User reviews

I read about this movie in a Norwegian newspaper while they were filming in Bergen, and got my hopes up because I thought they would do Norway right. They did not! The Christmas traditions is accurate, but why would they not use a single Norwegian actor when they were filming here? Everyone who was supposed to be Norwegian sounded German, their pronunciations were so bad it was very cringe to watch. The houses looked nothing like Norwegian houses, on the outside or inside. And finally it was less Christmasy than I would have thought and hoped, seeing as we usually have lots and lots of snow during Christmas. Should have been filmed during Christmas for real, and released next year instead. But as a Hallmark movie, the plot was good, and not as cliche as normal.

I am Norwegian and I read about this movie in a newspaper referencing the legendary X-Files episode with Norwegian talking. It delivered as expected and I enjoyed this movie quite a lot. The cringy German sounding Norwegians and the deadpan delivery of Norwegian clichés.

At the same time, the research into Norwegian culture was pretty good and I liked the filming on location in Bergen.

The overall story even worked quite well.

While this may be a run of the mill Hallmark movie for everyone else it could easily become a cult movie in Norway.

(The angry reviews from other Norwegians must be seen in the light of them taking the movie seriously in the first place.)

We all know the formula; won't repeat it here. This movie does not follow that formula. No old boyfriends/girlfriends, no misinterpreted intentions causing someone to walk out about 20 minutes from the end (only to come back and live happily ever after). No, there is a different story here that contains a mystery and a gradual sense by the characters of discovering where they belong and with whom they should be. It's a great story, good acting by new faces, and wonderful scenery in Norway (a great place for filming a Christmas story!). The only problem was that I wanted to the story to continue (maybe a sequel?). Good work by Hallmark on this one!

First off - yes, this was a Hallmark Christmas movie but there were absolutely zero typical Halmarkisms here. If I were playing the Hallmark drinking game I would have lost (or stayed sober) as no cliche scenes or moments were put into the film.

The cast, all of them, were great and worked well together. Also, having Bergen as the location added quite a bit. Often, these movies filmed abroad work better than their USA-Canada counterparts. Not sure why, but they just seem fresher.

This was a quality production from start to end and kudos to the acting and production talent. Oh, and this is a biggie - this was rare Hallmark movie which actually wrapped up the story for all characters and we weren't left hanging and wondering how things would work out. Nicely done.

Jessica Johnson (Rhiannon Fish) is in a coffee shop behind Henrik Strom (David Elsendoorn) who is getting dumped by a girl also named Jessica Johnson. It's a series of name confusion, uncomfortable confrontation, slapstick chaos, and an offer from Henrik. He has an extra ticket to Norway in the name of Jessica Johnson. She has existential doubt and a free plane ticket may be what's needed. She sets off for Bergen to find an origin story while he is attending his sister's wedding.

I like this couple and they have stuff to do. Bergen is not a top tier destination and that's what is interesting. I've seen one travel show do Bergen in one episode. That's it. So I do know about "Bergen?", but not so much else. I'm sure the locals would have some issues. I have none. This is as good as Hallmark is going to get.

As a Norwegian I'm feeling a little offended. Norwegians would not have acted this way towards Henrik. So many things about Norwegian traditions are wrong, and they couldn't even get Norwegian actors, even though they filmed in Norway. If they hadn't gotten so much wrong about Norwegian culture and had used some Norwegian actors I really do think I would have liked the film. But the mistakes are just too glearing to me, it took all my focus. (Also; geography always bothers me when American films take on Europe. Why would they walk around Bergen with alpine skis when the nearest slope is a couple of hours away.)

Yes, Hallmark, you got this one right!

This movie was so different from the normal cliche movies.

No templates here. A different story line, beautiful and precious. I admit, I cried several times.

Acting was superb and believable. Sweet and subtle personalities that grow on you, and not right in your face.

Scenery was absolutely beautiful, without going overboard, very natural. Makes you want to visit Norway. I liked how the customs were gradually introduced by the characters.

If you want to watch a movie, to make you laugh, make you cry, and make you remember ... then watch this one!

Time well spent.

I love how half the population of Norway has submitted low reviews about this movie. I would also be annoyed if I was Norwegian, but my review is going to rate the actual movie since I have no idea how authentic the Norwegian content is.

I liked the production value. The settings were nice, the feel was right, and it was unique enough to merit watching. I also really liked Rhiannon Fish's character. She had quirks to make her relatable but not so many quirks as to be annoying. I was neutral on her before this movie, but she is the best part of this one and now I'm a fan.

If I had to crticize the movie, I would say the setup for the plot was ridiculous. Rhiannon's character was WAY too trusting after this random dude tracked her down at her workplace (in a school, no less) and showed up to see her. That's when you call for help, not decide to travel with him to Norway. Then when she mentioned she should Google him, he begged her not to. Not alarming at all!

Have you heard about the Norwegian farmer who loved his wife so much, he almost told her?

I am loving Hallmark doing some more immersive storylines within other cultures. This film adds a clever meeting and trip into the storyline which was very enjoyable. As a fellow Dutchwoman, I loved seeing both David Elsendoorn and Peter Vollebregt playing the father and son Henrik and Johan Strom. I thought they and the rest of the cast did a remarkably believable job with the Norwegian accents and pronunciations.

I loved seeing the very real city of Bergen, seeing and hearing about Norwegian Christmas customs like St. Lucia celebrations, the food, the knitting, the singing around the tree...and traditional costume. I also appreciated the conversation about the American use of the word love and the sharing of the two duvets...which I already knew about and agree with whole heartedly.

I liked the tie in to a personal journey and not making the story too complex. I thought Rhiannon Fish was great as JJ and she had wonderful chemistry with David Elsendoorn. The sibling interaction and teasing was just the right note between Henrik and Nora. It was really fun to see a wedding as well as Christmas since there are lots of traditions around weddings around the world...including the dresses.

I really loved this one, it had humor, cultural sharing and family. I recommend this to anyone who wants a heartfelt holiday film this season. This is definitely competing for the best Hallmark Holiday film of 2023...I think it just might edge out the Heidelberg Holiday, which is also very good. Cheers, Hallmark. I really thought you were done for, but movies like these are breathing new life into your network. Well done.

Set in Norway, but not with a Norwegian cast. This is the first Rhiannon Fish film I've seen where she's not annoying, the Australian actress does a fairly good job. Her co-lead is the Dutch actor David Elsendoorn who played Jan Maas in the series "Ted Lasso", he's always good.

This is again another movie that thankfully doesn't have a female lead who owns her own business usually interior design, dressmaker or other similar occupation or she's up for a lifechanging job promotion or she developed a dating or other stupid app. The script wasn't bad, but not the best Hallmark movie I've seen. The location was nice, in Bergen, Norway.

This one hurts to watch. I'm Norwegian and this was one of the worst attempts of pretending to be Norwegian I have ever seen. They should have used Norwegian actors and done better research on Norway. There are lots of great Norwegian actors that would have done a far better job, they would also speak better english than the actors in the movie.

If there was any quality to this movie, them maybe I could have watched the whole thing. But I had too give up halfway.

There is som much wrong here, I dont think any Norwegians wold give this more than one star.

This was a just complete waste of time.

A well cast hallmark movie is a joy to behold. It makes such a difference when all of the characters are believable in the roles that they have. This is one of those rare movies. It's also hard to single out in a one actor for a great performance. Every actor was believable and their performance and every performance was wonderful to watch.

Apart from most Hallmark movies, this one had a few," didn't see that coming." it was also an extremely well written movie with great background shooting. I really watched this movie out of boredom and I'm extremely glad that I was honored to watch a genuinely great Hallmark movie.

Congratulations to all involved, and congratulations to hallmark for keeping it fresh and fun to watch to the end. By the way, David looks like a young tall Brad Pitt. Grandma is a younger Maggie Smith and Rhiannon, reminds me of no one. Lots of great actresses rolled into one. Great smiling eyes.

This storyline was great! New, different captivating and a surprise .It kept us both interested and we didn't want to miss a thing. The lead actress is one of our favorites and always does well with her emotion both in her face and verbally. So many new actors and really thought they fit the bill. Loved the banter between her grandparents. Loved the ending scene ... perfect ! It had us laughing smiling and we can't wait to watch it again Love how Hallmark is taking us around the world sharing holiday and family traditions of different cultures. We are so glad you share more what the towns/villages and surrounding areas look like too ...we always look up more about the area afterward.

An actual plot line - Hallmark can do it - I was beginning to doubt it.

I like this film. The setting was special. I travelled through Norway about 20 years ago and so know Bergen a little. Such a lovely city and Norway has such an unique interesting culture and I thought this film showcased it beautifully.

Of the acting; I love the character of Nora she was fun and I loved watching her dance with Henrik. I know Rhiannon from Home and Away so to have her rock up in Hallmark films has been a transition cos she has tended to play the exact same character in every film she has been in which feels staid, however is her best thus far.

The meet cute was ridiculous but I liked Henrik and JJ together they were sweet. All in all a nice way to waste away a few hours.

No this is not a Norwegian story.. yes they are in Bergen but thats about it. The language is so bad that I had to use the subtitles to understand what hey were trying to say.

This movie just feels like its made by americans, and it doesnt tell that much of our traditions... Yes they had our brown chees, trolls, skiing, bunad, and some of our christmas cockies, but thats just not all we are. If hallmark had tryed just a litle bit, this could have been a great movie even for us norwegians to watch.

This had a great story, and could have been such a great movie. I was really looking forward to watch this one as I really love halmarkmovies and have watch almost every one of them, but this one faild on so many levels.

I am a second generation Norwegian-American who has been to Norway (was just in Bergen in the last two years), so this film has become one of my favorite Hallmark movies and sort of an homage to my family. The film gets a lot right, especially in tradition. I'm sure my grandparents would cringe at some of the poorly executed accents attempted by the actors, but would appreciate the location shoots and just the fact that Norway gets a little limelight.

This film has a sweet story line, told using Hallmark's formula used in almost all of their films. There's much to enjoy about this film if you don't take it too seriously and start picking it apart. It's not a documentary about Norwegian life, it's a romantic drama with warm and even humorous moments.

As a norwegian I am feeling offended you didnt even make an effort. The main character is dutch. Not a single one of the family members are norwegian. You could atleast have made an effort to hire some norwegian actors, when you want to display our culture and language. You got the language so wrong, and its no authenticity to it... When your trying to sell a story like this, why wouldnt you bother spending more time on the small details. Why would the father and son speak english together when they reunite? Even the kids singing the Lucia song sounds gibberish. Same goes with the norwegian-english accents. It looks like some american directors are trying to showcase what they think Norway looks like, not what it actually looks like.

I rarely ever give a 10 in a review but I can't think of anything I'd change here. To say it's a great romcom doesn't do it justice. This is 2 hours of depth, humor, and an outstanding cast. Add beautiful scenery and 2 leads who catch fire from the first scene and go up from there. It keeps you involved and intrigued from the start and by the time you get to the end, you don't want it to be over. Not your generic hallmark movie at all. Bravo to the writers, producer, director and everybody else - there was not one wrong step. It was about so much more than a romance. It'll certainly get several re-watches over the season and beyond.

Rhiannon Fish is becoming my favorite actress out of a stable of many good ones. And the grandmother was delightfully wise and sweet.

If you are from Norway you are probably gonna hate it , not because it makes people from norway look bad, just cos its silly . If you want to see shakespear in Love , you are delusional. Its ok, a 5 for some , a 7 for others, . Leaves you with very little but its not particularly annoying like I could have been.

OK , that said, accting its ok but lacking . Script is not very compley or interesting but at least is not treating you like you are 12.... The place in Norway is quite pretty . I would say if you are at home, with your wife or a kid and want to see a Chirstmass movie that its not gonna raise any questions but also its not gonna make you want to quit it to watch youtube. Here you go . Its a lesser Letters for Juliet lets say . >D.

As a Norwegian i am offended. If I were an american i might would have enjoyed it. However, I don't see how this film in a single way shows how the Norwegian Christmas spirit is in any single way. Yes, they have bunad, brunost, krumkake and trolls, yet that does not contribute to the Norwegian Christmas tradition by themselves. Just why couldn't you at least had grandma or Anders casted as Norwegians, or even just someone American, so weird to hear someone "talk" Norwegian and a 100% hearing they don't even know what they are saying. A disgrace. Not even the extras were norwegian. A no from me unfortunately.

Another Hallmark romance takes the viewer to a foreign city full of beautiful sights and cultural interests.

I really enjoyed this story. It is extremely well written and it features the beautiful Rhiannon Fish as J. J. Johnson, who reluctantly travels to Norway only to discover an intrigue that has personal meaning for her. And it all starts with a chance meeting with Henrik Strom (David Eisendoorn), who lives in Bergen, where the film was shot.

Like some other Hallmark stories, this one involves an artifact surrounded by mystery. It gives the narrative a center that is also part of the developing relationships.

I love the incidental music. The cast is really lovable. Best of all, the film is full of magical moments that stir the heart.

Rhiannon Fish is fast becoming one of my favorites. Can she really be the young woman who played the fierce Ontari on "The 100"?