'Tis the Season to be Merry

Social influencer who wrote the relationship rules writes a book about finding the perfect man, her publisher wants to do promotions and have the fans meet this paragon of virtue...only he is an imaginary guy.

Her best friend/manager takes her home to come up with a plan or an idea for a replacement book. There they meet her older brother who is home from building homes for the unfortunate overseas, played by Travis van Winkle...who is the best part of this film. He does an excellent job of the older brother and teasing his sister's friend. It was funny and totally made this Hallmark holiday romance. He had me laughing over the breakup and grieving process over the fake boyfriend. He also had it for romance points...making s'mores in your pjs in the fireplace. I was right there.

This moved in to a must see...funniest and most romantic moments I have seen this far from the Hallmark holiday offerings.

Further proof that Rachael Leigh Cook definitely knows a good Hallmark movie when she sees one. Has she ever starred in a bad one? I don't think so...

What seems like a fairly shallow type of plot actually becomes something more.

Yes, you have the smalltown Christmas theme - all the usual Christmassy events are there - but don't let that discourage you if you're not a fan of that particular trope.

RLC (who I must admit is very easy on the eye) and Travis Van Winkle as Merry Griffin and Adam Walters steal the show. They are fantastic together, and strong in their solo scenes as well. They benefit from a funny, witty and surprisingly heartfelt film. There are a few cringey moments, but they were thankfully few and far between.

Of course it ends with a kiss. They always do. But this one felt less cliched than many others.

I can never understand people being surprised by a Hallmark production. Yes, it's completely unbelievable and at times you feel in need of a bucket because the dialogue is so sickly sweet, but at it's core it's what a lot of people love / need, especially at Christmas. This movie might not be their best, but it made me feel good.

As a Clemson Football fan, I loved the nod to Clemson with the orange and purple decorated Christmas tree, along with Joe and Sonia, the two characters with ties to Clemson. I found Rachael Leigh Cook to be really charming as Merry, and this is my favorite movie I have ever seen her in. I specifically liked her supportive friendship with Darlene and the comical moments between her and Adam. All around this is a fun holliday movie.

Hallmark did a wonderful job of picking the closing act to this year's 'Countdown to Christmas'. 'Tis the Season to be Merry' is a lovely Christmas romance with a well-written and entertaining script, brilliant acting, and some remarkable chemistry between the leads. The story follows Merry (played by Rachael Leigh Cook), a social media influencer who specializes in love and relationships. Merry has just finished her first book on the rules of love based on her relationship with her fiancé named Dale. However, there is a catch, there is no fiancé; she made Dale up. She decides to accompany her best friend and editor, Darlene (played by Amy Groening), to snow-covered Vermont to spend Christmas and to figure out what to do. In Vermont, she soon runs into Adam (played by Travis van Winkle), her best friend's brother, and sparks begin to fly. Will Merry take a chance on her feelings for Adam? Will she figure out what to do about her book and rules of love? The story is an engaging one from start to finish. The writers do a great job of developing and building the romance between Merry and Adam as the story progresses. You, in a way, get to watch this grow on-screen, which is one of the appealing aspects of the movie. The dialogue and interaction between the two are great. Though not a straight-up comedy, there are multiple scenes with some nice banter and comedic moments. The writers also do a decent job of weaving together (in 84 minutes) three different love stories in this one, all of which I enjoyed. As others have pointed out, though a minor shortcoming, I did find the story regarding the parents and the sale of the family farm to be a bit off/odd. Not discussing the selling of the (third-generation) family farm and business with the children seemed in direct conflict with the close family bond that the writers wanted to portray in the story. There is a disconnect between the two, and the writers' attempt to square the circle, so to speak, is unsatisfying, I'm afraid. What makes all this work on-screen, of course, is the acting, and it was brilliant. Cook's portrayal of Merry is fun and playful, and she has this sort of sweet and innocent vibe to her performance that is very appealing to watch in this genre of film. Van Winkle's performance is also impressive. His portrayal of Adam is both fun and easy-going while at the same time warm and sincere. A perfect combination for a romance-comedy of this nature. What stood out for me is the chemistry between the two. Put simply: it is outstanding. They do a great job of building the attraction they have for each other as the story progresses. Indeed, you could feel and see the tension, sparks, and electricity between them. Impressive performances. Finally, the movie also has a nice warm Christmas vibe to it with plenty of Christmas spirit and festive cheer. All in all, 'Tis the Season to be Merry' is a wonderful Christmas romance, one of Hallmark's best this season. I highly recommend it.