A Merry Christmas Wish

This is an upbeat family friendly Christmas movie. The story, if you even call it that, is a checklist of Christmas movie tropes. There are no great highs or lows or surprises, but given all of this, it is fairly well done. It's just not that exciting, if like me, you watch every Christmas movie out there from late October through the end of the year.

Jill Wagner, as Janie, and Cameron Mathison, as Dylan, are accomplished veterans of many Christmas movies and rom/coms. They have chemistry but it doesn't stand out that much. There is a cute niece and a childhood BFF girlfriend for Janie. Janie has an existing boyfriend from the city who is one of the least flawed rivals I can remember, but on the other hand he is the usual "steady and reliable" which I guess is a bad thing. He does pay a little too much attention to business at Janie's expense, but I've seen much worse.

I found it interesting that the 43 year old Wagner's character had a conversation about wanting children going forward. This leads to a discussion I've had with my wife about how so many of Hallmarks stars are growing past the age where they appeal as romantic leads. Hallmark has dealt with this by bringing on board many promising younger stars. But this movie is not Hallmark. This is their new competitor, GAC Family. GAC stole some of Hallmarks better known veterans and that's just it, they are veterans. Merritt Patterson is the one of the few and probably most prominent younger female star with any length to her rom/com resume. Articles I have read imply she may still be more of a free agent. I have not been impressed with any of the other younger stars so far on GAC.

Almost all movies push a lesson or issue. A common one has to do with small town values and this movie has plenty of that. Big city and progress bad. Small town and time to enjoy life good. I think this movie presses that point a little too much.

I really liked this movie and even though I could see exactly how it would end, I enjoyed the road getting there. The two main leads are definitely both seasoned actors and I thought their chemistry sparkled. The plot "save the farm" is a bit overdone but it is a Christmas flick after all.... I do not have an Instagram account so I don't follow the actors in their private lives but I instantly knew JW either just had a baby or was pregnant during filming, turns out she had her first child in 2020 and I think she was pregnant in this movie, congratulations! I'm glad CM & JW among others switched networks, I look forward to seeing them!

Project Christmas movie-watch continues but it seems I'm knee deep in Hallmark land already. Turning out these soporific seasonal romance movies seems akin to the film makers rearranging the slushy words in greeting cards to say the same thing in a different way.

In this one, we're introduced to New York-based advertising executive Jill Wagner's Janie character who seems to have it all. She's successful in her job, has a mirror-image boyfriend in wealth management and is getting ready to go with him to L. A. for Christmas.

Then, just her luck, she learns her rich, great uncle Randall has died and left her his farm at Brigadoon, sorry, that should read Woodland Falls, an idyllic little town three hours drive away from the city hustle and bustle, where she spent a happy childhood. So she makes the journey there to tie up the estate where she reconnects with her old childhood girlfriend, who now has a cute daughter and wouldn't you know it, hunky brother who apparently comes with the farm. We learn that her bequest comes with one condition, she has to continue the tradition of putting on the town's annual Christmas fair. Of course she's going to need help to do that and just where do you suppose she'll get a chunky hunk of help to do just that...?

It all ends up with our heroine having to choose between the city and the country, as well as the old slick, suited and booted beau or her new rugged, check-shirted boyfriend. No surprises for guessing which way she ends up going both times.

Listen, there's lots of Christmas Muzak playing in the background, there are plenty of Christmas decorations everywhere and everybody in Woodland Falls is just so gosh-darned nice as they make rosemary-flavoured honey and eat Friendship cookies, with Janie making their lives better yet with some free marketing advice she dispenses to all and sundry.

It's a typical seasonal TV movie, blandly predictable, supposedly heart-warming and undemanding if you like this sort of thing but in truth I think I'll look for something a little more substantial next time I peruse the schedules.

This movie doesn't have ideas above its station, and I like that about it. It ticks all the twinkly Hallmark Christmas boxes, and the plot is cohesive enough, the actors skilled enough, the settings realistic enough to make an enjoyable, frosted-but-not-sickly slice of escapism.

Several scenes are quite heartwarming (particularly the one in the attic), and the city slicker love interest having more than a two-dimensional personality was a nice touch. The country boy love interest's relationship with his young niece is charming, and the character of his sister as the glue that holds everyone together works well. I concur with other reviews about the wonky timeline, but it was easy to shrug off. Overall, this is a movie I would watch again.

Note: If you like honey, have some ready as a snack before watching, because this movie will make you want some.

A refreshing take on the city girl moves to the country theme so prevalent in holiday movies. The heroine is a decent human being who genuinely cares more about her family than the money she could get. Only thing that doesn't make sense is the title.

Janey is an advertising agent in New York when she learns a great uncle she stayed with as a kid has died. She returns home and reconnects with past friends while deciding what to do with her uncle's farm. In the process she has to choose whether to continue a town tradition.

A very humble movie that doesn't get caught up in itself. Also, best holiday kitchen and bedroom decorations for the win!