Julie who faces her first Christmas with her Son named Gavin without her Husband. She develops an unexpected friendship with her older next neighbor named Irene. Julie & Nadine work at Sticks + Stones. Although Julie meets Peter who works his family Italian Restaurant called; The Old Place. Peter is Julie’s client for renovation his restaurant. Gavin meets Irene at Campsite where she works. Irene’s Grandson named Miles works as military doctor at base camp. He plans to visit his Grandma Irene just before Christmas but he doesn’t come home for Christmas. Irene has treasure chest for her Daughter & her Son in Law who served in military & her Grandson’s Memory Chest. Peter’s Brother served Air Force in military & also Irene’s Grandson; Miles. Peter has open house at The Old Place, Peter introduces Julie some people to become her clients to have their business cards. Peter & Julie make phone call some people for Miles’ homecoming for Christmas. Peter mentions Cargo Company to allow Miles to come home Christmas unless Julie asks Peter calls Miles & Julie gets boarding pass for Miles when the weather delay where the plane lands when it’s reroute. Peter gonna pick Miles up there where the plane land for Christmas on Christmas Eve. Gavin hands his Mom; Julie a memory chest because she saves it for Christmas morning but Irene tells Julie to open it - could makes Julie cries. Irene looks surprise her Grandson Miles comes home for Christmas with help some new friends when Irene looks up to Peter & Julie. Julie says with help all clients. When Julie hands her Client Peter her Christmas gift but Peter doesn’t have any gift for her until he opens the gift it’s a clock that he’s overwhelmed. They’re all eating dinner." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Jane, I loved your comment on We Need a Little Christmas, especially where you describe a typical Hallmark movie - so true! Yes, this was definitely not your usual Christmas movie. It was not what I expected, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I loved the black lady in the cast - she has such a warmth about her and a great smile! But tell me - is there another Hallmark Christmas movie where the two lead characters do not kiss at the end?? Anyway, I liked it, but undecided about keeping it." ~Mark 25
🎄 "So far in my opinion, Hallmark is one out of four, I absolutely loved We Need a Little Christmas, it was sad, it was sweet, the acting was great, I will watch this one over and over! -Susan Ann
🎄 "We Need a Little Christmas is family friendly. (*Review may contain Spoilers*) Julie is adjusting to being a single mother to a grieving child while facing her first Christmas without her husband when she develops an unexpected friendship with her older neighbor Irene. Julie & her son, Gavin, just moved to a new town. She has got a case of “Mom Brain” (Like leaving Peanut Butter in the toaster.) and is constantly on the go with her business (Sticks + Stones) and dealing with the loss of her husband. (Cancer. )Julie hasn’t even had time to introduce herself to her neighbor, Irene. (She is a local do-gooder and prolific baker.) Gavin gets dropped off at a Christmas day camp, and Julie promises to make this Christmas just like the ones while his father was alive. Julie is not one to take help when offered, and the business is struggling. Percousious kids ALERT! We see the Christmas Camp, and Irene is one of the counselors leading the kids in Christmas songs and holiday cheer. She charms Gavin right away, Julie doesn’t get a big account and goes into a bar to drown her sorrows with a latte with an extra shot of espresso. Peter, the bartender/owner, tells her that he is practically a therapist and lets Julie vent to him. They get to talking, and she takes him on as a client to redesign his restaurant. Gavin introduces Irene to his Mother, and Julie invites Irene to help decorate the Christmas tree. Irene is very excited for her grandson, Miles, to come home for the holidays, and she gushes to Julie about him. Julie & Peter go over her plan for the Bar reno. Peter shares some memories of the place, which used to be owned by his Father. Specifically, a clock that doesn’t work that belonged to his Grandfather. Irene helps Julie take care of Gavin when she loses track of time. Irene relives her favorite memories of her grandson. Then he calls to tell her that he won’t make it home for Christmas. Irene and Gavin talk about their feelings, he opens up about his father’s death. When Peter finds out that Julie is putting off family obligations, he pushes the reno date? Julie rushes to spend time with her son and is upset to find that he has opened up to Irene instead of her. On their way to do the traditions that Gavin and Julie did with his father, Gavin admits that it is hard for him to relive those memories. They decide to make new memories and go see Irene’s magic show. After the show, Julie apologizes for her behavior. Irene is understanding. Irene invites Gavin & Julie to help her create Christmas gift baskets for military families overseas. Irene quickly takes over babysitting duties, so Julie can go to the bar’s re-opening. Peter’s bar opening goes so well that Julie gets her more business owners interested. She gets a lot of business cards & decides to use those contacts to help get Miles home to his Grandma for Christmas. Meanwhile, Irene shows Gavin a special box she made for Miles when he lost his mother at a young age. The box is full of memories and is a way to remember someone without everything serving as an unwanted reminder. Gavin decides to make his own box & give it to his Mother for a present. In the final 10 mins, things finally start happening! Gavin gives his Mother the memory box & is very touched by his thoughtfulness. Irene is also overjoyed when Miles shows up & surprises her." ~Anonymous
🎄 " “We Need a Little Christmas” had a wonderful story line of helping others. We often don't know what other people are going through. When we take time to have a conversation we sometimes find that our experience isn't all that unique and if it is, there are people to walk alongside you on the journey. This is another one which I'd watch again or play in the background while doing Christmas preparations." ~Anonymous
🎄 "WE NEED A LITTLE CHRISTMAS Family friendly. I enjoyed this one. This was about an unlikely bond formed between neighbors. I just loved the message so much. To build a connection, we must be vulnerable and let people in. The little boy who played Gavin was excellent. I could really feel his grief and it broke my heart. I also really like Ms Irene's character and I could just feel the joy that radiated within her, and how perfect she was to be in Julie and Gavin's life. This movie was not centered in the romance aspect, but I didn't mind it." ~CH Mom
Christmas Bedtime Stories - October 29, 2022
🎄 "I'm a bit divided on Christmas Bedtime Stories. Yeah, it's clean, and very sweet. But that ending, well. It kind of made the whole thing a bit pointless considering it was promoted as 'trying to move on from a loss', then it turned out to not be that. I have a special love for these military type of movies, probably stems from having both grandfathers on my parents's sides having served in the military, but this one, just doesn't really feel right." –Maria
🎄 "Christmas Bedtime Stories is family friendly but would use caution when letting small children watch this one. Actors all did great performances. Not going to leave any spoilers. The story is emotional, but not one I will watch over and over." ~Joyce in Carolina
🎄 "I watched “Catering Christmas” and “Christmas Bedtime Stories.” Both were family friendly. “Catering Christmas” was absolutely delightful and if you are a fan of “Anne of Avonlea” with Megan Follows you’ll recognize Aunt Jean as Katherine the Principal of the Kingsport Ladies College where Anne taught. So fun to see her again. I wasn’t a fan of the paring of Erin Cahill with Steve Lund in “Christmas Bedtime Stories,” but the story was good and *possible spoiler alert* has a surprise ending. I also shed some tears." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Christmas Bedtime Stories - October 29, 2022 IS CLEAN!!!" ~Anonymous
🎄 "I just watched Christmas Bedtime Stories, and it is family friendly. I honestly wasn't sure where the movie was going, and I don't want to ruin it for anyone else with spoilers. You can usually guess what will happen in a Hallmark movie, but not this time, and it was a very emotional ride. Perhaps it's unrealistic (I'd be interested in how a real military wife would feel about it), but the ending warmed my heart and brought tears to my eyes. The ending was a little rushed maybe, but aren't they always? Anyways, I know this is a vague review, but I really did enjoy this one! You just have to watch it for yourself." ~melnewlife
🎄 "Christmas Bedtime Stories is family friendly. Danielle’s marine husband, Colby, died while deployed. They never found his body. Danielle & her Daughter; Audrey moved on with their lives. Eventually Danielle’s daughter starts asking questions about her Father by telling bedtime stories. Danielle tells her stories about her father at bedtime & the stories start coming true. At the same time, Danielle accepts her boyfriend’; Pierce Hammond’s proposal & begins to question if there’s a higher reason for these miracles & if Colby could still be alive. When Danielle's Husband; Colby goes missing in action during his deployment, she's left to raise her Daughter; Audrey on her own. Three years later, as she acclimates to life without him, she begins to tell her Daughter; Audrey bedtime stories about her Military Father; Colby. Star the yellow Labrador finds an ornament. Danielle goes to General Anderson if her Husband is still or not. although Father & Daughter Dance. Danielle & her her Daughter; Audrey are attending Father & Daughter Dance when Danielle look at ornament on Christmas Tree. So, Danielle sees someone in military uniform who turns out to be Danielle’s Husband; Colby is betray alive. Audrey sees her Dad with her Mom when the 3 dance together. Colby tells his bedtime stories where he could be to his Daughter; Audrey & Wife; Danielle in Audrey’s bedroom" ~Anonymous
🎄 SPOILER ALERT - Christmas Bedtime Stories: "Danielle’s Husband is still alive or not - I forgot to add alive as in still alive Colby is barely alive, not betray alive" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Bedtime Christmas Stories" is family-friendly and had some sweet moments and potential, but I failed to be completely charmed because the storyline felt rushed. Merry Christmas, everybody!" ~Alicia
🎄 "Aside from it being a bit too serious of a Christmas movie for my liking, the ending seemed rushed and contrived and going against the point of the movie of dealing with loss." ~Mark 25
🎄 "Christmas Bedtime Stories is family friendly about Danielle was left to raise her Daughter named Audrey when her Husband named Colby goes MIA and is presumed dead during a military deployment overseas. (Review may contain Spoilers) Three years later, she has made great progress with moving on and has recently become engaged to an old friend, Pierce Hammond. Audrey begins to ask questions about her Dad when she learns of an upcoming father-daughter dance at school and she is feeling out of place. Danielle begins to tell Audrey bedtime stories of her father, which becomes a ritual; Audrey is rapt each night and through her mother’s memories is able to envision her father as a flesh-and-blood hero. As Danielle tells Audrey these stories, she starts to see signs that leave her feeling unsettled about Colby. On Christmas Eve, Danielle and Audrey go to the dance together, all while Danielle continues to question why her love for Pierce doesn’t feel the same as her love for Colby – if only there was a sign." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Christmas Bedtime Stories I really enjoyed this movie. I liked her relationship with the army town and how close like family they were. I felt bad for Pierce, but it was handled well at the end. And Erin did an amazing job acting the emotional scenes. The plot was so sweet and so was the ending when she sees her husband, the love of her life. I cried. One more thing though, when Danielle says "Family is what Christmas is all about."... was I the only one that said Jesus Christ. Ahh, if they only knew. I'm so grateful all of us here share the love of our Lord. God bless you all and happy Reformation Day!" ~Abigail
🎄 "Christmas Bedtime Stories – I was glad this movie had a military theme and it is definitely unique, but not a keeper for me. I liked the close relationship of the mother and young daughter and how the mother would read to her each night. The loss of a parent is discussed throughout the movie, so this is not a movie I would recommend for young viewers. I don’t want to give anything away for anyone who hasn’t watched yet, but the movie wraps up fairly quickly at the end and leaves you with more questions than answers. In the military there are proper chain of events to occur and protocol to follow; it seems like they forego those events and rush the end in order to give us a happy ending. It’s an okay movie to watch once, but not one I would watch again." ~Net
A Maple Valley Christmas - November 5, 2022
🎄 "I decided to watch A Maple Valley Christmas on HM. It was good but it is so hard to watch movies on Hallmark because I am always waiting for some woke message to be slipped it. There was none in this movie but I could not really enjoy the movie. I am going to just stick to GAC family movies. So far I have 3 still saved on Frndly to watch." ~Ken
🎄 "I liked most of Maple Valley Christmas. I didn't get to see the beginning, so I can't say 100%, but from the part I saw, it is family-friendly and had no LGBTQ or woke garbage mixed in. I was just so annoyed at the end. At first, I thought, oh, wow! They are going to allow them to pray over their meal! I was so pleasantly surprised that woke Hallmark would actually allow movie characters to pray, and then the more they got into the prayer, the more annoyed I became. It was the strangest "prayer" I have ever heard! They didn't address the prayer to anyone. They didn't close their eyes. Of course, they didn't end the prayer, "In Jesus' name." Not that I expected them to ever allow the name of Jesus to be mentioned in a respectful way, but I don't even think they said "amen" at the end. If I remember right, they just ended the "prayer" by saying, "Merry Christmas" or some other phrase. It just really sickened me the way they made a mockery of prayer, and if they think they were appeasing Christian viewers by "praying" so disrespectfully, then they are even more lost than I already knew they were. Either pray right and leave God and Jesus in the equation or don't put that part in there at all." ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Maple Valley Christmas is mostly family friendly ie there are no same sex relationships or people living together outside of marriage. However, I thought that divorce was treated a little too lightly. Erica said she didn't blame her dad for leaving because farm life isn't for everyone. As if a father leaving doesn't have a massive effect on children! Her own divorce was mentioned casually too. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like Hallmark has tried to portray divorce too flippantly lately while they used to at least show it as a devastating, painful tragedy." ~melnewlife
🎄 "MAPLE VALLEY CHRISTMAS Family friendly, with the exception of how the divorce topic was handled, probably part of Hallmark's agenda of normalizing those. The plot is just completely overdone, but I think it is still worth watching with all the family conflicts. Andrew Walker is charming as always. Didn't have a good first impression with Erica's character, but she kinda grew on me as the movie progressed. I can totally relate to her type A personality. Aaron's relationship with his Dad was just heartbreaking and painful to watch. The odd prayer/saying grace in the end. Really, Hallmark? You can't even call it "saying grace", or let them say "Amen". Overall, I enjoyed it, but it wasn't a keeper for me." ~CH Mom
🎄 "A Maple Valley Christmas – I wanted to love this movie due to the gorgeous outdoor setting, but it just didn’t work for me. The unexpected kiss (between strangers) near the beginning of the movie completely threw me for a loop, and I thought the romance in general, was too instant. The quarreling between the sisters, off and on, was also irritating, at times. Then, the mother, who ran the maple farm solely for years, suddenly wanted to leave the country and her family and have no part in the business any more. Plus, the family has been waiting 30 YEARS to re-purchase land they had lost and now the sister doesn’t know if she wants it, and the mother has no say in it. Are you kidding me? As farmers, my family and I know how precious land is. God isn’t making any more of it. It’s especially important if it’s connected to your land, as this property is in the movie. I also agree with others, that the prayer(?) near the end didn’t seem quite right. No one closed their eyes in reverence, and it ended with Merry Christmas, instead of Amen. Very strange. Overall, the movie is family-friendly, but it’s not a keeper for me." ~Net
🎄 "A Maple Valley Christmas. Ugh. Delete. I couldn’t make it all the way through this movie. Maybe it got better in the end but I didn’t want to stick around to find out. So much of this movie just made no sense. And I didn’t really like anybody in it. Was it a bad script, director, producer – maybe all of the above? The lead actress was beautiful but stiff and sounded like she was carefully trying to remember word-for-word the script that she had just memorized; and her character in that script was a serious piece of work and just completely unlikeable. In the past I was never a huge fan of Andrew Walker but he’s grown on me over the years and I quite like him now -- but even Andrew couldn’t save this movie (and it was definitely not his best acting job). And, argh, the whole scene in the beginning where a SADDLED horse escapes from its stall in the barn and Andrew is a stranger driving by and slams on brakes and “rescues” the horse as it’s quietly munching on grass in the woods – that whole extended “meet-cute” scene was so ridiculous and had SO much wrong with it that I was yelling at the tv. To start with, who leaves a horse saddled in its stall all afternoon while they’re out tending to other things on the farm?? And somehow the city boy knows how to follow horse tracks in the snow but the farmer girl didn’t? And yet the city boy couldn’t figure out how to follow the horse tracks in the opposite direction back to his car?? And it just went downhill from there. The whole “hat” thing started off as annoying to me – she tells him he can’t buy a cowboy hat, he has to “earn it”. Seriously?!? It’s a maple syrup farm run by a bunch of women, for crying out loud, not a true cowboy cattle ranch! And even if it was a true ranch, most ranchers go to the store, like everybody else in the world, and buy themselves clothing and accessories. Eyeroll. And then she grabs and passionately kisses a man she just met? Somebody please get that woman some meds and a good counselor! (I’m tired of the “almost” kiss in other movies but this particular kiss was not a refreshing change of pace, it was just brazen, awkward and out of place!) And the mother?? Oh, please, what is wrong with these people? And don’t get me started on how this thing reeked with feminism. And of course, the pie-in-the-sky attitude on divorce that others have talked about. I fast-forwarded through part of the second half to see if anything was worth watching. Nope. Only nice thing was some very pretty and cozy sets and scenery. I actually thought the Christmas tree in the requisite “community” tree-lighting ceremony was one of the prettiest and most natural I’ve ever seen in one of these movies. But, alas, the scenery alone couldn’t hold me in this movie. I’m just thankful I hit the delete button before getting to the “prayer” scene at the end that others have talked about. Needless to say, this one’s not a keeper for me." 😊 ~~Jane
Our Italian Christmas Memories - November 12, 2022
🎄 "Our Italian Christmas Memories" -- One of Beau Bridges granddaughters is in a lesbian relationship with a baby on the way. ~Alicia
🎄 "I was very disappointed that Our Italian Christmas Memories was not family friendly. The sister has a wife. 😔 ~Anonymous
🎄 "Our Italian Christmas Memories If you can get past the sister being married to a woman your in for a very heart warming movie, with great acting, I was a little hesitant at first but the more I watched it was just such a heart felt story, one too many of us have had to deal with in our own families! I laughed, I cried, I will watch again" -Susan Ann
🎄 "Our Italian Christmas Memories turned off the movie. The cast and the movie was terrible." ~Anonymous
Long Lost Christmas - November 19, 2022
🎄 "Long Lost Christmas is family friendly. It’s based on the book by Joan Kilby. It’s tearjerker at the end of the movie.This Christmas, interior designer Hayley Brandy plans to surprise her Mother named Patricia with the perfect holiday present: the extended family she knows her mom yearns for. Hayley herself thinks she & her Mom are fine alone, but she has recently discovered the existence of a lost relative, Patricia’s Brother named Gordon. Hayley hopes to find him & reunite the two siblings named Gordon & Patricia for Christmas. She travels to a town outside of Denver in Silver Valley, Colorado to chase a lead on a man named Gordon Renton, who owns a cabin construction company and who just might be her uncle. Hayley is delighted by the town, which is all decked out for Christmas. She’s equally charmed when she meets Gordon, his Daughter named Brianna & Jake the property manager. As Hayley tries to discover whether Gordon is actually her long lost Uncle, she beings to fall in love with the idea of extended family, the charm of the town & Jake. However, when she learns the circumstances surrounding the siblings’ separation, Hayley has second thoughts and decides to abandon her mission. Gordon, on the other hand, is happy to finally have a lead on finding Patricia – but will he be able to bring the family together in time for Christmas? Since Hayley finds her Mom’s memory box in storage shelves where she finds a picture of her Mom & long lost Uncle Gordon. Gordon, his Daughter; Brianna, & Business partner; Jake visit his long lost Sister; Patricia & Niece Hayley’s house. Gordon reunited his long lost Sister; Patricia - long time no see. Both Patricia & Gordon wrote each other Christmas Cards every years unsend & put in memory boxes & even see in persons. Gordon, Brianna, Jake, Hayley, & Patricia have Christmas Dinner at Patricia’s house. ~Anonymous
🎄 "Review: Long Lost Christmas - Family-friendly? Yes - Keeper? Borderline Yes - I like the storyline of this movie - a daughter trying to bring together her mother and the mother's long-lost brother to repair a broken relationship. And the story succeeds, due in large part to the wonderful acting of all the leads. There was also chemistry between Hayley and Jake - another case where you felt the actors enjoyed playing off each other. So why a borderline yes? Two reasons. First, it's another case of a person lying to others - and far too long - in order to achieve her goal. But what was upsetting to me was how, the day after she saves Gordon after he suffers a hear attack (and he call her his guardian angel) - she does a sudden, and very surprising and uncalled-for, about-face and just tears into him about his actions. Kind of hypocritical and, considering he just had a heart-attack, uncaring! Still, because of the positives I mentioned, it's a keeper for me...at least for awhile. ~Mark 25
🎄 "Long Lost Christmas; This film was so heartfelt and beautiful. So nice to watch a movie with a positive message! It was family friendly and had wonderful strong characters and storyline! The connection between Jake and Halley was really special and I cried when the family found each other again. I also appreciated how understanding Jake was when he found out she wasn't there to rent a cabin. This was one of the best Christmas movies this year and is a winner to me. Taylor Cole never disappoints me! A good one to buy and add to our collections. Keep tissues nearby, this movie is one of those precious ones! The very best kind!⛄ God bless and Happy Thanksgiving! Can't believe it's almost here! ~Abigail
🎄 "Long Lost Christmas and My Favorite Christmas Tree were other family friendly movies." ~Mary
🎄 "Long Lost Christmas. I liked this sweet and touching movie and would certainly watch it again next year, but I don’t think it’s a keeper for me. I thought the romance between Hayley and Jake was well done. The whole cast was good. I felt like Hayley was somewhat too pushy throughout the whole movie (it kind of reminded me of Taylor Cole’s character in Pumpkin Everything, where I thought she was also too pushy). And, similar to Mark25, I didn’t like Hayley’s weird and sudden reaction when she “turned” on her uncle (these movies always need some kind of big conflict but this just seemed manufactured out of left field). Family friendly. {Side note. I really wish these movies would hire someone who would make sure all the details fit. In this one, Hayley & Jake went on a fun date to watch shooting stars on what we’re told is the last “no moon” night of the year… and then, as they get settled on their blanket to watch the shooting stars, we’re immediately shown a shot of the night sky with the moon shining bright on the “no moon” night!}" ~~Jane
🎄 "Long Lost Christmas – I really didn’t know what to expect with this movie, but I loved it! The mystery aspect drew me in! I enjoyed watching Taylor Cole’s character, Haley, go on a mission to find her long-lost Uncle Gordon. Also, the instant, fun connection between Taylor Cole and Benjamin Ayres’ characters Haley and Blake was such a joy to watch! They were very cute together on screen. The end felt a little too quick and left me wanting more, but other than that, it was an enjoyable watch, and I look forward to seeing Long Lost Christmas again when there’s an encore airing." ~Net
Time for Him to Come Home for Christmas - November 26, 2022
🎄 "Time for Him to Come for Christmas is family friendly about Four days before Christmas, Elizabeth Athens receives a voicemail from a number she doesn't recognize. (Review may contain some Spoilers) On the message, a man she doesn't know makes one final plea for the love of his life to give him a second chance. Time for Him to Come Home for Christmas is family friendly about Four days before Christmas, Elizabeth Athens receives a voicemail from a number she doesn’t recognize. On it, a man named Carter Bishop, she doesn’t know makes one final plea to the love of his life; Madelyn Hawn for a second chance, asking to meet on Christmas Eve at the unnamed spot where they first met. Elizabeth realizes that this message is not meant for her, and the outcome of someone else’s love story is now in her hands. As she’s swept into the search for the mystery caller, she’s reunited with her best friend named Josh, who is home for Christmas for the first time in years after a tragic event in the past split them apart. On this very special Christmas, a wrong number will put Elizabeth on an exciting journey of romance & adventure that will give her and three other lost souls a second chance at happiness." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Time for Him to Come for Christmas is family friendly about Four days before Christmas, Elizabeth Athens receives a voicemail from a number she doesn't recognize. On the message, a man named Carter Bishop, she doesn't know makes one final plea for the love of his life to give him a second chance." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Time for Him to Come Home for Christmas: Family Friendly Commercials: Sickening It’s a shame to ruin a good movie with terrible commercials. Watched live. Should have waited so I could have fast forwarded through the filth." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Time for Him to Come Home for Christmas was pretty good, though. I'm not sure I want to say right now if it's as good as any of the other 4." -Maria
🎄 "Time for Him to Come Home for Christmas was a nice twist in the series." ~Mary
🎄 "Also, really liked A Big Fat Family Christmas(the song at the end was amazing), A Maple Valley Christmas, Ghost of Christmas Always(looked at the ghosts more as angels, ghosts wouldn't help people), and Time for Him to come Home for Christmas(favorite since the first one), and Long Lost Christmas. Noel Next Door and The Royal Nanny were good also." ~Anonymous
🎄 "TIME FOR HIM TO COME HOME Family friendly. I love this second chance love story! I don't know if the storyline is as powerful as the past "Come Home" series (i forgot some of them, ha!), but I really like this one. Tyler Hynes is always wonderful to watch. The lead actress is new to me but she is likeable. I felt the chemistry and I loved the ending scene when the truth were all finally out in the open." ~CH Mom
🎄 "I didn't feel the chemistry between Tyler and Holland. I like Tyler as much as the next, but let's broaden his range a little. Plus, that end scene when her eyes kept blinking and he looked to be spitting out hair turned me off" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Time for Him to Come Home for Christmas. Loved it!! Of course I loved Tyler Hynes, but the whole cast was great, especially the leading lady, who I’d never seen before. This one is a keeper, and it just might end up in my top 5 of the season. Will definitely buy the dvd. Family friendly." ~~Jane
🎄 "I think Time For Him To Come Home For Christmas illustrates just how much the core membership of It's Wonderful Movie differs from the public at large. I an astonsihed at the mostly relatively lukewarm reviews here - it generally got rave reviews at IMDb and is rated 7.6 which is huge for a Hallmark movie. I'm afraid I'm with IMDb on this - stunning movie and while Tyler Hyes was sensational he may even have been upstaged by Holland Roden. One of the few movies that had me in tears and one of the great Hallmark endings. Despite the fact we've still a plethora of Christmas movies from 2022 to watch we've rewatched this one several times already - Florence
🎄 "Count me in as one of the ones that liked Time For Him To Come Home For Christmas! I liked the mystery of the unknown caller and how all of their lives intertwined. It was a masterful script that seemed smart and well put together. Plus, I agree, the acting is top-notch from Tyler Hynes and Holland Roden. I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of her on Hallmark. My only caution is, Time For Him To Come Home For Christmas is not a movie for young viewers, due to some of the sad parts of the story." ~Net
🎄 "Time For Him To Come Home For Christmas - I have faithfully read this blog for the past 4-5 years and have never felt the need to comment but l wanted you to know, Florence, that l totally agree with you on this movie. I should have said something when you first made a comment but didn’t. I thought it was a masterful, intriguing and heartfelt movie which we have watched over and over since it came out as well." ~Anonymous
The Holiday Stocking - December 3, 2022
🎄 "A Holiday Stocking is family friendly about a new Angel gets the chance to address his one regrets — that he didn’t help his Sisters named Dani & Marlow reconcile while he was still alive. Returning to Earth as Stranger, he gets each of them to revive their parents’ old tradition of encouraging charity. Including Holiday stocking game…" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Holiday Stocking was family-friendly. I thought it was a pretty good movie about a brother trying to reunite his younger sisters. Only catch...he’s an angel. The movie was moving good until they had to throw in the usual argument or whatever that makes the characters mad and pull apart. The end is a bit emotional. Worth a watch if only to remind us of the giving spirit. Not really a keeper though." ~Anonymous
The Gift of Peace - December 10, 2022
🎄 "A Gift of Peace is a wonderful movie! A story of healing and dealing with grief. Tear jerker for sure. All the actors did an out standing job! It's family friendly, but I would use caution with smaller children." ~Joyce in Carolina
🎄 "My long-ish review of The Gift of Peace: I really loved this movie. I've been having fears of losing someone I love for the past week, and this felt really good. I'm glad Dayspring made this. Except, I couldn't help but wonder if this movie feels really out of place on this network given how so much of this new lineup this season has nothing to do with faith? Movies like this, or similar to it is how Hallmark built it's core audience and became the movie destination it is today. It's core audience is mainly conservative and Christian because of these kind of movies. To see something as wonderful as this, and to have to remember that Hallmark has mostly rejected it's core audience over the last 2 years, makes me sad inside. Because the kind of audience that Hallmark is trying to aim for will never truly care about this network like it's true audience does. Because the type of movies they want have nothing to do with what made Hallmark so famous in the 1st place. I hope Hallmark doesn't completely give up on faith based movies, but at the same time, I don't want them to feel out of place in a new movie lineup. Anyone else feel the same?" –Maria
🎄 "The Gift of Peace may be my favorite Christmas movie of the season. Yes, it was sad in parts, but it was also full of hope. The cast and the acting was fantastic, portraying grief so honestly. The theme of faith and prayer was also well done ( that God is always listening , he just doesn't always answer the way we expect). In some Hallmark movies, widows and widowers seem to kind of rush into a new relationship, but this movie handled that so much better. I also loved the music used. Although - did anyone else notice that the singer's lips didn't match the words in the flashback of Regina singing with her mom? But, if that little nit picky complaint is all I've got, then that means this one is a keeper. Maybe I should only watch the Day spring movies!" ~melnewlife
🎄 "The Gift of Peace is family friendly about Traci is a once-devout Christian who stopped believing in God after her husband named Greg tragically died despite her prayers. As her second Christmas without him approaches, she tries going to a support group for inspiration & comfort. Traci Fremont is an artist who is grieving the loss of her husband named Greg. Two years after his death, Traci’s grief is clouding her creative abilities in her work, but it also really challenged her once devout faith. At the encouragement of a friend, she reluctantly joins a grief support group. The group meets at a church and they begin with prayer, which is something Traci finds difficult. She has lost her way in terms of her faith because her prayers were not answered. But she begins to form a connection with the group’s leader, Michael & learns that he too has lost a loved one. Traci participates in various Christmas activities with the group and her heart begins to heal and open up again. This is a beautiful story, but you will want to keep the tissues close by for this one, y'all. Traci & Michael have a deep faith." ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Gift of Peace. Just watched and had to keep checking to make sure it was Hallmark. More faith based than even the older better Hallmark. Sad that it’s so unbalanced with other terrible offerings. Fast forwarded through commercials so not sure about them. Agree with Joyce in Carolina on main actors and actresses." ~JoCo
🎄 "The Gift of Peace is family friendly about after Traci Fremont’s Husband named Greg’s death, long-time devoted Christian Traci stops believing, and on her second Christmas without him, she visits a support group in search of comfort and inspiration. It’s based on the story by Michael Grimm is about healing, faith, & community. Hope it brings people who have lost someone hope and joy this Christmas. (Review may contain Spoilers) Traci, who is two years into her grief. She lost her husband & is very stuck in her life. She can’t paint anymore, she used to paint with her husband so their work and their lives were completely intertwined.” This is where I feel closer to God right here the closer to proximity to Heaven. It’s a place to you can look out. Traci Fremont is an artist who was a once-devout Christian but stopped believing in God after her Husband named Greg tragically died despite her prayers. As her second Christmas without him approaches, her creative spark has dimmed right before her important Christmas Eve gallery showing. Seeking refreshed inspiration & missing her husband, she joins a support group one night, only to discover it’s a faith-based gathering. Realizing she chose the wrong group, Traci leaves abruptly. While Christmas shopping a few days later, she runs into Michael, the leader of the group, and apologizes for running out. He convinces her to give the session another try and if she still feels the same way, she doesn’t have to stay beyond Christmas. Although skeptical, Traci agrees. As she participates in Christmas activities related to each week’s theme of comfort, peace, hope & joy, she bonds with her vibrant, new spiritual community & her art becomes more inspired. Traci finds the strength to keep moving forward and open her heart again, realizing that true faith is more than just answered prayers and that love surrounds us, always." ~Anonymous
🎄 "The Gift of Peace is family friendly “it’s about something that everybody can relate to. And if you haven’t at this point in your life, you will wrestle with grief.” artist Traci Fremont, who is facing her second holiday since her husband named Greg’s tragic death from a brain tumor, and she’s struggling creatively. But she’s also lost a vital part of the life she shared with him. “Any time we experience a loss like that, our faith is shaken.” Just before an important Christmas Eve gallery showing of her work, Traci seeks guidance at a support group run by kindhearted Michael, who connects with the group more than initially seen. “The irony is that Michael might be the most messed up of all of them and he is playing with his own grief. He feels that in helping others, he doesn’t have to really deal with my own.” Over time, the possibility of love presents itself for Traci & Michael, amplifying the film’s message about community. Says DeLoach, “The power of being with other people and its capacity to heal you by sharing your story…is one of the greatest takeaways.” ~Anonymous
🎄 "GIFT OF PEACE Family friendly. This was a beautiful movie about grief. It was faith based too, which was refreshing to see in Hallmark. This was a tearjerker as expected, and reminded me of the time when I lost my dad. Grief is truly hard, but I loved that Traci was healing as she helped others heal too. One scene I loved the most was when Traci reminisced about the time when she was dancing with Greg and Greg told her to never stop laughing, loving, and living... man that made me cry big time. I really like the fact that they didn't kiss in the end... it just wasn't the right time yet. As wonderful as it was, I just wish Hallmark would do MORE faith based movies like this. It reminds me of the good ol' days when they still had the SSD series. ~CH Mom
🎄 "Review: The Gift of Peace - Family-friendly? Yes - Keeper? Oh Yes! - A wonderful movie about struggling with your faith because of the loss of a loved one, and finding it (and love) again because of the help of others. Nikki and Brennan are among my long-time favorite Hallmark actors, and they are at the top of their game with this movie. You really feel their grief! One of the best of the season for me! ~Mark 25
🎄 "I have to start that I have been over whelmed by the number of Christmas Movies that have come out this year. There are quite a few that I have chosen not to watch because of my personal beliefs, likes and dislikes. Whichever movies each person chooses to watch, I hope they enjoyed them. At this point, I am still working my way through the DVR. But I just watched "A Gift of Peace" last night and it touched me deeply. I cried, I admit it. This is my second Christmas without my Mom. I am still processing my grief, anger and sadness. As many who have lost loved ones, the holidays are always harder. Its not the whole Christmas Holiday, its the little things. I look at old recipes that are written in her hand writing, the Christmas Cookies that my sister and I bake but its just not the same as when she made them, getting my Dad from house and seeing that there are no decorations up (because he doesn't want them, it just makes him sad. They were married for 54 years and together for 59 years), the list goes on and on.... But this movie just hit home hard. It was well written and the actors did a great job in portraying different types of grief and loss. Last year it was Five More Minutes... I would like to say my Mom loved all the Christmas movies and the Christmas Holiday but her favorite was "The Christmas Card". Happy New Year to all!" ~ aliciablythe1013
🎄 "This faith-based movie from DaySpring truly pulled at my heartstrings. I’m not one who typically enjoys a somewhat sad movie, but this film was done in such an uplifting, encouraging way. I pray “The Gift of Peace” truly touches the hearts of those who are dealing with grief, loss, and loneliness at Christmastime. It was beautiful to see how this support group prayed together and was there for each other. I also liked how a new romantic relationship wasn’t rushed into; instead, it was a heartwarming story of finding hope and rediscovering one’s faith and a renewed joy in Christmas again! This film is a definite keeper!" ~Net
Five More Minutes: Moments Like These - December 17, 2022
🎄 "Five More Minutes: Moments Like These was my favorite movie for the weekend. I loved it! It was a wonderful story. Enjoyed seeing Lucas Bryant again. A keeper for me." ~kitkat
🎄 "Five More Minutes: Moments Like These is family friendly about a youngwidower Kaitlin returns to her home for the holidays. Her Christmas’s wish for her Son named Adam gets answered in unexpected ways. Adam meets boy thru teenager boy who claimed to be his decreased Dad named Brian. Adam meets Skye & Caitlin meets Matthew Jamieson. Nikki DeLoach portrayed same character from first film as Clara" ~Anonymous
🎄 "FIVE MORE MINUTES: A MOMENT LIKE THIS Although some of the details doesn’t make sense to me, this was enjoyable to watch, and a huge part of it is because of Lucas Bryant. The way he portrayed his character was just wonderful and charming. I haven’t always been an Ashley Williams fan but she was okay and likable enough in this movie. I might be missing it or not understanding the movie correctly, but I don’t understand how Ashley’s character was able to “get” right away all the signs and connected it to photos found in the attic, while all the signs were shown to Adam and experienced by Adam her son, not her. It was still a good movie to watch, and it was family friendly." ~CH Mom
🎄 "Five More Minutes: Moments Like These. Nice for a one-time watch. Lucas Bryant was the best part of the movie. Family friendly. Not a keeper for me." ~~Jane
🌟UPtv:
Unperfect Christmas Wish – November 4, 2022
🎄 "An Unperfect Christmas Wish which unfortunately I personally thought was a silly, fatuous movie with poor acting and of little merit and I wouldn't recommend to anyone. I'm a big fan of UPtv but thought this was their worst movie this year and rated it a 2" ~Florence
🎄 "Unperfect Christmas Wish is a beautiful movie!" -Maria
🎄 "Unperfect Christmas Wish. Ugh. I’m sitting here thinking of all the better ways I could’ve spent those 90 minutes. And I’m guessing I’m probably going to be in the minority on this one and others will think this was a super cute movie. I am so NOT the UPtv demographic but every once in a while they have a movie that is super cute and not too silly for my taste so I keep tuning in and watching. Unfortunately, “Unperfect Christmas” was not one of those hits for me. I knew after 15 minutes that it wouldn’t be perfect but I kept watching and hoping it would improve. For me, the whole movie was a bit silly and low-budget but the worst part was the lead actress and her immaturity and lack of acting and singing ability (which was a shame since the whole thing was about her and her self-centered, precious dream of a singing career!). I think if she had had the voice of someone like Jessica Lowndes or Laura Osnes or even Kellie Pickler it would have been easier to watch her poor acting skills. None of the movie really hit a good chord with me, but I thought the lead actor did an okay job with his role of taken-for-granted-bff who is secretly in love with his childhood sweetheart. And I thought there were a few fun moments with his brother and the roommate of the lead actress. The movie is family friendly and has a sweet premise and would probably be good for a family of varying ages to watch together. It would also probably be a good movie for tween-age girls who have a crush on a cute guy at church and dream of singing together at the Christmas Eve service and someday getting married in the same church…. or something silly along those lines? But, unfortunately(?), I am long past those days." ~~Jane
Christmas in the Pines – November 5, 2022
🎄 "Christmas in the Pines - Love this family-friendly movie from INSP films! The leads were fantastic, with great chemistry, which is good because they are a real-life married couple: Jillian Murray (“Prescription for Love”) and Dean Geyer (“A Ring for Christmas”). The ensemble cast was also terrific – with the mother from “Good Luck Charlie,” Leigh-Allyn Baker (love her – she’s sooooo funny!) and Grant Goodeve (the eldest son from “Eight is Enough”). The movie centered around this quaint cottage in the country, where these two families come together to unexpectedly share their Christmas. It’s such a delightful, feel-good story, with some comedy and heartwarming moments, too! I would say more, but I don’t want to give too much away; I highly recommend “Christmas in the Pines” for family viewing!" ~Net
🎄 "Christmas In The Pines. I would endorse everything Net has said about this - a really lovely Christmas themed family movie with everything you could want from this genre but without bringing forth all the old cliched Christmas ploys. Plenty of humour, a bit of drama you can lose yourself in this for an hour-and a-half and it holds your attention. The two leads were great and the ensemble cast all combined well together. One of the better Christmas movies in the past few years." Florence's rating 9
🎄 "Christmas in the pines was so fun! I loved it." –Maria
🎄 "Loved Christmas in the Pines! I bought this dvd after Net mentioned that it was playing on FoxNation last year (I have a subscription but somehow I missed the fact that they run good movies on there!!). Christmas in the Pines would be fun for the whole family. Fun, quirky, cast and good Christmas "feels". It's a keeper." :) ~~Jane
🎄 "Christmas in the Pines is family friendly about Ariel is an up-and-coming magazine writer, and Mark, a successful architect, battle over ownership of an idyllic Christmas cottage, they soon discover that their cozy holiday getaway may not be the only thing they love. The two people at first disliking each other because they both want to own a cottage. Magazine writer Ariel Colt is headed for “the least Christmassy Christmas ever,” when her boss drafts her to write an antithetical Christmas story less than a week before the holiday. He’s interested in sensational stories rather than the sappy ones his father sought when daddy owned the magazine. So he wants her to write about a Grinch, a Scrooge, somebody who hates Christmas and doesn’t think twice about it. Never mind that this is galactically bad planning on his part. Never mind her reluctance to write such a story, even if it wasn’t on such short notice. This leads her to the cottage she just bought in Winter Springs, N.C. Or rather, the cottage she thought she bought. When her agent gives her a tour of her new property, she encounters Mark Henderson with his own agent. Turns out that Ariel and Mark submitted the same offer to the genial old Mr. Noel, who owns the place and accepted both offers. Here, the movie turns into something akin to The War of the Roses. The contrived way that this double-ownership problem is to be solved is negotiation under duress. Possession being nine-tenths of the law, as the saying goes, neither Ariel nor Mark can leave the property without forfeiting their claim to ownership. And if they don’t come up with a deal by Christmas, both lose the right to buy it. The water’s been shut off. There’s no food. They’re adversaries. How will they survive this? Enter their families, each secretly summoned by the other with warfare in mind. But the families unexpectedly get along, supply missing pieces (info, food, holiday companionship) and slowly Ariel & Mark grow on one another. Sensational starts listing toward sappiness." ~Anonymous
🎄 "For me, Christmas In The Pines was the best movie of all. This is a keeper for me. Loved everything about it." ~kitkat
🎄 "Christmas in the Pines. Oh, I loved it!! This was hilarious and heartwarming. The type of feel-good Christmas movie that has everything you want. Love the family aspects as much as the romance. Unique storyline, which wasn't too believable at first (the whole real estate mishap) but still super fun to watch. Jillian Murray is charming and so likeable. Ariel and Mark were adorable together. Love the sweet chemistry. If I can be picky, Ariel's parents just seem a bit too young to me. But I love the dinner prayer where they mention the name of Jesus, FINALLY! I haven't seen many movies this year but this was the best one I've seen so far this year by far." ~CH Mom
Christmas Masquerade – November 6, 2022
🎄 "A Christmas Masquerade has lots of great humor! And is all around sweet." –Maria
🎄 "A Christmas Masquerade. I quite liked it! I’ve said before that I’m not a huge UPtv movie fan, mainly because I feel that I’m not their target younger audience. And this particular movie was very predictable and silly in places and, of course, unrealistic. But it was also sweet and fun and warm and a nice, lighthearted way to spend an evening. I enjoyed the characters and the relationships and I loved the sets for the different homes and the talk of Polish traditions. Not a keeper for me, but good for a one-time watch. I think it would be a fun movie for the whole family; and if you like “royal” movies, this had a bit of that kind of feel. Family friendly, but a couple of very mild notes of caution. I thought one of the ballgowns was a bit low cut (but that might just be me). The whole mistaken identity thing is allowed to continue, so that would mean everything is based on a lie; but this is often the plot for many of these type movies. Also, her best friend is like part of the family as well as being her boss (the one she was mistaken for) so they switch and pretend to be each other until they can land the new client. While doing this, the best friend uses her time babysitting the other’s daughter to “decide” if she wants to have a baby on her own. There’s no boyfriend, fiancé, or husband in the picture, she just sort of clinically makes the decision that she’s “ready” and can handle single parenthood after she babysits the preteen girl for two weeks. Huh??? What happened to husbands and fathers??? (By the way, the main character’s husband died sometime in the past. How Hollywood convenient!!)." ~~Jane
🎄 ‘Masquerade Christmas Ball is family friendly about 'When Julieanne is mistaken for her glamorous boss at a Masquerade ball by a notoriously aloof businessman, she continues the ruse over Christmas. Will she be able to find real love in the makeshift Fairytale world they’ve created?'' ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Christmas Masquerade – I found this movie’s concept to be somewhat unbelievable. One woman, Julianne, attends a Christmas masquerade ball pretending to be her friend, Lara, who is supposedly well-known on social media. Julianne keeps up this charade throughout the movie, pretending to be her friend, and it’s hard to believe no one knows what Lara looks like and that Julianne is obviously not her. Perhaps, if they looked similar, it could've worked, but the two don’t look a thing alike. I tried to get into this movie, but just couldn’t do so. The bright spot for me was Julianne’s daughter, Nora, who is probably around 10 years old and is absolutely adorable; I hope we see her in more things – her giggle was infectious. I agree with Jane’s review regarding Lara, who babysits Nora for a few days, and suddenly decides she wants to have a baby. There’s no man in Lara’s life, that we are aware of, and no explanation on how she plans to do this. So, the idea is just kinda thrown out there. Anyway, this movie wasn’t a keeper for me, but I found it to be family-friendly." ~Net
The Christmas Retreat – November 11, 2022
🎄 "The Christmas Retreat is family friendly about Workaholic Kim finally reaches her breaking point when her boyfriend named Stephen turns around & breaks up with her instead of proposing, so Kim’s Mom named Mary takes her away to a Christmas Retreat to reconnect with the spirit of the holiday. Little do they know – the owner named Rae Reynolds of the retreat has enlisted the help of her newly unemployed Brother named Mark, who seems to share a lot of Kim’s tendencies. But will they be able to see past the similarities neither one wants to admit to, and let the magic of the season connect them with something they couldn’t have planned for?" ~Anonymous
🎄 "The Christmas Retreat: Delightful movie! Definitely recommend." -Maria
🎄 "The Christmas Retreat. Nothing unique but it was a sweet, lighthearted, warm movie that will stay on the dvr for now, until I run out of space. I liked all the actors, they felt natural; the lead actress’s character is unlikeable in the beginning but she gradually changes. Family friendly. One odd statement that “trees grow, breathe and communicate just like us” – huh???!? Nope, sorry, they really don’t." ~~Jane
🎄 "The Christmas Retreat – This movie was such a fun one to watch! I enjoyed the chemistry between Kim (Rhiannon Fish) and Mark (Clayton James). In the beginning, Kim has a boyfriend, Stephen, who she is hoping will propose, but he breaks up with her because she works too much. This causes Kim to take some time off for the holiday and accept her mother’s invitation to join her at a Christmas Retreat. Kim runs into Mark at the retreat; this is the second time their paths have crossed. Kim is doing her best to impress her ex by taking time off from work and enjoying the retreat, but she also starts to develop feelings for Mark. The various activities and games at the retreat were amusing to watch, and the romance was very sweet. This movie was a keeper for me; in my opinion, it’s one of the best this year on UPtv." ~Net
🎄 "Some of the UPtv movies were just too dumb. I wanted to like the Christmas Retreat but it was very annoying and i couldn't finish it." ~Sabrina
A Tiny Home Christmas – November 12, 2022
🎄 "A Tiny Home Christmas is quite charming." -Maria
🎄 "Also, in a little tiny house Christmas it sounded like her female friend referred to her ex as a female as well, unless I miss heard, it was just a brief comment." ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Tiny Home Christmas. Family friendly - maybe, but probably not?? So, this was a fairly cute movie, nothing special and not a keeper for me. It wasn't really a Christmas movie except for the fact they put decorations everywhere, it could easily have been based in the summer. Two problematic things on the family-friendly scale. At the very end of the movie there is a vague implication that the main couple might be moving in together (not married). The bigger problem is at the beginning of the movie when the main actress is talking to her friend, a woman who runs the homeless shelter, and they're brainstorming ways to pay for the tiny home project or get donations or supplies at a discount. Her female friend says "You know my ex from college? [Tasha] She works at that kitchen & bath place and I could try to swing a hefty discount." That's it, no visuals, and her character is a part of the whole movie and nothing else is shown or implied. It's a small blip in the movie and easy to miss if you're not really paying attention, but, nevertheless, it's there (and completely unnecessary to the movie other than they're trying to rack up some "social" points)." ~~Jane
The Picture of Christmas – November 13, 2022
🎄 "The Picture of Christmas is a very charming, enjoyable and nice movie. The cast is great, especially a little girl, playing a daughter of the leading character. The movie is family-friendly." Oksanka
🎄 "A picture of Christmas, is family friendly" ~Anonymous
🎄 "The Picture of Christmas: Very nice movie! Plus the kid was really cute." ~Maria
🎄 "The Picture of Christmas. Sweet movie, not a keeper for me but I think others will really like it. Family friendly. Nice setting on a Christmas tree farm and a cute town with cozy shops and all the usual wonderful town folks who pitch in to help save the day. The lead actress annoyed me a time or two and sometimes had a melancholy presence; I liked the lead actor (although, I wasn’t buying him as a father to a young girl); and the little girl is absolutely adorables (but completely unbelievably mature for her age). Honestly, if you’re really short on time but just need a Christmas movie “fix”, just watch the two-minute trailer that’s out there for this movie (it’s one of those trailers that shows the entire movie), you’ll get the whole thing in a cozy nutshell with all the high points and none of the annoying low points -- all the Christmastime “feels” in under three minutes!!" 😉 🎄 ~~Jane
The Holiday Swap – November 19, 2022
🎄 "The Holiday Swap Family friendly. It was cute, but I would have liked more from the main characters. I didn't feel too much chemistry between them. But I still enjoyed watching a new chic flick. I especially liked Henry, the older man who ran the general store. At first I was concerned Laura and Derek were living together, but then I found out they ran the lodge. Beware...Jake does say the Lord's name in vain though as he's opening her suitcase." ~Abigail
🎄 "The Holiday Swap was family friendly but not something I’d watch again. Same goes for Christmas in Pine Valley. The actors/actresses seemed like they were uncomfortable around each other." ~Mary
🎄 "The Holiday Swap. This one is not for me but I’m sure others will like it. My time and my dvr space is very limited, so I’m just maybe being a little too picky?? The 30+ minutes I watched were basically family friendly, except for fact that the lead actress is visiting and staying with her bff and bff’s longtime boyfriend who appear to be living together in the lodge that they’re opening together, but it’s all a bit vague (so far). From the get-go, the movie was a bit odd and confusing, somehow melodramatic and blah at the same time, and the acting was a bit stiff, but still worth watching for light entertainment. Well… until the tree scene… which was good for a laugh, but also pushed me to hit the delete button. The lead actress and her ex-boyfriend go to the woods to cut down a Christmas tree for the big “Snowy Ball” or dance or whatever it is. They’re in the woods and it’s obviously… summertime -- with all the dense, lush greenery and weeds and flowers. And there you see every few feet someone has placed fake, scrawny, blue-green Christmas trees with fake snow sprinkled on them and they stand out like a sore thumb against the lush, yellow-green summer grasses and trees. They don’t wear gloves or hats or anything while “cutting down” their tree. They then get in the truck. She says “It’s freezing!”. (Wait, what???) He goes to start the truck and the battery won’t turn over. She says, in a scared and confused, overly dramatic tone “What’s happening??”. He says… (wait for it…) “The battery’s dead.” (Well, duh!!!!!) She says, in the same dramatic, scared tone, “Well, what are we gonna do??” He says, “There’s an old shed nearby and at least we can build a fire there.” (Yup, I’m thinking that will help to keep them warm in the blazing summertime sunshine!! LOL!) Conveniently, he doesn’t own a cell phone and her phone battery is dead and she discovered yesterday that NO ONE (including her bff and bff’s boyfriend -- both of whom are opening a lodge for paying guests!) and NO SHOP in the entire town has any kind of cell phone cords or battery chargers and “Amazon doesn’t deliver here” --- my eyeballs are rolling so much they’re about to get stuck up in my head! So, this is the point where I decided to cut the cord. I can only take so much melodramatic cheesiness. Oh, and you know how in movies there is occasional background music that you usually don’t even realize is happening (if they do it right!)? It plays soft or loud or dramatic or creepy or melancholy or joyful or whatever, depending on the situation and how the director wants you to feel. In this particular movie, it's way too loud and obvious; it’s almost a constant melodramatic presence that doesn’t even fit the scenes, and it did not evoke any feeling for me other than annoyance. I like the movie premise of mixing up luggage on a plane and think, if done right, it could be a fun movie. But, for me, this one was just too weirdly over-dramatic and odd and slow, but I think if others are not being as picky as me, they could maybe find it to be fun (?). Oh, well, on to the next one on the dvr." ~~Jane
Christmas Lucky Charm – November 20, 2022
🎄 "There are 2 guys picking out a cake in a Christmas lucky charm, I didn’t think too much of it until it showed one guy put his arm around the other in the background." ~Anonymous
🎄 "I just finished watching Christmas Lucky Charm on UPtv and there was a short segment in the bakery where the young lady baker was discussing her wedding cakes with a male couple. I'm sure others may have reported this, but just wanted to let you know. Thanks for all you do." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Christmas Lucky Charm. Not family friendly. I was having a hard time really getting into this one and I thought it was just me and my usual issues with UPtv movies being less polished, as well as being more targeted to younger viewers. I figured others would probably like the movie and there were only a few mildly questionable issues (mention of unmarried characters living together and a neighboring shopkeeper who was into some woowoo mystical stuff). But then at about the 3/4 mark they went and had a scene with the lead actress in her bakery showing wedding cakes to two men with their arms around each other shopping for their wedding cake. Delete! I only wish I'd deleted in the beginning and not wasted my time with this one." ~~Jane
Christmas in the Wilds – December 2, 2022
🎄"I watched Christmas In The Wilds and enjoyed it. Everything about this movie was good except for a couple of things. Getting stuck in snow in a vehicle with snow tires or chains made no sense to me. Also, how could the guy not see through the manipulation of his co-worker? Both of the main actors are great together. Loved seeing all the same actors continue from Romance In The Wilds. The scenery is breath-taking! Real snow everywhere! Can not say enough about how Christmasy this is. Music is beautiful. Happy I have the DVD. Hope I did not say too much to ruin it for others.You will not be disappointed." ~kitkat
🎄"Christmas in the Wilds is a sequel movie to the INSP film, Romance in the Wilds. I watched this movie through Fox Nation, with a free streaming trial. Christmas in the Wilds is very similar to the first movie, but it has the wonderful addition of Christmas and some extra moments with Buck Thompson’s family added in, who are seen even more in this movie than the first. There’s a lot of action-adventure when Buck and his former partner/ex-girlfriend end up in the snowy forest with a blizzard on the way. Even though the weather outside is frightful, Jessica is determined to reach her boyfriend, Buck, spend Christmas together and return him to his family – before the Christmas eve service where they will honor the memory of Buck’s father. If outdoor survival is fascinating to you, then you will really enjoy this movie. Christmas in the Wilds is action-packed throughout, with some heartwarming moments, too. I especially enjoyed the scenes with Buck’s sister (played by Laura Vandervoot, “A Christmas Together With You”), who was dog-sitting for Jessica. She said she was more of a cat-person, so it was sweet to see her warm up to the dog and later on, open up and share her feelings. Overall, it was a nice movie to watch; it shows great respect to those who serve in the military, how to cope with PTSD, and best of all, it is family-friendly." ~Net
Christmas on the Slopes – December 3, 2022
🎄 "Christmas on the Slopes. Ugh. Not enough time in my life or on my dvr for this one! Watched about 30 minutes and just could not take anymore. Not my cup of tea. The stilted acting, the script, everything was a big miss for me. Up until the point where I hit delete it was family friendly." ~~Jane
🎄 "Christmas on the Slopes is a great, clean movie!" -Maria
Christmas on the Rocks – December 4, 2022
🎄 "Christmas on the Rocks. Meh. Watched an hour and decided to quit and find something better. There’s not really anything Christmas-y about this movie, it could easily be set in any season of the year. In fact, contrary to the supposedly mountainous & snowy location which just produced an avalanche down the road, there are quite a few outdoor scenes and the grasses, trees, perennials and shrubs are all lushly green and flowering with an occasional small patch of fake snow thrown in, and the lake has lots of boats still bobbing around (I haven’t seen anyone water skiing in the background but it’s probably happening just off camera!). {Note to directors of these movies: if you want us to believe it’s a wintertime, snowy, mountainous location, DON’T film any scenes outside in the summertime greenery!} Overall, the movie isn’t completely horrible but it just feels kind of slow, flat and mediocre. The hour I watched was family friendly but it’s time for me to hit delete and move on to find a movie that’s more fun or has some warm Christmas feels." ~~Jane
Christmas on the Rocks – This movie is family-friendly; however, a twin sister pretends she is her sister, which causes her to lie to everyone around her, including her ex-boyfriend who she still has deep feelings for. There are two kisses, also, that are pretty intense. I found myself saying okay, okay… out loud. Overall, it’s an average movie. I agree with Jane, it could’ve been more Christmassy. ~Net
A Royal Christmas Match – December 10, 2022
🎄 "A Royal Christmas Match is clean, fun and intriguing!" –Maria
🎄 "A Royal Christmas Match is family friendly about Princess Camille travels to America to create a college exchange program and falls for a handsome professor. When she discovers he was hired by her father to watch out for her, she wonders if he cares more about her or his career." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Royal Christmas Match was family friendly. Princess Camille (Jordana Largy) wasn't a royal stuck in a groove, but actually had a mission and was fully locked in with skill and spunk. The Professor (Matthew MacCaull) was fine, but his motivation was a bit uneven. Jordanna was Carly Serchio in Wedding Veil Legacy and would be a great in that role again as one of the cousins receiving the veil. ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Royal Christmas Match. I couldn't make it all the way through this one. But that tends to be the case with me and "royal" movies. Definitely not a keeper. What I saw was family friendly." ~~Jane
Santa’s Got Style – December 11, 2022
🎄 "Santa's Got Style was clean and unique!" –Maria
🎄 "Santa's Got Style. Rather different or odd, but I kind of liked it. It was silly and unrealistic, but also sweet about a guy who has always been in love with his bff but she's totally oblivious and thinks they're just friends. I liked all the actors (the lead actor is a cutie patootie). There's an over-the-top security guard who is so ridiculous you'll either find him funny or annoying. Not a keeper but it was a fun, lighthearted, one-time watch. Family friendly except for the Santa-disguise deception that takes place and also there is a character in the modeling agency whom one would guess was gay (simply by his artistic fashion styles and mild mannerisms and his career choice as a model/makeup artist/photographer) but it was never totally clear and I actually liked the friend/sidekick character he played." ~~Jane
Sappy Holiday – December 17, 2022
🎄 "Sappy Holiday was pretty nice." –Maria
An Eclectic Christmas – December 18, 2022
🎄 "An Eclectic Christmas is clean and quite intriguing!" –Maria
🎄 "An Eclectic Christmas (aka? A Vintage Christmas). I watched 45 minutes and couldn't take anymore than that. It had potential to be cute, but I just wasn't feeling it. The movie was way too slooow, it felt like the whole cast (especially the lead actress) needed an iv infusion of caffeine to perk them up and make them more vibrant characters. It's possible it improved in the second half (?) and I imagine others who are more patient than myself will like the movie. The part I watched was family friendly." ~~Jane
The Snowball Effect – December 24, 2022
🎄 "THE SNOWBALL EFFECT I didn’t have high hope for this, but it turned out okay. I wasn’t familiar with the main actor and actress, but I’d say that the whole movie was pretty well-acted. The caroling scene left me a little sad :( Some nitpicking… The female lead’s make up was a bit much the especially around the beginning of the movie. Maybe it was meant to make her look not approachable and cold, but she definitely looked way better with the more natural look towards the middle/end of the movie. Chemistry also felt more like a friend vibe for the most part. It was a cute and fun one-time watch." ~CH Mom
🎄 "The Snowball Effect is a great and clean movie." -Maria
🎄 "The Snowball Effect. I found it to be quite slow and only made it a little over halfway through the movie before hitting the delete button. The lead actress is beautiful but her character was way too cold/aloof/driven/borderline-rude/self-centered and I would've liked to see her character start warming up a bit more (at least by the halfway point of the movie!). There is an innkeeper who is just odd and rather stiff, almost like she's not really an actress but some bigwig in Hollywood called in a favor and got their mother a part in the movie?! And the premise of the WHOLE town no longer "doing" Christmas and everyone is afraid to even mention Christmas or festivities is absolutely ridiculous and too far over-the-top. It's possible all got better in the second half but I didn't want to stick around and find out. What I saw was family friendly and I imagine others (who are not as over-the-top critical as me :)) will enjoy this movie as a light, fun, one-time watch." ~~Jane
Christmas in Wolf Creek – December 25, 2022
🎄 "Christmas in Wolf Creek – I recently had the opportuity to screen this movie and wanted to share a review with all of you. First of all, this film is family-friendly, a wonderful sequel to its original film, Love in Wolf Creek. All of the main beloved characters returned for the second movie, including actor Tim Rozon (Christmas Town), as rancher, Austin Spencer, and actress Nola Martin, as Samantha (Sam) Gavin, who manages the local animal refuge center in Wolf Creek.
Samantha’s social media savvy sister, Sunny Gavin, portrayed by Madeline Leon (A Christmas Recipe for Romance), also returned for this film, along with Mary Long (A Veteran’s Christmas, Christmas Next Door), who portrays Austin’s quick-witted grandmother, Marianna Spencer. I must say - Mary Long is always a joy to watch; she's a highlight to me – in any movie she’s in.
In the first film, Sam (Samantha) and Austin teamed up to find an injured wolf, but in this Christmas-themed sequel, the two are paired up once again to find a missing reindeer, which is needed for the annual Christmas play. The main conflict in Christmas in Wolf Creek arises when Austin and Samantha can’t decide which step to take next with their long-distance relationship. There is also some friction while Sam is on the hunt for the reindeer, and her sister, Sunny, is left in charge of the Christmas play with the local children, who show little interest in participating.
Actor Ish Morris (Feeling Butterflies) plays Terry Jones, the antagonist, a Scrooge-like character throughout the film, who threatens to call off the Christmas play if his reindeer is not returned unharmed in time for the event.
Overall, this sequel is an enjoyable watch, a delightful follow-up to the original film. The chemistry between Samantha and Austin is very strong, even when they are at odds. And it was fun to watch Sunny attempt to direct the traditional Christmas play, Twas the Night Before Christmas – with Mariana’s help and a new twist.
Like the original, Christmas in Wolf Creek is filled with heartwarming moments, romantic tension, some lighthearted comedy, and more suspenseful, thrilling adventure. If you enjoyed Love in Wolf Creek, you will definitely want to return for the holiday season and watch Christmas in Wolf Creek. ~Net
🎄 "I loved Christmas in Wolf Creek!" -Maria
🌟Lifetime:
Merry Swissmas - November 5, 2022
🎄 "Merry Swissmas" -- Family-friendly except we are told two of the characters are living together unmarried. Nothing is shown. Other than that, I'd say it's a fine movie for a one time watch. Merry Christmas! ~Alicia
🎄 "Merry Swissmas. Overall, I liked this movie. The production felt natural, I didn’t feel like I was watching an overly-ornate, fake Hallmark movie set. It was probably filmed in Canada, but I actually felt like I might be in Switzerland. The chalet was cozy. The family together around the table playing board games was cozy. The scenery was beautiful. The village Christmas market was sweet. The snow was real. The sledding was real and fun for the whole family and not just an excuse for the lead actors to end up rolling around in a snowy embrace (and, thankfully, the directors didn’t even use that tired old ploy!). They even had an advent wreath that they lit every Sunday (of course, they missed the real meaning of the advent wreath, but it’s Hollywood so I didn’t expect it to be otherwise). I’m not a huge Jodie Sweetin fan but I thought she was fairly believable in her role. All of the cast was good, including the children; the lead actor was good but sometimes his whispery voice bothered me. Of course, there were some things that were not believable. For instance, the lead actor supposedly used to manage some of the largest, most expensive and prestigious hotels around the world but he claims to be “underwater” just helping her mother open a small guest chalet and therefore desperately needs Jodie’s help (and that “help” entails him being her tour guide all around the Swiss village – eyeroll !?!). So, I liked this movie and thought it was a refreshing production but, ultimately, probably not a keeper for me, although I’m not sure yet. It was family friendly except it was mentioned (maybe twice?) that Jodie’s former boyfriend is now dating her former best friend and they are living together, back in the U.S., before they get married. Jodie’s reconciliation with her best friend (and getting over her childish anger about the two of them now dating) is a major part of the movie but the living together thing was only a brief mention and it was never shown." ~~Jane
🎄 "The best movie for me so far: Merry Swissmas. I loved that movie and saved it." ~Sabrina
🎄 "Merry Swissmas – This Lifetime movie is mostly family-friendly, except for the mention that one woman lives with her boyfriend. Some of the film was cute and you could tell it was filmed in a very cold climate. Throughout some of the movie Jodie Sweetin wears an enormous puffer coat that looks absolutely HUGE on her. I couldn’t help from chuckling every time I saw her in it. She looked utterly ridiculous in it. Later on, she briefly wore a different coat that was way more flattering on her. Anyway…while spending Christmas with her mother at her inn in Switzerland, Alex (Jodie Sweetin) meets Liam (Tim Rozon) and his young son, Kelby. The three of them instantly hit it off, but Alex makes it clear she is leaving Switzerland after Christmas. The tiff near the end is rather silly and petty, but the movie ends happily. I must admit, after seeing Jodie Sweetin in “A Cozy Christmas Inn,” which was a terrible, unnecessary sequel to “Christmas Under Wraps,” I found it harder to get into this movie with Jodie." ~Net
Well Suited for Christmas - November 6, 2022
🎄 "Well Suited for Christmas. So, I loved almost all of this movie. All the actors were great. It was fun, romantic, witty, warm, family was very important to the characters, and there was a nice emphasis on the needs of foster children in society, etc. But…. ultimately, it was NOT family friendly and I’m going to have to delete it. Such a shame they ruined it. Here’s the scoop: the main actress is a menswear fashion designer in NY city. Do I need to say more? 😊 It is not unusual to find male fashion designers who are gay, so it’s not surprising that one popped up in this movie. In the very beginning of the movie there is a scene with two people working in the design shop that are sort of genderless? Just a quick, vague scene (but unnecessary). Then later five top designers are chosen to design tuxedos for five famous bachelors. The top designer chosen out of the bunch will win a prize and people at the charity gala all get to bid on a date with the various bachelors to raise money for the lead actor’s charity, which benefits foster children. Anyway, towards the beginning of the movie one of the male designers says “I bid on a bachelor here in 2009” and someone responds “Yes, I attended your wedding in 2010”. That was it. It's completely up to your imagination to decide whether he is gay and whether he married a man; but it's really rather obvious (unless you're clueless about such things?). The designer is one of the lead actress’s friends and he seems a bit flamboyant but nothing else is shown or mentioned until the very end of the movie when you see that same designer in the background dancing with arms around the guy who I’m guessing is the one he married. So, it’s not family friendly and I guess I should have quit in the beginning. But, boogers!, it was a cute movie with a fun cast. Oh well, more space on my dvr now!" ~~Jane
Christmas on Mistletoe Lake - November 10, 2022
🎄 "Christmas on Mistletoe Lake is family friendly and a good movie to watch." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Phew! My dvr is getting crowded!! But these two movies quickly got deleted so at least there's some space for two more this weekend! Christmas on Mistletoe Lake. I watched about 25% and just couldn't take anymore. It's probably an ok movie but it just wasn't thrilling me, so I quit to move on to better things. The part I saw was family friendly." ~Jane
🎄 "Christmas on Mistletoe Lake – This movie was family-friendly, but a little slow for me. It seemed somewhat unbelievable that someone would let a complete stranger live on their boat, and I didn’t feel much connection between the leads, Ray (Corey Sevier) and Reilly (Genelle Williams). I did, however, love seeing both actors, Corey Sevier and Robin Dunne, in this movie together, since both also starred in "The Little Men" series when they were both young actors. That part of it made it extra special for me. And the young girl who played Ray’s daughter was very sweet. Overall, the story was wholesome, lighthearted, and fairly enjoyable, but the romance lacked a certain spark for me." ~Net
The Dog Days of Christmas - November 11, 2022
🎄 "The Dog Days of Christmas. Seriously? No. Just, no. I couldn't take more than 25% of this movie. It was just weird and silly. I felt everything was sub-par/low-budget -- the acting, the set, the directing, the script, the whole production was just a big "no" for me. The part I saw was family friendly." ~~Jane
Reindeer Games Homecoming - November 12, 2022
🎄 "Reindeer Games Homecoming" -- not family-friendly. Within 10 minutes, there's a stereotypically gay coworker talking about his "husband." ~Alicia
🎄 "Reindeer Games Homecoming is really funny, heartwarming, and is a good one to watch if you're looking for something to laugh at! Plus, there was a small scene from 'Twinkle all the Way' included at one point on a TV. There is of course 1 big downside (that I kind of suspected from seeing 1 of the trailers): Gay best friend who is also very dramatic. I still enjoyed this one neverthless, and I got through it all instead of turning it off early on because this looked so good from the trailers." -Maria
Six Degrees of Santa - November 13, 2022
🎄 "Six Degrees of Santa is a very sweet movie! Highly recommend." -Maria
🎄 "Six Degrees of Santa. I quite enjoyed it and thought it had a warm, cozy, holiday feeling about it. This one was ever so slightly different from the typical movies; it had the Lifetime movie "polish" or "naturalness" that I've heard others on here refer to in the past. It felt fairly well-acted all around (especially Steve Lund). Family friendly (the main actress is divorced because they're "better as friends", but that's typical for almost all the movies nowadays). Cute movie - a keeper for now (until I run out of dvr space)." ~~Jane
Sweet Navidad - November 17, 2022
🎄 "Sweet Navidad. Family friendly. Cute movie. I thought it was going to be a bust for me because in the very beginning I felt like there was way too much exuberance and over-acting, almost like somebody had turned up the speed on everything. But then it all settled down and turned into a nice movie. I liked seeing the Puerto Rican traditions and foods. I liked the lead actor and actress and felt they played their opposite personality roles quite well. There were, of course, parts that were silly and unrealistic but, overall, it was a "sweet" movie. Good for a one-time watch. Maybe even a borderline keeper?" ~~Jane
A Country Christmas Harmony - November 18, 2022
🎄 "I heard from someone who got to watch A Country Christmas Harmony early, and she said it has a gay couple in it." -Maria
🎄 "I was just coming to post a warning about A Country Christmas Harmony having a gay couple in it....but I see that Maria already mentioned it." ~Karen
🎄 "I started watching 'A Country Christmas Harmony' and when they brought the gay couple into the storyline (which in my opinion wasn't necessary) quickly started channel surfing for a better option." ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Country Christmas Harmony features prominent gay scenes throughout the movie. Lots of PDA, blowing kisses, and in person gay kissing. Not a lot of chemistry between the main actors and not great acting in general. Just overall a strange movie." ~Anonymous
Santa Bootcamp - November 19, 2022
🎄 "I just finished watching Santa Bootcamp and I am very happy to say that it was family friendly and rather delightful! There are very few Lifetime Christmas movies that I love but this is definitely one. I especially loved the sweet relationship between Rita Moreno's character and her husband. It just showed glimpses of it but for some reason it felt like there was a depth to it and I really enjoyed it. I cannot wait to watch it with my family! ~Sara S.
🎄 "Santa Bootcamp" -- family-friendly. It was nice for a one-time watch but didn't charm me enough to see again. ~Alicia
🎄 "Santa Bootcamp. So, this one was a cute movie buried inside of a bizarre, ridiculous, over-the-top movie. It definitely was not a keeper for me, but if you can withstand the craziness and all the woowoo Santa magic, then this could be a fun movie to watch. The lead actress and actor were a cute match (he reminded me a bit of Kevin McGarry) and their romance was sweet. I thought Rita Moreno was horrible in the beginning but she mellowed out and ended up being a nice character (she’s amazing for 91 years old!). It was family friendly (I guess?), except for all the magic and woowoo fairy dust and Santa as a replacement for God and all the usual Hollywood confusion about the real meaning of Christmas. The first few minutes really rubbed me the wrong way and I almost deleted the movie; but because I was multitasking, I let it keep rolling. The movie gradually improved but it still had a very hefty dose of all the magic Santa stuff. The scene in the very beginning that bothered me was this: Rita Moreno’s character (Mrs. Claus in disguise as a sort of Christmas guru that trains seasonal workers) sits in the middle of her humongous, undecorated entry hallway. She sits in a sort of weird yoga/meditation pose and holds her fingers together and closes her eyes. By magic or some “force” we see – in fast forward motion all around her - all these elves/people dressed in green who magically decorate the whole house in a split second. She comes out of her “trance”, opens her eyes, and says “Let there be Christmas”. Then she, prayerfully, folds her hands and raises her eyes heavenward and mouths “Thank You”. Normally when people look heavenward and say Thank You, they are thanking God, but in this case, I presume she was thanking Santa or some other magical supernatural source. If Santa magic doesn’t bother you and your family, then this movie would probably be family friendly. ~~Jane
A Show-Stopping Christmas - November 20, 2022
🎄 "A show stopping Christmas is family friendly and it reminds us that people grieve in different ways and to try to show love and support to them anyway." ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Show Stopping Christmas (aka A Playful Romance). Meh? Some of it was cute and some of it was lacking. For the most part, I liked all lead actors. At times, the leading lady was good but she also had a strong personality and sometimes seemed a bit of an obsessive brat. The leading man was supposed to be a hunky Hollywood movie star – I wasn’t buying that angle, but I still liked him. The villainous woman was way too overly dramatic and just too unrealistically mean; her over-the-top meanness was supposed to be due to her grief from her husband’s death SEVEN years ago, but it just didn’t make sense in the context of the story – she needed to be dialed back just a notch to be believable (of course, all is redeemed in the end). Overall, the movie was cute, but something just felt lacking to me and I’m not sure whether it was the script or the lack of attention to detail or what??? I suppose this would be considered family friendly but I was not thrilled with all the calling on spirits and dead friends to fix things. At several points after doing this, it would miraculously snow or you would hear weird tinkling noises or lights would flicker letting us know the spirits were taking care of things. Now, the movie is based around “A Christmas Carol”, so I understand the “spirits” angle, but I just think they kind of went too far. In the beginning of the movie the lead actress stands in a dark theatre by herself and loudly prays to (or calls on) the spirits to save the theatre, and it's all very serious, she's in earnest about what she's doing. At one point she also says something along the lines of “In the name of Charles Dickens I call upon the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future to shine your Christmas joy.” And, of course, the lights flicker and we hear woowoo music. So, it's a cute movie with some questionable aspects; not a keeper for me. And, ugh, they continue the advertising nonsense in this movie. The leads are walking down a path lined on both sides with lighted Christmas trees and one of the trees has been replaced by a huge yellow Carmax sign sticking out like a sore thumb. Yuck." ~~Jane
Baking All the Way - November 24, 2022
🎄 "I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I caught Baking All the Way and just wanted to say it's cute and sweet and family friendly. Nothing new in terms of plot, but there was a nice little twist at the end that I didn't see coming. It was fun seeing Yannick Bisson in a movie again." ~Amy Lama
🎄 "Baking all the Way is a very sweet movie, highly recommend!" –Maria
🎄 "Baking All the Way. Cute, warm, sweet movie but not a keeper. I agree with everything Amy said in her review. Family friendly, but one thing bothered me -- the pre-teen daughter in the movie was sweet but she was also quite disrespectful of her father (to say the least!!). Her dad even says at one point “she’s kind of the boss of me”, which would be funny, except its kind of true and therefore not funny." ~~Jane
Steppin’ Into the Holiday
- November 25, 2022
🎄 "Steppin into the Holiday was A-W-E-S-O-M-E!! 1 of the best Lifetime movies I've seen so far this Season!!" -Maria
🎄 "Steppin' Into the Holiday. So, I went and watched another Mario Lopez movie even though I promised myself that I'd never do it again. 😯 And I have to say that this one wasn't as cringeworthy, for me, as his previous two Christmas movies. It was, of course, still unrealistic, over-the-top, and even a bit bizarre at moments (I mean, come on, it's a Mario movie, it has to be a bit outrageous and unbelievable), but it was also cute and upbeat and fun. Jana Kramer definitely helped give things a better tone. The movie didn't have lots of warm Christmas fuzzy feels and, in fact, could have been based in any season of the year. The thing that made it fun was all the music and dance; the ending dance sequence is great. Fun for a one-time watch or to watch while you're multitasking. Not a keeper for me. Family friendly." ~~Jane
The 12 Days of Christmas Eve - November 26, 2022
🎄 "The 12 days of Christmas Eve was really fun!" –Maria
🎄 "The 12 Days of Christmas Eve was ok for a one time watch. Felt like a rushed version of Scrooge. I have always liked Kelsey Grammer but just never really got into it." ~JoCo
🎄 "The 12 Days of Christmas Eve. Cute, fun, well-acted. A mix of Groundhog Day meets A Christmas Carol meets Santa. No romance, just one man, previously driven by making money, but now trying to find purpose in life and re-build relationships with family and co-workers and neighbors after Santa grants him 12 more chances/days to get it right (he dies each day if he can't figure out the meaning to life). It wasn't perfect (obviously, the whole premise of Santa granting life is ridiculous - well, duh!) but I enjoyed it and thought it was a lot of fun (and funny!) and it even brought a tear to my eye at one point. Family friendly (main character dies each day for 12 days since it takes him a while to learn what he's supposed to learn and each death is unique - hit by truck, fall off a roof, slips on ice, etc. - it's all handled a bit slapstick kind of like stuff in Home Alone, and, in my opinion, it's fine for kids, but just be aware that it will happen)." ~~Jane
A Christmas Spark - November 27, 2022
🎄 "A Christmas Spark" -- not family-friendly. At about 14 minutes in, we meet a middle-age lesbian couple who appear to be a large part of the storyline. ~Alicia
🎄 "A Christmas Spark. Didn’t take but about 10 min in to delete. 2 women introduced as married. I guess when you get old you take whatever role you can get. Woke movie all around. Such a contrast to A Christmas . . . Present." ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Christmas Spark isn’t family friendly. I couldn’t watch the whole thing because the storyline didn’t capture me. I was looking forward to this too as a fan of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman." ~Mary
Serving Up the Holidays - December 1, 2022
🎄 "Serving Up the Holidays" -- family-friendly. Nice for a one-time watch. :-) ~Alicia
🎄 "Serving Up the Holidays. A simple, cozy, very unrealistic, slow, sweet movie. It didn’t have the polish of movies with top celebrity actors, but it was cute in a low-key way and had some nice Christmas feels. Not a keeper for me, but good for a one-time watch. Family friendly." ~~Jane
Cloudy with a Chance of Christmas - December 2, 2022
🎄 "Cloudy with a chance of Christmas is clean and fun!" -Maria
🎄 "Cloudy With a Chance of Christmas. Not a keeper, but it was a nice enough movie, set in a warm & cozy, rustic lodge in a cute “Bavarian” Christmas town in Washington state with a beautiful mountainous backdrop. So, therefore, the setting provided some good Christmastime “feels”. At times, the movie and acting felt a bit forced or stiff or something; and the big conflict between the leads was really a flimsy excuse for a conflict so that when the leads finally get together after the conflict it feels a bit flat. It was still a cute movie and good for a one-time watch. The lead actress is Puerto Rican (in real life and in the movie) and there was a nice emphasis on the importance of getting home in time to go to Christmas Eve mass with her auntie. Family friendly." ~~Jane
A New Orleans Noel - December 3, 2022
🎄 "A New Orleans Noel" -- family-friendly, it's a fine movie for a one-time watch. Merry Christmas, everyone! ~Alicia
🎄 "A New Orleans Noel. Parts were different and refreshing, and other parts were odd or kind of disjointed. Probably worth a one-time watch - it was fun and sweet, at times, and they were a nice, big, loving family. The movie made me want to eat pralines! 😊 There’s a fun Jingle Bell Hop scavenger hunt around the city where they’re rewarded lots of jingle bell necklaces when they find the different hidden treasures; it’s a nice, clean twist on the rewarding of beads during Mardi Gras (which is oftentimes quite tawdry). There’s a young girl in the movie and I thought she was refreshing and rather unique; likewise with the free-spirited best friend character. Patti LaBelle is, of course, one-of-a-kind and I enjoyed her sweet and sassy senior romance (“I know my gumbo’s good but don’t you go falling in love with me – we haven’t had our first date, yet.”) but I wasn’t as sure about her portrayal as the family matriarch. I liked the two leads but I didn’t love them together and thought they were missing some chemistry (even though I think they’re married in real life). My dvr didn’t record properly so I’m missing the last 15 minutes; I didn’t love the movie enough to go in and re-record a later airing just to see the ending (although, if I wasn’t swamped with other things I maybe would have done so). What I saw was basically family friendly (except for some mentions of needing alcohol and a section where the lead actor is “breaking into” his grandmother’s locked safe to find her famous, secret praline recipe -- he knows it’s wrong but he’s doing it anyway because he’s “got something to prove and I never lose a bet” – it all backfires on him in a funny way, but it felt a bit tarnishing to his character." ~~Jane
Merry Textmas - December 4, 2022
🎄 "Merry Textmas. Watched 30 minutes and decided to delete and move on. I found this movie to be cute with a fun premise but also slightly annoying and inconsistent. I enjoyed the big fun family all chiming in on their Christmas group text (including the stranger they accidentally included on the thread – oops!!). It’s probably a nice movie but I just wasn’t in the mood to stick it out. The part I watched was family friendly and I think if others aren’t bothered by the little things that bothered me, then this could be a cute movie. I enjoy movies that highlight the Christmas customs and traditions of different cultures (and this year there seems to be quite a multitude of those that are focusing on Latino culture) but I would like to hear them in English and not have to read subtitles, especially since I was not watching them on a Spanish-speaking network. I don’t mind a subtitle here and there, as needed in a story, but in this one they were excessive and they were teeny-tiny print and blended into the colors on the screen, thus making it very difficult to read and follow along (and I got tired of constantly rewinding to see if I could decipher them). Another thing in this movie that bothered me was that the accents kind of come and go depending on when actors forget to lay it on heavy; I can understand the older generations having accents but the younger kids having heavy accents just didn’t make sense in this movie where they supposedly were American-born kids. Also, the lead actress was unnaturally exuberant at times and sort of melancholy at other times, leading me to believe she was new to acting (but it might just be her personal style and something I’d get used to as the movie went on??). I liked the lead actor, although it was a bit odd that his character’s parents were originally from Mexico (and speak with heavy accents) and yet he didn’t understand ANY Spanish language terms at all (huh??)." ~~Jane
Scentsational Christmas - December 8, 2022
🎄 "Scentsational Christmas is very lovely!" –Maria
🎄 "Scentsational Christmas. Warm & cozy, good for a one-time watch, not a keeper. Others will like this movie more than I did. The storyline about candle making and perfume making is unique, so kudos for that. There was also a nice mystery revolving around a historic tale of lovers lost in a snowstorm and candles bringing them together. The movie has a very cozy atmosphere with all the MANY candles and snow and old dark historic buildings and pubs of New England. But the whole thing was a bit ????? Bizarre, maybe? I don’t know, something was missing or just kind of “off”? It’s almost like they were trying to make a BBC period drama or romantic mystery but, to me, they fell short and it all ended up being a bit odd. Even the candles ended up being excessive and over-the-top. I liked the lead actor (I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him before), and Nazneen is beyond beautiful as a leading lady and I’ve liked her in other movies but I just wasn’t a fan of her in this one, her character could be uncaring and cold and her whispery/quivery/sensual voice, that I usually find nice and unique, got on my nerves after a while. Even the beautiful candles began to be overkill. And the story Nazneen tells about candles was told in a weird, sort of sensual way as she was caressing a candle and it kind of made me want to gag -> supposedly “candles are a reflection of ourselves… the wax is our body… the wick is our mind… and together they give home to the flame, which is the spark of life… and the heart is the candle’s love” -> Huh?? What kind of mumbo-jumbo drivel is that?!? Anyway, the movie felt cozy but it was a bit melodramatic and implausible. Including the fact that a professional chemist/perfumer who grew up making famous Christmas candles with her mother and grandmother had no idea what the secret ingredient/scent was for those candles. She couldn’t figure it out and it was a HUGE revelation when it finally came to her. It was bayberry. I could have told her that the minute I saw the pale green taper in her hand. Pretty much anyone who likes candles can give you a list of about five scents that are evocative of Christmas and bayberry is on the top of that list. Especially since this was a scent used centuries ago in colonial times and you can find them in any historic town or shop all over New England where this movie takes place. Not to mention, I believe the name of their centuries-old home was Bayberry Hill or something like that because bayberry grows rampantly there. Sheesh! I’m rolling my eyeballs. The movie is family friendly but I don’t think younger kids would be interested. It feels a bit sensual at one point but nothing too much. Also, Nazneen downs multiple strong drinks at the cozy pub owned by her friend and the next scene we see her driving her car, so that’s not good. But other than that, it’s family friendly and I think people who are less critical than me will enjoy the movie simply because it has a cozy, candlelight feeling and ultimately a sweet, albeit melodramatic, romantic ending." ~~Jane
A Recipe for Joy - December 9, 2022
🎄 "A Recipe for Joy (aka Christmas a la Carte). Couldn't quite make it all the way through this one. I think others will like it more than I did. I found the lead actress's character to be quite unlikeable and somewhat bratty; the lead actor was okay. There was something just a bit "off" for me in this one and I'm not sure if it was the script or the acting. Quite often details just didn't fit from one scene to another. For instance, a big deal was made about going out tomorrow to get a tree for the restaurant and, yet, we had just watched a scene from the day before where they already got a tree for the restaurant. So, little details like that were distracting. This wasn't a keeper for me but I think it might be worth a try for others?" ~~Jane
🎄 "A Recipe for Joy – The characters all seemed very nice and the movie is completely wholesome and family-friendly, however I’m with Jane’s review 100% on this one… it was hard to make it through this Christmas movie. Carly Hayes (Erin Agostino) wants to host her own TV show, but first she must have an exclusive interview with Chef Grant Quinn (Dillon Casey). Carly’s boss wants the story to be a tell-all sort of expose, but Carly is uncomfortable with that and does the interview her own way. Grant is stubborn about doing press and gives Carly basically nothing without pushback until he needs financial backing and relents to the interview since it will benefit him. The best part about the movie is Grant’s adorable daughter, Tess (played by Maya Misaljevic). She is a natural, delightful young actress, and I hope to see her in more movie projects. In fact, she also starred with Erin Agostino and Cory Lee (who is also in A Recipe for Joy) in the UPtv movie, A Christmas Masquerade. In the end, A Recipe for Joy has a happy ending, but (inserting a little restaurant humor here) it’s not a dish I’d order again." ~Net
Kirk Franklin’s The Night Before Christmas - December 10, 2022
🎄 "Really enjoyed The Night before Christmas!" –Maria
Single and Ready to Jingle - December 11, 2022
🎄 "Destination Christmas (Also Titled: Single and Ready to Jingle) is not family friendly. His sister and her wife featured throughout." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Single and Ready to Jingle is NOT family friendly. A woman introduces another woman as her wife." ~Anonymous
Record Breaking Christmas - December 15, 2022
🎄 "Record Breaking Christmas is clean, great fun!" -Maria
🎄 "Record Breaking Christmas. It’s probably a cute movie but I just couldn’t make it past the first 30 minutes of silliness and some combination of poor acting/directing/script. Family friendly up until I hit delete." ~~Jane
A Christmas to Treasure - December 16, 2022
(Please note: This movie includes a same-sex couple; I'm not promoting this movie due to it's content.)
The Holiday Dating Guide - December 17, 2022
🎄 "The Holiday Dating Guide. I rather liked this one. Borderline keeper until I need room on the dvr. Family friendly (the lead actress's bff/roommate is probably gay but there is nothing inappropriate said/done)." ~~Jane
Wrapped Up in Love - December 18, 2022
🎄 "Wrapped Up in Love. Cute, sweet, traditional movie. At first I was going to delete because the lead actress was TOO bubbly and perfect and the lead actor was a bit too cold, but I kept going and quite enjoyed it. Nothing unique, and perhaps not the best chemistry between the leads, but it was comforting to watch a "traditional" sappy Christmas movie with some warm decorations and a nice family feeling. Good for a one-time watch. Family friendly." ~~Jane
🎄 "WRAPPED UP IN LOVE Family friendly. I don’t know if the title portrays the storyline at all, but this was an enjoyable movie. Probably for a one time watch. It was a cute movie. If I can nitpick… the character of the female lead was just a bit much, wanting to be a self proclaimed “Christmas Queen”. I do like Brittany Bristow and Olivier Renaud individually, especially Brittany, but I wished their chemistry together was a bit more." ~CH Mom
🌟Freeform / Disney + (Streaming) / ABC:
The Santa Clause episodes - December, 2022:
The Santa Clause movie was on my streaming service via Freeform. I watched it and here is my take. Tim Allen’s Santa Clause has some subtle Disney wokeness. It is interesting that the elves are now in the 14-16 year range. This opens up the opportunity to say lines really not needed for kids. Lines are thrown in to suggest it’s okay to act and say certain things. At the end of the day, it is up to each parent to decide what is appropriate for their children to watch. I would watch the first two in the series. -Gabe’s Mom
🌟CBS:
Fit for Christmas - December 4, 2022
🎄 "Fit for Christmas – This movie was such a sweet surprise! I thoroughly enjoyed this lighthearted Christmas story from CBS! Amanda Kloots was delightful as the lead actress and fitness instructor, Audrey, and Paul Greene was charming as her opposite, Griffin. They both played off each other well; there was a definite spark on screen between them. The dialogue was warm and friendly; just like their small town of Mistletoe, Montana. There were several recognizable, familiar faces from Hallmark movies. The script was familiar, yet fresh, with Audrey and her friends attempting to save the recreational center and various small town businesses from going bankrupt. Of course, Paul Greene’s character, Griffin, works for the Sky Ridge Ski Resort, the big corporate business who is trying to shut their businesses down. Overall, the movie was very wholesome. My only caution is some of the workout wear was tight and showed some midriff. Other than that, the movie was very sweet and likable – my entire family enjoyed it!" ~Net
🎄 "Fit For Christmas’ Review: Amanda Kloots Should Star in More Movies Fit For Christmas is family friendly about recognizing one’s gifts and using them to inspire others. Sure, a town like Mistletoe is a holiday cliche (in the best way), but preserving every corner of it instead of demolishing it is entirely due to the people who live there. It’s about using one’s platform and voice to spread the type of good news that’ll help people thrive. And, considering we can’t even get gingerbread lattes at chain coffee shops anymore, I’d do anything to keep the local coffee shop that sells them afloat. The plot is one of the more tired, worn-out holiday tropes, but the screenplay and performances make every moment feel right and believable. The only thing that doesn’t work is the ex-boyfriend’s involvement. But that might be a “me thing” if we examine this closely. Still, the film works entirely because of Kloots’ spirit, and that’s something that we need to harp on. She’s the undeniable star of the film, and as an actual fitness instructor, she makes the career path believable, and her passion makes it feel genuinely motivational. While the bits with Audrey’s ex-boyfriend were a whole lot of meh, the corporate, seemingly big bad grinch, I mean Griffin, sweeping in to steal the Christmas aficionado’s heart is a trope that might never get old. Paul Greene has been around in the holiday game for a long time, but never has his character been more delightful than when acting alongside Kloots’ Audrey. Once it became clear that Griffin’s vision wasn’t entirely malicious, it became easier to root for them as a pair. Simultaneously, his choices to try out everything in this town while looking at Audrey like she invented Christmas made for the kind of swoony moments we all long for this time of year. At the end of the day, Fit For Christmas is about understanding the perils of heartache and how they thrust a person forward when leading with love. Both Audrey and Griffin lost their mothers, choosing to work in such a way that honored them while their grief shaped them into the person they are." ~Anonymous
Must Love Christmas - December 11, 2022
🎄 "Must Love Christmas – Two men, Nick and Lucas, are friends of the leading actors, and were in a relationship. This was a skip for me." ~Net
🎄 "Must Love Christmas is not family friendly. A renowned romance novelist named Natalie Wolfe unexpectedly becomes involved in a love triangle with her childhood crush named Caleb & a reporter named Nick. A renowned romance novelist (Liza Lapira of The Equalizer) famous for her Christmas-themed books finds herself snowbound in the charming town of Cranberry Falls. There, she unexpectedly becomes involved in a love triangle with her childhood crush (Nathan Witte) and a reporter (Neal Bledsoe) determined to interview her to save his dying magazine." ~Anonymous
When Christmas Was Young - December 18, 2022
🎄 "When Christmas was Young was very nice (and clean!)." –Maria
🎄 "When Christmas was Young is family friendly about a headstrong music manager naked Luke in desperate need of a hit song for his last remaining client finds himself falling for a gifted singer-songwriter with abandoned dreams of making it big, as he attempts to secure the rights to a Christmas song she wrote years ago. A music manager named Lucas in desperate need of a hit song for his last remaining client, who finds himself falling for a gifted singer-songwriter named Molly Douglass with abandoned dreams of making it big, as he attempts to secure the rights to a Christmas song she wrote years ago. In desperate need of a hit song, a headstrong music manager finds himself falling for a gifted singer-writer who abandoned her dreams of making it big." ~Anonymous
🌟NBC:
Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas
🌟the CW:
The Waltons' Thanksgiving - November 20, 2022
🌟ION:
The Case of the Christmas Diamond - November 20, 2022
🎄 "The Case of the Christmas Diamond is family friendly mystery movie. Blue collar, Andy is a little nervous but thrilled when she is invited to her rich friend's estate for Christmas, but when the family matriarch's multi-million-dollar gem suddenly goes missing she finds herself accused of the theft. With the help of a famous mystery writer, Andy must find the real culprit amid the litany of wealthy guests all of whom have their knives out for her. Blue-Collar Andy finds herself accused of theft when a multimillion-dollar gem suddenly goes missing from her rich friend’s estate. With the help of a famous mystery writer, Andy must find the real culprit amid the litany of wealthy guests" ~Anonymous
🎄 "The Case of the Christmas Diamond is family friendly mystery movie about Blue collar Andy is a little nervous but thrilled when she is invited to her rich friend’s estate for Christmas. But when the family matriarch’s multi-million-dollar gem suddenly goes missing, she finds herself accused of the theft and at the center of the investigation led by Detective Billings. (Review may contain SPOILERS) With the help of a famous mystery writer, Andy must find the real culprit amid all the wealthy guests all of whom have it out for her. Blue-collar Andy finds herself accused of theft when a multimillion-dollar gem suddenly goes missing from her rich friend’s estate. With the help of a famous mystery writer named Jackie Evenson, Andy must find the real culprit amid the litany of wealthy guests. Jackie plays the role as Detective from Whodunnit Game hands 2 envelope on the pillow with cards: The Theft & The Prowler while Andy is sleeping & took a shower. Andy is being sidekick to Jackie. Andy can solve the case by using cards from Whodunnit Game. Detective Billings arrives in the afternoon at Kenilworth Estate with the guests & Andy plays the role as Deputy Detective. Jackie - The Detective Olivia - The Innocent Liam - The Gambler Harper - The Liar Margaret - The Lover Amelia - The Schemer Raphael - The Thief Lenora - The Opportunist Bridgette - The Harlot Gary - The Cheater The Prowler Gary runs toward the hall when the polices after him. Detective Billings & Polices handcuff Lenora & Gary. Andy knows Jackie sent her cards oh The Thief & The Prowler. Jackie wants to write mystery books with Andy. The Case of the Christmas Diamond by Jackie Evenson & Candace “Andy” Kayne. Andy drinks Kenilworth Spiced Ale with cinnamon stick. Liam hands Andy an album. Andy & Liam kids under the mistletoe" ~Anonymous
🎄 "Finally got around to watching the 2 ION movies I've had on the DVR for a while, and here's my reviews: THE CASE OF THE CHRISTMAS DIAMOND: I very much enjoyed this one, very intriguing." ~Maria
Dognapped: Hound for the Holidays - November 27, 2022
🎄 "Dognapped: Hound for the Holidays is family friendly about when an egotistical social media influencer named Victoria Frost’s dog named Tiny is dognapped, her long-suffering assistant named Emily teams up with charming local veterinarian named Jonathan to find puppy before Christmas. As two investigate suspects, they form a romantic bond along the way Tiny is Victoria Frost’s new rescue dog." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Dognapped: Hound for the Holidays. One part early in movie is not family friendly. I deleted the movie so I don't know about the rest of it. The main actress is on a phone call with her mother about coming home for Christmas and bringing a friend to stay. The mother says "[She] can stay in your sister's old room, she can't come home this year because she's headed to Florida with her new girlfriend to meet her family". Main actress says "Ah! It must be serious.". And the mother says "Finally!! And are you seeing anyone special?" ~~Jane
The Search for Secret Santa - December 4, 2022
🎄 "The Search for Secret Santa is not family friendly about Cub reporter named Sofia/Sophia thinks she’s found a Christmas story that will save Christmas story that will save her career when she discovers a long lost, gift addressed to B. to Claire. Tony & Abigail reunited. Sophia’s best friends named Nancy & Laura to their honeymoon in Austria to honor the Prince & Finn the commoner to take historical nutcracker. Jackson hands Sophia a nutcracker" ~Anonymous
🎄 "THE SEARCH FOR SECRET SANTA is family friendly about Cub reporter Sofia thinks she's found a Christmas story that will save her career when she discovers a long-lost, undelivered Secret Santa gift... from "B. to Claire." But the mystery gets even juicer when she learns that the item - a priceless Fabergé egg - was in fact stolen years ago. With the help of a handsome & shady art dealer, she sets off on a dangerous, romantic quest to match the Secret Santas and catch the thieves." ~Anonymous
🎄 "The Search for Secret Santa. Not family friendly. Such a shame because this was a cute and cozy movie with good lead actors and a fun Nutcracker mystery up until the one-hour mark. As the mystery is unfolding, we then hear a detailed story on how there was a royal prince back in the late 1800’s in a small European country and he was the only one left to carry on the royal line. But Peter “was not the marrying kind”. Twenty-four-year-old “Peter loved Finn, a male commoner” and he showered Finn with gifts and Finn took some of the gems and made a gold and precious-gem-encrusted nutcracker as a gift for Peter. The king found out about their relationship and separated the two and banished Finn, and young, heartsick Peter died of a heart attack and the valuable nutcracker became cursed forevermore. After being told this secret tale the lead actress says, “it’s 100 years later and we’re still struggling to accept people for who they are and who they love”. That’s when I was about to hit delete but I decided to fast forward through the movie to see if I could confirm a suspicion I’d had since the beginning of the movie. And, sure enough, at the end of the movie we find out that the lead actress's two best girl friends are actually lesbian lovers and about to get married and go on a honeymoon. Ugh. This makes two Ion movies that I’ve tried to watch that were not family friendly so I’m thinking I’ll not watch anymore Ion movies?" ~~Jane
🎄 "The Search for Secret Claus Unfortunately I don’t see that coming until end of the movie in fact, Sophia’s best friends named Nancy & Laura ahead to their honeymoon in Austria to take historical nutcracker to honor Prince & Finn the commoner. I thought this family friendly but isn’t . Unless Sophia lectures nutcracker until see above until others asking Sophia about Tony & Abigail - Abigail shows up & sees Sophia so, Sophia walks toward Abigail until she calls out Tony, Abigail says Tony & Tony says Twirly, Abigail’s nickname. Jonathan carves heart (Jonathan & Sophia), Jonathan hands handmade nutcracker to Sophia Jonathan & Sophia need to avoid the thieves who want nutcracker named Justin Hawkins & Simon with eye patch just before cops come so, Jonathan asking Simon where’s his Sister in somewhere in the theater 🎭" ~Anonymous
🎄 "The Search for Secret Claus is not family friendly" ~ Anonymous
🎄 "The Search for Santa Claus is not family friendly when I found out at the end of the movie about 45 mins. Sophia lectures the audience by saying her best friends named Laura & Nancy are about to get married & ahead to their honeymoon to take historical nutcracker in Austria 🇦🇹 to honor the Prince & Finn the commoner" ~Anonymous
🎄 "THE SEARCH FOR SECRET SANTA WAS WONDERFUL BUT NOT REALLY CHRISTMASSY BUT IT WAS A GREAT MOVIE" ~Anonymous
A Prince and Pauper Christmas - December 11, 2022
🎄 "A PRINCE AND PAUPER CHRISTMAS: Loved this one!! Plus it's also clean." –Maria
🎄 "THE PRINCE AND THE PULPER , IM SORRY BUT I COULDN'T WATCH IT. VERY DISAPPOINTED. I LOVE SOME OF THE OTHER PRINCE MOVIES THOUGH, THEY ARE SO GREAT!!" ~ Anonymous
🌟Bounce TV:
Faith Heist: A Christmas Caper - November 26, 2022
🌟BYUtv:
Christmas with Felicity - December 1, 2022
🎄 "Thanks for the info. Net. I actually now have a list of 120 (yes, really) Christmas movies to watch this year (most will actually be watched in 2023) so thankfully these won't add to it as I've seen them all already, even Hudson where the hero is a widower. The heroine in Christmas With Felicity was a bit annoying at first but she improved as the movie progressed. As far as I can remember, they're all family-friendly and they're pretty solid Rom.Coms worth a watch. A Cape Cod Christmas was probably my favourite" - Florence
🎄 "Christmas with Felicity – This family-friendly movie isn’t really unique or spectacular, but it’s simple and sweet, an enjoyable watch. I liked that most of the movie took place in the small fictional town of Aspen Grove. Felicity’s bakery has failed in Chicago, so she returns home to her family and starts baking there. Her niece helps her build an online shop, and James, a local farmer, shares his booth with her at the Christmas fair. As Felicity settles into life in Aspen Grove at Christmastime, she is torn between two men, her ex from Chicago and James, who is such a nice guy, who is helpful and kind, and I couldn’t help from noticing, he smiles all the time. This lighthearted movie has a happy ending and leaves you feeling good inside." ~Net
A Cape Cod Christmas - December 2, 2022
🎄 "A Cape Cod Christmas aired last year on another channel...it was a very quiet/calm movie...much like Love Stories in Sunflower Valley. No bad language, two kisses, mention of someone having a reputation (cleared up later in story), mention of bringing wine to dinner (for those concerned about this), use of the word magic. Regarding the story, the "requisite" misunderstanding is dealt with almost immediately, which I happen to appreciate. Also, the tender love story is unrushed and is amplified by quiet flashbacks. Main character possibly lies to cover up lack of progress in work, which is disappointing. Extra points for mentioning the book Anne of Green Gables and L.M. Montgomery! On the whole, to be recommended." ~Anonymous
🎄 "A Cape Cod Christmas – This was such a lighthearted, feel-good, VERY Family-Friendly movie. I enjoyed the beauty of the Cape Cod setting… the water, lighthouse, beaches! So pretty! The story centers around a young woman, Margot, who is a children’s book author and revisits her family home on Cape Cod. Her siblings want to sell their late-parent’s home, but Margot has second-thoughts as she decorates the home again for one last Christmas and runs into her childhood friend, Christian. The romantic connection between Margot and Christian is very natural and sweet. Loved the flashbacks to their childhood days and the mention that Anne of Green Gables was Margot's favorite book growing up and why she became a writer of children's books. Overall, this is such a delightful, enjoyable story, an ideal romantic-comedy for all ages." ~Net
A Christmas Wish in Hudson - December 8, 2022
🎄 "A Christmas Wish in Hudson was really good." -Maria
🎄 "A Christmas Wish in Hudson – This movie was family-friendly, but some of the acting was rather stiff and amateurish. A single woman travels to another town at Christmastime, leaving her sister, to meet a man she feels attracted to on TV. If that wasn’t odd and creepy enough, there were other women also visiting the town trying to get his attention, as well. The story was rather cheesy, at times, and I didn’t feel much chemistry between the leads. Not a keeper for me." ~Net
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🌟CMT / Paramount Network:
🎄 "A Nashville Country Christmas – Yikes, Y’all! This movie was something else. The first 10 minutes or so is a total hot mess. There is some language and I wasn’t pleased with the way the name of Jesus was used. Tanka Tucker portrays Josie, a country music star who has it all, except love. Her agent and other cronies are trying to make Josie into something she isn’t. Josie wants a Christmas special that is simple and actually about the birth of Jesus, but her agent makes it clear they won’t be going in that direction. The back-up dancers are dressed in skimpy clothing, men are shirtless and women wear button-down shirts and short-shorts. When Josie takes off in her car (about 5-10 minutes into the film) to leave that lifestyle behind, the story vastly improves and I was drawn in as Josie returns to her grandmother’s old home in the country and finds three orphaned children living there – unbeknownst to anyone. From there, the story is fairly wholesome, minus a little language, one or two words – used within the next hour and a half. That part of the movie was such a heartwarming story; I so enjoyed seeing Josie connect with the children that I almost forgave that horrible first 10 minutes, until the ending came. There is an outdoor concert in the last 5 minutes and out of nowhere one guy sits down next to another and they give each other the eye, if you know what I mean? The song changes and they are dancing around with one another. These are side characters that didn’t have much to do with the story. I fast-forwarded to the end, which was a nice, sweet ending, but it was already ruined by this woke addition. It’s too bad they had to ruin what could’ve been a nice story. I must recommend skipping this movie." ~Net
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🌟Discovery + (Streaming) and HGTV:
A Christmas Open House - December 7, 2022
🎄 "A Christmas Open House. On HGTV. Not family friendly. When I get the chance, I’ve enjoyed watching Home Town with Ben & Erin Napier on HGTV over the years. I thought their new Christmas movie would probably be sweet with a nice, decorative, attention to detail. But I couldn’t make it past the first five minutes. The movie starts at a beautiful outdoor wedding where we find out the lead actress has temporarily acted as a wedding planner but will soon be going back to her real gig as a home stager. We meet her friend, James, who says “I’d get married again, if I knew my reception would look this good.” And then he calls “Hey, sweetie” to his husband who comes over and we see just how in love they are, blah blah blah… social credit scores for HGTV… delete for me!!" ~~Jane
Designing Christmas - December 14, 2022
🎄 "Designing Christmas is family friendly about If having to work under a tight filming schedule wasn’t enough, the feelings between Pablo & Stella become harder to deny. This turns everything upside down. Speaking of flipping, Hilary Farr of Love It or List It is along for the ride as Stella’s mentor Freddy. New feelings may threaten everything between co-hosts of a home renovation show during the holidays." ~Anonymous
🎄 "Designing Christmas is family friendly about Stella Murphy & Pablo Belmonte have been co-hosts of the renovation show “House Sweet Home” for six years, entertaining viewers with their sharp banter and often opposing styles, while thrilling homeowners with stunning transformations. But their latest makeover hits a lot closer to home…and this time it’s personal. After many successful seasons, “House Sweet Home” could be on the brink of cancellation as ratings have fallen. Everything is riding on the all-important Christmas episode…when the prospective homeowner suddenly backs out. With no time to find another option—and over Stella’s strong protestations—Pablo & their show’s producer, Zoe, decide on a new plan of action: they will renovate the house on which Stella just closed escrow: a Victorian home in Lexington, Virginia, that was built by her great-great grandparents in 1910. Adding to the draw, Stella’s fiancé, Jack suggests they combine the reveal with their own onsite wedding…live on Christmas Eve. With only a few weeks to transform the early-20th-century house that, in the early 21st century, has essentially gone to ruin, not to mention plan a wedding, Stella knows she needs reinforcements. She enlists her friend and mentor, Frederica “Freddy” Greene, who is not only an expert on historic homes but also shares Stella’s design aesthetic, which clashes with Pablo’s. Stella wants to restore the once-beautiful house, where she has so many happy childhood memories. Pablo, whose standard approach is summed up in his nickname, “The Sledgehammer,” wants to take down walls and paint or replace…well…everything. However, as the two work closely together & uncover hidden truths, about the house & each other, the foundation of their relationship begins to shift. And what began as another renovation project just might become a labor of love." ~Anonymous
🌟DVD / Fox Nation Streaming:
Christmas in Wolf Creek
🎄 "Christmas in Wolf Creek - Christmas in Wolf Creek – I recently had the opportuity to screen this movie and wanted to share a review with all of you. First of all, this film is family-friendly, a wonderful sequel to its original film, Love in Wolf Creek. All of the main beloved characters returned for the second movie, including actor Tim Rozon (Christmas Town), as rancher, Austin Spencer, and actress Nola Martin, as Samantha (Sam) Gavin, who manages the local animal refuge center in Wolf Creek. Samantha’s social media savvy sister, Sunny Gavin, portrayed by Madeline Leon (A Christmas Recipe for Romance), also returned for this film, along with Mary Long (A Veteran’s Christmas, Christmas Next Door), who portrays Austin’s quick-witted grandmother, Marianna Spencer. I must say - Mary Long is always a joy to watch; she's a highlight to me – in any movie she’s in. In the first film, Sam (Samantha) and Austin teamed up to find an injured wolf, but in this Christmas-themed sequel, the two are paired up once again to find a missing reindeer, which is needed for the annual Christmas play. The main conflict in Christmas in Wolf Creek arises when Austin and Samantha can’t decide which step to take next with their long-distance relationship. There is also some friction while Sam is on the hunt for the reindeer, and her sister, Sunny, is left in charge of the Christmas play with the local children, who show little interest in participating. Actor Ish Morris (Feeling Butterflies) plays Terry Jones, the antagonist, a Scrooge-like character throughout the film, who threatens to call off the Christmas play if his reindeer is not returned unharmed in time for the event. Overall, this sequel is an enjoyable watch, a delightful follow-up to the original film. The chemistry between Samantha and Austin is very strong, even when they are at odds. And it was fun to watch Sunny attempt to direct the traditional Christmas play, Twas the Night Before Christmas – with Mariana’s help and a new twist. Like the original, Christmas in Wolf Creek is filled with heartwarming moments, romantic tension, some lighthearted comedy, and more suspenseful, thrilling adventure. If you enjoyed Love in Wolf Creek, you will definitely want to return for the holiday season and watch Christmas in Wolf Creek." ~Net
Christmas at the Rockwell
🎄 "Christmas at the Rockwell – This movie came out on DVD at Christmastime and streamed via Fox Nation. It is family-friendly and takes place in the small town of Rockwell. Stephen Huszar, who you will likely recognize from Hallmark and UPtv movies (including A Homecoming for the Holidays and Christmas in the Rockies), stars in this movie alongside Trish Stratus (Christmas in the Rockies and a former WWE professional wrestler). Trish portrays the famous Alyssa Strader, who was a child actress in the popular Christmas movie, Holly’s Puppy Christmas, turned mega-star as an adult, and still managed by her own controlling, stage-mother, Jenny, portrayed by Sherry Miller (Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Vows We Have Made, Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe, etc…) Alyssa returns to her hometown of Rockwell, hoping to get away from all of the pressures of her Hollywood lifestyle. Jake (Stephen Huszar) runs the local theater, which is struggling financially, with his mother. It’s their hope that the 25th Anniversary of Holly’s Puppy Christmas will bring back viewers to the theater once again and save their business. Jake kindly asks Alyssa to attend their special screening of the film, but she just wants a peaceful Christmas out of the limelight. The chemistry between Alyssa and Jake is very sweet; they have a special connection from the past. The misunderstanding they have near the end, however, is a bit annoying, but I figured it was inevitable. Also, I could never understand why Jake let his mother continue to choose depressing foreign films to play at their theater. No wonder they couldn’t bring in any customers. It was obvious no one wanted to see the movies she was choosing. Besides that, I enjoyed the storyline and sweet flashbacks to the past. Overall, Christmas at the Rockwell is lighthearted and wholesome. For us, it was a nice afternoon watch." ~Net
🎄 "Christmas in Rockwell. (FoxNation subscription Christmas movie.) (Very mild spoilers ahead.) Average movie that had its cute parts and cheesy parts and sweet parts and tired/overdone parts and funny parts and, overall, was good for a one-time watch. I see that Net already gave a good description of the story; I’ll just add that this movie loosely borrows a storyline from a Julia Roberts movie called Notting Hill and it even copies a famous romantic line from that movie -- “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy. . . ” (fyi, I would say Notting Hill is not clean for family audiences even though rated pg-13). In this Rockwell movie, Trish, the lead actress, had way too much heavy makeup on and she appeared rather “hard” or weathered which just accentuated the fact that she’s ten years older than Stephen Huszar in real life. However, she has a very sweet smile and facial expressions and gentle voice and she won me over with how she portrayed her character (I just wish they would’ve toned down all the harsh makeup and let her personality shine through). I was less impressed with Stephen’s character, who felt a little backward to me (something was off, it felt like he was trying to fit into a character that wasn’t a good fit for him; he was supposed to be about 38 years old but something about his character didn’t feel like a mature adult, to me), and his acting was too melodramatic in this movie and his lines were way cheesier than Trish’s. (I’ve liked him, and his characters, much better in other movies like Return to Christmas Creek, Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas, and A Homecoming for the Holidays.) That being said, there were still some good scenes between the two actors in this movie that were sweet. Some of them revolving around Trish’s character trying to re-experience a “real” Christmas for the first time in like twenty years -- she has a very, very long list of Christmas activities she wants to experience and it’s sweet that she wants to attempt to do all those many things that she remembers from her childhood spent in this small town. So, in conclusion, I wouldn’t recommend paying money for the dvd but if they run it on UPtv or something next year, it might be worth a one-time watch. Family friendly." ~~Jane
Country Roads Christmas
🎄 "Country Roads Christmas. (FoxNation subscription Christmas movie.) Beautiful singing, especially ‘O Holy Night’; the lead actress has a beautiful voice and I actually thought her “father” was singing but it turns out they had seamlessly dubbed in a professional singer and it sounded great. The movie had a few odd, disjointed and cheesy bits that didn’t fit or make sense but, overall, it was nice for a one-time watch. It wasn’t overly Christmassy. And the romance was backseat to the family reuniting storyline. Also, it’s another one of those movies where the female initiates first kiss and declaration of love; ugh. I wouldn’t recommend buying the dvd but if they play it on UPtv next year, it would be okay for a one-time watch (if only for the music). Family friendly." ~~Jane
🎄 "Country Roads Christmas – This movie was a nice addition to the Christmas movies available to stream through Fox Nation. My subscription with them was about to run out, so I decided to give this movie a watch before it was gone. Overall, the movie is family friendly, about a grown-up daughter, Skye, who loses her job and becomes her father’s (Harris) road manager. Harris is a well-known country singer whose been singing on the road for many years; he left his wife and daughter years ago, so there are old emotional wounds that need healing. I loved hearing them sing the John Denver classic, “Country Roads,” and Skye sings beautifully throughout the movie. She was played by Lanie McAuley, who you may remember from Chesapeake Shores, The Song to my Heart, or Write Before Christmas. It was also nice to see Lauren Holly (The Town That Came A-Courtin', Call Me Mrs. Miracle, A Country Wedding) portray Skye’s mother and the wife Harris had left years ago. Along the road, there is forgiveness, redemption, and love… so it’s definitely worth the trip!" ~Net
Christmas at the Greenbrier
🎄 "Christmas at the Greenbrier. (FoxNation subscription Christmas movie.) Very cute. Not as good as last year’s “Christmas in the Pines” but I quite enjoyed it and would watch again next season. It was a quite predictable holiday movie but there were also a few things that were refreshingly different for this type movie. Best parts were: the Greenbrier setting itself (the outdoor shots were beautiful and I want to go research the history of the place and book a vacation – I’m sure that’s exactly the response they were hoping for!); the lead actress and her bff were great together (I will look for them in other movies); and the actress that plays the grandmother was quite good. The lead actor was good but a bit stiff. And the kid who played the son was a cute actor but his character was written to be a little too unbelievably perfect. All in all, a nice movie to watch with the family (includes young kids learning to play football and doing holiday crafts, etc.). Of this year’s FoxNation Christmas movies, I thought this one was the best." ~~Jane
🎄 "Christmas at the Greenbrier – This movie is a Fox Nation original film. It is family friendly and sweet and follows a familiar Christmas movie theme. A young widowed mother, Abby, lives and works at the Greenbrier luxury resort in her hometown in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, while raising her son, Carter. Her ex, Ben, who is a famous football player, returns home to visit family during the holidays. Abby is hesitant to get close to Ben again, but her son, Carter, instantly idolizes him and invites Ben to join their family during various holiday events at the Greenbrier, which of course, ignites a spark between Abby and Ben again. This is a sweet movie that all ages can enjoy. I loved seeing actor, Robert Shepherd, portray Abby’s father. You may recognize him from the hearing aid commercial for Hearing Assist. He’s the one who says, “What?” when his son says “I love you, dad.” And then he quickly adds, “I heard you the first time; I just wanted to hear it again.” I just love that commercial; it always makes me feel warm and fuzzy. Much like the commercial, Christmas at the Greenbrier is a lighthearted, sweet and simple movie that leaves you feeling hopeful and good inside." ~Net
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Stay tuned...
I will be updating this post above, from time to time, as reviews from our wonderful *It's a Wonderful Movie" family & friends come in!
Thank you once again to EVERYONE above who has contributed, so far, into making this movie review post a success.
HOW TO SHARE A REVIEW:
If YOU want to share an opinion/review on any movie premiering this year, simply leave a response in comments anywhere on this site. I'll be sure to share your review in this post above with others. If possible, please don't include spoilers, or just give a spoilers warning if you need to. Also, if you want to give an Anonymous review, that is fine, but it's also nice if you give us your initials, a nickname, etc... It goes without saying, but please, also be kind and thoughtful in your reviews. It's possible one of the actors or actresses involved may see your comment.
Again, THANK YOU ALL! I truly look forward to hearing your take on the upcoming Christmas movies!
God Bless Us, Everyone! Net
