If I Only Had Christmas

From make-believe relationships (e.g., Holidate, Midnight at the Magnolia, Happiest Season), princess switches and royals incognito (e.g., The Princess Switch: Switched Again, A Royal Christmas Engagement), to fake five-star bed and breakfast staff (Five Star Christmas), deception and mistaken identity have been a very popular plot device in this year's Christmas movie lineup. Here again, in this film, we see this plot technique in use, though, arguably, having less of an impact than some of the movies listed above. Indeed, this movie fell flat a bit, I thought. Do not get me wrong, the story was pleasant, and the script/dialogue was decent (with some positive underlining messages). The acting was strong too. However, I felt this one lacked that 'something extra' as, for example, The Angel (which had great chemistry between the leads), A Timeless Christmas (which told a different story), Five Star Christmas and The Christmas House (which made me laugh), and The Christmas Waltz (which had some lovely dancing). Thus, I would describe this one as 'good enough'. That said, the acting overall was good. Candace Cameron Bure, a Hallmark regular, had a convincing performance. Her scene at the end, for example, when confronting Glenn about his deception was strong. Warren Christie's portrayal of Glenn was good, believable. The chemistry between the two was OK. Not the best I have seen this season, but certainly not the worst. The supporting cast had a strong performance. I enjoyed watching Brenda Crichlow (as Winona, the CFO) and Robert Markus (as Riley, the art instructor). The scenery, props, and sets were well-polished and festive, classic Hallmark. There was not as much focus on Christmas traditions in this one, which is not necessarily a bad thing (not another gingerbread house scene please). Simply put, this is an ordinary Christmas movie. Worth a watch if you have time to kill or if you are a fan of Candace Cameron Bure's Hallmark movies.

The leading man in this movie was born in my home town of Belfast but my main reason for watching was the presence of the wonderful Candace Cameron Bure who gave one of her finest performances. It's a feel good movie where the main characters interact so well and you know that everything will work out at the end.

The first virtue of film is the effort to nuance , using new reflections, the Hallmark recipe for Christmas films. The obvious references to Wizard of Oz is another good point. But, sure, the vibe of film is proposed by charming energy of Candace Cameron Bure. She has the huge skill to explore the humor, innocence and good energies of each role. The role of Darcy is another admirable example.

I enjoyed the Wizard of Oz twist; there are only so many incognito princes roaming NYC (although, Hallmark has me convinced there's one on every street corner), so I'm delighted when a new angle is given to boy meets girl.

The cast was engaging, even the minor supporting roles, and the family interactions were warm and believable. The storyline was a bit muddled, and Darcy's reaction to William's reveal was odd. I realize there has to be conflict in a Hallmark movie, but I wish the writers would dig a little deeper than the standard "overheard something incorrectly," "saw something out of context," or "lied to me" weary tropes.

One of the biggest misses was not showcasing Kansas City at Christmas. For years, my family and I have made the trek to KC to see the beautiful Plaza, Crown Center, and other holiday displays. The Plaza is magical at Christmas, and I'd hoped to see it featured on screen. Nevertheless, the movie was a pleasurable one I'm sure I'll rewatch in order to catch all the Wizard of Oz references I missed the first time.

I never thought I would say this about a Hallmark Christmas movie, but...this one just wasn't Christmas-y enough!! It definitely felt like the movie was written and then the Hallmark execs went back and added in the Christmas elements at the last minute. The plot really could have worked any time of year.

In addition to that, I just didn't find the movie that interesting and had trouble following who each character was working for (the foundation? the charity? the PR firm?) and what his or her position there was. Also, I figured out the "twist" in the first 5 minutes. I'm usually a fan of Candace Cameron's Christmas movies, so this one was a disappointment for me.