Adelaide Kay (Becca Tobin) is a country star who is rising fast, but only by abandoning what is in her heart and following the demands of her producer making her into a talking head that has every song sounding like the last. When she’s accidentally left off the bus, traffic issues and a bad storm has prevented them from picking her up. Meanwhile, a nice girl notices her plight, and brings her home to stay with their family. The Lapp family owns a Christmas Tree that they are about to lose due to bad luck and unexpected expenses. As Addie stays with them, she learns to care about this wonderful family and their plight, and that they also have a handsome son, Dillon Lapp (Kevin McGarry) who loves music as much as she does, but has given up his shot at a career to support the family business. Addie and Dylan have to each look to see what each of them really want.
This is a simple Christmas film that was cute enough, but just not firing on all cylinders. We’re supposed to believe that this gal is a huge country star, but we have no evidence of that. They have one mediocre song right in the ending of the movie that shows that they do sing, but everything in this movie seems to be just scratching the surface. The movie fits the entire 2 hour time span, but does not really delve into anything. We just seem to skim along the surface of all the contrived problems in this movie. I didn’t despise this movie at all, it is light and fluffy and won’t fill you up, but there are so many better movies this year, and this just didn’t quite strike me as one of the better ones. Still, it’s a nice family, and if they do save the farm, I’d be glad to go live there with them.
Brooke Nevin, Steve Byers, Patrick Duffy, Kathleen Laskey, Dale Whibley, Jocelyn Hudon, Pip Dwyer, Charlie Boyle, Pam Hyatt, Vanessa Burns, Conrad Coates
Vanessa Turner (Brooke Nevin) is a doctor in the city. She grew up with her Dad, Bruce Turner (Patrick Duffy) who is a beloved family doctor in a small town, and it was always her dream to be a doctor like her father and is living her dream. For years she has tried to go back home for Christmas, but her rotation at the hospital would never allow her to get away, but this year is her turn, so she anxiously heads home. When she gets home, her Father and Mother tell her why they were so anxious to have her home. He is about to retire and close the clinic just after the holidays. So Vanessa determines she wants to spend her vacation helping her Father and working beside him for the last days of the clinic. But as she becomes reacquainted with her High School Sweetheart, Mitch (Steve Myers), she finds her place in the small town and has to decide whether to throw away all her dreams and stay home and take over her father’s practice, or to live the life in the city she always wanted.
This was a really sweet little film. Not so much about the romance, but a look at a loving family and how they manage to love and support each other to work thorugh the issues that arrive in every day life. There’s not great conflict here, but simply a really festive and beautiful location, and a number of wonderful characters really playing their parts to he hilt. I really found myself enjoying this film, and found it really enjoyable from start to finish, mostly because I really liked the characters. This is a festive film portraying a really wonderful small town Christmas, and I was really impressed with this one and recommend it for your holiday viewing.
Crown Media Productions, Hallmark Movies and Mysteries,
Catherine Bell, VIctor Webster, Matreya Fedor
Jane McKendrick (Catherine Bell) is a widowed Mom to teen Betsy (Matreya Fedor) who is off for college in the fall. Betsy is a good girl, but when she meets soldier Jackson Hart (Victor Webster) sparks fly as she feels something very special for him. But Jane is not pleased in the least to learn that her daughter is dating a soldier who is just about to be deployed. As Betsy explains that it’s just friendship, Jane probably doesn’t realize it, but the her soldier husband who was killed in action is a little too close to what Betsy is doing, and she really doesn’t want her to have to endure the tragedy that she had to go through and is projecting it on her
Hallmark turns out some remarkable little Christmas stories, and this new one for 2017 first premiered in mid summer during the annual Hallmark “Christmas in July” event this year. This is a charming little Christmas film with lots of holiday spirit, but more than that a story of two ladies at odds with each other even though they love each other deeply. The story is very well done, and the actors pull a really performance from somewhere down inside. There are a good cast of supporting players, and a number of side stories that really pack the two hour movie with a lot of powerful content. Very touching and full of the holiday spirit, but a very well done story as well as there is a lot to think about after this one is over. This was a nice film and very worthy of the Hallmark trademark.
Austin Stowell, Kayla Ewell, Brett Rice, Bryant Prince, Carol Anne Watts, Danny Glover, Michael Harding
Trey Cole grew up in a very small town, but always had a problem with his ex-military Dad who was never around, and after his Mom left, he left town and never spoke to his father again. Trey went into the city and became a famous singer, but walked out in the middle of a performance to go back home to reconnect with Charlie Shuffleton (Danny Glover) who was the substitute father figure to him, and who was the town barber. Unfortunately, Charlie had passed away just a couple months before. Trey decides not to stay, but once he met his brother’s little boy, he forms a bond and is tempted to stay. Trey has a lot to learn about family and forgiveness and the need to have other people in your life.
This Hallmark Christmas film is a very worthwhile movie and is true to the Hallmark commitment to bring high quality family movies to brighten the holidays. Though back from 2013, this is an excellent movie and is available for streaming on Netflix. Though good any time of the year, it’s especially nice around the holidays, and there is a lot of holiday cheer in it as well. This is one that deserves to be remembered.
Perfect World Pictures (Beijing), Universal Pictures, Will Packer Productions,,
Kimberly Elise, Danny Glover, John Michael Higgins, Romany Malco, Mo’Nique, J.B. Smoove, Gabrielle Union, Omar Epps, Nicole Ari Parker, Jessie Usher, DC Young Fly
Walter (Danny Glover) is the father of a big family who are all grown-up and moved away, and he’s suffering the loss of his wife and it’s 5 days until Christmas. Walter has asked everyone to come together and his only wish is for the whole family to get together for 5 days without it all blowing up. Of course that’s a lot to ask of this bunch, and though Walter’s obsessed with getting his wife’s Sweet Potato Pie just right, the rest of the gang from Aunt May (Mo’nique) all the way down to the grandchildren are all about to kill each other. This is a typical dysfunctional family survives Christmas films.
Almost Christmas is certainly a well covered topic, with the frustrated Dad trying to keep his kids from tearing each other apart story line, but due to the excellent acting from Glover and Mo’Nique through JB Smoove, Gabriel Union, and right on down the line, the talent helps to make the story come alive. There are some hysterical moments that are really well done including one of the best dining room table bits that I’ve ever seen. This film is not going to be classic enough to gain cult status, but it’s really pretty well done and though it does jump from sad to silly and back quite fast, still it’s a highly enjoyable film and one that makes us feel good because our families are not near as bad as this clan. Or are they? That’s something you’ll be wondering about as you enjoy this charming Christmas Movie.
Trey Cole grew up in a very small town, but always had a problem with his ex-military Dad who was never around, and after his Mom left, he left town and never spoke to his father again. Trey went into the city and became a famous singer, but walked out in the middle of a performance to go back home to reconnect with Charlie Shuffleton (Danny Glover) who was the substitute father figure to him, and who was the town barber. Unfortunately, Charlie had passed away just a couple months before. Trey decides not to stay, but once he met his brother’s little boy, he forms a bond and is tempted to stay. Trey has a lot to learn about family and forgiveness and the need to have other people in your life.
