Christmas Under the Stars

6/10 - surprisingly good Christmas TV movie hits all the right notes

When I sat down to watch this movie I was skeptical on whether I would like it, surprise, surprise, I rather enjoyed it. I have seen Jesse Metcalfe in previous Hallmark productions, he runs hot & cold in my book, but I found him likeable in this role. I have always enjoyed Autumn Reeser, her acting did not disappoint. But the show stealer was Peters (Clem), this guy hit it out of the park. The interaction between the three was amazing. This was one of the better Hallmark productions of 2019.

This is a slow-paced movie about a high-powered investment broker who fails on a big gamble and gets fired. Oddly, he takes a minimum wage job at a Christmas tree lot, getting much sage advice from the elderly man who has run it for decades.

There is an interstitial romance with a school teacher with medical debt, but that plot line is almost invisible.

This isn't a dynamite movie, but it's better than much of the 2019 Hallmark crop.

Liked the cast together. Jesse Metcalf and Autumn Reeser make a compatible looking couple looks wise. She isn't silly looking like some.

The story starts off a bit more interesting than usual. He's been laid off from an investment firm. At least the story doesn't have a completely done to death set up. What's irritating is that she's angry with him for working in finance even though he isn't responsible for her troubles. Unreasonable for sure. Good thing he doesn't have to sacrifice his career for love for a change.

Hallmark hit a home run with this cast. Not to mention the great story. Reeser has mastered the "struggling single mother" role. I would love to see a sequel and not necessarily a Christmas sequel. That's how good I think the story is.