UPDATE: 2024 Great American Family Christmas Movies With Jill Wagner, Jesse Hutch, Danica McKellar, Mario Lopez, Rhiannon Fish And More 🌟 SEE HERE:

Jill Wagner and Jesse Hutch - screengrab via Great American Family promo

Christmas in July began last night on Great American Family, and I wanted to share some updates (see below) that I noticed while watching throughout the evening. 

The network has a new promo highlighting their 2024 Christmas films, along with the talent that will star in the movies, including Danica McKellar, Jill Wagner, Jesse Hutch, Candace Cameron Bure, Cameron Mathison, Jillian Murray, Trevor Donovan, Mario Lopez, Alexa and Carlos PenaVega, and more!

You may have also noticed some updates in various promos that aired during the commercial breaks, so please let me know if I missed anything.

Danica McKellar and Oliver Rice - screengrab via Great American Family promo

Four Christmas Movie Titles have changed:


*A Royal Christmas Ball, starring Danica McKellar and Oliver Rice, is now...

A Cinderella Christmas Ball

*My Grown Up Christmas Wish, starring Mario Lopez & Courtney Lopez, is now...

Once Upon a Christmas Wish

*A Prince In Paradise 2: A Royal Proposal, starring Rhiannon Fish and Mitchell Bourke, is now...

A Christmas Castle Proposal

*Aurora Christmas, starring Jill Wagner, Jesse Hutch, Lauren Holly & Bruce Boxleitner, is now...

Sleigh Bells and Sugarplums

Also, Great American Family posted at the bottom of the TV screen the official return of their new movies coming weekly with this statement, "Original Movie Premieres Every Saturday Night Beginning July 27 8/7c."

Stay tuned for more details, and if you happen to catch something on Great American Family or the Hallmark Channel during their Christmas in July event, please feel free to share in the comments below.

If you are looking for my typical weekend post with new and classic movie alerts, *click here*.

Have a Blessed Weekend!

Net

☀️ Hallmark Announces AUGUST 2024 Movie Schedule with 5 NEW Summer Nights Movies and 2 Mysteries ☀️ SEE HERE:

Summer Nights are coming on the Hallmark Channel in August with FIVE all-new movie premieres. Plus, TWO movies are set to premiere this August on Hallmark Mystery.

See all of the details below...


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Hallmark Channel Premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT:

Junebug

Premiere Date: Saturday, August 3, 2024

Starring: Autumn Reeser and Aaron O’Connell

Storyline: When an eight-year-old version of herself starts appearing to her, Juniper (Reeser) begins to realize that her life is not what she had hoped it would be as a child. Young Junebug pushes Juniper to achieve her dreams, to start writing again, and to collaborate with the cute artist Alex (O’Connell) that she recently met to get her life back on track.

Movie Reviews:

☀️ I did watch most of Junebug (still a little left to finish) but I am loving it! Clean, funny, heartfelt. It might be one of my favorites. –LR

☀️ Review: Junebug -
Family-friendly? Yes -
Recommend? Yes -

I think your appreciation of this movie depends on how you approach it. If you think that the younger version of Juniper actually appears to her, and that only she can see her, then the movie borders on the supernatural, and I would not recommend it. But if you think that seeing her younger version is all in her mind - the approach I am taking - then, yes, I recommend it. I like the movie's message: think about how you were as your younger self - more carefree - and remember the things you said and did, and your life might be better if you act that way again.

Also, fantastic acting. Autumn Reeser has always been one of my favorites, and she does her usual wonderful job here. Aaron O'Connell is also good (although I think my favorite of his will always be 12 Gifts of Christmas). But the standout is the actress who plays the younger Juniper (Junebug) - she is simply fantastic with her range of emotions! So yes, I recommend this one...with the right frame of mind. ~Mark 25

☀️ Awww, Junebug is sooo adorable! -Maria

☀️ Junebug - My hubby and I really thought 'Junebug' was a super-sweet movie. We wanted to adopt the little girl! :-) She was seriously adorable. And, Autumn just glowed. Plus, I thought she and Aaron had great chemistry and a nice easy rapport. And, oh my, there was a lot of kissing! Her best friend since childhood was funny. All in all, a fun movie night! We would watch it again. ~Joan

☀️ **UPDATE on Junebug-I finished it and still loved it, until the very last scene. It's easy to miss but I would suggest parents stop a second early. It's the end of her birthday party, and the coffee barista, who concerned me the whole movie but there was nothing until the end, it shows her dancing with a woman from Juniper's office. If I re-watch with kids, I'm going to stop when the scene begins to fad out at the very end. –LR

☀️ Junebug - Different, but had similarities to a Christmas movie I like called “If You Believe” with Ally Walker and a young Hayden Panettier. Ally is also a book editor that’s visited by a younger version of herself. ~JoCo

☀️ Junebug - I loved this movie! Autumn and Aaron were great together. Young Juniper was as cute as ... a June bug. Totally family friendly. Sweet movie. ~Namegirl



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My Dreams of You

Premiere Date: Saturday, August 10, 2024

Starring: Skyler Samuels and Kapil Talwalkar

Storyline: Grace (Samuels) has recurring dreams about a handsome stranger named Michael (Talwalkar) due to a mix-up in Dream Central. When they finally meet in person, Grace is shocked to learn he has no idea who she is.

Movie Reviews:

☀️ Dreams of You has elements of Inside Out. It took a little bit for me to get into it. I was satisfied by the end. ~ dstoutholcomb

☀️ My Dreams of You is fantastic!! -Maria

☀️ On another note: we did watch 'My Dreams of You' last night. It wasn't award winning but it had a different storyline and I enjoyed the acting for the most part. I liked the lead actress and the young Asian girl. She was adorable! I also liked the woman who played the sister. I thought the couple had decent chemistry and they were talented dancers. I know we had to 'suspend reality' in some places but overall it was a sweet movie. I needed something to lift my spirits and this movie did just that. ~Joan



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A COSTA RICAN WEDDING

Premiere Date: Saturday, August 17, 2024

Starring: Rhiannon Fish and Christopher Russell

Storyline: A clumsy maid of honor (Fish) gets help from her handsome nemesis (Russell) when things go awry at her best friend’s Costa Rican wedding.

Movie Reviews:

☀️ A Costa Rican Wedding has a mention of a gay couple. The couple is never shown, but they are confirmed to be in the background.

Terribly disappointing. –Maria

☀️ I watched A Costa Rican Wedding online and I would skip it. Horrible acting and storyline. IMO
Misty

☀️ So, I went ahead and watched A Costa Rican Wedding.

I’ll give a fuller review later, but I just wanted to give a little detail to the mention of the same sex couple in the movie.

Near the end of the movie Ryan (Christopher Russell) and Emily (Rhiannon Fish) visit Ryan’s friend, Camille. Emily is jealous of her until Ryan says Camille has a girlfriend and if he had a relationship like theirs he’d be a lucky man.

Otherwise, the movie is rather fun but exhausting, too, in the search for Emily’s missing backpack.~Net

☀️ Additional thoughts on A Costa Rican Wedding…

For me, the movie had cute moments and extremely annoying moments, too. I found it to be absolutely ridiculous that anyone would let a person like Emily, who is extremely accident prone and irresponsible with other’s belongings, to be THE person the bride chooses to bring her very precious wedding rings to their destination wedding.

Anyway, the rings get lost, of course, and the search for them was rather long and exhausting, but some of it also made me chuckle and laugh-out-loud.

As I mentioned in my previous review, there is a mention of a same-sex couple. Due to this, I won’t be watching this again. I feel they are trying to slip in little things like this so we become desensitized.

Small SPOILER: In the end, the officiant could not make it on the wedding day due to a mix-up on days, so Emily fixed it by going online and getting herself ordained. Personally, I prefer a preacher marrying a couple as I believe marriage is a holy, sacred covenant before God.

Overall, this movie was a one-time watch for me. Net

☀️ I didn't like it, but the location was gorgeous!
Misty

☀️ A Costa Rican Wedding was cute, different storyline with the monkeys and missing bag. No the actors weren’t the best, but honestly they just reminded me of the Reel One movies….one time watch for me. And the comment about the lesbian couple didn’t bother me, as long as it wasn’t shoved in my face with a couple kissing or actually having a storyline.~Paula

☀️ Costa Rican Wedding-I struggled with this one, just wasn't my taste. I've been watching some older Hallmark (hall of fame type) dramas and other solid Christian films lately so I think I just wasn't in the mood for something without depth. I'm sure others will enjoy. I didn't even get to the part about the couple, I just got bored with it and as you said Net it was exhausting looking for the backpack! _LR

☀️ Christopher Russell is hit and miss - sometimes he's great sometimes awful. A Costa Rican Wedding was a pretty daft movie but his performance in it was quite good - Florence



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THE MAGIC OF LEMON DROPS

Premiere Date: Saturday, August 24, 2024

Starring: Lyndsy Fonseca and Ian Harding

Storyline: When Lolly’s (Fonseca) Aunt gives her three magical lemon drops, she gets to experience what her life would have been like if she had made different choices and lived those unfulfilled dreams.

Movie Reviews:

☀️ The Magic of Lemon Drops is.... Incredible! -Maria

☀️ The movie was really good but the book was definitely better. You get to see more of how their relationship developed when they were younger. Melissa

☀️ Review: The Magic of Lemon Drops -
Family-friendly? Yes -
Recommend? Yes -

Imho, nobody show the expression of amazement or bewilderment better than Lyndsy Fonseca. And she puts it to full use here, in this really enjoyable movie!

The plot, involving magic lemon drop, is ridiculous, but it is meant to be. What I appreciated was how they took this plot and drove home a serious message: that better life that you think you would have had if you had done things differently, might have had some unwelcome consequences, so maybe your life isn't so bad after all!

The acting in this movie is top notch throughout. Lyndsy and Ian Harding play totally believable characters (and don't they make a good-looking couple?). The supporting cast is great, and the movie itself is a wonderful mix of seriousness and humor (with some wonderful one-liners by Lyndsy). Play along with the plot and enjoy this movie! ~Mark 25

☀️ SPOILER ALERT:

The Magic of Lemon Drops was definitely family-friendly, and the acting was excellent. However, whether it was the screenplay or the directing, it definitely had some misses for me. For example, Rory walks into The Eatery for some good German food, the dad takes his order and goes off to make it, and then Lolly walks in, talks for a minute to Rory, and they both just walk out to go somewhere else. What about his food??! And then when she explores the alternate realities, her loved ones aren't anywhere near as perplexed as they should be by what she doesn't seem to know - like her dad being dead, or the restaurant being closed. And on a sillier note, when the dog "knocks her over" at the outdoor market, she pretty much has to throw herself over the cooler to fall to the ground. Despite all of that, I would still say it's one of the better Hallmark offerings these days. ~Sharon

☀️ Maria, Mark25 and Sharon, I am in full agreement with you all. I enjoyed 'The Magic of Lemon Drops' so much! Yes, you had to 'suspend reality' but honestly I did not mind because that movie brought me so much joy! Yes, there were tears as well but just as much laughter. Her eccentric aunt was a hoot. Her friend was adorable. Her parents were also good. Her little sister, got on my nerves at times, but that was realistic, speaking from experience as I am the oldest in my family. :-) And, I absolutely loved Lyndsy and Ian together. They were magic! And they looked so great on camera. They are so gorgeous. Plus, it warmed my heart, seeing Ian again because he was love interest in my favorite Christmas movie from 2023 'Ghosts of Christmas Always'.

Anyway, I did like that in all three 'alternate paths' Lolly's life was not perfect. There was both good and bad which is how real life is. And, I have to say I believe I would have jumped at the chance to see how my life would have played out if I had chosen a different path. I won't spoil it, for those who haven't seen the movie, but there is one 'alternate path' that touched me the most because someone I loved dearly left me a long time ago and I know in my heart I would jump at the chance to spend one more day with her.

I am so happy to see there were others who would recommend and enjoyed this lovely movie. I plan on adding it to my collection when it is available. ~Joan

☀️ Just jumping in to add to the positive reviews for the Magic of Lemon Drops! I have to say, I was totally pleasantly surprised by this movie. And while I gravitate towards Christian and deeper themes, it was SO refreshing to watch this sweet, familiy oriented movie. And the bit of caution I had that it could be mystical or strange (I usually don't like fantasy types), I can't get over how well done it was! Honestly, it was such a good story and I really loved the actress Lyndsy Fonseca. She was new to me and I thought she was excellent! This movie really lifted me and was just what I needed! I'd re-watch, which I rarely say! ~LR




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HEAD OVER HEELS

Premiere Date: Saturday, August 31, 2024

Starring: Rebecca Dalton and Olivier Renaud

Storyline: A suburban girl at heart, Addison (Dalton), is off to prove herself in the world of high-end fashion footwear when she lands a life-changing internship at an Upper East Side studio leading up to the star-studded New York Fashion Week. Addison is determined to hold onto her integrity and her family values while struggling to balance it all and forge a path to success and romance, although she may fall head over heels while trying to make her dreams come true.

Movie Reviews:

Head over Heels is clean and fantastic! -Maria

Anyway, not to be negative but "Head Over Heels" was terrible. I could not get through even half of the movie. Tired retread of "Devil Wears Prada" is what I thought as I was watching it. ~Joan



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Hallmark Mystery Premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT:

JAZZ RAMSEY: A K-9 MYSTERY

Premiere Date: Friday, August 2, 2024

Starring: Rachel Skarsten and Corey Sevier

Storyline: When Jazz Ramsey (Skarsten) and her crime detection dog Zeus stumble upon an old crime scene, the K-9 trainer, her star pup, and ex-boyfriend and lead detective Nick (Sevier) are thrown into the investigation.

Movie Review:

🌟 Jazz Ramsey: A K-9 Mystery was in my opinion is not that great. I was expecting a "Hudson & Rex" kind of story, but the dog is hardly in the movie. I had trouble staying awake till the end. ~Joyce in Carolina


🌟 The new mystery was so boring! No chemistry between the two leads who were supposed to have history. Not believable. There were too many plot holes that I don't even want to go in to. Did not finish the movie. ~Joan


🌟 Jazz Ramsey: A K-9 Mystery – While I enjoyed seeing Rachel Skarsten and Corey Sevier paired together again, the mystery portion of this movie just didn’t capture me.

Like Joyce mentioned, I, too, wanted the K-9 dog to be incorporated more into the story and mystery, as they were trying to discover who-dun-it.

The funny thing is, the day before I watched this; I watched Hudson & Rex, which for anyone who doesn’t know, is another mystery revolved around a K-9 dog officer. The funny part was- the episode I watched just so happened to have the exact same woman in the cast who in the “Jazz Ramsey Mystery” played the suspicious new principal/former student of the victim. I thought that was really interesting timing.

Anyway, if they do another "Jazz Ramsey: A K-9 Mystery," I’ll bite (get the pun?), but I hope they will have the dog, Zeus, more involved in clue-seeking and hopefully, the mystery will be more interesting.

Overall, this is a cozy, wholesome mystery. ~Net




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NELLY KNOWS MYSTERIES: A FATAL ENGAGEMENT

Previous Titles: Engaged to be Murdered, Nelly Knows Mysteries

Premiere Date: Friday, August 23, 2024

Starring: Pascale Hutton and Kavan Smith

Storyline: When an unusual handwritten letter arrives at Nelly’s (Hutton) office, she identifies the handwriting as belonging to her childhood friend Dahlia (Sarah Grey, The Secret Lives of College Freshman), claiming her boyfriend Blake (Julian Haig, Dial S for Santa) is being unfaithful. Determined to help, Nelly wants some answers and rushes to Blake’s home only to find his dead body. When Dahlia becomes the prime suspect, the new, handsome Detective in town, Michael Hogan (Smith) must work with Nelly to prove that her childhood friend is not the killer everyone believes her to be.

Movie Reviews:

🔎 Nelly Knows Mysteries was fabulous! Family friendly! It was fun and a good mystery. I loved the characters. I highly recommend watching it :) ~Rosie

🔎 Nelly Knows Mystery: A Fatal Engagement Review…SPOILER AT THE BOTTOM ONLY

I had high hopes for this one because this is my favorite couple of all time!! Still is. The movie felt very rushed to me, and Nelly was a fun character as I knew she would, but thought she would be better if she were a little calmer. I know they put some Rosemary in her, but I watched some WCTH last night and she was more relaxed. Kavan was great like usual. He was his same easy going self. I still enjoy watching Pascale and Kavan together, they both had their same WCTH personalities, hand motions and expressions that I kept catching. That was fun!! It was family friendly as well. I can see this being a great show, if Nelly can get rid of some hyperness. They definitely have that perfect chemistry.

Oh, and her clothing was really cute, fresh and modest. I appreciated that.

But the ending with the killer saddened me, turning on your spouse like that. Marriage is sacred. I do wish it ended differently because of that.~Abigail

🔎 Abigail, I agree with you on the ending of "Nelly Knows Mystery". But, I almost threw something, at the TV, at the end of the movie. The killer was unexpected and disturbing. :-( I too, adore Kavan and Pascale. But, this movie was a one-time watch for me. I loved Pascale's outfits. She looked beautiful. However, her character got on my nerves, about half-way through the movie. And, honestly, can't the writers come up with a new angle for their new mystery series? ~Joan

🔎 I watched Nelly Knows Mysteries and it was a one time watch for me. I love the mysteries on Hallmark Mystery channel, they are my favorite to watch. But this just seemed silly to me, almost like a parody of an Aurora Teagarden movie. I have never watched When Calls The Heart, so I haven’t seen Pascale Hutton act in many films to know if this is her normal acting, but man this was difficult to watch. She was so erratic and immature and just all over the place. That behavior combined with the choice of music (which was reminiscent of Picture Perfect Mysteries with Carlos and Alexa PenaVega) just didn’t feel like the mysteries I love from Hallmark. I know that she was meant to be “nosey” but it was just over the top and comical at times. ~Paula

🔎 Nelly Knows Mysteries was really cute. Paschal and Kavan seemed to be playing Rosemary and Lee in a modern setting. At one point, I even thought she called him Lee! (My daughter said I heard wrong.) For some, that may be a negative, but I loved it. You can't deny the chemistry between them. The mystery also kept me guessing until the very end. Best of all, it was family friendly to watch with my 13-year-old daughter. ~melnewlife

🔎 We loved Nelly Knows Mysteries! The kids thought it was fun to see Rosemary and Lee from When Calls the Heart solving this mystery. It was fast paced enough to keep everyone interested. Christie

🔎 Nelly Knows Mysteries – I thought this movie was a breath of fresh air! The combination of Pascale Hutton and Kavan Smith was, as always, such a delight, and I personally loved Pascale’s perky portrayal of busy-body, nosy Nelly!

Initially, I must say, Nelly reminds me of someone on a sugar high, and I couldn’t help from thinking Whoa, Nelly, but as time goes by she seems to mellow some.

The more serious, thoughtful interactions between Nelly and Detective Michael Hogan (Kavan Smith) later in the story at the diner are some of my favorite scenes, when they both share a little of their backstory. Michael asks Nelly “What makes you so relentlessly happy?” Surprised by the question, Nelly responds by sharing a past love story that doesn’t end happily, but Nelly eventually responds, “I guess… I just… choose not to be sad.” I thought that was a profoundly honest statement, a beautiful moment in their early friendship. It truly touched my heart. We all have difficult times and situations in our lives, and even though we can’t control those things, we can control our response and choose to be happy. Overall, the mystery portion was intriguing and kept me guessing for some time. Personally, I found only a few members of the town to be endearing, as the rest seemed very suspicious. So, I hope if they continue this series, they will add some more likable characters to the community.

“Nelly Knows” is a cozy mystery, suitable for tweens and up. There is a kitten, too, in the story that is purrfectly darling! ~Net



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Whether it's a rom-com or a mystery, I hope you all find something to look forward to watching in August!

I think it will be fun to see Pascale Hutton and Kavan Smith team up in a new mystery since I already adore them as Rosemary and Lee on When Calls the Heart. It should be interesting. I also like their previous romantic-comedy movies together: The Perfect Bride, The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells, and You Had Me at Aloha.

And the other movie that has caught my eye, my private eye (ha!), is the new mystery, JAZZ RAMSEY: A K-9 MYSTERY! What actually sparks my interest the most are the two actors starring in this series: Rachel Skarsten and Corey Sevier! The two also starred together as pre-teens/teenagers in the family TV Series, Little Men, which is based on the Novel by Louisa May Alcott. The series ran for two seasons from 1998-1999 on the PAX TV network. I highly recommend this series for family viewing. For anyone who already knows this series, I think it will be great fun to see Rachel Skarsten and Corey Sevier act together again - as grown-ups, who will likely be romantic interests.

Corey Sevier and Rachel Skarsten from "Little Men." 

Please share your thoughts on these new movies in comments below.

Happy movie-watching,

Net