Holiday movies fill our hearts with joy. Between Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas, It's a Wonderful Lifetime (or Fa La La La Lifetime, if you prefer) and ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas, there are so many movies and so little time.
To help you, our friends, we have sacrificed by watching as many of these movies as possible and will give you our two cent review. Hopefully this will help you know what you do or do not want to watch.
Showing posts with label Jaded Christmas Spirit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jaded Christmas Spirit. Show all posts
Nicknamed “Miss Christmas,” the official tree finder for Chicago’s
renowned Radcliffe Tree lighting is left desperate to find the perfect
tree. A letter from a young boy promising his tree is perfect sends her
to a small town where she learns the young boy’s dad isn’t willing to
part with his tree. While sparks fly, she’ll be forced to confront what
she’s really been missing for Christmas.
Our Two Cents:
This has everything you want and expect. The Christmas fanatic meets the Scrooge, the sugar sweet love story that gets a brief dose of vinegar, and of course the “surprise” ending that you see coming a mile away.
This is the story of two unlucky people who both have negative views of Christmas. Elise
Donner (Jaime King) is the creator, founder, and co-owner of a travel
agency known as World Bright Travel Agency. He co-owner is none other
than her ex-husband, Dan (Lochlyn Munro), who switched up the Christmas
presents one year and accidentally gave her a gift meant for his car
show model mistress, Drew (Ashley Ross). Then there is Nick Derr (Luke
Macfarlane), a divorce lawyer who is up for partner at his law firm and needs a longtime
girlfriend by the end of the week in order to prove that he is a serious
family man like all the other partners before him.
The two meet at a
food court over their mutual hate for those treacherous Christmas
carolers and create a mistletoe promise guaranteed to make him partner
at his firm and give her an opportunity to get rid of the burden of her
ex and his girlfriend. The promise is intended to be solely business but
the spirit of the holidays and the amount of time spent pretending to
be in love might just be enough to actually feel something for each
other.
Our Two Cents:
So this movie was delightful enough, has everything you expect from holiday movies. As long as you realize it's one of these TV movies, (and of course, this goes for all these movies because there is always something in all of these movies that warrants a groan or a "come on" remark as you watch them), it might just end up a favorite.
Attorney Kate Jordan is sent to broker the sale of Hollygrove Inn, but
she is told that her appraiser has left because of a ghost. Sure enough,
it's not long before she meets Daniel Forsythe...a man who mysteriously
died 95 years ago. The two strike a deal if she can help him discover
the truth behind his death and why he is cursed to return to the inn for
Christmas each year, he will leave and allow Kate to finish her job. As
they work together, Kate can t help but fall for this dashing Christmas
spirit, and a romance develops that will alter the course of both their
lives.
Our Two Cents:
A little more of a drama, but it doesn't take it's self too seriously. It still has some comedic moments. too Overall this was a pretty good movie. We like this one especially because it's a bit different from the typical Christmas movies.
Personal shopper Gwen's newest
client, Charlie, is a high-rolling, workaholic, single father. When Gwen
meets his 8-year-old son, Owen, during a package drop, she is saddened
to see just how little time Charlie spends with him. Determined to get
Charlie to appreciate his family, Gwen makes it her Christmas mission to
get him into the festive spirit. As she gets closer to Charlie and
Owen, she also discovers what she wants for the holidays.
Our Two Cents:
We watched this the next day after the disappointment of 12 Gifts of Christmas. The plot summary sounded basically the same. Instantly we could tell it was FAR better than the other one. The movie was more funny, the leads had far more personality and were likable. It’s really the little things that the actors to do to either create a cardboard reading of a dull script, or a real person that you want to be friends with. We definitely wanted to be friends with Gwen.
Two New York City-bound travelers find themselves inextricably linked
when a snowstorm reroutes them to an airport hotel in Buffalo. Ever the
eternal optimist and hopeless romantic, Paige desperately needs to find a
way back home to meet her fiancee’s parents before her forthcoming
wedding. And it’s somehow up to fellow passenger Dylan MacKenzie, who is
permanently soured on romance following a recent heartbreak. Yet Dylan
somehow rises to the occasion to become Paige’s chivalrous helpmate. The
pair are joined on this misadventure by a married couple named Frank and
Maxine trying to get to Connecticut. As their madcap journey ensues,
our foursome will find plenty of surprises in store.
Our Two Cents:
We didn’t dislike this one, but did find it a bit mediocre. We were glad it wasn’t Candace Camerone Bure’s typical plot—a goal oriented work obsessed woman who gets sent to a small town and learns the true meaning of life (see Mistletoe & Moonlight, Let It Snow, Christmas Under Wraps, Finding Normal…). Fully predictable and full of your classic Christmas movie cliches, but, isn’t that the charm?
So… here’s our problem with it. The male lead had a weird personality. Weird might not be the right word, but it just didn't seem to all fit together. Half cynical, half happy-go-lucky, and has the same back story that all male leads seems to have—he got dumped in a big way. They could have had more cute moments in building the romance. It felt a bit forced at times. We might have liked Frank and Maxine's side story even more than Paige and Dylan's.
But that being said, it’s worth watching. Not the best, but CERTAINLY not the worst.
Sometimes, life just seems to hand you exactly what you need –
particularly at Christmastime. In this new yuletide tale, Riley is
scraping bottom when she miraculously lands a job with a wealthy New
York City entrepreneur. He’s a bad-boy socialite type who is poised to
play Scrooge by closing one of his factories just before Christmas,
which would devastate and entire town. It’s left to Riley to talk him
out of it and turn him into a man of virtue rather than shame. But will a
case of mistaken identity ruin the whole plan?
Our Two Cents:
Three times we tried to record this. Though the schedule said Christmas Incorporated, it played a different movie two times! But third time was the charm. And it was worth the wait. Great banter and chemistry between Riley and William.
The end was a little rushed and abrupt, but… we can forgive that. Overall, thumbs up!
Small-time con man Nick DeMarco (Barry Watson) is ordered by his parole
officer to take a minimum-wage job as a department store Santa during
the holidays...and he hates it. Near the end of his first shift, he
hastily promises a young boy, Billy (Tucker Meeks), that Santa will
bring his estranged parents back together by Christmas. When his sister
Rosemary (Melissa Joan Hart) hears this, she is livid and can't believe
he would break a little boy's heart with an empty promise. After a long
night of soul searching--and with the help of an insightful female
pastor (Wendy Williams)--Nick decides to make good on his promise to the
child, somehow.
Our Two Cents:
This movie surprised us. We actually found ourselves not quite sure how the movie was going to end, and for these TV movies, that is rare. Usually, with in the first 15 minutes, you can make a pretty accurate guess on the plot of the entire movie. But as a whole, we enjoyed this one, especially the little nod to Ocean's Eleven (in which Barry Watson played himself) in the opening scenes.
Side Note: Hate that this is the only poster for the movie--featuring minor supporting cast rather than main characters.
Dr. Lauren Brunell (Bure) has her whole life planned out. As a third
year surgery resident, she is counting on being accepted into a
prestigious hospital fellowship to follow in the footsteps of her
supportive father, Henry (Pine). But when those plans quickly fall
apart, and Lauren is put on the wait list, she must take the only other
opening available: a head doctor position in the small, remote town of
Garland, Alaska.
Convincing herself it is only temporary, Lauren moves
to Garland where she is immediately charmed by Andy (O’Donnell), a
handsome local who soon starts to show her the importance of living in
the moment and enjoying her unexpected adventure. As Lauren excels as
Garland's trusted doctor, she warms up to the friendly town. But Andy's
father, Frank (Doyle-Murray), is hiding something from her in his
top-secret shipping warehouse. Just as Lauren decides to get to the
bottom of her suspicions, she receives news that will force her to make a
life-changing decision, while knowing for certain that the Christmas
season will never be the same.
Our Two Cents:
Candace Cameron Bure is a Christmas movie regular. This one, we feel, is by far her best one yet. I don't know what else to say besides don't miss it!
With her California hometown in the rearview mirror, Belle heads north
on business to facilitate the estate sale of a mansion. While the job is
a dream, the client, Hunter Lowell, is not. But, as the two spend more
time together, his icy demeanor begins to melt. Although their
relationship is budding, Belle’s long-time suitor, Tony, arrives,
sending mixed signals to Hunter while adding chaos to the holiday
season.
Our Two Cents:
Oi. We've watched some BAD Christmas movies in our time. This one takes the cake. There are just so many things that made this movie beyond bad, but straight up AWFUL.
Let's get this out of the way: We joked in the first scene as Belle was walking through town greeting passersby (Bonjour! Bonjour! Bonjour Bonjour Bonjour!). Wait, what? This really IS a Beauty and the Beast? Yes. And that could have worked if done right, but... it wasn't done right and it surely didn't work. (Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!--Sorry. I couldn't resist.)
There's ultra poor writing and character development. Hunter's back story is
not nearly strong enough to make him the Beast. And then in the blink of an eye, he just became nice. And then... he became a completely gullible pansy (but he doesn't believe anything Belle tells him, just believes the saboteur...).
There's the acting. It was bad.
There's the cheesy filler shots, many of which were too long, and definitely repeated. (Ok. We get it. Hunter goes running through the vineyard every morning.)
There's the music. The CONSTANT dramatic (but not necessarily fitting the tone of the scene), way too loud music. When I say constant I every single second of the movie has music. It's enough to make you want to rip your hair out.
Have we convinced you yet? Stay away. Stay FAR away. Unless you are some kind of masochist... Or if you need to punish your children. You were warned.
Jaded rock star Dax (Drew Lachey) is found by New York paparazzi passed out in his car with a frozen holiday turkey in the passenger seat. In order to repair his tarnished image, Dax publicly agrees to grant a fan’s “Dear Santa” Christmas wish. To his dismay, his manager Jason drops Dax off in Cedar Grove, a Midwest small town, where he’s committed to spend a week and perform in a local holiday Christmas concert.
At first, Dax is horrified to be stuck in the Reverend Harding family’s home with strict rules and a curfew. In spite of himself, he soon becomes charmed by the Reverend’s wife Lynne, and very surprised contest winner and daughter Kelly (Mackenzie Porter), a sassy, unemployed book jacket writer.
Between the family’s backyard collection of llamas, quirky Christmas traditions and their overall kindness, Dax starts to appreciate what the Hardings have as a family – love, caring and an uplifting holiday spirit.
Our Two Cents:
We literally just finished watching this movie. We heard about it a while back though suggestions on Amazon, and have been watching for it to come on TV, so when it started a bit rough, we were a little worried. But after the first few scenes it started improving dramatically and we ended up loving it!
When Falcon Resorts acquires family-owned Snow Valley Lodge from
retiring owners Karla (Gabrielle Rose) and Paul (Dan Willmott), driven
executive Stephanie Beck (Candace Cameron Bure) must spend the week
before Christmas in Maine preparing a proposal on the property's
renovations. Determined to impress Falcon's president, her detached
father Ted (Alan Thicke), Stephanie reluctantly departs her warm Arizona
home to immerse herself in the lodge's property and decide how to
change it to fit the hip, young Falcon brand. While preparing to rebuild
the Snow Valley Lodge from the ground up, Stephanie butts heads with
her property guide, Brady Lewis (Jesse Hutch), Karla and Paul's son, who
has decided to leave his family's business over creative differences
with his dad.
A self-defined Grinch, Stephanie begins her stay at Snow Valley
Lodge immune to Christmas sentiment. But as the lodge's festive
traditions provide the Christmas Stephanie never had growing up with her
distant father, Stephanie finds herself enjoying every minute. To
complicate her professional duties even further, the combative feelings
she felt toward Brady turn into romantic ones. With Stephanie's newfound
Christmas spirit and unexpected holiday romance, she begins to question
Falcon's overhaul. As her Christmas Eve deadline approaches, she's
faced with a decision: should she transform the lodge into a new winter
hot spot or embrace tradition and let it snow?
Our Two Cents:
Besides being mildly offended/disappointed with their not-quite-how-we-do-it Feast of the Seven Fishes, we found this one pleasantly enjoyable. And if you feel tempted to mimick the Swedish tradition on the night of the Feast of St. Thomas to dream of your future spouse, we won't judge.
Melody, a high powered corporate workaholic for a retail conglomerate, is
happy to spend the holidays jet-setting with her girlfriends. However,
she's in for an unpleasant surprise when her boss sends her to her
sleepy hometown to convince the reluctant townspeople to allow them to
build a new discount store. Now, forced to reconnect with her family and
her childhood sweetheart Carter, her task is not so simple, as all are
vehemently opposed to everything Melody's company stands for. Desperate
to get out of town and back to her real life, Melody takes a spill and
wakes up in an alternate universe where she never left home and is
married to Carter! Once determined to leave her small town life behind,
Melody must make sense of her new life and decide if you truly can go
home again.
Our Two Cents:
Another silver screen rip off--this one is like The Family Man. There are a few things about this movie that leave us shaking our heads, inwardly saying "really?" to the TV. But it has some really good moments too. We like it for the good moments, and it's just a teensy bit a guilty pleasure for the bad ones.
Busy career woman Elise MacReynolds (Sarah Lancaster) has no time or
desire to take part in Christmas festivities. However, a few twists of
fate land Elise in the middle of her worst nightmare: unemployed, newly
single, and running her family's Christmas tree lot for the dreaded
holiday season. As the de facto representative of her family's business,
Elise must navigate a contentious relationship with the lot's new
landlord, Gary Dixon (Colin Mochrie), who thinks the MacReynolds' lot is
hurting his business and wants them gone...fast. But, things are
looking a little brighter as the newly single Elise has a budding
relationship with Darren (Eric Johnson), one of her customers.
It doesn't take long for Elise to begin to embrace the Christmas
spirit. But when her landlord discovers a way to shut down the lot right
before Christmas, Elise must use her newly found holiday spirit, her
business savvy, and help from her new friends. Will she pull off a
Christmas miracle?
Our Two Cents:
While we liked this one, for some reason though, it's not as memorable for us. It's pretty standard fare for a TV Christmas movie. The most memorable thing about this movie might just be its invention of the word "mistletotally," which was both awkward and awesome.
Note: This is also known as Oh Christmas Tree.
Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★ • Acting ★★★★★ • Chemistry ★★★★★ • Overall ★★★★★
Links: IMDB • Buy DVD on Amazon • Official Site
Trailer:
Have you seen Fir Crazy? Tell us what you thought of it!
Newly widowed Kathy (Kellie Martin) plans to skip out on decking the
halls and trimming the tree this Christmas, trying to avoid anything
that will bring back memories of her late husband. The only Christmas
tradition she will observe is baking cookies for her friends, a passion
since she was a child. When Kathy meets handsome Christmas tree shop
owner Tim (Cameron Mathison), their undeniable chemistry - along with an
ornament Tim gives her that symbolizes hope - helps Kathy open up to
the joys of the season again. With the support of her best friend Jenna
(Jewel Staite), and the budding relationship with Tim, Kathy begins to
embrace the hopeful message of the ornament.
Although Kathy wants to take a chance on Tim, she struggles to
find the balance between preserving the memory of her husband and moving
on with her own future. Is the Christmas ornament a sign that she can
have a hopeful future?
(Summary from Hallmark)
Our Two Cents:
The Christmas Ornament is jam packed with holiday movie cliches (you know them well: the Christmas baker, holiday retail store/ Christmas tree lot owner, ice skating, the widow with painful Christmas memories) but it somehow manages to pull it all together into a pretty darn cute movie with a really sweet story.
Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★ • Acting ★★★★★ • Chemistry ★★★★★ • Overall ★★★★★
Links: IMDB • Buy DVD on Amazon • Official Site
Trailer:
Have you seen The Christmas Ornament? Tell us what you thought of it!
When Boston lawyer Mary Ross (Emily Rose) inherits a house in
Plymouth from her late aunt, she has no idea she may have inherited a
historical treasure. Mary's initial desire to sell the house is
supported by her slick boyfriend, Rick (Adam Kaufman), but she is
shocked to discover local historian Everett Mather (Justin Bruening) has
evidence that her house is located on the site of the first
Thanksgiving! With the house turning into an unexpected tourist
attraction, putting Mary in the media spotlight at the prying of
unscrupulous gossip blogger Ashleigh Mulligan (Cerina Vincent), Everett
tries to prove his theory and Mary tries to prove anything that will
keep the house in her hands. Suddenly, Mary clings to the house as an
artifact of her own history before her happy childhood memories were
tarnished by her father's abandonment.
Ultimately, Mary must decide if it is more important to preserve
the house’s historical ties or make it the site of many happy
Thanksgivings to come. What will she choose?
Our Two Cents:
While this isn't really a CHRISTMAS movie, per se, it still has all the great nuances that you love, as you can see by the labels below. So this is why we like The Thanksgiving House. First, it's nice to give Thanksgiving it's own movie. Second, it has a sweet love story which is why we watch these movies, right? And third, it has a great message about family.
As a child, Michael Walker wished every day could be Christmas. That is,
until a tragic accident crushed his holiday spirit. Thirty years later,
Michael still can't muster any joy for the holidays, despite
encouragement from his playful wife and well-intentioned parents.
This year just before the holidays, Michael and his wife Susan, are getting desperate to find a house before they need to move out of their now sold home. One day while taking a bide ride, he find a gorgeous home for sale in a beautiful neighborhood. Knowing such a home would be out of his price range he has no intention of stopping, but the man on the porch insists he looks at the house. As they talk, the man can learns the quality of Michael's character, and though the house is worth far more, he offers a price that is in Michael's budget. Before they know it, Michael and Susan move in to their new beautiful. That's when the welcoming begins. Everyday a new neighbor with a new Christmas carol along with a gift of Christmas decorations. Because in this famous Austin neighborhood, everyone decorates for Christmas, and their house is most famous for it's annual decorations. Michael, however, refuses to give in.
But
when his young son faces a tragedy, and begins on the same path as Michael all those years ago, will Michael find his Christmas spirit for the sake of his son?
Our Two Cents:
We are big fans of Harry Connick Jr. (When My Heart Finds Christmas, anyone?) so we were excited to watch this one. There are lots of classic country music cameos and music (Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Kris Kristofferson and more). (The soundtrack was fabulous! I had Christmastime is Here Again stuck in my head for weeks!) But music aside, the story was really sweet, and Harry and all the cast were great. Be prepared, this one is a bit of a tear jerker.
Ratings:
Storyline/Writing ★★★★★ • Acting ★★★★★ • Chemistry ★★★★★ • Overall ★★★★★
Links: IMDB • Buy DVD on Amazon • Official Site
Trailer:
Have you seen Angels Sing? Tell us what you thought of it!
After being fired from her high-powered job, Rebecca heads back home to
see her mom, Shirley, and attend her friends small-town wedding on
Christmas Eve. Initially convinced that the trip is a terrible mistake,
especially her botched romantic conversation with former beau, Chad,
Rebecca soon learns that, indeed, you can go home again, and, again--until you get it right.
Our Two Cents:
Yikes. I mean, I can appreciate a good guilty pleasure like the next girl, but this movie was a chore to get through. The main character's transformation was erratic and made little sense. In fact, the whole plot was erratic and made little sense.
After she is suddenly fired from her job, Krissy Kringle (Hilarie
Burton) is in no mood for all the misdirected Santa mail she receives
each holiday season to her home on Candy Cane Lane. Even so, one package in particular stands
out: Santa’s “Naughty or Nice” book, which he left behind when visiting a
child. After Krissy realizes that the book is magical and will show her
all the bad deeds of those around her, Krissy sets out to expose
everyone she knows who has been naughty. Eventually, the naughty list
hits too close to home, exposing a truth about her long-time boyfriend,
Lance (Matt Dallas) and causing turmoil with one of her neighbors. With
the help of her mother, Carol (Meredith Baxter) and father Walter
Kringle (Michael Gross), Krissy discovers that the book’s powers also
reveal the nice in people, not just the naughty.
Our Two Cents:
So, this was a just fun movie. We liked the refreshingly different storyline and the supporting cast has some fun characters. While there is a bit of romance on the side, the story really is about Krissy finding her Christmas spirit.
Side Note: Careful doing web searches for this problematically titled movie! Be sure to add Hallmark to the movie title so you don't get the more unsavory search results!
12 Dates of Christmas is a romantic comedy that follows Kate (Amy Smart), a young woman who re-lives the same first date on Christmas Eve over and over again. In an attempt to win back her ex-boyfriend on Christmas Eve, Kate ends up ruining her blind date with Miles (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), a handsome guy she's been set up with. In a strange twist of fate, Kate is given the chance to re-live Christmas Eve twelve times! Kate decides to embrace what Christmas Eve has given her--a loving family, great friends and Miles, who turns out to be a great guy! However, just as she seems to think she has gotten it right, the clock strikes midnight and Kate must live Christmas Eve once again. Under these weird new circumstances, Kate learns to take risks and enjoy what she's been given. Thanks to the gift of Christmas Eve, Kate finds happiness by finally trusting fate.
Our Two Cents:
12 Dates of Christmas is sort of a Christmas Groundhog Day. But in Groundhog Day, you see the real need for Phil Connor to go through that experience. This movie it isn't so clear why. She had some pretty good days in the middle that you'd think would do the trick to stop the curse. Also in the end, I'm not sure how she got all that done in one day... but that's the magic of the movies, right? Don't think about this one too much, just take it for what it is, and you'll find it a pretty enjoyable movie.
Note: Be sure to watch for the hidden 12 gifts of Christmas each day (partridge in a pear tree, 2 turtle doves, etc).
Jennifer is a young, ambitious executive running promotions at a failing
Boston mall. In hopes to save her beloved mall, and maybe position herself for a promotion, she comes up with a genius promotional gimmick: hold a "Hunky Santa"
contest to replace the old Mall Santa. David, a local man trying to save
his family's pizzeria, ultimately wins the contest and sparks fly
between him and Jennifer. However, complications ensue when it comes to
light that the company Jennifer works for is the same one trying to run
David's family out of business.
Our Two Cents:
Now, (this might not be the best way to start this but, need to get this off my chest) we understand the draw that Sexy Santa at a mall would have, but seriously, no regular Santa too? Anyway, it takes a little time to warm up to Jennifer, before she starts to soften, but once that begins to happen, this movie starts to pull you in. You'll be rooting for David and Jennifer by the end!
