Hallmark Movies ❤️ comfort & joy

[flyingdumbo127]

I still need to get watching! I have a full DVR of Christmas movies, too. Thank you everyone so much for keeping this wonderful thread going. I look forward to more fun movie talk to come this season

 

[Imzadi]

Is there a Hallmark Christmas preview show like in past years?

No, not this year. Hallmark interspersed some previews during one of their worse movies a few weeks back, to get people to watch.

Candace, who usually did the Hallmark holiday previews didn't so one this year. It could be that this new Hallmark CEO decided to go in another direction. . . OR it could be that Candace is in negotiation with the new GAC channel, (which is headed by the former Hallmark CEO that she's known for many years.) If Candace, like Danica, signs an exclusive deal with GAC, it would look bad for Hallmark that she did the Hallmark holiday preview, only to be leaving right afterward.

 

[Imzadi]

My reviews of some Christmas movies I finally got to see.
(Of course, your own tastes may vary. )

Danica McKeller's You, Me & The Christmas Trees: I liked it. It's classic Danica. So, if you like her, you will probably like this movie. The only nitpicking I have is that it was implausible that they'd sit for hours watching for changes in the trees. That's like watching paint dry. They probably could have set up a timer to go off every 20 minutes to check for changes. Or set up a cell phone camera to record changes.

But, since that is the only nitpick I have, and i really like Danica, it's a good Hallmark movie.


The Santa Stakeout with Tamera Mowry-Housley & Paul Campbell: I read warnings that the movie is a bit over the top with a lot of bickering between the two characters at the beginning, but to hang in there as the movie settles down once the characters start finding things to like about each other and start working together.

I agree and am giving the same warning. Way too much bickering at the beginning. But after about maybe 30 min(?) the characters finally started working together. Tamera & Paul are two solid actors. They pulled off a likeable movie for the latter part of the movie. Yet, for me, it's a one and done kind of a movie.

 

[Imzadi]

The Christmas Promise starring Torrey DeVitto, Dylan Bruce & Patrick Duffy: I really liked this movie. It's the best I've seen so far this season (of the few I've seen.)

It's a story we've seen before. The female lead has lost her fiance due to death, along with the future they had planned together. Because of something her Dad (Patrick Duffy) said, she happens to start texting a mysterious stranger on the other end of the phone. And she meets a guy who is helping her remodel her house. He's a friend of her other friends, so they have double chances to have meetings.

While the female lead character's energy & emotions are naturally subdued to losing her fiance and can be a sad downer in these types of movies, the male lead's energy is more upbeat, and he brings her level up and thus keeps the movie up and moving along. I thought the texts by the stranger to be comforting as well as focused on moving forward. Messages that people who may have lost loved ones to COVID may eventually also find comforting when they are ready to move on.

And her get togethers with her friends are funny and crazy. She has one annoying friend (that we all have, ) who does crazy stuff and everyone goes along with it, because in the end, they do like her. She is played by the same black actress who played "Hattie" in Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Higher Ground. The one who owned a jazz club that the postal team was looking for. I really like that Hallmark gives her the jazzy and quirky roles to run with.


Unfortunately, I can't say the same about liking Christmas In My Heart starring Heather Hemmens, Luke Macfarlane and Sheryl Lee Ralph. The female lead lost someone in the past year. The male lead is also still grieving the loss of his wife. So, for me,together, they seemed slow and depressing. I didn't finish it.

I read some reviews on the IMDb.com to see if Sheryl Lee Ralph sings in this movie. She originated the role of Deena Jones in Dreamgirls on Broadway. I liked her in that role. (Sorry Beyonce fans! ) Sheryl sings at the end of Christmas at Holly Lodge, so I was hoping she'd sing in this too. No one mentioned if she sings. They did mention a few good moments in the movie they liked. I may give the movie another try someday.

 

[disney4us2002]

Christmas in my mind was okay to me. I don't believe she ever sings. I thought Luke was cute with the girl who played his daughter and they touched on the interracial aspect discussing the daughter's hairstyle and playing violin which I wouldn't have even thought about being a white woman.

I loved The Christmas Promise and I think I've already seen it repeated. My only comment is that Patrick Duffy is the grandpa (pops) not her dad. There is discussion of grandma and her cameo locket which he gives to Torrey Devitto's character.

 

[Imzadi]

My only comment is that Patrick Duffy is the grandpa (pops) not her dad. There is discussion of grandma and her cameo locket which he gives to Torrey Devitto's character.

I think I have a mental block about thinking of Bobby Ewing as a grandpa. And I was very young at the time, but I vaguely remember seeing Patrick Duffy as some amphibian character swimming around the water in a series he was in before Dallas. So Duffy playing grandpas now makes me feel really old.

 

[Imzadi]

Well, 45 minutes into the movie and I'm moving on.

Didn't really catch my attention and it just seemed like the characters were very superficial. Now, it's supposed to be a modern re-telling of Much Ado About Nothing, so maybe that's the way they're supposed to be. And all new actors (to me). Only thing that kept me watching as long as I did was the varied British accents all muddled up in one storyline.

I watched Much Ado About Christmas too. I agree that the beginning 35 minutes was way overacted at the beginning. It didn't have much resemblance to Much Ado About Nothing, other than the cutesy title.

I've come to a theory: When the pressure is on for an Academy Award level actor to do a a great job, they become still, go deeply internal, their thoughts and feelings are expressed in the subtleties of their face, especially in their eyes, as the camera zooms in for a close up. Just watch The Quiet Place where there is almost no dialogue and Emily Blunt and John Krasinski have to keep still so many times, yet we know exactly what they are going through. It's written all over them, even in their stillness. (I know wrong movie genre for this Hallmark thread. )

Whereas, when the pressure is on for B & C level actors to do a great job, they become more external. Hyper-expressive. Their actions, body movements and facial expressions get bigger and exaggerated. They do weird things with the dialogue, trying to make it sound interesting, or how they think it should be said, and it just comes off as cliche or unnatural. If they could pull off going deeper, they;d be better than B-level actors.

The sets & costumes on Much Ado About Christmas were lavish. The crew brought every Christmas prop they could find to dress the Christmas sets. They filmed in Budapest instead of Canada. The budget must have been enormous. I think the pressure was so great on this cast to do a great job and represent the new GAC brand that they all went "big" with all the over the top movements & facial expressions and cutesy dialogue and interactions. And of course, the phony British accents. Except the female lead, who represented America.

I agree that beginning was unbearable to watch. Susie Abromeit (the female lead,) was mooning over the male lead with an expression like she was 16 and not 38, which she is in real life. We know she can act, she was the evil girlfriend in Snow Bride. And she was in some other, older Hallmark movie where she finds out she's pregnant in the movie. Her acting was okay in that. But, she and this whole cast seemed to feel like they suddenly had to do more.

I was also going to turn off the movie, but I thought it has to get better than this? Why would GAC use THIS movie to be their first one out of the gate, unless all their other movies are worse?

So I sped through the first part to see if the movie got better. At about 35 min, after an over the top karaoke scene and a snow ball fight, the actors seemed to settled down. Then it got much better. It finally became the same, classic "Hallmark" type movie we are used to. Whew!

The female is an heiress, hiding the fact, as she wants to find a guy who will love her just for her, without the "title" and money. There is a huge, lavish ballroom scene with dancing, reminiscent of movies with royal princes that are Hallmark favorites, like Danica's A Crown for Christmas, or Lacey's A Royal Christmas. Only this time Susie Abromeit is in the "royal" role, being an heiress.

I found a link to the whole movie on YouTube.
People can watch it there. Yet, I URGE you guys speed through or skip the first 35 min. It's a story we all have seen before. Not hard to follow coming in late.

Much Ado About Christmas

 

[elgerber]

I think I have a mental block about thinking of Bobby Ewing as a grandpa. And I was very young at the time, but I vaguely remember seeing Patrick Duffy as some amphibian character swimming around the water in a series he was in before Dallas. So Duffy playing grandpas now makes me feel really old.

Omg yes. I never watched Dallas but I loved Man From Atlantis!

 

[Toolulu22]

I missed Christmas Promise last week, but had wanted to see it. Based on your reviews, I’ll watch it sometime this season. Did anyone see Next Stop Christmas last night? My husband watched it with me because- well, trains…time travel. It’s set in Connecticut and the used the Essex Train to film (the Christmas Train!).

We loved the story. One funny side note: in some scenes its obvious they filmed in summer. As much as they try to blur out the boats in the Sound and the lush vegetation - it was funny to see everyone in coats and hats on what must have been a warm and muggy day.

Loved the ending.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I missed Christmas Promise last week, but had wanted to see it. Based on your reviews, I’ll watch it sometime this season. Did anyone see Next Stop Christmas last night? My husband watched it with me because- well, trains…time travel. It’s set in Connecticut and the used the Essex Train to film (the Christmas Train!).

We loved the story. One funny side note: in some scenes its obvious they filmed in summer. As much as they try to blur out the boats in the Sound and the lush vegetation - it was funny to see everyone in coats and hats on what must have been a warm and muggy day.

Loved the ending.

I haven't seen it yet, but I DVR'd it!

 

[RamblingMad]

Gingerbread Miracle was okay but really chessy.

 

[Dead2009]

Best Hallmark Christmas movie will forever be the Grumpy Cat Christmas one.

 

[RamblingMad]

Next Stop, Christmas was good. I recommend it.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Next Stop, Christmas was good. I recommend it.

I liked it, also.

 

[RamblingMad]

A Christmas Treasure. I'm so rich that I can go to New York City without a job and just write a novel. Sometimes the characters are so ridiculously rich that it's absurd. I think, I need to watch some Walton's after seeing so much wealth in these Hallmark movies this weekend. The Christmas special is available on the ROKU channel.

Anybody see the Highway to Heaven reboot? Any good?

 

[Imzadi]

I LOVED Debbie Macomber's A Mrs. Miracle Christmas. In my opinion, I think it will probably be the best movie of the season. Unfortunately, that may mean it's all downhill from here. And it's not even Thanksgiving yet.

It was nice to see these characters had complexities and layers. Kaitlyn Doubleday did a wonderful job as the lead. Caroline Rhea was a breath of fresh air moving through a family that was stuck in various ways. She had a tough job of negotiating between being light and comedic at times, sometimes an enigmatic angel, and other times being a substantial, sympathetic support so others would sit and confide in her. I thought she did well.

Debbie Macomber was executive producer, meaning she maintained control of the quality and integrity of the script, the characters, her story. She is a bestselling author. She didn't have to default to Hallmark's cookie cutter formula for movies. Whomever decided to reboot Mrs. Miracle deserves some kudos.

I hope Hallmark continues to make more of these movies.


@Worfiedoodles I remember you said you are a voracious reader and always looking for new books to read. You may be interested Debbie Macomber's novels, if you haven't read them already. She has authored several book series as well as standalone books. She is the author of Hallmark's Cedar Cove series. I read some of the Blossom Street series. She writes a sub-genre of women's lit books called "hen lit." "Chick lit" is about women who are 20 to 30-something, getting out in the world negotiating new jobs in a big city, exploring relationships with men, and the women discovering who they are. Sex and the City and the Shopaholic books and movies are chick lit.

Just as hens are older than chicks, "hen lit" is about older women, many already married, some divorced, some having left abusive relationships with kids in tow. Some have already lost one or both parents, or their spouse, or another loved one. Being older, they have been through various experiences that have etched on their souls in ways younger women haven't gone through yet. And they are often trying to redefine themselves again with strength and new possibilities to move forward.

In the Blossom Street series I read, the friendships run deep. They are a great support for each other. And anyone who is a crafter or knitter, crafting is woven into the stories: quilting, knitting, sewing. Macomber is an avid knitter, she also has several books which really feature knitting as a central part of the stories. She also has a couple cookbooks.

https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/debbie-macomber/

 

[mandy200587]

Mrs. Miracle was so good and i feel like it's a storyline not always done too

 

[Worfiedoodles]

I LOVED Debbie Macomber's A Mrs. Miracle Christmas. In my opinion, I think it will probably be the best movie of the season. Unfortunately, that may mean it's all downhill from here. And it's not even Thanksgiving yet.

It was nice to see these characters had complexities and layers. Kaitlyn Doubleday did a wonderful job as the lead. Caroline Rhea was a breath of fresh air moving through a family that was stuck in various ways. She had a tough job of negotiating between being light and comedic at times, sometimes an enigmatic angel, and other times being a substantial, sympathetic support so others would sit and confide in her. I thought she did well.

Debbie Macomber was executive producer, meaning she maintained control of the quality and integrity of the script, the characters, her story. She is a bestselling author. She didn't have to default to Hallmark's cookie cutter formula for movies. Whomever decided to reboot Mrs. Miracle deserves some kudos.

I hope Hallmark continues to make more of these movies.


@Worfiedoodles I remember you said you are a voracious reader and always looking for new books to read. You may be interested Debbie Macomber's novels, if you haven't read them already. She has authored several book series as well as standalone books. She is the author of Hallmark's Cedar Cove series. I read some of the Blossom Street series. She writes a sub-genre of women's lit books called "hen lit." "Chick lit" is about women who are 20 to 30-something, getting out in the world negotiating new jobs in a big city, exploring relationships with men, and the women discovering who they are. Sex and the City and the Shopaholic books and movies are chick lit.

Just as hens are older than chicks, "hen lit" is about older women, many already married, some divorced, some having left abusive relationships with kids in tow. Some have already lost one or both parents, or their spouse, or another loved one. Being older, they have been through various experiences that have etched on their souls in ways younger women haven't gone through yet. And they are often trying to redefine themselves again with strength and new possibilities to move forward.

In the Blossom Street series I read, the friendships run deep. They are a great support for each other. And anyone who is a crafter or knitter, crafting is woven into the stories: quilting, knitting, sewing. Macomber is an avid knitter, she also has several books which really feature knitting as a central part of the stories. She also has a couple cookbooks.

https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/debbie-macomber/

I hadn’t heard of hen lit before, but it’s definitely my stage of life, with our son being grown and flown…I have read her Christmas books but hadn’t ventured beyond that. So exciting to think I have whole series to start! What would you recommend first?

 

[Cadiewampus]

Watched one yesterday I had not seen in a long time with Henry Winkler. Funny and not over romantic and sickly sweet like most of them titled The most wonderful time of the year.

 

[Imzadi]

I hadn’t heard of hen lit before, but it’s definitely my stage of life, with our son being grown and flown…I have read her Christmas books but hadn’t ventured beyond that. So exciting to think I have whole series to start! What would you recommend first?

Check your local library.Debbie Macomber is popular enough that they may have a few of her books in a particular series. Then get book #1 of that series. Less books to buy that way.

Or, I'd recommend start with The Shop on Blossom Street. It's book number 1 of the Blossom Street series. That's the series I read.

https://www.amazon.com/Shop-Blossom-Street-Novel-Book-ebook/dp/B07D5XVB8C/