GeorgiaRai

Based on what we see and think we know, it's logical to conclude that Christine is fairly permissive, as some parents are. Having grown up in a loving but ultra-strict family, I went into parenthood knowing that when I erred, it would be on the side of too permissive, never too strict; that was a conscious choice I made. What leads Christine to parent her way is most likely complicated and deep-rooted, but I believe she is always well-intentioned where her kids are concerned.

Yes, it's unacceptable, so to the extent any action of our children is "on us" for not teaching them better, I agree. I'm just not on the bandwagon that says the minutes of footage we've seen, gleaned from who knows how many hours of filming, is enough to (1) fairly judge Christine's parenting, or (2) determine "something's wrong" with Truely either as a result of her upbringing/bad parenting or a mental disorder.

Since everyone's dying to hear my opinion on Truely (lol!), here it is: She sometimes seems a little immature for her age, but that's not uncommon for the youngest child (and she is the youngest in her immediate family). I also think I could count on one hand the number of minutes we're shown of her over a year's time. Ok, maybe two hands. People of all ages sometimes act differently when they are with new people, on camera, at an unusual outing or event, etc. I have no idea what Truely's life is like nor how she behaves in general. I think the person who DOES know and can decide if there are issues that need to be addressed is her mom. When my own parenting turned out to be imperfect (I'm still shocked, I tell you!!), I decided not to judge how others parent unless/until there is evidence of abuse or neglect.

By the end, I loved it, too! It felt kind of Haul-Out-the-Holly-ish to me in that it was so over the top and unserious, but beneath all of the frenzy were characters who were generally kind and likeable. I usually go for the more dramatic HMM movies, but this one was fun and made me laugh (as did HOTH).

Top 5 overused-and-predictable Hallmark movie tropes that I never get tired of, Christmas edition: 5. Switching or swapping (Trading Christmas, Finding Christmas, A Christmas Switch - though that one's not Hallmark) 4. Magic items (Shoe Addict's Christmas, Magical Christmas Ornaments, Letters to Santa) 3. Someone's dead or an angel (Nashville Christmas Carol, Heavenly Christmas, Ghost of Christmas Always) 2. Time Travel (Biltmore Christmas, Journey Back to Christmas, Next Stop Christmas) 1. Alternate Reality (A Dream of Christmas, Take Me Back for Christmas, Round and Round)

Someone else doesn't care for Autumn Reeser?! I've spent all this time thinking I was the only one!

Agreed. (She also had a cameo in another of the "Time...to Come Home for Christmas" movies as the same character.) She's not my least favorite but more often than not I don't care for her characters/roles.

I was hoping for an Aaron win but by the end, felt it couldn't be anyone but Manny. I also got dinosaur vibes (Reptar from Rugrats, anyone?) but I've never seen a vampire so for all I know, he could be spot on!

Christmas movies NEVER start too early for viewers like me! I don't think the network expects December-levels of viewership this time of year, but it doesn't make sense that they'd air them now if they knew other programming would bring in better numbers or benefit them in some other way. But I don't claim to understand the business side of things. I think it's nice to see these now, then when they re-air during the actual holidays, they're familiar but still new-ish. Plus, sometimes movies grow on me, and I like them more after seeing them again (and again... lol).

I'm not really a believer in "chemistry" - I just want two good actors that are convincing in their roles - but I completely agree in this case. For whatever reason(s), this pairing was not believable or enjoyable. About 30 minutes in, I went back to read the recap in the hopes that it was a friendship story, i.e. over the years, they tried dating, broke up & became distant, then reunited as friends in year 5. Hopes = dashed.

Five Favorite Male Leads (always subject to change!): 5. Carlo Marks 4. Warren Christy 3. Lucas Bryant 2. Wes Brown 1. Kristoffer Polaha Honorable mention: Cory Sevier. If the role is right, he can be great!!

I absolutely did, too!!

I do. Thanks!

Pick any Hallmark Movie topic and give us your top five! Sample categories: Best/worst actor, best/worst storyline, best older movie, favorite lead pairings, favorite Christmas movie, worst/most common tropes, etc. The only rule: Don't judge (lol)! I'll start with an easy one; reply with your list in this category or choose a different one. Least Favorite Hallmark Lead Actresses: 5. Erin Krakow 4. Ashley Williams 3. Erin Cahill 2. Jill Wagner 1. Ashley Newbrough Honorable mention: Eloise Mumford who was spared thanks to Christmas with Holly.

It's fine, of course, that you believe this; I'm not trying to change your mind. But these are not conclusions I've reached or assumptions I've made. I have a different point of view, that's all.