The Christmas Contract - a Lifetime Christmas Movie Premiere starring Hilarie Burton!

MOVIE REVIEW

Movie: The Christmas Contract

Network: Lifetime

Original Air Date: November 22, 2018

image: Lifetime, via EW .com

image: Lifetime

CAST:

Hilarie Burton ... Jolie
Danneel Ackles ... Naomi
Bruce Boxleitner
Cheryl Ladd
Jordan Ladd
Jason London
Robert Buckley ... Jack
Tyler Hilton
Teri Wyble ... Amy
Antwon Tanner
Susan Gallagher ... Meredith
Hunter Burke
Ritchie Montgomery
Presley Richardson ... Maxie
Kaleb Naquin ... Gingerbread Shopper
John C. Coffman ... Lawyer
Ken Knight ... Photographer
Jeanne Pugh ... Lawyer


PLOT:

Storyline via Lifetime: It’s Jolie’s (Hilarie Burton) first time going back home to Louisiana since her devastating break up with Foster (Hunter Burke). Seeing him is inevitable as their parents run the town’s annual Christmas Market together, but when she discovers Foster is bringing home a new girlfriend, Jolie cannot bear the thought of going home alone and seeing them together. Her best friend Naomi (Danneel Ackles) suggests that Jolie bring her flaky brother, Jack (Robert Buckley), home for Christmas as he has no plans this year. Jolie, a professional web designer, is hesitant; so, Naomi, a lawyer, creates a Christmas contract to give them both something they want—a buffer for those awkward moments around Jolie’s ex and a website to help sell Jack’s upcoming novel. Unbeknownst to them, the Christmas contract proves to be so much more than what they signed up for.


Movie Review:

Coming...


See or Skip:

Coming...


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*images via: Lifetime

The Lamp

MOVIE REVIEW


The Lamp

Network: INSP

Original Air Date: February 4, 2012



CAST:

Jason London ... Stanley
Meredith Salenger ... Lisa Walters
L. Scott Caldwell ... Miss Esther
Cameron Ten Napel ... Josh
Muse Watson ... Sam
Sarah Brown ... Deb
Doug Bauer ... Mr. Singleton
Katie Burgess ... Rachel
Darrell Alan Cole ... Cody
Georgia Cole ... Alex
Anita Cordell ... Mrs. Singleton
Louis Gossett Jr. ... Charles Montgomery III
Ben Lux ... Ronny Martin
Greyson Moore ... Eddy Walters
Bo Morris ... Umpire

PLOT:

If you could have anything you wanted, what would YOU wish for?

Suffering from the loss of his only child, Stanley has secluded himself in a dark and lonely place. Sullen and without hope, he continues to hide from and neglect those he loves despite their attempts to reach out to him.

In what seems to be the final days of their already strained marriage, his wife Lisa is presented with a strange gift; an old oil lamp from a far off land. Along with the lamp comes a mysterious messenger and a question that causes them to search the depths of their hearts for what's truly important in life...

Movie Review:

Coming...


See or Skip:

Coming...



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All Roads Lead Home - Movie Review

MOVIE REVIEW


All Roads Lead Home

Release Date: January 13, 2009

Rated: PG


CAST:

Peter Coyote ... Hock Banyon
Jason London ... Cody
Peter Boyle ... Poovey
Vivien Cardone ... Belle Lawlor
Patton Oswalt ... Milo
Vanessa Branch ... Lillian Cole
Evan Parke ... Basham
April Bowlby ... Natasha
Walter Coppage ... Dennison
Allan Kayser ... Tobius
Bruce Heinrich ... Satch
Hank Rector ... Preacher at funeral

PLOT:

All Roads lead Home is an award-winning drama for the entire family that will make you laugh and cry. Bell (Vivien Cardone), an animal loving 12 year old, becomes sullen and withdrawn after her mother s death in an automobile accident. Rebelling against her father (Jason London), she is sent to live at the horse ranch of her gruff maternal grandfather (Peter Coyote). With the help of the animals, Belle s work on the farm transforms the entire family. Life and death take on new meaning as the family makes some tough choices involving compassion, trust, and letting go of the past in order to find hope in the future.

Movie Review:

Although, the Cast in this movie was great - the Movie, itself, was not.

This was Peter Boyle's (Frank, from Everybody Loves Raymond) last movie before passing away in December of 2006.

The movie is rated PG, but I do not think it is a great movie for young viewers- due to violence. First of all, there's an intense car crash scene. The little girl's mother is killed. Later, she blames her father for pulling the plug too soon and giving up hope at the Hospital. He explains to her that he decided to hang on to her longer, but now regrets it. I thought this was strange and horrible. What if she had come back to them in that time?

There is also violence shown to animals. It is believed that a dog is in a bag that is tossed in the river under a bridge. A dog bites a man on the farm and instead of the authorities taking the dog in - the grandfather decides they'll take care of it, in other words kill, or rather, put the dog down themselves... and they are all so proud of the little girl for deciding to do this herself. The vet talks her through it and how to give the dog the lethal injection. I couldn't believe it... this is horrible - to make a little girl kill her favorite pet - how cruel and odd!

I was hoping this would be a cute family, farm, and horse movie. It was filmed, for the most part, in the country - but the story centered mostly around dogs and the odd relationship of the grandfather, who mistreated animals, with his granddaughter, who loved animals, and the son-in-law, who works for animal control, and his love interest, a local vet, who was having trouble tracking down why a lot of her dog patients were suddenly dying.

It was such a sad movie - until right at the very end - when they fixed up Poovey's (played by Peter Boyle) old hotel and turn it into an Animal Rescue Shelter.

See or Skip:

I must suggest skipping this one.

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A Golden Christmas

MOVIE REVIEW

A Golden Christmas

Previously Titled: The Holiday House

Original Premiere Date: December 13, 2009

Network: ION


CAST:

Andrea Roth ... Jessica
Alley Mills ... Katherine
Jason London ... Mitch
Nicholas Brendon ... Michael
Bruce Davison ... Rod
Elisa Donovan ... Anna
Sam Cohen ... Young Michael Beal
Chastity Dotson ... Jill
Kali Majors ... Young Jessica Wright
Robert Seay ... Chet
Eli Jane ... Tina - Chets Wife
Melody Hollis ... Madeline Beal
William Myers ... Townsperson
Elsa Morales Myers ... Townsperson
Daniel Zykov ... Henry

PLOT:

One summer a long time ago, a little girl and a little boy were brought together by a very special dog. They played all summer long, it was puppy love. Then the summer ended and they never saw each other again until…years later when her parents (Davison and Mills) retire and decide to sell their house. Jessica (Roth), recently widowed, decides she needs to start over and moves back home with her son. She hopes to buy the old house as a Christmas surprise, however, her plan goes awry when she discovers that her parents have already sold it. What she does not know is that the house has been sold to the very same person that she spent that magical summer with years ago.


Movie Review:

A Fun Family Movie where the "Prodigal" Daughter finally returns home after many, many years and decides that since her parents are moving to Florida... she wants to buy the Family Home. There is ONE problem, however - It's SOLD!

It's an adventure in itself - to see Jessica try to get her family house back when she learns that the Buyer must, according to the contract, sell his home first.

Andrea Roth, who plays Jessica Wright, is such a joy to watch- she's a great actress... very pretty and witty... aunthentic to her character. She brings a realistic quality to the story. It was such fun to watch as she and Michael (Nicholas Brendon) antagonize one another over who owns the house. There was definite Chemistry between these two... which made it a great Romantic Christmas Comedy!

I also loved the addition of Elisa Donovan (Lifetime's - Eve's Christmas), who played Anna, Jessica's sister. She is such a pretty and great actress, as well. I just love the way she talks and giggles - she always adds such terrific expression to her face and her lines. She's a scene stealer! And, Jason London, (Hallmark Channel's - The Wishing Well) played her husband - how cute is that! Great Casting ION! Plus, the Mom from "The Wonder Years", Alley Mills, played the Mother!

It was such a cute movie... to see Jessica & Michael finally realize that they were the little boy and girl who met nearby there in the woods many years ago as children to play together & pledge that they would be Best Friends Forever - was very sweet!



See or Skip:

See... cute Christmas Movie!


*A Golden Christmas is Available on DVD!