Check Inn to Christmas premiered on Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas on November 26th and stars Rachel Boston (Julia) and Wes Brown (Ryan).
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄🎄
General Movie Details: Julia Crawley is a lawyer living in NYC who is getting to go home to Crestridge, Colorado for the holidays. She's been at the law firm for 10 years and is trying for a promotion to a more senior partner track position that will mean more work and less time for family, friends and herself. Ryan Mason is a Crestridge native who after going to school for his MBA and working in Chicago decided to come home and help run his family's inn. Crestridge is home to two inns which sparked a long-standing feud between the families, the Crawleys and the Masons. Just imagine what could happen when a new enemy comes to town and is able to bring the the feud to an end. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend!
Re-Meet Cute Moment: While they attended the same school they didn't run in the same circles so it's not surprising that they don't recognize each other at the train station. Julia unknowingly left her laptop on the train and Ryan returned it. Neither of them realizes at first that the other is from the feuding family.
Notable Fashion Alert: Rachel Boston's character is rocking several wrap dresses with boots. I think that this is a Rachel Boston costuming thing because I've seen her sport this look in other movies.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: Not too much snark to share. I liked that the family feud was controlled. There is definitely a level of competitiveness and avoidance that makes it clear that there is definitely still a feud but it isn't taken to an over the top level with anomosity or malice. And the fact that the family feud appears to be waning anyway makes the movie resolution much more believable. I mean going from enemies to business partners wouldn't be possible any other way. I liked that the families were both still involved with the holiday festivities but just kind of avoided each other. I did enjoy the business Christmas decoration contest but I wish that we had seen the bakery or other competing businesses at some point in the movie. I did enjoy that both main characters had their assumptions about each other which were wrong and they have more in common than they initially expect and the same is true about their families. That little nugget is probably something we can all keep in mind throughout the year. I enjoyed the slow relationship building that they aren't really getting involved with each other because they know they are going their own ways but I felt that there was enough chemistry between the actors so that you knew that they were interested in each other. Julia's missing a step on the ladder and Jake just happening to be there to catch her was a bit too much but I guess there has to be at least one moment like that. I guess the issue was that I saw the moment coming a mile away but I did like that the moment was interrupted and called out. Part of the conclusion that I appreciated was that Julia's decision was first and foremost about doing what was right for her, her family, the town and Ryan is just one aspect of the decision. Way to go logical thinking! One moment of snark, is everyone really going to Eddie's pub and ordering the hot chocolate? If that's the case, you know it's been doctored.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Rachel is a year-round Hallmark staple. She was previously in A Rose for Christmas (2017) with Marc Bendavid. My favorite of her previous movies was A Ring by Spring (2014) with Kirby Morrow and co-starring Ali Leibert and Jesse Moss. Wes Brown is becoming a year-round staple and was previously seen in Under the Autumn Moon (2018) with Lindy Booth. Earlier this year he was in Over The Moon In Love (2019) with Jessica Lowndes, who apparently also wrote and executive produced the movie (thanks IMDB for that tidbit).
I hope that you enjoyed curling up and watching this little gem. By the way, did you notice that we're halfway through this crazy endeavor. Thanks for coming along!
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Friday, November 29, 2019
A Christmas Duet - Premiere #19
A Christmas Duet premiered on Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas on November 25th and stars Chaley Rose (Averie) and Rome Flynn (Jesse).
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄
General Movie Details: Averie and Jesse used to be a chart topping singing duo but they drifted apart. Averie is now living is a small town and running the Blue Spruce Inn. Jesse is still playing music and touring as a small time solo act. What happens when the life paths of these two converge at her little inn right in the lead up to the Yuletide Festival.
Re-Meet Cute Moment: Jesse was booked to stay at the Blue Spruce Inn and runs into Averie and to his surprise she is the proprietor of the inn. It is your typical romantically awkward moment.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: The premise was a bit different than some of the other music related movies and the cast was pointedly more diverse than other movies so I was hopeful. While the movie wasn't bad, it was just okay. The plot seemed to be cluttered with the festivities and the inn review that I just didn't feel like there was much room for character exploration. The abbreviated time frame of 6 days until the Yuletide Festival also make it difficult to expect to see much other than your basic running around plot. Beyond the ridiculous time frame there are other unbelievable plot devices at work, such as the dwindled festival budget, the implication that there were no materials that could be salvaged after the flood and the idea that there was a storm raging somewhere off screen that seemed to be stranding many of the characters (either at the inn or unable to get to the inn). One thing that my viewing partner and I did enjoy was the performance of Chaley Rose so we hope to see her again with better material or a different co-star.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Chaley Rose and Rome Flynn are both making their Hallmark movie premiere. They may both be familiar as they both have been supporting cast members of popular TV series in the past. One performer that my viewing partner spotted and repeatedly mentioned was Reese Alexander as Averie's dad. Reese Alexander was recognized as the Tourney coach from Disney's Descendants movie from 2015. Proof positive that every performance is an opportunity to connect with the audience.
Let me know if you really bought into the character transformation and the movie's conclusion.
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄
General Movie Details: Averie and Jesse used to be a chart topping singing duo but they drifted apart. Averie is now living is a small town and running the Blue Spruce Inn. Jesse is still playing music and touring as a small time solo act. What happens when the life paths of these two converge at her little inn right in the lead up to the Yuletide Festival.
Re-Meet Cute Moment: Jesse was booked to stay at the Blue Spruce Inn and runs into Averie and to his surprise she is the proprietor of the inn. It is your typical romantically awkward moment.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: The premise was a bit different than some of the other music related movies and the cast was pointedly more diverse than other movies so I was hopeful. While the movie wasn't bad, it was just okay. The plot seemed to be cluttered with the festivities and the inn review that I just didn't feel like there was much room for character exploration. The abbreviated time frame of 6 days until the Yuletide Festival also make it difficult to expect to see much other than your basic running around plot. Beyond the ridiculous time frame there are other unbelievable plot devices at work, such as the dwindled festival budget, the implication that there were no materials that could be salvaged after the flood and the idea that there was a storm raging somewhere off screen that seemed to be stranding many of the characters (either at the inn or unable to get to the inn). One thing that my viewing partner and I did enjoy was the performance of Chaley Rose so we hope to see her again with better material or a different co-star.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Chaley Rose and Rome Flynn are both making their Hallmark movie premiere. They may both be familiar as they both have been supporting cast members of popular TV series in the past. One performer that my viewing partner spotted and repeatedly mentioned was Reese Alexander as Averie's dad. Reese Alexander was recognized as the Tourney coach from Disney's Descendants movie from 2015. Proof positive that every performance is an opportunity to connect with the audience.
Let me know if you really bought into the character transformation and the movie's conclusion.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Our Christmas Love Song - Premiere #18
Our Christmas Love Song premiered on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries' Miracles of Christmas on November 24th and stars Alicia Witt (Melody) and Brendan Hines (Chase).
RATING (out of 5): 🎄
General Movie Details: Melody (apropos name) is a country star who has really made it and even debuts a new Christmas song at the Grand Ole Opry. She seems to have it all but her mentor accuses her of copying the song from one of hers. She has 12 days (until Christmas) to prove she wrote it. So she goes home to Madison, Indiana for Christmas for the first time in 2 years to try to find notes that can prove the authorship of her song. Chase is her ex-boyfriend and former writing partner who didn't leave Madison and is running his family's tavern.
Re-Meet Cute Moment: Chase and Melody have a history as high school sweethearts. Sometimes the easiest way to deal with exes and past relationships is to avoid them at all costs. Well Madison is a pretty small town so of course you would run into each other in the grocery store and have an awkward conversation. Seemed to be an homage to You've Got Mail and the awkward encounter the main characters have at Zabar's.
Missed Nutcracker Moment: There is apparently a Nutcracker presentation event that happens at the tree lighting but we the audience don't get to attend but instead get to see another 4 minute commercial interlude.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: Let me start by saying that I didn't have high hopes for this movie because of the preview in the commercial. There was something weird about how she was moving while playing. But I hoped that I was going to be wrong. Alicia Witt is an actual song writer and performer so I felt like the performance would be good. I did like her performance at the Grand Ole Opry but wasn't really in love with the original Christmas songs. The plot was a bit weak with her mission to find a slip of paper with proof that she wrote the song years ago. There wasn't much chemistry between the characters and it felt like they were dialing it in. The movie concludes in typical Hallmark fashion with one character uprooting their life for the other.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Alicia is a Hallmark movie stalwart and seems to appear in a movie each Holiday season. One of my favorite of hers was A Very Merry Mix Up (2013) with Mark Wiebe. This movie appears to be Brendan Hines Hallmark debut, however, he has been working in supporting cast roles on a number of TV series over the years. I previously caught him as a recurring guest role in Scorpion.
Let me know if you felt differently about this one than me.
RATING (out of 5): 🎄
General Movie Details: Melody (apropos name) is a country star who has really made it and even debuts a new Christmas song at the Grand Ole Opry. She seems to have it all but her mentor accuses her of copying the song from one of hers. She has 12 days (until Christmas) to prove she wrote it. So she goes home to Madison, Indiana for Christmas for the first time in 2 years to try to find notes that can prove the authorship of her song. Chase is her ex-boyfriend and former writing partner who didn't leave Madison and is running his family's tavern.
Re-Meet Cute Moment: Chase and Melody have a history as high school sweethearts. Sometimes the easiest way to deal with exes and past relationships is to avoid them at all costs. Well Madison is a pretty small town so of course you would run into each other in the grocery store and have an awkward conversation. Seemed to be an homage to You've Got Mail and the awkward encounter the main characters have at Zabar's.
Missed Nutcracker Moment: There is apparently a Nutcracker presentation event that happens at the tree lighting but we the audience don't get to attend but instead get to see another 4 minute commercial interlude.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: Let me start by saying that I didn't have high hopes for this movie because of the preview in the commercial. There was something weird about how she was moving while playing. But I hoped that I was going to be wrong. Alicia Witt is an actual song writer and performer so I felt like the performance would be good. I did like her performance at the Grand Ole Opry but wasn't really in love with the original Christmas songs. The plot was a bit weak with her mission to find a slip of paper with proof that she wrote the song years ago. There wasn't much chemistry between the characters and it felt like they were dialing it in. The movie concludes in typical Hallmark fashion with one character uprooting their life for the other.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Alicia is a Hallmark movie stalwart and seems to appear in a movie each Holiday season. One of my favorite of hers was A Very Merry Mix Up (2013) with Mark Wiebe. This movie appears to be Brendan Hines Hallmark debut, however, he has been working in supporting cast roles on a number of TV series over the years. I previously caught him as a recurring guest role in Scorpion.
Let me know if you felt differently about this one than me.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Cherished Memories: A Gift to Remember 2 - Premiere #17
Cherished Memories: A Gift to Remember 2 premiered on Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas on November 24th and stars Ali Leibert (Darcy) and Peter Porte (Aiden).
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄
General Movie Details: It's been a year since Darcy ran over Aiden with her bike which gave him a case of amnesia in A Gift to Remember (2017). Aiden is all recovered and living two doors down from Darcy. Darcy is now the manager at Chaucers book store and we've returned just in time for Christmas. It's their first real Christmas together and they are both trying to come up with the perfect gift for one another. We are introduced to Marcus, a young boy who is spending Christmas with his aunt (Mrs. Henley) while his parents are both deployed over the holiday. In an attempt to pack more into the movie than is necessary, there is also the fact that Darcy and Aiden need to work fast to save the Liberty Recreation Center from being sold.
Giant Toy Soldiers Alert: There were giant toy soldiers, although not Nutcrackers, around the room at the Liberty Recreation Center party.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: I really liked the 2017 feature, A Gift to Remember. This sequel didn't live up to the first in my mind. There were too many plot lines going on and it lacked the warmth of the original. There is a snowmaze at the park that they visit which is very cool and would be a cool addition to a winter wonderland. Aiden plans to design, cut and paint his village buildings in the approximately 1 week before Christmas Eve. My husband and I called foul loudly on that project. I mean if he were planning to only do one building I might find the project more reasonable but about a half dozen buildings is a no go in my mind. Let's talk about the fact that it is supposed to be December in Philadelphia. Darcy either is impervious to the cold or wants to come down with pneumonia for New Year's because when she gets dressed up for both the Rec Center party and the Christmas Eve party at Chaucers she is without a coat for both! If she were wearing a long sleeve wool dress, I might buy the lack of outerwear but she's wearing really short sleeved satiny dresses on both occasions. The one sentiment that I do appreciate from Mrs. Henley is that friends are the family you choose. It's a worthy sentiment to keep in mind as we look forward to Thanksgiving and the coming holiday.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Besides their prior pairing in A Gift to Remember (2017)... Ali was previously seen in a supporting role in Anything for Love (2016) which starred Erika Christensen and Paul Greene. Peter was previously in Love, Once and Always (2018) with Amanda Schull.
I really liked these characters and the original story but I'm just not sure that this script warranted revisiting them this year. The original movie was based on a book by Melissa Hill and if you are needing anther dose of the characters maybe the source material is worth a read. Please let me know your thoughts about this sequel.
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄
General Movie Details: It's been a year since Darcy ran over Aiden with her bike which gave him a case of amnesia in A Gift to Remember (2017). Aiden is all recovered and living two doors down from Darcy. Darcy is now the manager at Chaucers book store and we've returned just in time for Christmas. It's their first real Christmas together and they are both trying to come up with the perfect gift for one another. We are introduced to Marcus, a young boy who is spending Christmas with his aunt (Mrs. Henley) while his parents are both deployed over the holiday. In an attempt to pack more into the movie than is necessary, there is also the fact that Darcy and Aiden need to work fast to save the Liberty Recreation Center from being sold.
Giant Toy Soldiers Alert: There were giant toy soldiers, although not Nutcrackers, around the room at the Liberty Recreation Center party.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: I really liked the 2017 feature, A Gift to Remember. This sequel didn't live up to the first in my mind. There were too many plot lines going on and it lacked the warmth of the original. There is a snowmaze at the park that they visit which is very cool and would be a cool addition to a winter wonderland. Aiden plans to design, cut and paint his village buildings in the approximately 1 week before Christmas Eve. My husband and I called foul loudly on that project. I mean if he were planning to only do one building I might find the project more reasonable but about a half dozen buildings is a no go in my mind. Let's talk about the fact that it is supposed to be December in Philadelphia. Darcy either is impervious to the cold or wants to come down with pneumonia for New Year's because when she gets dressed up for both the Rec Center party and the Christmas Eve party at Chaucers she is without a coat for both! If she were wearing a long sleeve wool dress, I might buy the lack of outerwear but she's wearing really short sleeved satiny dresses on both occasions. The one sentiment that I do appreciate from Mrs. Henley is that friends are the family you choose. It's a worthy sentiment to keep in mind as we look forward to Thanksgiving and the coming holiday.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Besides their prior pairing in A Gift to Remember (2017)... Ali was previously seen in a supporting role in Anything for Love (2016) which starred Erika Christensen and Paul Greene. Peter was previously in Love, Once and Always (2018) with Amanda Schull.
I really liked these characters and the original story but I'm just not sure that this script warranted revisiting them this year. The original movie was based on a book by Melissa Hill and if you are needing anther dose of the characters maybe the source material is worth a read. Please let me know your thoughts about this sequel.
Christmas at Graceland: Home For The Holidays - Premiere #16
Christmas at Graceland: Home For The Holidays premiered on Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas on November 23rd and stars Kaitlin Doubleday (Harper) and Adrian Grenier (Owen). Priscilla Presley makes a cameo appearance.
RATING (out of 5): 🌟 Just a reminder that the star =1/2 a Christmas tree and is basically as low as it goes ranking wise.
General Movie Details: Harper has been working in museums across Europe and came home for Christmas for the first time in 3 years. She's interviewing at the Brooks Museum for their international curator position and is in town for the holiday and waiting to find out if she got the position. Owen's a widowed businessman with 3 kids and he is without childcare while his nanny is home for the holidays and her backup fell through. Harper volunteers to fill in while she's in town.
Meet Cute Moment: She gives his kids (and her nieces) a private tour of Graceland which she did back in high school. When he picks up his kids he proceeds to stick his foot in his mouth a bit and then offers her the temporary nanny position.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: I'll be honest, I didn't finish the movie... I turned if off about halfway through. There was no chemistry and not really anything believable or interesting in the way of a plot. I should also admit that I didn't watch last year's Christmas at Graceland (2018) which is completely fine since the two movies may share a name they are in no way related. Thanks Hallmark for not only adding to the confusion but also disappointing. So the movie starts no earlier than 3 weeks until Christmas and Owen is just starting to plan the Christmas Eve fundraiser at Graceland, the newly crowned Gala of Giving. I really find that hard to believe. About as difficult to believe as the fact that Harper is recruited to work on helping to curate the Elvis at Christmas special exhibit. No offense but that if it is that close to Christmas, any events and exhibits would already be finalized. I mean the special exhibit should already be mounted. So I found the whole thing to be utterly unbelievable and there was really nothing else substantial enough in the plot or performances to hold my interest. Also, they really made Memphis out to be quite white during December. I didn't think that they reliably had snow in the area of the country for that long. I get that they want to make it look and feel like Christmas but it seems to be a bit much this time. The one thing that I did see that I liked was the light up wooden advent calendar that plays music when the drawers are open that Harper gave Owen's kids.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Kaitlin previously had a supporting role in Chance at Romance (2014) starring Erin Krakow and Ryan McPartlin. Adrian was previously in Love at First Glance with Amy Smart.
If you did make it through the whole movie I hope that you found it an enjoyable watch. With 14 movie premieres between 11/23 and 12/2, I just don't have the time or energy to watch a sub par Christmas movie.
RATING (out of 5): 🌟 Just a reminder that the star =1/2 a Christmas tree and is basically as low as it goes ranking wise.
General Movie Details: Harper has been working in museums across Europe and came home for Christmas for the first time in 3 years. She's interviewing at the Brooks Museum for their international curator position and is in town for the holiday and waiting to find out if she got the position. Owen's a widowed businessman with 3 kids and he is without childcare while his nanny is home for the holidays and her backup fell through. Harper volunteers to fill in while she's in town.
Meet Cute Moment: She gives his kids (and her nieces) a private tour of Graceland which she did back in high school. When he picks up his kids he proceeds to stick his foot in his mouth a bit and then offers her the temporary nanny position.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: I'll be honest, I didn't finish the movie... I turned if off about halfway through. There was no chemistry and not really anything believable or interesting in the way of a plot. I should also admit that I didn't watch last year's Christmas at Graceland (2018) which is completely fine since the two movies may share a name they are in no way related. Thanks Hallmark for not only adding to the confusion but also disappointing. So the movie starts no earlier than 3 weeks until Christmas and Owen is just starting to plan the Christmas Eve fundraiser at Graceland, the newly crowned Gala of Giving. I really find that hard to believe. About as difficult to believe as the fact that Harper is recruited to work on helping to curate the Elvis at Christmas special exhibit. No offense but that if it is that close to Christmas, any events and exhibits would already be finalized. I mean the special exhibit should already be mounted. So I found the whole thing to be utterly unbelievable and there was really nothing else substantial enough in the plot or performances to hold my interest. Also, they really made Memphis out to be quite white during December. I didn't think that they reliably had snow in the area of the country for that long. I get that they want to make it look and feel like Christmas but it seems to be a bit much this time. The one thing that I did see that I liked was the light up wooden advent calendar that plays music when the drawers are open that Harper gave Owen's kids.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Kaitlin previously had a supporting role in Chance at Romance (2014) starring Erin Krakow and Ryan McPartlin. Adrian was previously in Love at First Glance with Amy Smart.
If you did make it through the whole movie I hope that you found it an enjoyable watch. With 14 movie premieres between 11/23 and 12/2, I just don't have the time or energy to watch a sub par Christmas movie.
Holiday Hearts - Premiere #15
Holiday Hearts premiered on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries' Miracles of Christmas on November 23rd and stars Ashley Williams (Peyton) and Paul Campbell (Dr. Ben Tyler).
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄🌟
General Movie Details: Peyton is planning the annual Canaday Inn Christmas Eve party for the first time and is having a bit of trouble with coming up with a theme. Peyton's crush from 10 years ago (Dr. Ben Tyler) has been back in town for a year and while she knows he's there she hasn't seen him. All that is going to change when Peyton and Ben are thrust together to take care of Lily, their friends daughter while he has surgery.
Re-Meet Cute Moment: Both Peyton and Tyler are traveling the same stretch of road going in opposite directions when they both spot a reindeer in a field. Both are temporarily mesmerized by the sight and wind up sliding off the slippery road (luckily without colliding). When he can't get his car started again she give him a ride and they are forced back together.
Giant Nutcracker Sighting: There are a squadron of soldiers outside the the stores along Main Street. There are a pair of smaller (3' tall) Nutcrackers flanking the door at Lily's house.
Notable Knitwear Alert: Peyton's parents are sporting some knit sweaters at the beginning of the movie when we meet them. Her dad is especially embarrassing what some might think borders on a conservative ugly sweater. Ben is wearing a great navy cabled pullover with a rolled mock turtleneck sweater while decorating the tree.
Notable Quotable: These aren't exact quotes but my highlighted take aways.... Dr. Ben refers to the Triple H gene, Ho Ho Ho. People either have it or don't. Lily shares that snowflakes are kisses from heaven (it comes up a few times). Peyton when talking to her sister remarks that her slice of pecan pie makes good boyfriend material, crusty on the outside and sweet on the inside.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: Lily's dad needs to have emergency surgery for a torn ACL after falling from the ladder. I guess I'm just surprised that this would be deemed emergency surgery and would need to be done immediately. Lily's house is referred to as an old place but from the outside it looks relatively new or at least the siding looks pretty new. I enjoyed the fact that Lily and her caregivers (Peyton and Ben) are carrying on the family traditions. They are a family with 3 trees. You might say it's a bit much but I have to admit that I've so been that girl in the past. I'm now a 2 tree girl because you need one in both the family room and the living room. I seriously have issue with the fact that we are supposed to believe that Peyton doesn't have a theme for the Christmas Eve party until 3 days before and somehow manages to pull together all the right decorations and everything in time. You see that she has help but I just don't buy it.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Ashley Williams was previously in October Kiss (2015) with Sam Jaeger. Paul Campbell was previously in A Godwink Christmas (2018) with Kimberly Sustad.
While the movie was okay it was just lacking in the holiday magic for me. Let me know if you felt something more.
RATING (out of 5): 🎄🎄🌟
General Movie Details: Peyton is planning the annual Canaday Inn Christmas Eve party for the first time and is having a bit of trouble with coming up with a theme. Peyton's crush from 10 years ago (Dr. Ben Tyler) has been back in town for a year and while she knows he's there she hasn't seen him. All that is going to change when Peyton and Ben are thrust together to take care of Lily, their friends daughter while he has surgery.
Re-Meet Cute Moment: Both Peyton and Tyler are traveling the same stretch of road going in opposite directions when they both spot a reindeer in a field. Both are temporarily mesmerized by the sight and wind up sliding off the slippery road (luckily without colliding). When he can't get his car started again she give him a ride and they are forced back together.
Giant Nutcracker Sighting: There are a squadron of soldiers outside the the stores along Main Street. There are a pair of smaller (3' tall) Nutcrackers flanking the door at Lily's house.
Notable Knitwear Alert: Peyton's parents are sporting some knit sweaters at the beginning of the movie when we meet them. Her dad is especially embarrassing what some might think borders on a conservative ugly sweater. Ben is wearing a great navy cabled pullover with a rolled mock turtleneck sweater while decorating the tree.
Notable Quotable: These aren't exact quotes but my highlighted take aways.... Dr. Ben refers to the Triple H gene, Ho Ho Ho. People either have it or don't. Lily shares that snowflakes are kisses from heaven (it comes up a few times). Peyton when talking to her sister remarks that her slice of pecan pie makes good boyfriend material, crusty on the outside and sweet on the inside.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: Lily's dad needs to have emergency surgery for a torn ACL after falling from the ladder. I guess I'm just surprised that this would be deemed emergency surgery and would need to be done immediately. Lily's house is referred to as an old place but from the outside it looks relatively new or at least the siding looks pretty new. I enjoyed the fact that Lily and her caregivers (Peyton and Ben) are carrying on the family traditions. They are a family with 3 trees. You might say it's a bit much but I have to admit that I've so been that girl in the past. I'm now a 2 tree girl because you need one in both the family room and the living room. I seriously have issue with the fact that we are supposed to believe that Peyton doesn't have a theme for the Christmas Eve party until 3 days before and somehow manages to pull together all the right decorations and everything in time. You see that she has help but I just don't buy it.
Hallmark Movie Connection: Ashley Williams was previously in October Kiss (2015) with Sam Jaeger. Paul Campbell was previously in A Godwink Christmas (2018) with Kimberly Sustad.
While the movie was okay it was just lacking in the holiday magic for me. Let me know if you felt something more.
Saturday, November 23, 2019
A Godwink Christmas: Meant for Love - Premiere #14
A Godwink Christmas: Meant for Love premiered on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries' Miracles of Christmas on November 17th and stars Cindy Busby (Alice) and Benjamin Hollingsworth (Jack). Kathy Lee Gifford appears in a supporting role as Olga, Alice's mom.
RATING (out of 5): 🎄
General Movie Details: Alice runs her family's boutique in Minneapolis but she's realizing that it isn't her calling. Jack lives in Dublin, Wisconsin and works in sales for a medical company. These two individuals are experiencing godwinks that keep bringing them together and cannot be ignored.
Meet Cute Moment: Alice is at the hotel for a charity event, the Schooner Gala, and Jack is there for his company's holiday party. He's slightly distracted on his phone and runs into Alice and feels an instant connection. Alice even remarks, "You're still holding my hands." In his confusion he follows her into the Schooner Gala insteard of his office party but he doesn't realize it's the wrong party. It's only later that he realizes his mistake but there paths continue to converge.
Giant Nutcracker Sighting: There are giant Nutcrackers on the street with Alice's shop that are seen periodically through the movie. Additionally, there are some Nutcrackers on the shopping district street in Dublin, Wisconsin which are also seen multiple times during the movie.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: I have a major issue with the movie. There was a Godwink Christmas movie that premiered last year (which I actually liked - probably a 4-tree movie) that also has Kathy Lee Gifford in a co-starring role as the aunt of the main character. Now this year, she's also in this movie BUT her character is a completely new/different character. REALLY!?!? If you are going to create a series of movies based on theme where the characters are not related from one movie to another, then you really shouldn't have any of the same actors in the movie. It just makes things unnecessarily confusing.
There are a bunch of little oddities in the movie that left me scratching my head. Alice's job is retail which is usually not a high paying position. But she has an amazing gourmet kitchen in what looks to be a really nice apartment. Jack lives 90 minutes from Minneapolis but his company puts him up in a hotel when he has to work in the Minneapolis office. This just seems weird to me. Where I am from a 90 minute trip to the office is just called a daily commute, just saying. Alice and Jack make snow angels on their roadtrip when they get waylaid but they don't have gloves or mittens. As someone who has made this mistake before, it isn't fun and it is downright cold. I guess they are impervious to the cold or the costume designer just forgot to include handwear for the actors. At the hotel in Iowa, they are in rooms across the hall from each other which is not too coincidental. The weird part is that their room numbers were 302 and 312. Usually those rooms would be down the hall from each other not across the hall. I'd expect the rooms to be 302 and 303 if they were across the hall from each other. One of the issues that I have a real problem with is the way that Olga, Alice's mom, does not respect Alice's privacy. She and the rest of Alice's family are all too willing to share her private medical information with others without her knowledge or permission. That's just not right!
Hallmark Movie Connection: Cindy Busby was previously seen in Royal Hearts (2018) with Andrew Cooper. Benjamin Hollingsworth was previously in Lucky in Love (2014) with Jessica Szohr.
To me this movie was not nearly as enjoyable as the first Godwink Christmas but let me know if you feel differently.
RATING (out of 5): 🎄
General Movie Details: Alice runs her family's boutique in Minneapolis but she's realizing that it isn't her calling. Jack lives in Dublin, Wisconsin and works in sales for a medical company. These two individuals are experiencing godwinks that keep bringing them together and cannot be ignored.
Meet Cute Moment: Alice is at the hotel for a charity event, the Schooner Gala, and Jack is there for his company's holiday party. He's slightly distracted on his phone and runs into Alice and feels an instant connection. Alice even remarks, "You're still holding my hands." In his confusion he follows her into the Schooner Gala insteard of his office party but he doesn't realize it's the wrong party. It's only later that he realizes his mistake but there paths continue to converge.
Giant Nutcracker Sighting: There are giant Nutcrackers on the street with Alice's shop that are seen periodically through the movie. Additionally, there are some Nutcrackers on the shopping district street in Dublin, Wisconsin which are also seen multiple times during the movie.
Obligatory moment of snark/personal rant: I have a major issue with the movie. There was a Godwink Christmas movie that premiered last year (which I actually liked - probably a 4-tree movie) that also has Kathy Lee Gifford in a co-starring role as the aunt of the main character. Now this year, she's also in this movie BUT her character is a completely new/different character. REALLY!?!? If you are going to create a series of movies based on theme where the characters are not related from one movie to another, then you really shouldn't have any of the same actors in the movie. It just makes things unnecessarily confusing.
There are a bunch of little oddities in the movie that left me scratching my head. Alice's job is retail which is usually not a high paying position. But she has an amazing gourmet kitchen in what looks to be a really nice apartment. Jack lives 90 minutes from Minneapolis but his company puts him up in a hotel when he has to work in the Minneapolis office. This just seems weird to me. Where I am from a 90 minute trip to the office is just called a daily commute, just saying. Alice and Jack make snow angels on their roadtrip when they get waylaid but they don't have gloves or mittens. As someone who has made this mistake before, it isn't fun and it is downright cold. I guess they are impervious to the cold or the costume designer just forgot to include handwear for the actors. At the hotel in Iowa, they are in rooms across the hall from each other which is not too coincidental. The weird part is that their room numbers were 302 and 312. Usually those rooms would be down the hall from each other not across the hall. I'd expect the rooms to be 302 and 303 if they were across the hall from each other. One of the issues that I have a real problem with is the way that Olga, Alice's mom, does not respect Alice's privacy. She and the rest of Alice's family are all too willing to share her private medical information with others without her knowledge or permission. That's just not right!
Hallmark Movie Connection: Cindy Busby was previously seen in Royal Hearts (2018) with Andrew Cooper. Benjamin Hollingsworth was previously in Lucky in Love (2014) with Jessica Szohr.
To me this movie was not nearly as enjoyable as the first Godwink Christmas but let me know if you feel differently.
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