Christmas Movies: ****A Christmas Note (2015); ***The Christmas Spirit (2015) ****Debra Macomber's Mrs. Miracle (2009); **^Christmas In the Air (2009)

****A Christmas Note (2015)

Gretchen (Jamie Lynn-Sigler) moves to a new neighborhood while her injured husband recuperates abroad from war-related injuries.  She is called upon to inform her somewhat reclusive neighbor that the neighbor’s mother has passed away.  The neighbor, Melissa (Leah Gibson) and her mother had been estranged for many years.  She did not even know she her mother lived in the same community.  In retrieving her mother’s possession she receives a note from her mother indicating there was a sibling who was given up for adoption.  This begins a search, with the unknown sibling coming from a most unusual place.  Add to this the drama of getting the wounded military husband and you have a typical Hallmark Movie.  This movie leaves you feeling good.

 

***The Spirit of Christmas  (2015)  This is a Christmas ghost story.  Daniel (Thomas Beaudion)  was murdered 95 years ago and returns to haunt his home every Christmas for twelve days.  However Lilly (Kati Salowsky) has shown up to get the home appraised and sold.  Hard to do with a spirit hanging around.  All would be easily accomplished except Lilly and Daniel start to fall for each other.  (Lifetime)  Lilly determines to solve the murder mystery and thus break the curse. 

 

****Debra Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle  (2009)   This romance features a special nanny, Mrs. Merkle (or Miracle) (Doris Roberts) who is willing to use whatever means to get two young people together.  Seth Webster (James Van Der Beek) is a widowed father, and still bitter over his wife’s passing to the point of not wanting to have memories about the house, or to talk to his twin sons about her.   Reba Maxwell (Erin Karpluk) is a travel agent who has been nursing a hurt from her sister for many years.  She ran off with her fiancé and even though that her sister’s and fiancé relation only lasted a couple weeks, she is still hurt.  Sister has moved on, married and has a daughter that Reba has never met.  Turns out they are both so hooked up that they can’t move on a form new attachments.  (Hallmark)


**^Christmas in the Air:  This is a single man (Eric Close), who is owner with his brother of a toy making company.  However he finds it hard to balance his work and the lives of his children.  This is even more intense when he is roped into hosting a potential buyer.  He recruits a professional organizer (Catherine Bell) to help.  Of course they slowly develop a relationship.  My issue being a social worker has to do with the ethics of falling for a client.  Perhaps organizers have different standards.  Hallmark Movie.

Christmas Movies: Hometown Christmas; A Christmas Village; Christmas Around the Corner; Christmas Miracle at Sage Creek; A Song for Christmas

***^Hometown Christmas (2018):  Old love is rekindled in this movie where two people had gone their separate ways.  This movie features Beverly Mitchell, Stephen Colletti and Melissa Gilbert.  It is good to see Gilbert and Mitchell who are known for tv ventures, Little House on the Prairie and Seventh Heaven.  (Lifetime)

*** A Christmas Village  In this film we have a struggling father and his kids, who have purchased a failing Christmas Village.  An advertisement, publishing executive takes him on as a client pro bono in an effort to clean her own tarnished name.  Thus begins the revamping of the Christmas Village with a little help from Santa and friends.  And when the opportunity comes to go back and clear her name, will she do so or stay with her new love.  Madeline Leon and Neil Paterson star as the couple destined for love.  (Hallmark)

***Christmas Around the Corner (2018)   A woman decides to spend her vacation at a struggling book store.  She puts her efforts into restoring the store, only to find the own intends to sell, but finds herself falling for her at the same time.  Her efforts bring the Christmas Spirit back to the entire town.  Our contrary lovers are played by Alexandra Breckinridge and Jamie Spilchuk. (Lifetime)

**** Christmas Miracle at Sage Creek  (2005)  Ike (David Carradine) is determined to run a half-breed family and their grandfather Chief Thomas (Wes Studi) back to the reservation.  Only a miracle can change the hears of Ike whose wife was previously killed by Indians.  This comes in the form of Ike’s sick grandchild, and Indian medicine.  I really enjoyed this story.  You add murdering thieves coming after the father of the Native American family, and everyone trying to find him, and it makes for a pretty good tale.  (BTUtv)

***^ A Song for Christmas (2017)  I really love the musical Christmas stories.  This story is about a singer, whose career is going great, but her musical style no longer belongs to herself, but to her manager.  She becomes stranded on a tree farm when her band accidentally leaves her behind.  She is then trapped due to bad weather.  While there she begins to find her voice, and the ability to stand up for herself.  And of course love comes with that.  This film stars Becca Tobin and Kevin McGarry.   (Hallmark)

Christmas: Angela's Christmas (2017); All I Want for Christmas (2013) Debbie Macomber's Dashing through the Snow (2015)

**^ All I Want for Christmas (2013)

Elizabeth (Mellssa Sagemiller) is a little too intense and too rude.  This gets her into situations at work, and prompts her boss (Tom Arnold) to hire another executive, Robert (Brad Rowe).  She tells her story to someone who turns out to be an elf, and lends her a brioche which allows her to hear he thoughts of others.  This can be a blessing and a curse.  However, Elizabeth only grows after she gives it back, and truly changes her ways.  (ION)

 l

*** Debbie Macomber’s Dashing Through the Snow (2015)

Here we have a woman traveling home for Christmas (Meghan Ory) and she is falling for her travellng companion (Andrew W. Walker) who is actually a secret agent as they think our leading lady may be a spy.  I don’t get how anyone could make that mistake so this didn’t work for  me.  (Hallmark)

***^ Angela’s Christmas (2017) 

This is a short animated feature.  Angela, a young girl, starts to worry about Baby Jesus in the church as the church is so cold.  She determines to take him home and warm him up. (Netflix)

More Christmas Movies 2018

***^ Shoelaces for Christmas  (2018) This is a Christmas Carol type movie with a major twist, the scrooge is a spoiled teenage girl who has some growing up to do when her mother gets sick with cancer.  Jennifer Miller (Mia Topalian) is only focused on her friends and fashion, planning a trip to Paris with her best friend.  However a homeless shelter intervenes, at the insistence of her father.  Jennifer grows up, and even forms attachments with people at the shelter; which relationships change her focus on life.  It is directed by Craig ClydeThis could be considered a Mormon movie and made in Utah movie.  t was on BYUtv.

***^Finding Father Christmas  (2016) After her mother passes away, Miranda (Erin Krakow) embarks on a mission to find her biological father.  All she has to go on is an old picture leading to a town.  There she discovers her father is a famous actor who has also passed away.  But he sponsors a Christmas Carol every yer in his town where he lived with his wife.  Miranda’s mother was a interim affair.  The family eventually accepts her, on the premise that things be kept secret.  More importantly, Miranda finds a love, Ian (Niall Matter).  In this case Father Christmas refers to Miranda’s birth father who also had a special place in his heart for Christmas.  She is returning to her job in the city, with a promise to return next Christmas. Hallmark

***Engaging Father Christmas  (2017)  We are back for more, and Miranda has been true to her word of keeping things secret; except for divulging her father to her ex-boyfriend who encouraged her to seek him out.  She is over heard by a reporter, and this revelation could ruin everything.  Of course her stepmother is disappointed; but she realizes the truth cannot hurt them, but the divulge this to another reporter who has been writing a story about the family; and of course Miranda and Ian become engaged.  Hallmark

***Marrying Father Christmas (2018) The wedding would go off without a hitch, except the venue (Her father’s old home) may not accommodate everyone, and another man has entered the picture, Miranda’s uncle whom she has never met.  I enjoyed this series of feel-good Christmas movies. Hallmark

*** The Santa Incident (2018)  This show starts with a very nice premise, two kids hop on Santa’s sleigh and go for a ride.  When they reveal themselves they scare Santa enough that he crashes the sleigh, the reindeer get away, and Santa loses not only his bag of toys but also his magic Santa hat.  Mrs. Claus always told him to take a spare.  So the kids are about to be left hundreds of miles from home, when they join Santa on a quest to get the toys, hat and everything and save Christmas.  In the meantime Santa ends up in jail for abducting two children.  The kids have to find what is needed.  Kurt Russel portrays Santa Claus, and this Netflix movie is very cute.  However the elves are short and mean and sort of ruin the spirit of the movie.  Santa rocks out in jail and the elves rescue him.  Of course first the kids had to get Santa through the sack to inform them of Santa’s plight.  This is a Netflix movie.

****The Christmas Secret (2015) This is one of those Hallmark type movies with lots of coincidences.  Christine’s (Bethany Joy Lenz) life is falling apart.  Her ex is threatening to take the kids, he does not pay child support.  She gets an eviction notice.   Social services in on her case, she loses her job, everything is headed downhill.  However a man, (she initially thinks he is spying on her for her ex)  Jason (John Reardon) turns out to be a keeper.  He is tasked with finding the lady who saved his mother from death when she had a heart attack.  He cannot find her anywhere.  It is saving her that caused Christine to lose her job, but she finds a new job at a bakery.  Jason befriend Christine’s kids, but is known as “clutch” to them.  Eventually everything comes together.  And turns out that the person who hired her at the bakery is actually Christine’s grandmother on her father’s side.  She had just a locket from her father, and the bakery owner has the key.  The woman who was saved runs a toy store, so the kids are spoiled for Christmas.  And she gives her money for back rent.  And then Jason and Christine have a thing going on.  Hallmark

**^Romance at Reindeer Lodge  (2017) Her is a movie where romance is the key word.  We have a young couple, hoping to see reindeer, which have not visited for some years, and a new couple who start off as rivals, but are forced into the same room.  Romance is bound to happen.  Hallmark

***Christmas Dance  (2012) This is a Hallmark movie.  It is also known as “Come Dance with Me.”  It stars Andrew McCarthy as the business executive, Jack, who is putting together a purchase of a building for his company, and Michelle Nolden as the dance teacher, Christine,  whose studio is in the same building.  They clash on one level, but on another level Jack is taking lessons from Christine so he can impress the boss’ daughter to whom he has intentions of marriage.  However, as their relationship blossoms into love rather than just professional, or a way to get ahead, Jack is left with a conundrum.  He wants to save the dance studio, while also looking good for his boss.  Hallmark

Hallmark Christmas Movies: 2018

I just love the Hallmark Christmas movies.  Here are a few I has watched this year.

***Once Upon a Christmas (2000)

Santa is discouraged due to a lack of Christmas spirit.  His daughter is tasked with getting a family from the naughty to the nice list to save Christmas.  Kristen Clause (Kathy Ireland) has a pretty big task.  Especially since her sister, Rudolfa (Mary Donnelly Haskell) is intent on changing the Holiday to Christmas Fools Day.  In the end the sacrifice Kristen is called upon to make may be larger than she is prepared to do.  This movie was fun.  Ruldolfa is an evil soul but her father gets back at her in the end.

***^Twice Upon a Christmas (2001)  Her is a sequel with Kristen and Ruldolfa still at it.  However, as a result of the first movie Kristen has lost her memory of her life with the Clauses as well as her immortality.  Ruldolfa comes back from her banishment with the goal of selling the North Pole.  In this way Christmas will be done.  She sends pieces all over the world.  She even plans to sell the real estate to Donald Trump for a Trump Tower.  And without her memory Kristen is not likely to intervene; although she knows something is not quite right.  It is a doll that they kids have gotten as part of the pole that jogs her memory and puts Kristen into action.  Here is a sequel with a bit more magic than the original.

****A Town Without Christmas (2001)

Peter Falk plays the role of the magical manipulator who is getting everyone together.  In the end, two people, a writer and a reporter, (Rick Roberts and Patricia Heaton) who are both in Seacliff, Washington pursuing the story of a boy Chris, who has sent a note to Santa hinting at suicide.  They have different motivations however, as the writer has received some paintings which portray the past and the future and include a picture of the letter.  However their two pursuits merge and leads to a romance.  However the big question is finding and saving Chris. 

***^A Town Christmas Forgot (2001)  When the Bensons (Rick Roberts and Lauren Holly) at stranded with their two children due to car issues in Nowhere, Colorado, they come upon a town that is dying due to the loss of the coal mining industry.  The people are depressed, many having left, and the mayor has failed at finding any other business to come to town.  No one will finance a ski lift up the mountain behind town.  But in the end they find likeable people, and even though their car is fixed so they can travel on to the fancy resort they have reserved, the turn around to join the locals for the Christmas Eve Pageant.  And the Bensons are in position to help the town with their problems. 

****A Christmas to Remember (2016)

I think this is my favorite of the Hallmark movies I have watched.  The romance just seems to jump off the screen more.  This is the story of a woman, Jennifer Wade (Mira Sorvino) TV personality, cooking show, who needs to get away.  She is headed to a rural Colorado, and while doing so, she slides off the road and bumps her head, and loses her memory.  She has no memory of who she is.  She is taken in by a single man and his family.  John Blake (Cameron Mathison) and his children are still dealing with the death of his wife and the kids’ mother three years prior.  Even though she does not remember her name, she still remembers her cooking and domestic skills.  Through these skills the family begins to heal, as well as herself.  A romance ensues; but this is interrupted when someone recognizes her and she is forced back to her urban life.  However Jennifer has other plans.

***Santa Incident (2010)  Santa (James Cosmo) is shot down by the Air Force, and he is found with a cracked skull by two siblings who are taking a restricted short-cut to school.  The little girl’s smile is very infectious.  She believes in Santa, while her brother is not sure.  Santa was gathering supplies and Christmas is coming.  On his tail are two people from Homeland Security who pursue Santa as a threat to national security.  Santa has enough magic to make toys.  He sets up shop in an abandoned warehouse where the older brother likes to spend time.  However he still needs to be rescued by the elves.  The eventually show up with the restored sleigh and Christmas is saved.  However not before Santa sparks a romance for their mother.  Father ran away a couple years prior. 

***^A Carol Christmas (2003)  Carol Cartman (Tori Spelling) is the diva of the talk show scene.  Everyone is scared of her and she doesn’t hesitate to fire those who displease her.  That is until she is visited by four ghosts.  First her Aunt, who mentored her in the business to be sure everyone is always waiting for you, and treat everyone as you inferior.  She even chased off her love interest.  Then the Ghost of Christmas Pat (Gary Coleman) and the Ghost of Christmas Present (William Shatner)  And of course the Ghost of Christmas Future.  When they are through with her, Carol is a changed woman.  The mood of her show is changed from being cynical to being uplifting.  She even offers to pay for all her cast to travel to Hawaii.

Movie Review ***^Sound of Christmas

This is a Hallmark movie with a bit of a twist.  On top of the typical romance, is a school of music.  This brings the added benefit of music as part of Christmas.  Lizzie Moore (Lindy Booth) is a music teacher, who agrees to give private lessons to the daughter of Brad Evans (Robin Dunne) whose company is purchasing the building where the school is located.  There is no chance of the school being saved, even with a romance involved, until the unexpected happens.

Movie Review: The Christmas Pageant (2011) with Melissa Gilbert

Man I have missed Melissa Gilbert.  Of course I miss the Little House on the Prairie Melissa Gilbert, and this movie is not her; however a couple times this movie took me back.  Gilbert plays Melissa Parks, a Broadway director, who is down on her luck and down on opportunities because of her sour personality.  In the end, she takes the only thing available, a gig directing a Christmas Pageant to the north.  There she meets her old boyfriend (Jack Harmon), who left because he realized Parks was married to her career and didn't need marriage.  She also befriends the boyfriend's daughter (Lennon Wynn) who is wise beyond her years before realizing who she is.  Her birth mother has passed away.  (It seems single parents is common in Hallmark movies.  The landlords where the director is staying are played by Candice Azzara and Edward Herrmann. 
The biggest test with this show comes when a Broadway job finally does come through.  Parks leaves the pageant production a few days before the presentation, to return to New York.  What happens from there? 

Movie Review: **^Finding Christmas (2013)

Sheri and I were commenting that these Hallmark Christmas movies all have a very similar plot.  This plot is the same, but it does it twice.  Some house swapping, leads two men to meet different woman, and the sparks begin to fly.  Country musician Owen (JT Rogers) heads for the city, and city advertising man Sean (Mark Lutz) heads for the country.  Sean meets Owen's sister, Ryan (Tricia Helfer), and Owen meets Sean's assistant, Mia (Cristina Rosato).  The only fly in the ointment is Sean's ex fiancé, who has a change of heart. 

Movie Review: ***Christmas Song (2012)

this is a Christmas Movie from Hallmark, where two schools have merged, with two choir directors, and two different methods of teaching.  Both directors enter a team into a local competition which offers a grant to the winners.  There is a lot of feuding, and even sabotage, but in the end, our two groups come together, as do the choir directors. 
These Hallmark Movie have similar plots, but even so, I find myself attracted to them.