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

[DanaMB]

22 hours ago, MsNewsradio said:

Really enjoyed Unexpected Christmas...and did anyone else who watched notice the Andrew Walker sighting? Everyone seems to be cameoing in the other's films this season!

I saw him! Blink and you miss it, but still fun.

I loved the movie. I thought for sure TBM was going to have to do with the governor, but I was surprised it wasn’t. A nice change for me even though we still had a misunderstanding.

Edited November 28, 2021 by DanaMB

[memememe76]

Joy Lenz is my favourite Hallmark actress, and Tyler Hines’ makeover combined with his Chandler Bing schtick worked on me BIG TIME. Unexpected Christmas is my favourite Hallmark movie this year, tied with A Kiss Before Christmas.

The movie with Reba was pretty good. I forget that she really has a lovely voice. Caroline from The Vampite Diaries was charming, not sure why she doesn’t lead one of these types of movies.

[twoods]

I get a massive migraine going through all the movies and trying to figure out if I watched it or not so I know whether to DVR it (I missed a lot of them last year). I swear if you put all the titles together they make a few Christmas songs. Making Spirits Bright, Sleigh Bells Ring, Winter wonderland, Jingle Bells, etc. come on!

Edited November 28, 2021 by twoods

[absnow54]

I only half watched Making Spirits Bright, but my husband pointed out when the male lead got his car stuck in the snow, the street was blacktop, except for the prop snow crunched beneath his tire, and it looked a balmy 60 degrees out. 

1 hour ago, KaveDweller said:

In Unexpected Christmas, the thing that bothered me was that the family thought Emily and Tyler were still together, but they were sleeping in separate rooms. Wouldn't they expect a long term couple to be sharing a bed/room. They are both 30-something and I can't believe the family didn't think they were having sex. They didn't seem particularly old-fashioned/strict. I know Hallmark doesn't like to acknowledge sex exists, but they didn't need to show anything.

For a movie that let the leads get tipsy at a bar, this was a shocking miss on the trope “but there was only one bed.” Snow Bride was on this morning, and the fake dating couple got to share a room. 

[DeafAngelboy23]

Well I use Hallmark movie checklist app to check off movies I’ve watched so far… 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, SusannahM said:

Ok I see what you mean.  I guess around here it would depend on the situation but I've never heard someone offer "hot" cocoa.  To be honest though being offered cocoa is a pretty rare event.  It takes a lot more effort to make cocoa than it does to make hot chocolate - which may be why IMO cocoa tastes so much better!

Now I am curious what the difference between cocoa and hot chocolate where you because based on my understanding hot chocolate is more work than hot cocoa. Where you are is cocoa actually made starting with the beans? Here it is usually just a powdered mix combined with water or milk and extremely easy to make. 

[DanaMB]

22 hours ago, norcalgal said:

@Irlandesa Yikes! Thanks for summing up Christmas CEO. You saved me from what sounds like a ginormous step backwards for female empowerment.

I just turned it on and now I want to turn it right back off after reading the reviews.
 

Edited November 28, 2021 by DanaMB

[susannot]

Spoiler

 

Thank you Irlandesa what I was coming here to express.  No Hallmark movies have infuriated me more recently.

 

I did adore the nine kittens however.

[Bronx Babe]

I thought the weird-eyed male lead in The Nine Kittens of Christmas looked like Tony Perkins.

Very unsettling

 

[Irlandesa]

20 hours ago, SonofaBiscuit said:

This is the type of Hallmark Christmas movie I enjoy...fun, with a plot that is not overly-Christmas (no parents that are secretly Mr. and  Mrs. Clause)

Oh forgot to mention---as if you'd need another reason to hate Christmas CEO, it pulls out the "this random dude who keeps showing up is really Santa" trope.  A Kiss Before Christmas did it too but overall that movie was so much better that I didn't mind.

Making Spirits Bright might be my "go to sleep" movie.  It's not bad; it's just not grabbing me.  The leads are fine but I'm not sure how into "decorating houses in lights" competitions I can be.

They must really be into cameos this year because Alison Sweeney showed up at the end of Time for Them To Come Home For Christmas although I couldn't tell you who she was.  My mind kind of drifted during the movie.  Again, the leads were okay but it was more serious than I was probably wanting.

I did like Christmas At Castle Hart even though it did have a lot of overlap with A Castle For Christmas.  The latter had better scenery but this one had a more sensible plot.  And I liked the sister dynamic.

 

Edited November 28, 2021 by Irlandesa

[Daff]

20 hours ago, bankerchick said:

Bethany Joy Lenz annoyance

Surprisingly, she isn’t annoying in this one. She manages to play the role in an understandable and relatable way! While I liked last year’s movie (5 Star…something) I can understand why people find her performances off putting. 

[absnow54]

Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas reminded me of an earlier discussion in this thread about wardrobe, when Jessy Schram, an amnesiac who turned up with nothing but the clothes on her back, wears at least 2 different winter coats on her road trip home. The nurses who checked her tags to do a little clothing shopping for her were awfully generous. 

[Daff]

12 hours ago, SusannahM said:

What would cocoa mean where you are?

A tin of Hershey’s powdered baking (cocoa) chocolate. Which, by the way, was used before cocoa mix was invented to make a hot chocolate drink (assuming, of course, you had enough sugar left from your holiday baking). 

[StaceyNotStacie]

6 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

 

I did like Christmas At Castle Hart even though it did have a lot of overlap with Christmas At The Castle.  The latter had better scenery but this one had a more sensible plot.  And I liked the sister dynamic.

 

This was okay, although I prefer Christmas Perfection better. Unfortunately, Lifetime has taken that movie out of its rotation. I would have preferred if the movie focused on finding the father’s family instead of the gala. 
 

Lacey’s movie Matchmaker Santa seems to have been removed from the Hallmark Channel lineup. It’s not the best movie, but it was pretty enjoyable and had a good supporting cast

[GeorgiaRai]

10 hours ago, Dani said:

Now I am curious what the difference between cocoa and hot chocolate where you because based on my understanding hot chocolate is more work than hot cocoa.

In my family (grew up in the US midwest, now in the south):

Hot chocolate is heated milk with chocolate syrup or sweetened powder (i.e. Nesquik) stirred in.

Cocoa powder is used to make cocoa (a/k/a "hot cocoa" but we never used that term). Cocoa powder, sugar & water are boiled for a couple minutes, then mixed with milk and heated through, with a final touch of vanilla.  I've made two 4-cup batches already this month - always served with homemade marshmallows.

Instant cocoa is the packet you mix with hot water or milk; acceptable in a cocoa emergency, but not a substitute for the real thing.

[Cetacean]

46 minutes ago, GeorgiaRai said:

n my family (grew up in the US midwest, now in the south):

Hot chocolate is heated milk with chocolate syrup or sweetened powder (i.e. Nesquik) stirred in.

Cocoa powder is used to make cocoa (a/k/a "hot cocoa" but we never used that term). Cocoa powder, sugar & water are boiled for a couple minutes, then mixed with milk and heated through, with a final touch of vanilla.  I've made two 4-cup batches already this month - always served with homemade marshmallows.

Instant cocoa is the packet you mix with hot water or milk; acceptable in a cocoa emergency, but not a substitute for the real thing.

Ditto to all of this.  Cocoa is a powder so no need to say "hot cocoa" since you won't be serving anyone heated powder in a cup!

[Rootbeer]

12 hours ago, absnow54 said:

I only half watched Making Spirits Bright, but my husband pointed out when the male lead got his car stuck in the snow, the street was blacktop, except for the prop snow crunched beneath his tire, and it looked a balmy 60 degrees out. 

For a movie that let the leads get tipsy at a bar, this was a shocking miss on the trope “but there was only one bed.” Snow Bride was on this morning, and the fake dating couple got to share a room. 

I was astonished that the male lead had no idea how to get unstuck in the snow and seemingly didn't understand how to use mats to get the car loose when the female lead suggested it.  He supposedly grew up in the area and was no living there as an adult, did he never drive? His initial attempt to get his car free by spinning the wheels which only makes things worse was also ridiculous.  Anyone living and driving in that weather is going to have some idea how to maneuver when stuck in the snow. Not to mention a small shovel, some kitty litter and or old rugs in the trunk.

I liked the movie well enough, but that particular scene was dumb

ETA: A $50,000 prize for a small town Christmas decorating contest?  People owning businesses whose sole function is to decorate the outside of houses for Christmas?  I think whoever wrote the script spent a little too much time drinking eggnog while writing.

Edited November 28, 2021 by Rootbeer

[Cetacean]

Doesn't Lacey get tired of playing the same character in every single movie?  Christmas at some castle in some country had nothing new to offer - same tired plot as usual.

And why did the royalish person flip out (the tired whine "I TRUSTED you") as if his life depended on her being the other party planner.  The ex-waitress came though, did a great party, helped him raise the money. It's not like he had his heart set on hiring the real party planner, he didn't know her from Adam. What was the big dang deal?

I did like the sister, something a little different to perk things up.  Otherwise just formulaic in a different setting.

[Rootbeer]

5 minutes ago, Cetacean said:

Doesn't Lacey get tired of playing the same character in every single movie?  Christmas at some castle in some country had nothing new to offer - same tired plot as usual.

And why did the royalish person flip out (the tired whine "I TRUSTED you") as if his life depended on her being the other party planner.  The ex-waitress came though, did a great party, helped him raise the money. It's not like he had his heart set on hiring the real party planner, he didn't know her from Adam. What was the big dang deal?

I did like the sister, something a little different to perk things up.  Otherwise just formulaic in a different setting.

By the time he found out she was using someone else' name; she and her sister had already planned the party which was a smashing success.  He didn't hire her for her name, he'd never heard of the planner where she used to work; she and her sister got hired because there was no other alternative.  I agree, his anger that she didn't give her real name didn't make sense.  Same for the real party planner turning up and being outraged that someone with the same name as hers had planned the gala.  So what?  Her business was in the US, the party was in Ireland. She didn't miss out on the gig, she didn't even know about it and surely wouldn't have been available to travel from the US to Ireland for a rush job anyway, There have got to be a lot of people with the last name Monahan in the world, especially in Ireland.  

[gutbuster]

I was more than half-watching so I may have missed some details. But I think Aiden was upset because he felt they had formed an intimate connection and he had been opening up to her. This while she had been hiding/lying about who she was (and for all he knew other things). I think it was the fact that she lied/kept lying more than what she was lying about. I think when you are getting close to someone any deception like this could feel significant in the moment. The Duchess didn't give two figs they lied, but then she wasn't forming an intimate romantic connection/relationship with either of them.

It probably would have come across as less sky-is-falling if they had some throwaway lines where Aiden clarified his feelings of disappointment rather than of being betrayed in the moment he found out. Because really that's all it was. He seemed to come around quickly enough.

I thought the real Paige Monahan had more reason to be upset than Aiden did. I don't know the laws, but at the very least it isn't very ethical to pretend you are someone else and claim their work as your own in a professional capacity. Margot had told Aiden and his sister that the real Paige Monahan's website and all of the work represented on that website was theirs. I think the real Monahan was famous enough to be known in Europe and I thought it was mentioned that she did work in Europe before.

Having said that, I wish they would stop with this trope. It's kind of stupid and not very realistic when dealing with supposedly decent people. 

Also, I have to mention the cgi. I understand budgets, so it's not a big deal at all. But every now and then that giant wreath on the castle looked especially two-dimensional, cut-and-pasted, and slightly radioactive I had to chuckle. The shot of them riding the horses across the landscape took the prize, though.

I liked the movie though. I usually do like the ones shot overseas if for nothing than the scenery. Stuart Townsend is lovely, I don't think I've ever really seen him in anything even though I've known who he was forever. Lacey was good as always, but I have to agree that all of her characters being same-y. And does she have it in her contract that every one of her movies requires a scene of her baking something? She could be filming a movie of falling in love on a deserted Island. It'd be called Dessert Island and they'd manage to end up baking macarons in a makeshift kitchen constructed from the shipwreck.

 

[bunnyface]

5 hours ago, absnow54 said:

Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas reminded me of an earlier discussion in this thread about wardrobe, when Jessy Schram, an amnesiac who turned up with nothing but the clothes on her back, wears at least 2 different winter coats on her road trip home. The nurses who checked her tags to do a little clothing shopping for her were awfully generous. 

Oh gosh, I wondered if I was the only one counting coats.  We watched "Five More Minutes" last night and she showed up with one small suitcase and had at least four coats.  She also had at least one sweater dress and while I don't know, I imagine that's pretty bulky to pack.  And boots.

I wonder how well a movie is holding my attention if I'm busy counting coats?

 

[NYGirl]

Christmas at Castle Hart.  I agree about Lacy playing the same character.  I don't understand why the sister lied when asked for the names.  They were desperate for a planner and it didn't matter how well known.  And then...wouldn't there be pictures of Paige Monahan online or on her website?  Did Sioban miss that?

I found it hard to believe that the family put only 1 child up for adoption and kept the others.

I really liked Stuart Townsend.  Such a different looking leading man.  Very sexy.

Lacy's hair looked so frumpy at the gala.

I can't believe the chef canceled a job just because her name wasn't Paige Monahan.

As far as Christmas CEO what a boring movie.  I wasn't crazy about the actors or the storyline.  I made it through 1 hour and then went to bed.

[NeenerNeener]

3 hours ago, Cetacean said:

I did like the sister, something a little different to perk things up. 

Yeah, sociopaths are entertaining to watch as long as you don't have to deal with them yourself. Did Margot ever tell the truth about anything in that movie if she could get away with a lie instead? 

I'm starting to count coats too. The one with the woman meeting her birth father and his family for the first time...there's no way she managed to pack everything she wore in that little suitcase, including several changes of coats.

Edited November 28, 2021 by NeenerNeener

[Kemper]

Stuart Townsend was actually sexy for a Hallmark movie…looks a tad “weathered” and is not “pretty” - but quietly has presence and is handsome. The problem was that Lacy C played her character like she was in her 20’s; the sister was worse…seemed like a teenager. This took me out of a movie I was looking forward to.  I like Lacy C in most of the movies on Hallmark (loved the ones with Brennan Eliot) - she radiates cheer and she is not a bad actress. But sadly, this one was a disappointment; and I say this as someone who usually knows, going in, what the plot will be, what the actors will be wearing, and how it will end.
 

 

[Ms Lark]

On 11/27/2021 at 8:47 AM, Kemper said:

At this point I have to grab the remote when the Candace Cameron Bure and the actor who is in their upcoming movie promos come on.

Hah. I won't watch anything with the vile CCB in it. Her foul brother is worse, but she is everything I detest.

I liked Nine Kittens. I enjoyed Nine Lives, except when Zachary deserted his post and took the only firetruck for personal use to impress a woman. We were having all kinds of problems with our fire department's non-responsiveness (yes.) when it came out and that was just horrifying.

Nonetheless, I loved the nine kittens, nothing cuter than damn kittens! I was freaking out in the beginning when it was clear they had broken up. Whaaaat! Oooooh, noooooo. 😃 But all will be well until Zach freaks out over commitment again.

Question: Why is it considered the ultimate catch for an American to hook up with a Royal or the Entitled? We created America to get away from that shit. We don't curtsy to them or go gaga over titles. Tends to piss me off that it's played out the way it is. (Don't ask what I think about Meghan Markle!)

FYI: My GBF and I both love hot cocoa and hot chocolate. He likes marshmallows, but I do not.

[ctlady]

17 minutes ago, Ms Lark said:

On 11/27/2021 at 8:47 AM, Kemper said:

 

Hah. I won't watch anything with the vile CCB in it. Her foul brother is worse, but she is everything I detest.

Granted I do not care for her movies, but what has she done that’s considered vile?

[Guest]

4 hours ago, GeorgiaRai said:

In my family (grew up in the US midwest, now in the south):

Hot chocolate is heated milk with chocolate syrup or sweetened powder (i.e. Nesquik) stirred in.

Cocoa powder is used to make cocoa (a/k/a "hot cocoa" but we never used that term). Cocoa powder, sugar & water are boiled for a couple minutes, then mixed with milk and heated through, with a final touch of vanilla.  I've made two 4-cup batches already this month - always served with homemade marshmallows.

Instant cocoa is the packet you mix with hot water or milk; acceptable in a cocoa emergency, but not a substitute for the real thing.

Interesting. Anything using nesquick powder or liquid is just chocolate milk. Real hot chocolate is made with melted chocolate and is much better because of the cocoa butter. Anything made with a powder is technically hot cocoa even though we mostly still call it hot chocolate. 

Maybe it’s because I came from a baking family that I would never just say cocoa. I use the baking powder a lot more than I use cocoa mix.

4 hours ago, Cetacean said:

Doesn't Lacey get tired of playing the same character in every single movie?  Christmas at some castle in some country had nothing new to offer - same tired plot as usual.

Why would she when she gets paid to go to gorgeous places? I don’t think any actor or actress choose Hallmark because they what it be stretched. It a steady paycheck in a very uncertain business. It’s not like Lacey has movie producers knocking down her door. 

[Cetacean]

5 minutes ago, ctlady said:

Granted I do not care for her movies, but what has she done that’s considered vile?

Personally, let's just say you will never see a mixed race or same sex couple in any of her movies.

[Artsda]

Christmas At Castle Hart I enjoyed, I'm assuming they stay in Ireland in the end. Since they're still jobless at the end and found love and family. 

 

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, Cetacean said:

Personally, let's just say you will never see a mixed race or same sex couple in any of her movies.

I don’t like her or her politics but I’m not sure that this is true. She had a lot of control of Fuller House and that show had LGTBQ characters and storylines. She has spoken out in support of increased diversity at Hallmark. 

[MerBearHou]

I liked Christmas at Castle Hart fine, but I expected to love it with the Ireland setting and a little Paul Campbell involvement with the script.  The sister was funny but became annoyingly quirky for me really quickly.  The CGI was a joke to see, both on the castle exterior decorations and the horseback riding on the shore as mentioned above.  I like Stuart Townsend and Lacey Chabert separately, but they did not convince me as a couple whatsoever and when he said to Lacey something to the effect of "I've never met anyone as amazing as you", I literally laughed out loud.  Really?!?!  

[kirinan]

This is kind of on topic, for something that was discussed a few months ago on this thread. We talked about how realistic some of the ubiquitous Hallmark outdoor holiday markets were. I think my stance was that they were fictional, while others said no, their areas had those types of things.

Well, this Midwestern girl admits when she's proven wrong. (Link to article about holiday markets.) I need to make more trips out west.

[bankerchick]

 

6 hours ago, GeorgiaRai said:

In my family (grew up in the US midwest, now in the south):

Hot chocolate is heated milk with chocolate syrup or sweetened powder (i.e. Nesquik) stirred in.

Cocoa powder is used to make cocoa (a/k/a "hot cocoa" but we never used that term). Cocoa powder, sugar & water are boiled for a couple minutes, then mixed with milk and heated through, with a final touch of vanilla.  I've made two 4-cup batches already this month - always served with homemade marshmallows.

Instant cocoa is the packet you mix with hot water or milk; acceptable in a cocoa emergency, but not a substitute for the real thing.

You sound like someone who could have an extremely successful hot chocolate/hot cocoa (depending on where you locate) cafe in a town called Sweetville or Cocoatown where locals have Valentine, Tulip, Summertime, Harvest, Pumpkin and Christmas festivals and everyone comes to your cafe because there's something in the cocoa - could it be love?! - and even the evil executive who has come from the city to tear down your cafe to build condos comes to realize that his/her happiness is dependent upon their giving up their entire life and moving to town to build and sell their own furniture.

[GeorgiaRai]

24 minutes ago, bankerchick said:

You sound like someone who could have an extremely successful hot chocolate/hot cocoa (depending on where you locate) cafe in a town called Sweetville or Cocoatown where locals have Valentine, Tulip, Summertime, Harvest, Pumpkin and Christmas festivals and everyone comes to your cafe because there's something in the cocoa - could it be love?! - and even the evil executive who has come from the city to tear down your cafe to build condos comes to realize that his/her happiness is dependent upon their giving up their entire life and moving to town to build and sell their own furniture.

Well...making "hot cocoa" for 6 weeks each year in a small town DOES pay enough to support a fully-decorated McMansion with a chef's kitchen the size of Connecticut, but truth be told, I'd sell out Cocoatown in a hot minute for a sleek new condo, no Christmas decor required. 

[Guest]

15 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

They must really be into cameos this year because Alison Sweeney showed up at the end of Time for Them To Come Home For Christmas although I couldn't tell you who she was.  My mind kind of drifted during the movie.  Again, the leads were okay but it was more serious than I was probably wanting.

She was the owner of a lost dog that the leads founds. The movie was more serious than I was in the mood for but I liked that it centered of the two getting to know each other. Amnesia plots aren’t new but I liked that it was a slightly different take on it. I also liked that they sidestepped some of the normal road trip plots like shared rooms and snowstorm delays. 

 

1 hour ago, kirinan said:

This is kind of on topic, for something that was discussed a few months ago on this thread. We talked about how realistic some of the ubiquitous Hallmark outdoor holiday markets were. I think my stance was that they were fictional, while others said no, their areas had those types of things.

Well, this Midwestern girl admits when she's proven wrong. (Link to article about holiday markets.) I need to make more trips out west.

We do love our festivals/markets/craft fairs in the west. 

[Darian]

10 hours ago, Daff said:

Surprisingly, she isn’t annoying in this one. She manages to play the role in an understandable and relatable way! While I liked last year’s movie (5 Star…something) I can understand why people find her performances off putting. 

Is that the one with the adult children coming home for Christmas to the surprise that their father has turned the family home into a B&B and everyone chips in to impress a travel blogger in the area? I thought everyone was really good in it, and though I don't think they missed a trope and there were no surprises it was funny enough with likable characters that I really enjoyed it. 

 

[norcalgal]

16 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Making Spirits Bright might be my "go to sleep" movie.  It's not bad; it's just not grabbing me.  The leads are fine but I'm not sure how into "decorating houses in lights" competitions I can be.

 

8 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

ETA: A $50,000 prize for a small town Christmas decorating contest?  People owning businesses whose sole function is to decorate the outside of houses for Christmas?  I think whoever wrote the script spent a little too much time drinking eggnog while writing.

I fanwanked the energy company giving $50K in prize money because Christmas, with all the holiday lighting is a huge electricity hog, so that sounded like a reasonable tie-in.

As for the two families, they did have other business.  The female lead's dad owned a furniture and furniture restoration store (actually, 2 stores), while I thought the male lead said something about his dad's construction business...?  Did I get the second part wrong? 

I thought Making Spirits Bright was ok. For me, the best things about that movie were the sweaters Taylor wore (I really liked the designs/style) and touching on some of the Italian Christmas traditions. 

For those with an Italian heritage, did you find the insertion of Italian Christmas traditions facile and insulting, or were you touched and enjoyed them?

8 hours ago, Cetacean said:

I did like the sister, something a little different to perk things up.  Otherwise just formulaic in a different setting.

Strong disagree. I thought the sister was so immature and annoying. How old was she supposed to be?   

6 hours ago, NYGirl said:

I found it hard to believe that the family put only 1 child up for adoption and kept the others.

This! This! This!  Maybe I missed it, but did they ever explain why it was only the main characters' dad who was adopted out?!  

Spoiler

And of course it DID turn out that Clara O'Reilly was in fact related to them!  🙄  Yeah, OK, Ireland is small (population) compared to the US, but really???!!!

 

[Cetacean]

44 minutes ago, norcalgal said:

I thought the sister was so immature and annoying. How old was she supposed to be?   

Yes, she was.  But at least she didn't fit into the tired Hallmark mold. I am sick to death of the same old same old so that even if I don't approve of a character's action at least it's a change.

[Guest]

49 minutes ago, norcalgal said:

As for the two families, they did have other business.  The female lead's dad owned a furniture and furniture restoration store (actually, 2 stores), while I thought the male lead said something about his dad's construction business...?  Did I get the second part wrong? 

You’re right. The male leads dad was a contractor who switched to decorating for the holidays. 

12 hours ago, absnow54 said:

Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas reminded me of an earlier discussion in this thread about wardrobe, when Jessy Schram, an amnesiac who turned up with nothing but the clothes on her back, wears at least 2 different winter coats on her road trip home. The nurses who checked her tags to do a little clothing shopping for her were awfully generous. 

I actually thought this one was more realistic than most in this area. One of the two coats she wears one the trip is the one she was wearing at the start of the movie. 

7 hours ago, NYGirl said:

Christmas at Castle Hart.  I agree about Lacy playing the same character.  I don't understand why the sister lied when asked for the names.  They were desperate for a planner and it didn't matter how well known.  And then...wouldn't there be pictures of Paige Monahan online or on her website?  Did Sioban miss that?

She lied because Siobhan wanted to check out their website. Presumably they wouldn’t have hired the sisters if they knew it was a complete lie. Being desperate and hiring a party planner who happens to cross your path isn’t the same as agreeing to hire two servers with no experience. 

[Guest]

7 hours ago, NYGirl said:

I found it hard to believe that the family put only 1 child up for adoption and kept the others.

That’s actually really common. I can’t tell you how many stories I’ve heard of adoptees who find their birth parents stayed together and had more kids. 

[Bronx Babe]

How many stories involve the lead actress falling in love with a holly jolly snowman turned into a hunky human guy?

I only remember one but for some reason think there are more.

Must admit I'm a sucker for Frosty.

 

[bankerchick]

30 minutes ago, Dani said:

8 hours ago, NYGirl said:

I found it hard to believe that the family put only 1 child up for adoption and kept the others.

That’s actually really common. I can’t tell you how many stories I’ve heard of adoptees who find their birth parents stayed together and had more kids. 

How about The Parent Trap, where each parent took an identical twin?

[Guest]

1 minute ago, bankerchick said:

How about The Parent Trap, where each parent took an identical twin?

What about it?

[SusanM]

8 hours ago, NYGirl said:

I found it hard to believe that the family put only 1 child up for adoption and kept the others.

My Irish great grandfather got put in an orphanage when his father died but his mother kept the other children at home with her.  I've no idea why he was the one who didn't make the cut but it wasn't uncommon at all.  

[Chippings]

On a couple of the points mentioned above on Christmas at Castle Hart, I also thought Stuart Townsend was a really good choice for the 'Earl', handsome and very personable generally.  The sister actually irked me all the way through, because she was mugging every time she spoke, and popping her eyes and literally making faces.  I was thinking she had gone to a 'way different acting school than everybody else had. 

Getting down to real nit-picking, it seemed utterly absurd when the sisters were shown into their rooms, and realized the situation they were in, and they literally jumped up and down on the bed as if they were ten years old.  Lacey is 39 years old, the character probably mid-30s, and No -- that's just dumb.  (Not her fault - the writer and director are responsible for that ) 

Ditto about the use of CGI to add snow - pretty phony looking, but Nice Try I guess.   

All that said, a nice entry with likeable characters and a slightly different story.  And it's always a joy to see Ireland.  

[Irlandesa]

33 minutes ago, Bronx Babe said:

How many stories involve the lead actress falling in love with a holly jolly snowman turned into a hunky human guy?

I don't remember Hallmark trying to tell this story. There was one a few years ago where the snowman came to life to be the "perfect" man but the girl ended up with her best friend in the end, IIRC.  And the UP had one this season, I think, but I didn't finish. I don't know if he was actually a snowman or if the lead and her sister just suspected he was.

I skipped Christmas In Tahoe because Laura Osnes stars in it.  I may go back if others think it's good but I put that on the backburner. 

And The Christmas Contest might be bedtime fare. I don't like CCB but the previews did look kind of cute.

Edited November 29, 2021 by Irlandesa

[bankerchick]

1 hour ago, Irlandesa said:

I skipped Christmas In Tahoe because Laura Osnes stars in it.  I may go back if others think it's good but I put that on the backburner. 

I wouldn't worry about it.  I have watched the whole thing now (just playing the last song) but I couldn't tell you what it was about because I couldn't care enough to pay attention.  I turned here from the Candace Cameron Bure movie which I had to abandon after about half an hour because the leads were too annoying to watch.

This year has been a giant dud so far and I feel like I've lost interest with a month yet to go.  I still want to see 9 Kittens of Christmas next week, but maybe after that I'll find something else to do for a few weeks.

[Guest]

Christmas in Tahoe was bizarre. It felt like they were trying to elevate it with the stunt casting (George Lopez) and musical tie-in and then saddled it with a horrible script and couldn’t even be bothered to film in Tahoe. The Tahoe establishing shots were gorgeous and made the rest look so clearly like a pale substitute.

Kyle Selig looked so young compared to Laura Osnes. I would have believed she was his former babysitter not that they were the same age. The more movies I see Laura Osnes in the less likeable I find her. She plays the same character everytime.

An Unexpected Christmas was really good. It probably wouldn’t have worked with a lot of lead actors but Tyler Hilton is likeable enough to overcome Jamie’s shitty behavior. Plus the humor makes up for a lot of flaws. 
 

ETA - Just put on The Christmas Contest. It’s not a good sign when CCB’s voiceover is making me roll my eyes from the opening lines. Then John Brotherton filming the commercial made me immediately like his character. I was prepared to hate this but her snarky (and meta) response to her mother saying she needs to enter a contest to find Christmas spirit has me reevaluating. 

“The Christmas spirit is in me. It’s time to burn my MBA so I can start a Christmas tree farm in Clodsville” -that’s actually pretty clever. 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Guest

[Door County Cherry]

You can dislike Candace Cameron Bure for things she might have said or done (or for no reason whatsoever) but let's leave politics out of it. 

[twoods]

I loved An Unexpected Christmas. The humor was so good! I kept laughing and enjoyed myself, which is rare nowadays. Figures Paul Campbell wrote it since he’s a pretty funny guy. Tyler looked hot without the facial hair and normal looking hair, and I always enjoy Bethany.