One of my wife's favorite things to do leading up to and during Christmas is to watch Hallmark Christmas movies. So we've watched a lot. I've come to expect the normal formula for this type of movie: setup a situation with someone who has some sort of anti-Christmas issue, then they somehow overcome it (and most likely an antagonist) and all is well by the end of the movie, with the added bonus that most of the time someone falls in love as well. The plots differ, but there is a basic formula. This movie takes a slightly different approach but it falls into the general category. You also have to expect that the movie will be somewhat unrealistic when compared to real life, but that is what makes it fun watching, especially at Christmas. I think everyone, deep down, wants a "happily ever after" ending and Hallmark movies always deliver. Well until now and if you watch this movie. I will not go into the details (you can read the other reviews with spoilers, which I recommend before investing the time to watch this movie) but the way they ended this movie just made me shake my head. I was frustrated enough with the plot development and final conflict resolution that I created an account on IMDb to vent, I looked for a way on Hallmark's site but did not see a user review section.
I was actually surprised the overall rating was so high, considering how much of a downer the ending was. I almost gave it a 1 to do something about it, but ended up giving it a 2 because of the two lead characters. Their acting was good and their chemistry was engaging. They did their part, its just too bad that the writer, producer or director did not.
If you want the typical feel good ending so that you can feel better about humanity during the Christmas season, one that Hallmark usually provides, then DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE, find another!
