MOVIE REVIEW
Matchmaker Santa
Network: Hallmark Channel
Original Air Date: November 17, 2012
*See My Movie Review of Matchmaker Santa below!
CAST:
Lacey Chabert ... Melanie Hogan
Adam Mayfield ... Dean Ford
Donovan Scott ... Chris (Santa)
John Ratzenberger ... George Graves
Florence Henderson ... Peggy Montgomery / Pegasus
Lin Shaye ... Debbie
Thad Luckinbill ... Justin Green / Greene
Elizabeth Ann Bennett ... Blaire Tisdale
Nikki Hahn ... Young Melanie - Lead
Mary-Margaret Humes ... Katherine Greene
Nick Kiriazis ... Bill Hogan
Robert Pine ... Jack Tisdale
Victoria Gabrielle Platt ... Donna
Carter Sand ... Nicky
PLOT:
from Hallmark:
Excited about meeting her upscale and slightly intimidating future mother-in-law, fresh faced Melanie makes the trek to her fiancé's home for Christmas. Despite the fact that Justin is a workaholic, Melanie is head over heels for him and sees a bright future for them. Melanie's best friend, thinks she's is better suited for Dean, Justin's longtime and dependable assistant. Because Justin is known to choose work over Melanie, Dean often times stands in to accompany Melanie on her "dates." With a little help from a man named Chris, Melanie and Dean end up stranded in a sleepy, little romantic town called Coventry Falls. Here, it is all about Christmas. Will Chris' magic be the key to Melanie and Dean's holiday happiness?
More details from Hallmark...
As a little girl, Melanie Hogan (Chabert) wished to find her own prince charming just like her parents found true love. Now an adult, Melanie is running her own bakery and dating a handsome CEO, Justin (Thad Luckinbill). Although things seem perfect when Justin asks Melanie to spend the holidays together at his beautiful lake house upstate - and meet his mother. Melanie finds herself spending more time with Justin's best friend and loyal assistant, Dean (Mayfield), who just might be harboring a secret crush on her. Justin secretly plans to throw a corporate Christmas party at the lake house to impress the team, using Melanie to make him look good. He flies up early to set up and relies on trusty Dean to pick Melanie up from the airport. Soon the magic of a man named Chris (Scott) - a happy guy with a resemblance to Santa determined to fulfill Melanie's childhood Christmas wish - puts the duo under his holiday spell. Melanie and Dean find themselves stranded in beautiful Buford Falls for Christmas with Chris - and without Justin, who has begun to occupy his time at the lake house with an old flame. John Ratzenberger plays George, a mechanic in town, and Florence Henderson is Peggy, the innkeeper who does her best to get Melanie and Dean together.
When Santa magically traps business assistant, Dean Ford and baker, Melodie Hogan together in a small town...
It’s more than a Delicious Treat!
“Matchmaker Santa is the Perfect Recipe for a Christmas Romance!”
From the start, this is such a sweet movie. A young Melodie is taken by the love her parents have for another – and writes a letter to Santa asking him to one day bring her a Prince Charming, like her Daddy.
Now Melodie is all grown up, and in a relationship with Justin, who is more committed to his work, then her. However, love is blind and Melodie is hoping that a special trip to meet Justin’s Mother is a sign that he is ready to purpose marriage.
Everything changes when Melodie meets Chris (Santa Claus!) who just happens to sit next to Melodie on her flight. Chris will be staying in a nearby town, Buford Falls, to play Santa there during the Christmas Season. And, unbeknownst to Melodie and Dean (Justin’s assistant), Santa will work his magic to be sure these two are stuck together in Buford Falls, too... where the delightful people in the town, (played by great well known actor and actresses: John Ratzenberger (
Cheers, The Woodcarver, What If) , Florence Henderson (
The Brady Bunch, Ladies of the House, The Christmas Bunny), and Lin Shaye (
Farewell Mr. Kringle) seem to be working a little magic, with Santa, too!
Please Note: Santa can be a little creatively naughty in his attempts to keep Melodie and Dean together. Everything he does is relatively harmless; however, he did deserve, at times, some coal in his stocking! In the end, you’ll be delighted to know... everyone is happy, and it is all works out for good!
One of the best scenes is when Melodie and Dean cut out Christmas Cookies together! As I said before....
“Matchmaker Santa is the Perfect Recipe for a Christmas Romance!”
See or Skip:
Absolutely See!
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