Hallmark Movies: Small Town Royalty Magically Celebrating Rekindled Love! - General Discussion

[bankerchick]

1 hour ago, Cetacean said:

My Christmas Family Tree was OK, with a different storyline and the background of a (gasp!) unwed mother although she is never seen.  They manage to throw every single one of their tiresome must-haves including skating, children singing in a Christmas pageant, seventeen milliion decorations, selecting and decorating the tree, family dinner, "hot" cocoa by the gallon, and falling in love in less than a week.  The anvils raining down were enough to kill the viewer and the premise was just beyond credible.  Tolerable although I wouldn't watch it again.

Don't forget making snowmen and the inevitable snowball fight.  I felt like this movie was more about the family than the romance, which might have been ok if Andrew Walker wasn't the love interest.  Maybe it's because I usually like him with a side of snark, but he was just so blah in this movie, though still pretty handsome (good hair, nice clothes.)  And similar to the Christmas card movie where the sender was obvious from the very beginning, who didn't know that she would fall in love with the family, get a call that it wasn't her real dad, but at the end, it turns out he really was?  I wonder if it's the commercials because they seem to be telegraphing the entire movie (at least the commercials on W Network) or if they are just that predictable.

[Cetacean]

4 minutes ago, bankerchick said:

I wonder if it's the commercials because they seem to be telegraphing the entire movie (at least the commercials on W Network) or if they are just that predictable.

I'm voting on just that predictable.  If Hallmark did a single thing differently I would be amazed.  And thrilled.  But that won't happen.  Same pap over and over.

6 minutes ago, bankerchick said:

Maybe it's because I usually like him with a side of snark, but he was just so blah in this movie,

Lord, yes.  Talk about plain vanilla, he was so blah.

[Bronx Babe]

What is this stuff about Christmas being a time for miracles and all things wonderful? 

Do you know what I say to this?

(excuse my French)

BULLSHIT!!!!!

Because more family murders and mayhem occur during this holiday (with Thanksgiving being the follow-up) than any other!

I know, I watch too much Dateline I.D. and Snapped.....

[Bronx Babe]

I am sure A Holiday in Harlem will adher to all the Hallmark tropes -- dead parent(s), hot cocoa, Xmas decor overkill, workaholic female lead having to choose between her "We're a team" similiarly overachieving current boyfriend in marketing and the high-school sweetheart doing non-profit work in their old neighborhood, etc.

It's comforting to know that the channel's (welcome) inclusivity can be just as hollow and boring as their "regular" characters and storylines.   True democracy!

[Rootbeer]

1 hour ago, Bronx Babe said:

I am sure A Holiday in Harlem will adher to all the Hallmark tropes -- dead parent(s), hot cocoa, Xmas decor overkill, workaholic female lead having to choose between her "We're a team" similiarly overachieving current boyfriend in marketing and the high-school sweetheart doing non-profit work in their old neighborhood, etc.

It's comforting to know that the channel's (welcome) inclusivity can be just as hollow and boring as their "regular" characters and storylines.   True democracy!

Hallmark promised us diversity in casting; alas, no diversity in storylines.  I do like seeing new actors and actors who used to be relegated to B plot friend territory getting a chance in the spotlight.  However, they continue to use all the same old tired holiday tropes in every movie.  They drop them all in a blender and out comes another uninspired story.  They need to get some new ideas/writers.  It seems like even the writers of color who've been given opportunities are still required to use all the same cliched storylines and setups.

I liked My Christmas Family Tree because it was a little different, although somewhat implausible.  I kept wondering why the DNA testing center kept leaving messages for her about the match while her father, who'd used the same center and had verified the match; apparently was ever contacted about the supposed error.  It seems like everyone who was incorrectly matched would be contacted, probably vial email

I also kept wondering why the dad thought Patty and Tricia had to be different people and not just 2 common nicknames for Patricia.  Seemed pretty obvious.  Vanessa lucked out in that her biodad was obviously richer than Croesus; that was quite the lovely home and lifestyle there.  I don't think I'd seen that actress before, I liked her.

Andrew Walker is always a plus, he's my Hallmark Holiday Boyfriend, but he didn't get much to work with in this one.

Edited November 14, 2021 by Rootbeer

[Irlandesa]

Every single Christmas movie, regardless of channel (Lifetime, Hallmark, Netflix, UP....etc.) would have ended that movie the same way.  I wouldn't have guessed that the DNA testing agency would have called if it hadn't been in the promos.  But that she was really the daughter?  Sure, that part is predictable because that's the happy ending even more than the romance.

I actually do think there has been diversity in the movies.  Yes, yesterday had too much Christmas explosion but it was more of a family movie which many people had been asking about in past years.  As was One December Night with the added sadness of an Alzheimer's diagnosis.  The Christmas Sail was kind of in this category but it was also better executed than these have been in the past.

Otherwise, Boyfriends of Christmas Past had a twist on A Christmas Carol. Next Step Christmas had a good take on time travel.

Christmas In My Heart was a plot that had been told before but it was well executed with humor and chemistry.  Christmas In Harmony also fell in to this category. The story was traditional but the writing was above average. 

The Santa Stakeout had a real mystery (as opposed to 'discover who an antique belongs to'.

The Christmas Promise and the new Mrs. Miracle movies were about dealing with grief.  While Mrs. Miracle pulled it off better, it's more sadness than we're used to getting.

So I think the overall execution and plot lines have been better this year than in years past.  Even more so when I compare them to what I saw on Lifetime on Friday (Ice Wine Christmas) and on UP yesterday. 

That's not to say that there haven't been some absolutely meh movies like Coyote Creek Christmas or You, Me & The Christmas Tree, but this year hasn't felt as lazy to me as lineups in the past.

 

[twoods]

I never got in My Christmas Family Tree why the dna website called to say there was an error when in fact there was not an error. Did they just hand wave it at the end? It would have made more sense for there to be an error but they still embraced her into the family like Andrew Walker’s family. Come on Hallmark- you could have gone a different ending route than the usual shit but you went with the predictable one!

[Irlandesa]

5 minutes ago, twoods said:

It would have made more sense for there to be an error

It made no sense that there was an error.  At all.  As if it'd just be based on names. 

[twoods]

The lady said that there were two people with the same names so their results were mixed in the database. 

[Irlandesa]

14 minutes ago, twoods said:

The lady said that there were two people with the same names so their results were mixed in the database. 

I know.  But that still doesn't make sense.  I have my doubts that, when dealing with DNA, names would be the primary method of connecting people.

[Cetacean]

28 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I know.  But that still doesn't make sense.  I have my doubts that, when dealing with DNA, names would be the primary method of connecting people.

Absolutely.  There are unique identifying features in those databases.  It was just silly.  

[Artsda]

I liked My family Christmas tree. 

"Most important tree in all our lives is our family tree" was nice line.

[Chippings]

Just watched Christmas Family Tree and I share all of the reservations y'all have brought up.  I still think that if the DNA company said there was an error, there was an error.  They were sloppy in reporting it, but I wouldn't be so quick to challenge it from the photo.

I was really sure at the beginning with they variously called her mother "Trish" and "Patty" -- same issue they had in Very Merry Mix Up with Billy and Will, that he was not the father, and still didn't hear how they overcame that one.

And of course while there was a new basic story, 'discover bio-family', 80% of the movie was filling in the necessary Christmas tropes.  We are drowning in Christmas tropes --  I may have to go back to reading books til they get past this thing.

As others have said too, it was nice seeing Andrew Walker.  But I didn't discern any chemistry between him and the girl.  They were "nice" to each other, and their both losing their parents was about the extent of the bonding chat, and it was pretty mild.   Certainly there wasn't any of that great banter and snarkiness that he has had with other heroines. 

Anyway in my mind Andrew Walker is still living happily with the heroine of Bridal Wave or of the Bottled with Love one.   Glad he's working, but you can only take so much ..

 

[MerBearHou]

57 minutes ago, Chippings said:

Anyway in my mind Andrew Walker is still living happily with the heroine of Bridal Wave or of the Bottled with Love one.   Glad he's working, but you can only take so much ..

Bottled with Love is one of my must-watch whenever it’s on.  Funny, I’m not a big Bethany Joy Lenz fan, but I liked her so much in this one.  Andrew was perfection and the story was great.  I especially loved anything at the cidery and its charming owner.  

[redpencil]

I really enjoyed One December Night. The storyline was different, there weren't any of the usual tropes like other significant others in the way or dumb misunderstandings, and the lead couple kissed before the end of the movie. I think it was also really elevated by the presence of Peter Gallagher and Bruce Campbell. And the original songs were actually decent (and didn't sound too much like a studio recording at the end during the live performance, something that has really bothered me in other movies with musical performances).

[Rootbeer]

8 hours ago, twoods said:

The lady said that there were two people with the same names so their results were mixed in the database. 

Ancestry.com has literally millions of people in the database.  There are undoubtedly thousands with the same name.  That's why every sample is assigned a unique identifying number and names are never attached to the files except at the point where the person whose sample it is can check on results.  There is no way that having the same name as another client would've resulted in the mix up, nor that the website would've notified someone of the error without rechecking all the results and identifiers to be sure they had the correct info.

[Bliss]

11 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

Hallmark promised us diversity in casting; alas, no diversity in storylines.  I do like seeing new actors and actors who used to be relegated to B plot friend territory getting a chance in the spotlight.  However, they continue to use all the same old tired holiday tropes in every movie.  They drop them all in a blender and out comes another uninspired story.  They need to get some new ideas/writers.  It seems like even the writers of color who've been given opportunities are still required to use all the same cliched storylines and setups.

I liked My Christmas Family Tree because it was a little different, although somewhat implausible.  I kept wondering why the DNA testing center kept leaving messages for her about the match while her father, who'd used the same center and had verified the match; apparently was ever contacted about the supposed error.  It seems like everyone who was incorrectly matched would be contacted, probably vial email

I also kept wondering why the dad thought Patty and Tricia had to be different people and not just 2 common nicknames for Patricia.  Seemed pretty obvious.  Vanessa lucked out in that her biodad was obviously richer than Croesus; that was quite the lovely home and lifestyle there.  I don't think I'd seen that actress before, I liked her.

Andrew Walker is always a plus, he's my Hallmark Holiday Boyfriend, but he didn't get much to work with in this one.

That actress is Aimee Teegarden. I liked her in Friday Night Lights (she played the daughter of Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler... "Julie" was her name, I think) - great show while it lasted!

[bankerchick]

8 hours ago, Chippings said:

Anyway in my mind Andrew Walker is still living happily with the heroine of Bridal Wave or of the Bottled with Love one.

Yeah, well I thought Merilee and Zach from Nine Lives of Christmas were still living happily ever after together too, and look how that turned out....  (I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but maybe Hallmark reads this thread.)  I believe Andrew Walker's true match is Arielle Kebbel, from both Bridal Wave and A Bride for Christmas.

[absnow54]

1 hour ago, bankerchick said:

I believe Andrew Walker's true match is Arielle Kebbel, from both Bridal Wave and A Bride for Christmas.

I can't believe they've only made two movies together. I swear there was another one that was basically the Christmas version of The Vow, where she gets amnesia, and he tries to get her to fall back in love with him, but it must have been different actors, because I couldn't find it on eithers IMDB page. They definitely have the type of chemistry that can carry a thin plot. It looks like she's doing an ION movie this year with Colin Egglesfield. 

[MissyPoo]

19 hours ago, Bronx Babe said:

I am sure A Holiday in Harlem will adher to all the Hallmark tropes -- dead parent(s), hot cocoa, Xmas decor overkill, workaholic female lead having to choose between her "We're a team" similiarly overachieving current boyfriend in marketing and the high-school sweetheart doing non-profit work in their old neighborhood, etc.

It's comforting to know that the channel's (welcome) inclusivity can be just as hollow and boring as their "regular" characters and storylines.   True democracy!

Happy to report only one trope of these was featured in Holiday in Harlem if you switch out high school sweetheart for best friend.  No dead parents (in fact there's a divorce/reuniting subplot instead), barely any cocoa, xmas decor was tasteful and not over the top in a realistic home. It was glorious. Plus the lead wasn't stick thin! Just found out she is Denzel Washington's daughter, too, so that was a nice surprise.

Overall, I enjoyed it though I wish the ending wasn't so rushed (but hey, it's Hallmark's forte). The Mr. even enjoyed the refreshing change and he can spot tropes/predictable plots a mile away because of how many of these things I've subjected him to.

Edited November 15, 2021 by MissyPoo

[debbie311]

Christmas Family Tree. I know this is a Hallmark movie and I shouldn't analyze it, but I thought it was ridiculous that Vanessa's bio-dad and his wife did not prepare their children for the fact that they had a sister. As in, sit down with them and explain the situation BEFORE she arrives at their door.  I mean, she literally arrived at their front porch and he announces to them, "meet your sister!"  Then when the mix-up is revealed, they are told, no she's not your sister after all.  Oh wait, yes she is! Those kids are gonna need therapy!

Of course from the promos I knew there would be a mix-up.  What was ridiculous to me was they never explained the mix-up.  As far as the DNA company believed, she was not the right Vanessa.  But based on a picture, Vanessa and her dad realized he was in fact her father.  Were they going to notify the company that they had really messed up? Whatever.

[absnow54]

I liked A Christmas Family Tree, but felt it was promoted more as a comedy, and think it would have been better if it leaned into that. I like Aimee Teegarden from Friday Night Lights, but I also think she's kind of dull as a Hallmark heroine. 

[bankerchick]

42 minutes ago, absnow54 said:

I like Aimee Teegarden from Friday Night Lights, but I also think she's kind of dull as a Hallmark heroine. 

She had zero chemistry with Andrew Walker. I'm currently watching some Santa Claus movie from 2012 with Andrew as a bartender and he has more chemistry with the customers than he does with her.  Not to mention, Aimee, wash and comb your hair already!!!

[kirinan]

I haven't watched A Christmas Family Tree yet. I DVR'd it, started watching, and kind of lost interest, but I'll try again over the weekend.

I do have a question, though, since I don't see it mentioned: Did anyone catch Tyler Hynes' cameo as the waiter in the restaurant Andrew Walker and Aimee Teegarden stopped at on their way to bio-dad's house? No facial hair; he looked like he did in Falling for You with Taylor Cole. 

Edited November 15, 2021 by kirinan

[Guest]

4 hours ago, debbie311 said:

Christmas Family Tree. I know this is a Hallmark movie and I shouldn't analyze it, but I thought it was ridiculous that Vanessa's bio-dad and his wife did not prepare their children for the fact that they had a sister. As in, sit down with them and explain the situation BEFORE she arrives at their door.  I mean, she literally arrived at their front porch and he announces to them, "meet your sister!"  Then when the mix-up is revealed, they are told, no she's not your sister after all.  Oh wait, yes she is! Those kids are gonna need therapy!

I thought they had explained to the kids ahead of time and the youngest just didn’t understand how half siblings work. The older kids acted like they already knew. 

3 hours ago, kirinan said:

I do have a question, though, since I don't see it mentioned: Did anyone catch Tyler Hynes' cameo as the waiter in the restaurant Andrew Walker and Aimee Teegarden stopped at on their way to bio-dad's house? No facial hair; he looked like he did in Falling for You with Taylor Cole. 

I did. That was surprising. I wonder if his Hallmark movie was filming at the same time. 

[Mittengirl]

In the beginning of the A Christmas Family Tree, when Vanessa and her friend were going over her ethnic make up, did they mention the one her father kept mentioning - Norwegian or Swedish or whatever it was?  I was sure that at some point she would realize that wasn’t mentioned in her DNA breakdown.  And the whole Patty/Tricia thing was ridiculous - Tricia is a pretty damn common nickname for Patricia.

 

Edited November 15, 2021 by Mittengirl

[SusanM]

20 minutes ago, Dani said:

I thought they had explained to the kids ahead of time and the youngest just didn’t understand how half siblings work. The older kids acted like they already knew. 

I just watched this one today and that was my take as well.  The children were told, and IMO quite realistically, they weren't sure how to deal with it.  There were a few things I didn't like about this movie but for the most part I enjoyed it and one big plus for me was I did feel the family handled the situation pretty believably.

[norcalgal]

On 11/12/2021 at 4:50 PM, NYGirl said:

Just watched my old faithful Crown for Christmas.  I'm a sucker for royalty movies but I can't keep track of them.  The premise is similar with all of them.

I do enjoy the ones on Netflix with the Princess Amber.  I only remember her name but there were 3 of them...which I really enjoyed.

I love a Crown for Christmas because I love the little girl Theodora...and the staff

 

On 11/12/2021 at 6:53 PM, Chippings said:

For me it's a Rupert Penry-Jones thing, and the line near the end "You had me at 'sewing kit.'"  

They are all really likeable, for sure. I looked up the little girl Theodora recently.  As the movie was made quite a while ago, she's changed a bit, and has gone on to be a pretty serious competitive gymnast, so she's a hard-working, serious little person.  

I love Crown for Christmas because of Rupert Penry-Jones. Also, the daughter wasn't over the top in either her snottiness or her precociousness.

On 11/13/2021 at 9:59 PM, twoods said:

 

 

On 11/14/2021 at 5:21 AM, Cetacean said:

 

 

On 11/14/2021 at 12:16 PM, Rootbeer said:

I liked My Christmas Family Tree because it was a little different, although somewhat implausible.  I kept wondering why the DNA testing center kept leaving messages for her about the match while her father, who'd used the same center and had verified the match; apparently was ever contacted about the supposed error.  It seems like everyone who was incorrectly matched would be contacted, probably vial email

 

23 hours ago, Cetacean said:

Absolutely.  There are unique identifying features in those databases.  It was just silly.  

9 minutes ago, SusannahM said:

I just watched this one today and that was my take as well.  The children were told, and IMO quite realistically, they weren't sure how to deal with it.  There were a few things I didn't like about this movie but for the most part I enjoyed it and one big plus for me was I did feel the family handled the situation pretty believably.

You've all remarked on the ridiculousness of:

1) the "error" in the database, and just how nonsensical it was for the agency to inform Vanessa there was a mistake when in fact, there wasn't a mistake.  Any reputable agency would triple check either BEFORE giving out the results, or informing people a mistake was made

2) so the agency ONLY called the Aimee 'Vanessa' about the mistake!?  They didn't inform the dad, or the other Vanessa?!  I thought the show would end with the dad revealing that the agency called him too, so even though he knew 'Vanessa' wasn't his daughter, he still felt a connection to her, so would still welcome her into the family. I thought this was a chance for Hallmark to make a point about there being many different kinds of family - not just the people you're related to.  Thus, I felt this was a missed opportunity.

What I did like was the first 30 minutes or so because I felt everyone (Vanessa, dad and his family) all portrayed the situation quite realistically.  They all conveyed the embarrassment, confusion, awkwardness and uncomfortable reality of what they were going through. In fact, that whole "getting to know you" phase was probably the most emotionally honest portrayal I've seen in these Hallmark movies.

14 hours ago, Bliss said:

That actress is Aimee Teegarden. I liked her in Friday Night Lights (she played the daughter of Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler... "Julie" was her name, I think) - great show while it lasted!

I know Aimee from a teen movie on the CW called "Starcrossed".  I wish that show had more than 1 season mostly because of Natalie Hall (who has done Hallmark movies too). I loved Nat's character on Starcrossed.

9 hours ago, bankerchick said:

  I believe Andrew Walker's true match is Arielle Kebbel, from both Bridal Wave and A Bride for Christmas.

Hear hear hear!  The only pairing I've truly bought was Andrew with Arielle and vice versa. 

3 hours ago, kirinan said:

I haven't watched A Christmas Family Tree yet. I DVR'd it, started watching, and kind of lost interest, but I'll try again over the weekend.

I do have a question, though, since I don't see it mentioned: Did anyone catch Tyler Hynes' cameo as the waiter in the restaurant Andrew Walker and Aimee Teegarden stopped at on their way to bio-dad's house? No facial hair; he looked like he did in Falling for You with Taylor Cole. 

THANK YOU!  That cameo happened so fast I was still working out who that was when the scene moved on...

 

[debbie311]

1 hour ago, Dani said:

I thought they had explained to the kids ahead of time and the youngest just didn’t understand how half siblings work. The older kids acted like they already knew. 

Well, the boy asked why they were just finding out about it now, and the dad goes on to explain about the DNA test and how before he knew their mother, he dated Vanessa's mom and that resulted in Vanessa ...

I'm probably over-thinking this.  My husband and I were watching it and both of us thought, wow, you would think they would have gone over this stuff before their new sister arrived.

[GeorgiaRai]

I liked A Christmas Family Tree - I don't mind a little - or a load - of unrealisticality (made up word, but accurate) in my Hallmark movies!  I remember Aimee Teagarden from Once Upon a Christmas Miracle and A New Year's Resolution, and liked her in those, as well.

OTOH, I tried 3 times to watch Christmas Sail and just could not get on board (wink wink).  And I didn't like Open By Christmas at all.  

I didn't notice Tyler's cameo in Family Tree, but on IG he really seemed to get a kick out of how many people did!  

[KaveDweller]

2 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

In the beginning of the A Christmas Family Tree, when Vanessa and her friend were going over her ethnic make up, did they mention the one her father kept mentioning - Norwegian or Swedish or whatever it was?  I was sure that at some point she would realize that wasn’t mentioned in her DNA breakdown.  And the whole Patty/Tricia thing was ridiculous - Tricia is a pretty damn common nickname for Patricia.

 

Yes, they did mention it. Her report said she was Scandinavian. But of course if her results were mixed up, they would be the other Vanessa's too.

[bankerchick]

Watching Four Christmases and a Wedding starring the aforementioned Arielle Kebbel, and no, she does not have the same chemistry with Cory Sevier as she does with Andrew Walker.  My advice for making a movie that takes place over 5 Christmases is not to feature a young girl, because there is no way a 7 year old looks and acts exactly the same as an 11 year old.  Or hire an actress with an older sister who looks like her.

[Clawdette]

I caught Tyler’s cameo which was amazing because I am always multi-tasking while I watch/listen to TV.  It made me smile because of the inside jokiness of it all. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, debbie311 said:

Well, the boy asked why they were just finding out about it now, and the dad goes on to explain about the DNA test and how before he knew their mother, he dated Vanessa's mom and that resulted in Vanessa ...

He actually asked why they are just meeting her now and the dad gives the explanation how he didn’t know. YMMV but I think they were trying to show the kids were standoffish and unfriendly not they weren’t told ahead of time. 

[Bronx Babe]

12 hours ago, MissyPoo said:

Happy to report only one trope of these was featured in Holiday in Harlem if you switch out high school sweetheart for best friend.  No dead parents (in fact there's a divorce/reuniting subplot instead), barely any cocoa, xmas decor was tasteful and not over the top in a realistic home. It was glorious. Plus the lead wasn't stick thin! Just found out she is Denzel Washington's daughter, too, so that was a nice surprise.

Overall, I enjoyed it though I wish the ending wasn't so rushed (but hey, it's Hallmark's forte). The Mr. even enjoyed the refreshing change and he can spot tropes/predictable plots a mile away because of how many of these things I've subjected him to.

Thanks!  I missed the second half (switched over to CNN's Princess Di min-doc) but the first part was indeed a refreshing change.   I agree about the realistic holiday decor in Mama Belle's Harlem apartment/townhouse.

When they went for dinner at the neighborhood restaurant, I at first thought the owner was celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson.  Looked just like him, lol.  But of course it wasn't, lol.

In the opening scene, her boss says "So, are you catching a flight to London or taking the A train home?"

 

[SusanM]

I just watched On the 12th Date of Christmas and really liked it quite a bit but one thing I didn't understand.  The main character is an adult woman, aged 30ish or so - do they ever explain why she felt she needed to move back to her home town if she didn't get made head game designer?  It wasn't like Grandma Sue was a frail 90 who might have needed some support.  Did I miss something?

[Starry-Eyed]

On 11/11/2021 at 9:50 AM, NYGirl said:

I saw one I loved yesterday.  The Mistletoe Promise.  Luke Macfarlane is so good looking! I liked the premise and they leads were pretty realistic. 

It was about a man and a woman who didn't like Christmas so they made a contract to be fake boyfriend/girlfriend until Christmas.

I love that one. I try to catch it every Christmas. There's just something about it that seems much more natural and less contrived than most.

[MissyPoo]

22 hours ago, Bronx Babe said:

Thanks!  I missed the second half (switched over to CNN's Princess Di min-doc) but the first part was indeed a refreshing change.   I agree about the realistic holiday decor in Mama Belle's Harlem apartment/townhouse.

When they went for dinner at the neighborhood restaurant, I at first thought the owner was celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson.  Looked just like him, lol.  But of course it wasn't, lol.

In the opening scene, her boss says "So, are you catching a flight to London or taking the A train home?"

 

Oh wow, you're right. they do favor each other. Could have been a nod if the director couldn't get the real deal.

 

[NYGirl]

I saw my holiday boyfriend Luke Macfarlane today again in Sense Sensability  and Snowfall.  (Not sure if that's the name) 

This was a good one about an event planner and Luke owned a toy company.  The lead woman was really beautiful.  They had chemistry.

Edited November 17, 2021 by NYGirl

[Kaoteek]

Finally decided to start watching this year's batch of HM movies.

Only got through two of them, so far :

- You, Me and the Christmas Trees : I didn't mind most of that one, the "Danica McKellar loves science" touch kinda cracked me up, and it was okay... up until the final stretch, the big misunderstanding, the rushed resolution, yadda yadda, and, of course, worst of all, Jason Hervey's as the big tiny bad guy, probably just as awkwardly written as it was acted. Yeesh.

- Gingerbread Miracle : Didn't like it. Didn't hate it either. In fact, I felt it was very competently written and produced. Also, the lead couple worked fine. But overall, it was just very bland, and the latino touch didn't really add much to the mix. Not bad, just meh.

[Tdoc72]

On 11/15/2021 at 5:29 PM, norcalgal said:

 

2) so the agency ONLY called the Aimee 'Vanessa' about the mistake!?  They didn't inform the dad, or the other Vanessa?!  I thought the show would end with the dad revealing that the agency called him too, so even though he knew 'Vanessa' wasn't his daughter, he still felt a connection to her, so would still welcome her into the family. I thought this was a chance for Hallmark to make a point about there being many different kinds of family - not just the people you're related to.  Thus, I felt this was a missed opportunity.

 

 

I thought after the mixup, she would get together with the always adorable Andrew Walker and be part of the family anyway like he was. 

[bankerchick]

I am currently watching Forever Christmas and I don't care what anyone says about wooden acting, watching Christopher Russell take his shirt off shows me exactly why Hallmark keeps hiring him, and I keep watching.

[SusanM]

I just finished watching Once Upon a Holiday only because Paul Campbell was in it.  Normally I am not a fan of royalty in disguise or even royalty not in disguise movies but this one really worked for me.  Definitely going to the rotation of  movies I will happily watch again.

[MerBearHou]

2 minutes ago, SusannahM said:

I just finished watching Once Upon a Holiday only because Paul Campbell was in it.  Normally I am not a fan of royalty in disguise or even royalty not in disguise movies but this one really worked for me.  Definitely going to the rotation of  movies I will happily watch again.

I am exactly the same way -- I avoid royalty movies but this one I really enjoy.  Paul Campbell just makes it warm and wonderful, and he does well with Briana Evigan whose shy, reserved acting works for this character she plays.  I loved the supporting cast too.  Have watched many times!

[emcmac87]

My big question about A Christmas Family Tree was how did a social worker I’m assuming that was her job or something like that) afford that giant apartment in NYC. When the family came at the end I couldn’t believe how big it was. I was wondering if maybe it was left to her?  But she ended up in foster care so that didn’t seem likely. 

[bankerchick]

 

1 hour ago, MerBearHou said:

Paul Campbell just makes it warm and wonderful, and he does well with Briana Evigan whose shy, reserved acting works for this character she plays.

I have PVR'd this movie to watch later.  I have seen it before and like many, will power through because of Paul Campbell.  I did not like Briana Evigan, however, and I remember listening to a podcast with Paul last year where the host said something about her not having the typical type of bright personality they normally cast and Paul said, 'well, that's why you haven't seen her in any more movies.'  He was quick to say that she did a lot of indy work and she was really good in those, but I got the impression he wasn't too impressed either.

 

2 minutes ago, emcmac87 said:

My big question about A Christmas Family Tree was how did a social worker I’m assuming that was her job or something like that) afford that giant apartment in NYC.

She likely took over the lease from Monica from Friends, who got her rent-controlled apartment from her grandmother. 😉

[norcalgal]

38 minutes ago, emcmac87 said:

My big question about A Christmas Family Tree was how did a social worker I’m assuming that was her job or something like that) afford that giant apartment in NYC. When the family came at the end I couldn’t believe how big it was. I was wondering if maybe it was left to her?  But she ended up in foster care so that didn’t seem likely. 

 

32 minutes ago, bankerchick said:

She likely took over the lease from Monica from Friends, who got her rent-controlled apartment from her grandmother. 😉

Yep, yep, yep!  But as I wrote before, these Hallmark movies are aspirational and porn (in this case, house porn).  Vanessa really shouldn't be able to afford an apartment of that size in Manhattan.  Hallmark is all about showcasing the upper-middle class lifestyle.

[Rootbeer]

3 hours ago, emcmac87 said:

My big question about A Christmas Family Tree was how did a social worker I’m assuming that was her job or something like that) afford that giant apartment in NYC. When the family came at the end I couldn’t believe how big it was. I was wondering if maybe it was left to her?  But she ended up in foster care so that didn’t seem likely. 

Same way that all those people trying to start their own bakery or bookshop or Christmas ornament shop live in huge colonial houses on massive lots. Or how all of the female leads own half a dozen beautiful winter coats, even the unemployed ones.  And, even if they travel thousands of miles to go home for Christmas, they pack every single one of them for the trip. And how every family, even the ones with a single parent struggling to save the family business still have thousands and thousands of dollars' worth of  Hallmark Christmas ornaments strewn about the house.  Even the bedrooms and baths look like one of Santa's elves vomited all over the place.

I thought the same, thing, too, though about the NY apartment.  That place was way too big for a middle class woman in  NYC.  In real life, she'd have been living in a studio apartment the size of a shoe box. Then again, look at her biodad's house in the 'burbs.  That place had to have at least half a dozen bedrooms and was in no way a typical middle class home.

Edited November 17, 2021 by Rootbeer

[peachmangosteen]

3 hours ago, bankerchick said:

I did not like Briana Evigan, however, and I remember listening to a podcast with Paul last year where the host said something about her not having the typical type of bright personality they normally cast and Paul said, 'well, that's why you haven't seen her in any more movies.' 

That makes him seem like kind of an asshole to me lol. But he does give those vibes in all the movies I've seen him in so not surprising. I weirdly still like him in stuff though.

[bankerchick]

Well, I think he was kind of flip and then maybe realized how it sounded.  I think his real personality is much like his characters, a really sweet guy with a snarky edge, which is what I like.  You're more likely to laugh on a date with him than a lot of these Hallmark guys.