rgilkison-61237 Reviews

Letters to Santa (2023 TV Movie)

A Little too Late...

[4/10 · 27 November 2023]

When I started to watch this I thought, "this must be a fan-favorite series, since this was number 5". I hadn't seen or heard about it's predecessors, but I would like to assume they continued the saga due to popular choice. It is daring to tackle the subject of marital-strife, and especially, its damaging effects on the security of children, especially centered around a Christmastime theme. This is definitely a more serious tone than a vast majority of Hallmark's holiday movies, and it may have been heartwarming (with better execution) if it didn't devote almost three-fourths of its time to the bickering, misunderstanding, and pettiness between the parents, Rebecca and Enrique. The redemptive moral is the wonderful mother-in-law, Camilla, who Rebecca, somehow, mostly fails to recognize . Of the three of them, Camilla is the only selfless one, who truly exemplifies the spirit of giving. Only when the children (pure of heart) contribute to Rebecca's book, does Rebecca affirm the extra-efforts that Camilla had undergone to lighten the heavy hearts of the children attributable to her and Enrique's separation. Camilla also illuminates Rebecca of Enrique's selfless investment, and personal sacrifice to save their family restaurant business. This is, unfortunately, a fact in many marital disputes - that the spouses are blinded by resentment, and only a bystander can illuminate the problem. Unfortunately, by the time Rebecca and Enrique resolve their differences, it's so late in the movie, that you're deprived of any deep emotion or gratification.

Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up (2023 TV Movie)

Deck the Halls II

[8/10 · 26 November 2023]

Why continue to retread tradional big-city meets small-town holiday themes when you can "borrow" from highly-regarded Hollywood productions? It works, well, here, leaving you with an enjoyable 85 minutes, and most-likely, the desire to add this to your "re-watchable" collection. It starts with a great cast-ensemble. You have one of Hallmark's finest leads, Lacey Chabert 👍(Emily), complimented by Wes Brown (Jared), and believably antagonized by Jennifer Aspen (Jane Johnson). The supporting cast is led by veterans, Ellen Travolta and Stephen Tobolowsky. Although primarily a humor-driven story, it does what most great comedies effectively accomplish - poke fun at the human "condition". Firstly, you have the core of the film, HOA's. They initially begin with good-intentions, but inevitably the rigid-rules, power-trips of the board, and unforgiving citations begin to sour many of its constituents. Then, there are the egotistical bullies, the Johnsons, who believe their celebrity as reality-TV stars excludes them from the rules. The disgruntled neighbors see their opportunity to rebel against the HOA and this sets up for a "war". This escalates, uncontrollably, until.... Emily steps up...Lacey Chabert, who were accustomed to always being so charming...She shows her fierce determination (yes!) to take the battle into her own hands. It takes the innocence of children to finally wake up the immature adults te realize they have lost sight of the true meaning of the season. Ironically, in a comedy, Emily's and Jared's relationship is a much deeper love than what has been commonly depicted in this Hallmark holiday season. Well done!

Holiday Road (2023 TV Movie)

Good-hearted Fun!

[7/10 · 26 November 2023]

When you set out to watch "Holiday Road", you instantly think, oh, here's another take on "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles", which is an all-time classic. If you've seen it, you know it's a cornball comedy with heart, that leaves you feeling positive about human-relations. Overlook the sometimes sub-par acting and over-the-top silliness, here, and you actually can experience the goodwill between people of different creeds (purposeful), when they share a common experience (like a long bus/van trip), as in tragedies and disasters. It's unfathomable, in this world, that nine strangers would ever collaborate to rideshare a long distance, so you have to be open-minded (and patient) about the initial prep of the storyline. Nine central characters are a lot to follow (you have to pay attention), but the directors allot enough dialog that they each stay inter-connected in the ongoing journey. You begin to have empathy for each of the characters in their personal quests. I commend the background music, as well - the Christmas songs were original and played only in appropriate scenes. Social-networking (somewhat new in Hallmark movies) was also well-incorporated, and cleverly instrumental in the unfolding drama. As the movie comes to a close, each character receives a poignant moment, which leaves you satisfied for the enrichment you receive for "riding" this one out to the finish...

Mystery on Mistletoe Lane (2023 TV Movie)

Thoroughly Enjoyable!

[10/10 · 25 November 2023]

After viewing several night's worth of Hallmark's offerings, this season, I luckily reviewed the calendar to catch this earlier release. Since I had many films to use, as reference, a 10-star-rating was easy to bestow on this gem. That is because it is multi-faceted - the storyline emphasizes the passage of Christmas traditions - family and community. The acting is top-notch - from Victor Webster👍(David) and Erica Cerra (Heidi), to Wallace (David's dad) and Heidi's two teens. All three generations are pivotal, as the story unfolds. David and Heidi are initially slightly adversarial as she unknowingly took over his position of museum curator. But, the mystery of the manor gives them a common objective, and the writers give ample time (and histories) for our leads to warm up to each other. Their interactions (good chemistry) are relaxed and sensible. You can palpate the emotion of David's dad, Wallace, as he recounts his childhood and you begin to see the mystery solved, with some well-played interaction of Heidi's two teenagers. You never sense that you're being force-fed any Christmas activities or unforeseen romantic moment. These moments flow, seemlessly, here. When the movie draws to its closing, you're left feeling comforted in the human spirit, the joy of community, and the excitement of a much-anticipated budding romance.

Catch Me If You Claus (2023 TV Movie)

Santa's a Regular Guy...

[5/10 · 24 November 2023]

Fortunately, there is good casting (Luke MacFarlane 👍as Chris, and the lovely, Italia Ricci, as Avery, in "Catch Me if you Claus", which will help you, at least partially overcome a big stretch taken on the legend of Santa Claus. If you are a soIemn "believer" you will be saddened, here, that being Santa is a learn-on-the-job responsibility, no longer held by the Kringle family, and that Santa can take a joyride on his sleigh in the off-season (nobody notices?)...In another borrowed theme this season, you can guess, by the title, this movie will be a fast-paced adventure. Chris is failing his first trek, as Santa, delivering gifts - he mis-delivered a gift, and has half-the-world, leftover, to complete his duty in less than 5 hours. Avery, on the other hand, has her biggest opportunity in her TV news career - anchoring the morning news, and yes, that's in a few hours. They get entangled in a criminal conspiracy involving the town mayor and a "Criminal Santa", who is actually an ex-employee, turned vigilante. Avery, who is well-aware of the APB out on Criminal-Santa, mistakenly apprehends Chris coming from her fireplace. He apparently has no Santa magic to break free, so the two of them, once she deduces Chris is the real-deal (he does have Santa's "sees-you", "knows-you", insights when convenient in the storyline) , team up to solve the crime. It's corny back and forth comical-action, but it does serve to draw our leads, Chris and Avery closer. It feels more like an endearing friendship is developing (a traumatic life-experience, together), but they get a long kiss in, under the guise of covering their faces to escape discovery by the mayor's henchmen. You can't fault Hallmark for venturing into non-exhausted plots; but this one, somewhat unique and whimsical, requires plenty of your attention for all of the scene changes. This pathway left me more relieved, than emotional about any good will or romance that could develop; therefore, as we draw closer to Christmas, I would move this farther down your watchlist...

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Holiday Hotline (2023 TV Movie)

Too Much Turkey Jive..

[6/10 · 22 November 2023]

A light-hearted, creative movie, and funny at times, "Holiday Hotline" delves too long into "Turkey Chat", and humorous poultry puns revolving around the holiday bird. This tone doesn't allow you to take this romantic premise, seriously. The story's somewhat a farce and the jester (well -played) is "Peggy's" boss at the call center, Roger, a Steve Buscemi (Armageddon, Boardwalk Empire) mimic. After the humor was established, it felt like the story (if it's meant to be a romance) was stretched thin (how many turkey-tragedies can you laugh at?). "Peggy" and "Jack's (our primary couple's incognito names) calls were more co-counseling, than dating, so we get to know "Abby's" and "John's" backgrounds, well. Unfortunately, the director didn't succinctly crossover to Abby and John and delved more into the silliness of turkey tragedies, and even a "hotline awards ceremony". You're left getting anxious for the reveal, but their story should have reached (not dragged) a crescendo, well before the pen-ultimate scene . Instead, we have short heart-felt apologies, and an uncertain relationship (John & Abby v. Peggy & Jack) J, not one that has been duly-established (and time was up). Definitely, okay to watch (and enjoy) this once, but you won't find it memorable, or humorous, enough, for a repeat view in the future.

Navigating Christmas (2023 TV Movie)

Relationships Matter...

[9/10 · 20 November 2023]

The title and cover would have you believe "Navigating Christmas" is about romance, with the lighthouse central to the story, and it is... But, not just as the meeting place of our primary couple, the lighthouse owner, Peter (Stephen Huszar👍) and the divorced, single -mom, Melanie (Chelsea Hobbs). It's a metaphor for Melanie, her son (Jason), and Peter to "navigate" their way through the pain of divorce, its effect on children, and the difficulty, from both sides, of single-parenthood. Once you get to the core of the movie (past a bit of shaky acting by Melanie and Jason, which kept my rating from 9.5), their back histories fold into the story - Melanie makes a rash (without planning or research) decision to stay at the lighthouse to appease her son's heartache, over a missed opportunity to spend time with his dad. Peter has waited too long to deal with his guilt of avoiding his dad (now deceased), so long, that he must return to settle the mounting debt of the estate, or risk losing the lighthouse to a heartless developer. Of course, Christmas traditions (especially from a tight-knit small town) are instrumental in stirring up the good feelings from the past, and distract Jason from his teenage angst by leading him to a crush with the mayor's daughter. Melanie is distrustful and harsh on Peter, a few times, despite his connection to Jason. He reads what Jason is experiencing, perhaps better than Melanie, because he sees similarities to his own life-experience. The film-directing is also complimentary to the storyline. There's a feeling of true magnetism between Peter and Melanie and there is good timing (ie. Tension) with eye gazes and the kisses (not obligatory). There is also some clever use, a few times, of foreshadowing, that is meaningful. Hallmark lost many of their stars to Great American, but fortunately, kept Stephen Huszar, whose steadiness benefitted this cast, immensely, and led to a pleasantly rewarding watch....

Ms. Christmas Comes to Town (2023 TV Movie)

The True Spirit of Christmas!

[9/10 · 16 November 2023]

This production caught my attention when I saw Brennan Elliott (virtually guarantees a 7+ rating, just due to his professionalism and relaxed posture on film). Then you mix in two more seasoned actresses, Barbara Niven (Chesapeake Shores) and Erica Durance, the movie had am emotional maturity (not just by age) that has been lacking in this season's movie offerings. Again, the storyline is only a small twist from a lot of Hallmark's formulae, ie. Travelling to small towns for the holidays. What makes this story gratifying is the interaction of the 3 central characters. It is believable, onscreen, how they care for one another, and the romance that develops between Ms. Holiday and Mr. Winter is quite conceivable, despite a very short backstory. The kiss is definitely warranted. Ms. Christmas is elegant, and earnest. She thinks of Ms. Holiday as her own daughter, and doesn't dump the dire news of her impending death on her or her high school sweetheart, who floats into the story as the secondary romance. The Christmas traditions are rolled into the screenplay, and fit in here (not forcibly), as a means of deepening the attraction of Ms. Holiday and Mr. Winter. All-in-all one of the best, so far, this year in strengthening your belief in the good of humanity (heartwarming). The movie closes, cleverly, by wishing us in the audience a Happy Holidays!

Flipping for Christmas (2023 TV Movie)

Abigail and Bo connect!

[6/10 · 16 November 2023]

Don't let the title mislead you on this one. If you like Hallmark movies to witness a developing romance, you may enjoy this. It's really a traditional "opposites-attract", and, fortunately, they cast (and focused on) two Hallmark veterans, Ashley Newbrough (Abigail) and Marcus Rosner (Bo), both very attractive, onscreen. Marcus Rosner has earned a good reputation as an antagonist, and plays it well against Ashley's character, Abigail. She is a career-driven, big-city woman, and Bo, is a small-town craftsman, still reeling from a divorce from a young romance, making him a little disdained with the assertive Abigail. They clash over a house, that Bo partially owns and has an emotional attachment to, because his recently deceased guardian, Frank, had lived there for years. Abigail wants to rennovate it, only to "flip" for profit. They compromise, and decide to improve the home to decide the outcome, later. There may have needed to be some "filler" time, here, as a few script-free scenes were playful banter between Bo and Abigail, a paint and snowball fight. But, considering that Bo hadn't restarted mingling, and married too young, it isn't shocking he would "break the ice" (no pun intended) this way. Their relationship starts to warm as Abigail begins to admire Bo's heart - she sees his creativity (and taste) in finishing the home decor, without her opinion (hand-crafted), and his unselfish soul - he donates his time and talents to the community. Her heart begins to open and she empathizes for the town, when she realizes she inadvertently enabled her entrepreneur connections to develop the town. By movie's end, there relationship has believably evolved into a blooming romance. This is why I'd rate this a 6-star. In many of this season's releases, "Never Been Chris'd and "The Santa Summit", ie., there's no screentime devoted to evolve the characters beyond attraction. Your left being apathetic about the characters. I could easily have bumped my rating to a seven-star, but the screenplay, (ie. Background musical score), and most of the supporting-cast, was overly enthusiastic, which made the early scenes somewhat corny...

Christmas Island (II) (2023 TV Movie)

Warm and Meaningful

[7/10 · 14 November 2023]

Truly a heart-warming story well worth an attentive watch. The message here from the citizens of Christmas Island is how gratifying it is to share of one's self with others - what most of us who celebrate the spirit of Christmas wish to experience. There's no cliches, "wow" moments, or fluff in this story. My only knock was the story was a little slow to unfold. Once it did, you witness the Sharpe couple realize their financial success has come at a price of sacrificing their other talents, and their teenage daughter learns that she could accomplish wonders "offline", and become more empathetic to her little brother by reading a letter to Santa. Andrew Walker, one of Hallmark's finest, enhances this cast, and he, along with his fellow citizens, lead the visitors, Kate (the pilot) and the Sharpe's to rediscover joy and romance.

The Santa Summit (2023 TV Movie)

Fast-paced Excitement

[6/10 · 13 November 2023]

If you like to watch a movie without over-analyzing the story, or the acting, this movie is worth a watch. With the multitude of movies released over the holidays it is quite apparent that Hallmark is trying to pull in a younger audience, without their traditional formula. The main characters, Jordin, Ava, and Stella are portrayed as 30ish and the storyline is college-aged festivities. This is mostly a fresh approach, 'tho "Never Been Chris'd attempted this venue (less favorably), and even 'tho the three women can't be taken too seriously (some over-acting and over-scripting) their diversity and comraderie works here. Romance is limited to the excitement of the catch, and there's little time given to the depth of any of the characters. In fact, the supporting character of the reindeer (pedalcar driver) and of the love-interest for Stella, were the deepest characters in their short-time onscreen. Shout-out: there's not really a "spirit" of Christmas in this one, more the excitement of friendship and winter-fun...

Never Been Chris'd (2023 TV Movie)

Dumb and Dumber...

[1/10 · 13 November 2023]

If you're looking for a warm-hearted holiday romance, you're going to be highly disappointed with this production. Maybe it was the result of the writer's strike because it feels like a hodge- podge of popular cliches and storylines scrapped together under the disguise of holiday tradition. A majority of the scenes have Christmas and Hanukkah connotations, but the storyline was all about a 30+ year-old high school reunion, and shallow characters that weren't that likeable. Naomi and Liz are two life-long friends, that despite an impressive launch of a highly successful app, "Best Pal", and being thirty-five, apparently haven't matured enough in their personal lives to respectfully talk to their moms, and behave like junior high girls when they're around Chris, who apparently all the women at the reunion have had a crush on (and he playingly acts like he doesn't know it). He appears to be everyplace Naomi and Liz visit, which many grown women would find creepy. We're led to believe that after knowing very little about each other, that Naomi's enfatuation will turn into a relationship with Chris. He does deliver the one meaningful line in the movie for all of the characters - "change is often necessary"; but yet, ironically? Naomi and Liz are going to continue to be inseparable, despite their deep-seeded resentment for holing each other back. There is very little redeeming quality to this film (skip it) - the story is not meaningful and chaotic, the relationships are shallow fantasies (or co-dependent) and there's absolutely no holiday warmth.

Everything Christmas (2023 TV Movie)

All I Want For Christmas

[8/10 · 12 November 2023]

As a connoisseur of Hallmark movies, I especially enjoy Christmas storylines that tug on my emotions, by illustrating the spirit of thoughtful giving. Some of their holiday movies empasize the romance, while others, it's the "journey". To me, "Everything Christmas" is nothing original - there's a redundant storyline, ie. Big-city protagonists leaving on a road-trip to a snowy, small-town, steeped in Holiday tradition. Nor, is it about the quality of the acting, or magnetism I sense between the love interest(s). At times, there are exciting Hallmark casts that will influence my desire to watch, more than the teaser storyline (Corey Sevier, here). Although, Cindy Busby doesn't usually draw my interest in romance themes, here she was a believably reminiscent (teary-eyed) woman. But, I found myself more entranced by an unfamiliar actor portraying Kris - his mystique (ie. An illusionist) and his aura as the true Santa. There was nothing surprising with the twists in his "illusions", but each one creatively tied-in as a true gift of the heart. The romances really weren't the core, or excitement, of this film, and I didn't feel the storyline built up any tension to warrant a "final kiss". Definitely, a feel-good watch, not for a kiss, but one I would recommend to lead-off in sparking your Christmas spirit, say after Thanksgiving dinner...