Jenna, Played by Bethany Joy Lenz, is a very detailed and organized (i.e. anal retentative) writer for an online magazine in New York City.  She has recently been dumped by her ex-boyfriend, Andrew (Jefferson Brown), and is up for a lead story on Christmas in Aspen.  Kevin, played by Andrew Walker, is a fellow writer for the same magazine who is messy, unorganized and spontaneous.  Andrew seems to have issues around Christmas and is using the Aspen article, which he is also up for, as an excuse to avoid going home for the holiday.  They both arrive in a meeting with their boss who bluntly tells her staff that viewership is dropping and there will be staff reductions coming in the new year.  She then tells Jenna and Kevin that they are BOTH going to Aspen to write stories.  They are her two best writers and they both will do a story for the Christmas Edition so she can tell who is her most popular writer and who needs to be let go.

Now, I’m no expert in the publication business but if you are cutting personnel do you really want to keep your best employee and get rid of the second best?  Wouldn’t it make more sense to keep your best writers and get rid of the weaker ones instead?  I mean, were the other 8 writers in the meeting all making minimum wage or unpaid interns?  Well, whatever, so that’s the deal.  Deliver the best Christmas article or start putting together your resume!  Before leaving for the airport, Jenna is visited by Andrew who wants to patch things up . . . . needs his lucky tie for his company Christmas party (sweet fella).  Kevin and Jenna are seated together on the plane where their diametrically opposed personalities start to create semi-friendly banter.  Kevin admits he barely made the plane because of a cute girl he met in the gift shop who wanted his chocolate.  Jenna starts to make fun of his playboy ways only to learn the truth when an elementary school aged girl stops by and thanks him for the chocolate bar.

Jenna is utterly petrified of flying, despite her denials, and gets annoyed at the noises from Kevin’s 1970s era handheld computer game.  He later has her play to distract her (she’s also way better than him at the game it seems) and all is well until severe turbulence befalls the plane.  They find out the Aspen airport is closed due to weather and they are being redirected to Santa Claus, Indiana.  At the airport they find that all flights are cancelled and there are no available rooms in town.  That is, of course, until they run into Chris and Carol Winters who just happen to own a local Inn.  The fact that Chris has white hair and a beard and drives a red car they call 'Rudolph' makes it no shock that their Inn is decked out, top to bottom, in Christmas decorations.  I doubt it would surprise me if it later turned out that the whole place had been build out of Gingerbread by elves.

The next day at breakfast they learn that all flights to Aspen are still cancelled.  They also find that it will be the last Christmas at the Winters Inn because developers are going to shut them down and build luxury condos.  The Inn used to have the protection of being designated a historical landmark (founded by St. Nick) but that has been challenged by the developers and the original filing has been lost.  There’s no insight given into what, despite the Inn being open for hundreds of years, would cause closure now.  Is there is a revenue problem, a pending mortgage foreclosure, late payments on some note, is the town using eminent domain to obtain the property, etc?  Maybe “developers” can just use their "evil magic Wall Street powers” to attain any property in this town.

Kevin and Jenna call the magazine and explain their situation which leads to their boss telling them to find an article there in Santa Claus, Indiana.  Both complain but are essentially told to STFU and do it or get ready for the unemployment line.  This leads them to the natural next step of . . . . putting up Christmas lights and decorating the Christmas Tree (Seriously, MORE decorations?  It already looks like Santa’s village threw up in this place.)!!!  While decorating with the Winters both Kevin and Jenna rehash fond memories from their childhood Christmases.  Jenna decides that the historical landmark status is what she will do her story on and save the Inn.  Kevin finds Chris reading a bag of letters written to Santa (Well, that’s not odd is it?) in the lobby.  Later he runs into Jenna downtown while exploring.  They both stumble across an area filled with kids waiting to see Santa (and of course Chris is the town Santa and Carol is his helper).  They see a deaf child signing to his mother that he doesn’t want to go in line because he is embarrassed.  Kevin knows this because he knows how to sign.  He goes over to the boy and reassures him that it will be okay and the boy returns to the line.  That night, while researching her story online about the historic landmark status, Jenna overhears Kevin talking to his sister and misleading her that he is in Aspen and having a great time.

That night, neither Kevin nor Jenna can sleep.  Jenna even takes to watching an old video of her ex, Andrew (I know, pathetic right?).  Both end up in the kitchen where Kevin offers to make her something to eat.  They proceed to make Christmas cookies together (the staple of any late night snack – something that takes hours to prepare), having fun playing, chatting and gazing fondly at each other.  During this exchange Kevin admits that he wanted the Aspen piece to avoid Christmas.  Jenna admits that her childhood Christmas stories were fabricated fantasies because she grew up an orphan.  She then talks about her breakup with her ex and the Christmas plans they had made with his family.  They proceed to go for a walk around town only to discover they are both big fans of the other’s writing.

The next morning, Kevin asks Jenna to accompany him on a trip in Rudolph, Chris and Carol’s car.  On the way, he admits he grew up in Indiana and they are on their way to see his family.  He has been avoiding Christmas with his family for 3 years since his father’s passing.  The family is overjoyed to see Kevin and Jenna.  Together they spend the day doing Christmas activities at the house.  Everything is going well until they return to the Inn when Kevin makes it sound as if he just wants to be friends.  They argue which almost leads to a kiss that Kevin doesn’t follow through on, giving Jenna the impression that he isn’t interested in anything beyond a working friendship.

The next day, while searching for the Landmark agreement, Jenna stumbles on a photo of Chris and Carol dated in the mid 1800s.  She takes it to Kevin who doesn’t believe it and thinks Jenna is just too obsessed about Santa Clause (although it does make Chris’s earlier statement about not seeing the Landmark agreement since it was in the hands of Teddy Roosevelt a bit more understandable.).  Kevin invites her to the Christmas festival and asks that she read his article when he is finished.  Working on her story Jenna receives a call from her boss (who clearly is closer to Jenna than Kevin) and during their conversation she admits she likes Kevin.  Jenna finds Chris out in his workshop preparing his Sleigh for Christmas (Okaaayyyyyy) and shows him the picture he found.   Before Chris can answer Kevin shows up and asks about the Dance that night.  Since neither he nor Jenna have anything formal, Carol and Chris have taken the liberty of finding them more formal attire for the evening.

Kevin takes a call from his sister where he tells her he is in love with Jenna and thinks she feels the same.  He also asks her to prepare a stocking for her at their home.  At the dance he meets with Chris and Carol when Jenna walks in (cue the 15 second pause for them to gaze lovingly at each other) and they all gather together.  Chris excuses himself with Carol as he must leave his own Christmas Eve party because he has a lot of things he must get done that evening (not suspicious at all).  Jenna is depressed because she never finished her article but tries to forget by dancing with Kevin.  During the dance Kevin starts to tell Jenna something when, SUDDENLY, who shows up but Santa’s arch-enemy Krampus . . . errrrr . . . I mean Kevin’s arch-enemy Andrew!!!  Andrew arrives wanting to rekindle his relationship with Jenna and to take her home to meet his family.  Before leaving with Andrew, a confused Jenna exchanges a sad and awkward goodbye with Kevin (who she essentially tosses aside like a used trash bag).

Kevin, grieving in his room, and Jenna from her airport hotel room stare up at the sky and both see the legendary Christmas glow in the sky (though Andrew cannot see it because he does not possess the Christmas spirit . . . or is Evil . . . either one.).  Kevin finds the Historical Landmark agreement in the pocket of his borrowed jacket and sets to work revising his article.  The next day at the airport Jenna (who is wearing a high cut shirt in the middle of winter) learns that Andrew’s family has fewer Christmas Traditions than your typical rabbi.  She gets a call from the magazine where her boss congratulates her on their joint article.  Jenna reads the article and realizes that Kevin loves her and understands her which gives her the strength to dump Andrew (Wow, a real leap of faith there Jenna).  Kevin is celebrating (and grieving) Christmas with his family when Jenna shows up and tells him she loves him too.  They embrace, kiss and get down to Christmas Charades while hoping they can get snowed in together for New Years also.  Meanwhile, back at Winters Inn, Carol finally addresses Chris as “Santa” and we see the photo that Jenna found proudly displayed on the fireplace mantle.

So despite all the obvious signs that Jenna and Kevin discovered in their brief stay, no one from the town has been able to piece it together in the past couple centuries.  So when an 80 year old man tells Chris he looks the same as he did when that man was in high school . . . no one bats an eye.  When they go to renew their driver’s licenses for the 25th time . . . ehh, no big deal.  Santa Magic!!!  I’m guessing these developers are wondering who keeps putting coal in their stockings every year.

Sure, there is some suspension of belief here but it IS a Christmas story.  Andrew Walker is first rate in his role as Kevin and Bethany Joy Lenz is a delight as Jenna.  The two leads have good chemistry and their interaction and banter never seem fake.  The two of them carry this movie.  I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Claire Coffee plays Holly Maddux, your typical, every day, lonely, single, hot, blonde, workaholic Ad Executive living in the city.  She may not realize how attractive she really is because everyone at her Ad Agency is equally as stunning to include her best friend Deena, played by Gabrielle Dennis and her assistant Meg, played by Annie Quinn.  And the men aren’t too shabby either as staff photographer Milo, played by Jeff Ward will confirm.  Claire and Milo are both assigned to a big new client who needs a rush campaign by Christmas (which is fast approaching).  As the boss states, they are two of his best employees and both are complete losers with no families or social lives to interfere with them working near the holiday (although Milo does meekly offer up that he has a dog).

So these two single, lonely, attractive coworkers are paired up on the project and we can only fathom to guess where this might lead.  Holly is the typical advertising executive who believes in selling fantasy while Milo believes that fantasy is painfully unattainable and wants to sell a more flawed campaign to the masses.  Deena tells Holly to come to a club that evening where she and her model boyfriend Marcos (Aletza Lopez) will be along with all of the other beautiful people.  Holly invites Milo to go as her plus one but he declines since it’s not really his scene.  Milo is more of the Seattle grunge era dressing, anguished artist, simplistic type of guy (with a dog).  Claire arrives at the club where she meets Deena and then watches Deena’s philandering boyfriend Marcos flirt with other girls behind Deena’s back (I take that back because Deena actually knows about and allows it???).

Feeling along and out of place at the club who should show up but . . . MILO!  Dressed as if he stopped off on his way to Starbucks after a Pearl Jam concert.   This club is the hottest in town but either there is no dress code or the bouncers have a wide latitude on enforcement.  Additionally, he didn’t arrive with Claire but was allowed in anyways.  She tells him to take a selfie to prove he was at the super exclusive Ouvre nightclub but Milo, the professional photographer, can’t accomplish this and ends up with a picture of their hands holding as his phone falls to the floor.  Milo and Claire spend the rest of the night together and he walks her home.  The next day he calls her as she is coming to work because of a great new idea he has she promptly says no (though she hasn’t heard it yet) and he says he’ll wait and tell her when he arrives.  She then promptly slips and falls on the concrete sidewalk in front of a mannequin display of a department store. 

When she comes to, she is immediately greeted by Bo, played by Captain Awesome himself (for those of you who watched the TV series Chuck) Ryan McPartlin.  Claire immediately falls deep into Bo’s dreamy eyes and blindingly white smile.  They flirt and she returns to work where she is all giggling and gushing over Bo to Deena like a smitten schoolgirl.  She gets a call from Bo and he immediately asks her out on date.  One thing I haven’t mentioned so far is that the pair of mannequins in front of where Claire fell is missing the male figure.  These same mannequins have been a focus in many shots and even were admired by Claire and Deena during a prior shopping trip where she wished she could have the perfect man (hint, hint).  I’m not normally at all interested in movies where wax figures come to life but I figured I would give it a chance.

Claire and Bo spend quite a bit of time together (to the detriment of the new ad campaign) leaving Milo to carry much of the workload himself.  Milo is not at all happy with the situation and even expresses it to Deena who by now has caught Marco cheating on her (did she finally put in her contacts and was half blind up until now?) and is close to being single herself.  At this point I can’t help but notice that everyone at this agency is very groomed and well-dressed except for Milo, who would have to upgrade his wardrobe to look as fashionable as the pizza delivery guy (Maybe that’s one reason Claire doesn’t see you as dateable?).  Claire goes to Bo’s large city loft/apartment for dinner (how does a mannequin get an apartment . . . or come up with the money to pay rent?) where for the first time we see things are not perfect when she spills a glass of wine at dinner and he reacts oddly.  Still she seems to be completely enamored and under his ‘perfect’ spell.

At work it is all Milo and Claire, though she is still ignoring most of his ideas, but after it is Claire and Bo to include a surprise visit from Bo and his Parents to her apartment.  Bo’s parents are perfectly delightful to the extreme and the only thing weird about them is when asked what they did for a living and they start making mannequin poses in the dining room (Run Claire . . . just run).  Romantically, Milo is the odd man out although he does give Claire a very heartwarming and sentimental gift of all her project Ads in a 3D Viewmaster.   When Claire and Milo head to their photo shoot for the new Jewelry campaign they find the studio empty and dark as the shoot has been cancelled by Bo.  Claire if furious, she finds and confronts Bo who tells her that he arranged for a world-famous photographer to do the shoot (instead of Milo) but he would only do it at Bo’s place, the photographer’s former studio.  Claire relents and the shoot goes on that evening at Bo’s . . . at least until Bo’s ex (mannequin) girlfriend arrives and trashes the place.  It was a matter of time as there were more shots of the lone, remaining female mannequin in the store window as there were shots of the overall city.

Milo is angry and hurt that Claire used a different photographer.  She apologizes and he tries to salvage what he can from the shoot.  He comes up with the perfect shot for the Ad and sends it to Claire just before the company Christmas Party.  Claire goes with Bo, who has been planning their future life together for a while now including a New Years Trip he springs tonight, while Deena and Milo go alone.  Bo’s crazy, ex-mannequin ex-girlfriend shows up with Deena’s philandering ex-boyfriend Marcos.  Deena convinces Milo go throw caution to the win and go kiss Claire, however Bo steals the moment and delivers a kiss instead.  Milo leaves the party while Claire breaks up with Bo.  She chases him out into the street where she calls to him and then falls in the road on her head again.

Claire wakes up in a hospital room with Milo at her side.  It seems that she had been unconscious for two days and everything that had happened since her original fall was simply a dream (rendering 70% of the movie now completely moot).  Milo had pretended to be her husband so he could stay with her the entire time (I hope he has roommates to take care of the dog).  The doctor tells Claire that she only has a minor concussion but will need to stay 1 more night for observation (Are you f**kin kidding me Doc?  She LOST CONSCIOUSNESS for TWO WHOLE DAYS!!!  That’s a severe concussion by just about any reasonable definition!  Did you get your medical degree from a box of ‘Cocoa Krispies’?).

As you can imagine, Claire is now ‘super’ into Milo and, to no one’s surprise, Milo doesn’t seem to mind in the slightest (or even wonder why).  When Claire finds out that the shoot has already been completed, she is beside herself, she now wants the flawed campaign that Milo advocated.  She gathers the team in her hospital room where she searches for a new image for the Ad.  In doing so she sets Meg up with the Agency Tech guy she has secretly been crushing on and invited a guy from the 5^th floor (who Deena had hit it off with at the fantasy Christmas Party) to bring a flower to Deena.  Of course, this is despite in the real world where Deena and Marcos haven’t broken up (Girl, it was an unconscious DREAM, not a vision of the future shown to you by Christmas ghosts.).  Claire insists they need a new image so they spend hours searching through every image on Milo’s laptop until everyone goes home except Milo.  Even he falls asleep next to Claire on her hospital bed (how romantic) before Claire finds the perfect picture . . . the one of them holding hands at Ouvre.  This becomes the new campaign and our last scene is of them walking down the street, arm in arm and kissing while carolers walk buy (because . . . of course . . . in New York City Christmas Carolers constantly wander around neighborhoods at night like some juvenile street gang marking their territory.)

This movie has two things I hate.  1) Mannequins coming to life (creepy right?) and 2) finding out much of what occurred in the movie is rendered pointless by some time travel or dream sequence.  However, I loved the leads, I bought into their chemistry and who could hate Ryan ‘Captain Awesome’ McPartlin.  I give this a 4 out of 5.

Noelle (these Christmas movie names are sometimes getting almost as cheesy as Bond Girl names) is a department store Human Resources Director played by Candace Cameron Bure.   Finding a Christmas Movie starring Candace is about as easy as finding a pickup truck parked outside a rodeo.  She’s probably into the double digits of these types of movies.  Noelle is tasked with coordinating the special Town Christmas Fire Department Fundraiser Dance yada yada yada for the store.  The store owner demands the event be high-class, cultured and ummmm . . . . basically stuffy and boring.  Because we all know how ‘Department Stores’ are considered one of the last bastions of elegance and décor so we have an important image to protect!!!  God forbid that Sears or Walmart find out we didn’t throw a tasteful affair.  She also has a weenie son Alex, played by Kristian Bruun, has absolutely no backbone when it comes to dealing with his mother.

Noelle as has either a deep love and appreciation (or disturbing obsession, depending on your point of view) of shoes.  Naturally what comes next is a mixture of Guardian Angels and a Christmas Carol (nothing screams Dicken’s quite like an abnormal shoe fetish).  We are then introduced to Fireman Jake (Luke MacFarlane), all around good guy beloved by his co-workers (Don’t worry, this will tie in later).  Noelle has a talk at the store with her bestie Lorna (Tenika Davis) where we learn she’s been dumped by her boyfriend, gave up her real passion (photography), has a weak relationship with her father and has an all around pretty sad, pathetic and lonely life.  That night at her apartment she runs into (literally) Jake who is moving into the unit above hers.

The next day at work Weenie Alex asks Noelle to research a former employee for something he is doing for his snobby and erudite mother.  While looking through some old records in storage they close the store due to a huge snowstorm and lock her inside (I guess basically reaffirming what Lorna had previously said about her having a sad life where no one gives a crap about her, not even Lorna!).  She calls Weenie Alex who promises to rescue her but while she waits, she encounters Charlie (Jean Smart), her Guardian Angel.  Charlie gets Noelle to put on some magic shoes that transport to a time when she wore entirely too much makeup for just hanging out at her apartment.  It also happened to be 3 years prior when her boyfriend broke up with her on Christmas Eve (That’s sweet) and she became jobless since she he was a photographer and she was his assistant.  This is where she takes a temporary HR position at the store but is still working at it with no desire to go back to anything else.

Then Charlie and Noelle are transported into the future she would have had were she to have stuck to photography where she owns her own studio and is married.  At that moment someone opens the front door, says “Honey, I’m home!) but before she can see who it is she is transported back to the store.  At this point she returns to the store right before the Fire Department breaks in to rescue her.  (To quote famous Television character Gomer Pyle, “Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!”) one of the Firemen who rescue her is none other than, you guessed it, Jake.  Noelle tells then there is another woman trapped in the store (Not where I would have gone after Charlie confirmed her story about being an angel through the use of her magical powers of time travel but . . . whatever.).  The Firemen are unable to find anyone else in the store (duhhhh) an suspect Noelle is just a complete and total nutjob or delusional or something like that.
The next day after work she arrives at her apartment to be accidentally wounded by Jake who is exchanging fire with a gang of street thugs outside the building.  Actually, it’s just a stray snowball from a snowball fight between Jake and some kids from the neighborhood (Seriously, the guy is cute, sweet, super attractive and good with kids.  How is Noelle not absolutely throwing herself at him by now?).  She also gets a phone call at this time to let her know her Fire Department Liason for the ball will be Jake (ohhhh . . . myyyyy . . . Goddddd.  Noelle it’s FATE!!!).  She finds Charlie in her apartment and asks if Jake is the guy from the future vision (Well it sounds like she might be coming around right?).  The next day Noelle and Jake go to check out the venue.  Jake wants fun, whimsical and over the top Christmassy but Noelle informs him that her boss has a 48 inch, golden candy cane stuck up her arse and will go for that like . . . NEVER.  They leave the building and find there are no cabs but luckily, Charlie pulls up with a horse drawn carriage (Like really?  Neither of you has a car?).  After romantically chatting it up on the way home, Noelle finds a gift of new shoes (shoe fetish, remember?) and when she tries them on, she is transported to a time when she was kind of a dick to her Dad and I guess that’s why they don’t have much of a relationship either.

Noelle has dinner with her dad in an attempt to rebuild their relationship.  Charlie tells her that it is good that she’s finally connecting with her family but she’s still a giant ice queen with everyone else.  Now Noelle and Jake start conducting the required Hallmark Movie staples of making Christmas Cookies, decorating a Christmas and spending quality time together.  Noelle even tells Lorna about Charlie.  Instead of thinking Noelle is losing her grasp on reality she believes her because Noelle is far to uptight and boring to make up a story like that (Okay!  Ummm . . . thanks???).  Lorna tells Noelle she needs to confront her Guardian angel and demand to know if the mystery husband is Jake or a guy named Will who she met at a photo shoot in one of her possible futures who discussed her availability for dating.  I’m not sure aggressively confronting an angel is such a hot idea without some kind of special incantation spell or mystical angel trap but, what the hell, let’s go with it.

Charlie gives Noelle yet ANOTHER pair of shoes (Do the other shoes have some kind of limited battery or something?) but Noelle refuses to wear them without answers.  Then snooty McDepartment Store owner tells Noelle to LOSE Jake because she’s learned he is a threat to her fancy shmancy ball.  Noelle brings Jake cookies at the Station but can’t bring herself to tell him because . . . he’s Jake and he’s so sweet and dreamy.  Then she has a long talk with Charlie who informs her that she is so far off her intended path in life that her continuing in the reckless manor threatens the time-space continuum or something, which is why she’s been sent to help set her back on path.  Noelle decides to try on the shoes and this time she sees the face of the man in the doorway and it’s none other than . . . Will from the photo shoot.  Noelle is sad that it’s not Jake.  She and Jake spend some time together and Noelle assures him she will (still) be going to the Fire Station party he invited her too (Because it’s JAKE and he’s awesome and most women would cut off their big toe just to be noticed by him.)

The next day at the store Jake stops in to see Noelle when Boss snotty walks over and talks about the Christmas Gala.  This is where Jake learns he was tossed off the decorating committee because of his dangerously extreme ideas of fun and whimsy.  Jake is hurt because it all goes back to his deep insecurity about living up to the reputation of Daddy Fire Chief and it turns out that it’s true . . . everyone likes him but nobody respects him cause he’s just cool Jake (See Jake, you may be super awesome but it’s time to grow a pair.}.  Then Noelle’s Dad calls to tell her he won’t be around for Christmas because . . . family troubles.  Noelle gets all pouty, starts feeling sorry for herself and skips the Fire Department party.  She tells Charlie off and says she’s going to skip the Gala to an account of being a big crybaby and all.

However, when all seems lost things start to take a turn for the better.  First off, no one seems to notice that she’s having a 5 minute conversation with an Angel that no one but her can see in the middle of a department store aisle (Cause it’s the city and sh*t like that probably happens all the time).  Noelle relents and DOES go to the Christmas Fundraiser (Whew!  That was a close one).  At the party her Dad shows up (I guess it ties up a secondary plotline but really Hallmark . . . nobody gives a flip about Pops.   It’s a Christmas ROMANCE movie.   He’s on screen throughout the movie and I can’t remember a single thing the old guy did or said.).   Then uptight store owners says, “Yeah, you were right.  We should make this event more light hearted and fun.  Too bad I didn’t realize that earlier before I crushed Jake’s spirit.”  She has another conversation with her invisible angel friend Charlie in the middle of a crowded room which nobody notices because . . . Angel powers I guess.

Charlie then gives her a final parting gift of shoes.  It seems to surprise Noelle that just like the previous 15 pair that Charlie has given her, this one takes her into another reality.  This time she finds out that Will is actually Jake’s doctor brother who apparently thinks saying, “Honey, I’m home!” is like the coolest phrase ever but she’s actually married to Jake!  Then she and Jake have a dance while Charlie makes it snow.  Everyone is surprised and continues dancing.  Hey!!!  Like WTF people!!!  Did nobody here pass any science classes in college?  It’s suddenly snowing INSIDE a goddamn building and you are all like, “Oh wow, that’s cool.”  Has anyone EVER seen it snow before INSIDE a building?  Do you know why?  Because you are INSIDE!  It’s im-frickin-possible!  This is a major physics defying phenomenon and . . . . oh screw it.  They kiss and Merry Christmas everyone!

Even though I’m kind of burned out on Candace and Christmas Movies you can’t deny that she’s got these characters down pat.  She has a soft, loveable, vulnerable charm that makes you wondering things like: How is a super attractive 40+ year old woman with a great personality still single and never married after all these years?  I mean you obviously don’t want a family because your biological clock has pretty much expired.  Are you bipolar?   Well whatever, she’s still got it.  And you could say the same thing about Luke MacFarlane’s character.  Both actors always have good chemistry with their co-stars and this is no exception.  Plus the Christmas Carol influence helped shake up the standard Hallmark Movie formula.  I give this 4 out of 5 stars.

When we meet Charlotte (Maggie Lawson) she is auditioning for a commercial.  It turns out that she’s a struggling actress who has never landed much beyond a few commercials and a couple of television guest appearances.  Through interaction with her roommate we also learn she harbors some animosity against the actor of a Television show her roommate Morgan (Erin Agostino) is trying to watch.  We then learn that the two had previously been part of an acting workshop together (and he’s famous and she’s a nobody so yeah . . . . Hate Him!!!).  Charlotte goes to meet her old friend, Rachel (Sabryn Rock), who wants her to apply for a job at her company.  That way Charlotte would have a steady paycheck, benefits, stability and be closer to her mother and Rachel.  I guess then they would be close enough to go to pilates class together, hang out at the mall, braid each other’s hair, have pillow fights, gossip about coworkers, etc . . . . basically whatever women do with each other these days.  We then learn that Charlotte works at the restaurant they were meeting at and starts her waitressing shift (just another reminder that her acting career ain’t doin so hot).

That evening she meets an older gentleman who tells her there’s a new theater production opening up based on “A Christmas Carol”.  It turns out that “A Christmas Carol” is simply Charlottes FAVORITE story.  And we know that because not a minute earlier there was a 30 second discussion between her and her coworker about her reading it at work and that it’s her favorite book and she reads it every year (Seriously?  How many times can you read the same book repeatedly before it loses its luster?  Because for most people the answer is probably – once.).  The next day while working she runs into Julian (Brennan Elliott) the very same TV actor from her past that she holds in such disdain.  Charlotte is clearly flustered and embarrassed so their interaction is short.  Julian obviously does not share the same animosity and proceeds to contact Charlotte’s agent and recommend she come to the show’s casting call.

While at home we meet one of Morgan’s friends who is celebrating landing the very same commercial gig that Charlotte was hoping to get from the beginning of the movie (Oh, that’s super!  I’m so happy for you!  Normally I’d love to come celebrate with you but unfortunately, I’m planning to hang myself from the ceiling fan tonight.  Have fun!!!).  Charlotte decides to audition for the Christmas Carol production.  When she get there she then learns that Julian is the director she immediately reverses course and refuses to audition because . . . . ummmm . . . its Juuuuulian!!!  It has gradually been revealed that Charlotte’s anger at Julian is from when they both auditioned for a TV show.  Julian went off script and won the lead while Charlotte got passed over.  As she storms off (What, your acting career seems to be floundering?   I don’t understand because you seem soooooo professional.) Julian chases her and asks her “What are you afraid of?” because it would be impolite to shout “Damn betch, don’t be such a pussy!!!” in public (but we all know that’s what he really meant).

Somehow those thought-provoking words help Charlotte reconsider and she returns to do the Audition.  Of course, while we all expect the production staff to be like “Get the hell out of here woman, you had your chance!” instead they are all like “Sure, that’d be great!  Let’s see what you’ve got.” Thus establishing early on that theater people are indeed a bunch of giant wussies.  And, of course, the interpretation that Charlotte brings to the table is exactly the kind of unique re-imagining they wanted the production to take (Yeayyyy!) so Charlotte gets the gig.  Thus begins the main portion of the movie where Charlotte has to spend time with Julian as they work together on the new script and her role.

Julian never comes across as anything but a great guy.  He’s kind, enthusiastic, thoughtful, charming and funny.  It was literally only a matter of time before the two of them are gazing into each other’s eyes, complimenting each other and mixing personal time with business.  They literally could not look any more like a couple if they were holding hands and running barefoot together through the park.  Charlotte is also charismatic and gives her character welcome depth.  When Julian tricks her into going back to the building that housed the acting workshop they both attended, she even admits that she panicked when he started improvising at the audition and she regretted not being able to act with him on the show.  Damn!!!  A woman admitting that she was wrong?  She’s has obviously fallen for him.

To add some tension to the show the stereotypical greedy building owner arrives and announces that he is tearing down the theater after completion of the show.   Waving a gold cane in the air, his black cape flowing in the breeze he twirls his mustache and gives a maniacal laugh before leaving to go pave paradise and put up a parking lot.  So now our heros have both get ready for the show AND save the theater!!!  (DUN DUN DUUUUUN!!!!)   As the performance nears Julian gets offered a new TV series in LA and Charlotte learns she got the HR or Event Coordinator (or whatever) job she interviewed for at Rachel’s company because, despite having absolutely NO experience or training, she has a great personality.  So while hearing someone “has a great personality” might be an ominous warning when it comes to blind dating, it’s apparently wonderful news when trying to land a job in corporate America.

Heading into the home stretch, Julian has invited Charlotte to his place to discuss his true feelings about her (Julian, you sly dog!!!) so we flip to page 6 of the Christmas Movie trope handbook and insert the arrival of Julian’s ex-costar and tabloid girlfriend.  As expected, Charlotte quickly excuses herself convinced Julian is already involved with someone.  I mean, despite being with him just about 24/7 for the past few weeks, without any calls or texts that would suggest a girlfriend, him saying several times that he wasn’t in a relationship and his being reticent to contact her to help promote the theater on social media . . . if it’s in the Enquirer . . . you KNOW it’s true!!!   Opening night arrives and before the show Julian gives Charlotte and incredibly thoughtful and sentimental gift for luck.  The show is a big success (SURPRISE!!!).  Julian even flies Charlotte’s mother in to watch her perform (awwww). 

At the after party, they talk and find out that each has turned down their opportunities in order to stay in the city.  Before we interpret these gestures and grand sacrifices for love let’s remember that they each THOUGHT the other was leaving town (so lucky break at best).  Also, the evil landowner arrives and announces that he’s changed his mind (Christmas Magic???) and the theater is saved.  IT’S A FESTIVUS MIRACLE!!!!  The party eventually gets too loud to talk so Julian and Charlotte go outside because there’s no better location for an intimate conversation than a busy city sidewalk in downtown New York.  And while I realize that fake snow is a long treasured tradition for movies like these, the incredible amount of soap suds on the street and sidewalk in this final frame can only lead us to believe the city had just recently been attacked by a malevolent race of washing machines.  Here is where they share a pretty anticlimactic kiss and finally embrace their true feelings for each other.

I give this 4 out of 5 stars.  The story gets a bit weak as time goes on but the chemistry between the leads is high level.

Finally, the never before told story of a star who is unhappy and needs to find the meaning of Christmas to realize the direction they want their life to go.  Meet Addy (Becca Tobin) who is a young country music singer who looks like she’s about 19 and is just adorable and Dylan (Kevin McGarry) who looks like a 30 year-old cowboy caricature.  Surprisingly, Becca is actually older that Kevin in real life so . . . there’s that.  Apparently any character named Dylan has to have the exact same hair style as Dylan McKay from Beverly Hills 90210.  If that was the intent then – Mission Accomplished!!!  Let me be upfront, by the end of the movie I had a crush on Becca Tobin.  She carried the movie and was both believable and sympathetic.  As for the Luke Perry wannabe Dylan . . . ehhh . . . enough about him.

So Addy is on her way to . . . I don’t know . . . Nashville maybe (it’s not important) for a Christmas concert.  She also has a fake relationship going on in Social Media with another famous singer.  Her even nemesis is her manager, of course, since we all know that agents and managers are dirty, manipulative people who simply suck the lifeforce out of their clients and leave them on the side of the road once they are no longer prosperous.  Speaking of being left on the side of the road, that EXACT same thing happens to Addy.  When her tour bus leave the Podunk town without her she is forced to take shelter in the home of Hailey and Luke Perry . . . errr . . . Dylan.  Of course she had exchanged some rather terse words with Dylan PRIOR to her abandonment because . . . you know . . . we have to establish that characters don’t get along before they are forced to spend time together and fall in love.  It’s not like you could actually have a little spark with someone right off the bat . . . nooooooo sireee.

So Hailey meets the Lapp Family and by the time her hapless manager realizes he left his meal ticket deep in the heart of pickup truck country she has become enamored with this new family and wants to stay with them longer.  She also finds out that Dylan is a talented musician in his own right who has given up his dream to stay on the family ranch.  While her decision angers the evil manager, he is powerless to stop her . . . at least for now.  The Lapp Family ranch is a dairy ranch that also just happens to sell . . . wait for it . . . CHRISTMAS TREES!!!  Now that Country Music, famous celebrity in disguise and Christmas have all been neatly tied together the real sparks can fly.  And do they as Dylan and Addy share their love of music, Christmas decorating and doing ranch chores.  Dylan tries his best not to fall in love since he knows who she really is and she’ll soon be returning to her busy celebrity life but she’s just too . . . . Becca Tobin for even him to resist.

I must give a shout out to Kendra Leigh Timmons who does a nice job playing Hailey, Dylan’s teenage sister.  Hailey organizes a Christmas Village at the ranch to help sell enough trees to save the Ranch from foreclosure (of course).  Eventually, Hailey discovers who Addy really is because apparently small towns in rural America have a lot of country music fans.  If she had taken shelter with a family in downtown Chicago there’s no telling how many years she could have gone undiscovered.  Just as Hailey confronts Addy, her manager Russell pulls up in his tour bus after having finally tracked her down.  Russell tells Addy that she gets to be on her favorite morning show (teenagers grow up having favorite morning shows?) albeit with her fake boyfriend Country Star #cantrememberhisname #dontcare #notimportant.

Dylan is left heartbroken as Addy leaves but Addy is also conflicted from their time together.  Somebody convinces Dylan he needs to go to Addy because they were so good together (Don’t remember who it was.  Maybe mom, dad, sis, yoda, sparky the talking dog . . . whoever).  Addy goes to her interview on some Good Morning America type show and confesses that she’s not in a relationship with . . . ummm . . . Country Star.  She says she really loves Dylan and thanks his family for helping her find her way.  As she leaves the studio guess who she sees?  Nope, it’s not Jim Carrey but wouldn’t that be so cool???  It’s Dylan who drove all night to wait with a bunch of teenybopper Addy fans out by her tour bus.  Judging by the number of fans though I don’t know if her music career is really gonna be that long.

So now that this is all pretty much wrapped up the only thing left is to save the ranch.  Addy suggests she could do a performance at the ranch to raise the money even though it means cancelling her big Christmas Day performance because apparently it’s against the Country Music Star Prime Directive to actually give or loan money. I mean if she cuts a check then how can she sing in Dylan’s Barn to end the movie?  And perform with him the song that she and Dylan wrote together?  See, it all comes full circle.

I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars because of . . . . Becca “friggin” Tobin.  She and McGarry did have some on-screen chemistry.  And who knows, maybe McGarry’s character was intended to be a douche-ier version of Lyle Lovett and he has some charisma in real life.  If so, tremendous performance Kevin.

Amy Ackers plays Crystal, a seemingly lazy, unmotivated, spoiled middle aged socialite still living off her parents wealth.   One day, while spending her parent's money (getting dresses for the various socialite Christmas Parties), she picks up a letter addressed to Santa.  In it, a young girl, Olivia (Emma Duke), asks for a wife for her father.  Crystal has just been told that she needs to straighten up or be cut off.  So naturally Crystal sees this letter as a heavenly sign to . . . . ummm . . . well, let’s just leave that open for now.  She is so touched by the letter that she does what any red blooded American girl would do, use the information and address from the letter to stalk young girl and her father.  How does that not melt your little heart???

While tailing the Dad, Derek (David Haydn-Jones), she ends up in a soup kitchen.  Derek assumes she’s a new volunteer and puts her to work.  Either from fear of being exposed or just a general curiosity she plays along with his assumption.  I will admit, despite her questionable behavior, Crystal comes across as a sweet, if a bit naïve, girl.  She continues to volunteer and eventually meets Jillian (Played by Gina Holden) who is Derek’s girlfriend.  Undeterred, Crystal continues to volunteer to spend time with Derek and soon forms a bond with Olivia.  It turns out that Derek not only works at the homeless kitchen, but he runs it as a memorial to his late wife.  This is all in addition to running his own snowplow business.  Basically, he's just a super awesome and handsome guy who helps those less fortunate and puts his daughter’s welfare above his own.

Through both chance and clever planning, Crystal ends up forming a strong relationship with both the father and daughter.  She seems genuinely concerned with Olivia and displays an obvious affinity for her father.  Conspiring together, Crystal and Olivia manage to delay Derek’s intended marriage proposal to Jillian as neither are fond of her.  Jillian’s claim to fame is being a former high school sweetheart who also helped Derek recover from the death of Olivia’s mom (Hey, when you really think about it.  She doesn’t seem like that bad of a person and she’s attractive but . . . she’s not the lead here so she has GOTS TO GO!!!).  Besides, Derek’s main motivation is to marry Jillian for Olivia’s benefit rather than his own well being.

As time goes by, Derek seems to reciprocate Crystal's affection and the two grow closer.  Acker and Haydn-Jones have good chemistry. Acker displays a sensitivity and vulnerability that makes us easily dismiss the potentially disturbing way their relationship began.  Crystal is befriended by Chef Patrick, played by Pete Kennedy, who also works at the shelter and is one of the most flamboyantly stereotypical gay men ever put on screen.  Patrick and Crystal first bond over a shared preference of lipstick (I mean like . . . why not?).  Jillian soon starts to see Crystal as competition for Derek’s affections however she cannot compete with sweet, nurturing, organized and loveable Crystal.  At least not until Crystal leaves her purse in Derek’s bathroom with Olivia’s letter in it.  She has been questioning Crystal to Derek for a while and this seems to give Jillian the ammunition to turn Derek against her.  Crystal is ready for her first date with Derek when he shows up (just learning about the letter in her purse) and accuses Crystal of playing some sick game with him and Olivia.   Instead of Crystal putting it all to rest by saying something logical like, “I just found the letter and when I attempted to return it got nervous.  Then I ended up falling in love with Olivia and you.” which actually sounds pretty damn adorable she decides to go with something stupid like, “But I’ve changed!!!”

So Derek tells her off and goes home. Crystal is utterly distraught at this point.  Then her mom calls to inform her she is officially cut off financially (Hey, when it rains it pours . . . amirite???).  For Christmas they send her one last check to start out her new life.  Crystal selflessly decides to use the check to reopen Derek’s soup kitchen.  Olivia, who clearly favors Crystal over Jillian by like . . . a thousand times over . . . is not especially thrilled with this outcome and expresses her displeasure by doing what any 10 year old(ish) child would do - tell off her dad and run the hell away.  Crystal, who is wandering around the city alone, winds up at a City Christmas tree she had visited earlier with Derek and Olivia.  She then finds Olivia crying on a bench behind the tree.  She goes to console her and just like that . . . Derek shows up (Noooooo waaaayyyyy).  Crystal apologizes again and this time Derek says . . . well to paraphrase it . . . “Hey, it’s all cool cause I really love you!  Plus Gay Patrick reminded me that meeting you was not random, it was destiny.  Just like when I bumped into my first wife at a baseball game.”  From there, it’s all good, their Christmas destinies are now fulfilled.  They go back and have Christmas Eve dinner at the (now reopened) soup kitchen because who doesn’t want to spend Christmas Eve with a bunch of homeless people (Hell, I’m in!).  On a side note, I’m hoping Derek marries her quickly because Crystal still has no job and is probably going to be out on the street in a few weeks since she blew all her money paying off the back rent on the soup kitchen.  Well, never mind about those future issues for now because . . . Merry Christmas!!!

The leads are great together and Acker is so sweet as Crystal that within 15 minutes she makes us completely ignore her character’s ethically questionable impulses at the outset of the story.  I give it a 4 out of 5.