A Lot Like Christmas

6.2 stars.

Clay, a regional marketing director of a garden supply store (sorta like Home Depot or Lowe's supply center) is sent to utilize his skills in Hudson Springs, a town that doesn't necessarily respond to that sort of big business. The town is full of people who enjoy small town ideals and good old fashioned Christmas spirit. Jessica and her brother run the Roberts Farm, a Christmas tree farm in this town and they are now dealing with this rival big store that competes with their sales of trees, plants, and gardening supplies. Jessica likes Clay but is unaware he represents the superstore. He does his best to be cryptic and keep that information from her, because they are attracted to each other, and he knows it will ruin their chances at something more. When the truth is revealed it's a very big explosion of anger and seething disdain.

Her hatred for him is laughable if I'm being honest. I don't think this is a realistic response and do people do this in the real world? The whole first half of the film is the two of them barely getting acquainted and the second half comprises the war she wages on him and his company. The last two minutes is nice, otherwise this is a bland movie with a very limited plot. I had a difficult time getting through this movie and it didn't feel 'A Lot Like Christmas'. The title, is clever. They own a Christmas tree lot, ha ha. They wasted some good actors, cinematography, and music on a dead end plot.

Tidbit of trivia: the Roberts farm has an old red pickup truck used in another movie by the same actor, but in the other movie it was his delivery truck for his bakery business. About every 5 Hallmark movies, I see a house, building, street, vehicle, costume, or other object that is reused. I suppose Hallmark could do worse.

He is adorable but she ruins it. I finally had to stop watching it over half way through. Casting makes a huge difference and Maggie Lawson was terrible in this part!

This is not a Hallmark movie but is made just like one, with the same type of story arc. Two 40-ish people are attracted to each other, a big issue gets in the way to make them leery about the other, and it all gets resolved before the end. It even has what my wife and I call the "Hallmark kiss" during the last minute of the movie.

My biggest detraction is Maggie Lawson who plays Jessica Roberts, the Christmas tree farm owner (with her brother). She isn't a particularly good actress but she has a really annoying voice, sort of a gravelly quality to it that both my wife and I found off-putting. Maybe that is why she is making TV Christmas movies.

Anyway, their little community farm, established in 1947, is struggling but the holiday season is usually a good one for them. This season a Manhattan based company has opened a big multi sales store that threatens to close down the smaller community owned businesses. But their marketing manager is a handsome, single man that takes to Jessica right away, and she to him.

The story has a good message, sometimes being where you want to be is more important than business success at all costs. We enjoyed it as light entertainment after dinner at home streaming on Amazon Prime.

It's "Clay" (Christopher Russell) who arrives in a small town just as the animated snow is falling onto such an obvious studio set - so now we know what we are in for. He's there to help set up a new superstore that's going to be just what the townsfolk need for jobs and prosperity. Meantime, the "Roberts" farm is facing a tough time. "Scott" (Matt Visser) keeps telling sis "Jessica" (Maggie Lawson) that they are on the brink of bankruptcy! The last thing they need is the new shop, especially one run by his old pal "Xavier" (Ian Collins). Scene set? Well now we have to create the gently convoluted scene in which she and "Clay" meet, then there's the bit when the start to fall for each other before the bit about him about his owning up to why he's there. Will she forgive him? Can they have a truce as the all important Christmas market will be crucial for her family and his job, yada yada... The denouement? Well come on now! I didn't hate this, and for the festive season it's your typical cheesy drama with some very light humour (mostly contained at the very start) and just the hint of a frustrated bromance between "Scott" and "Xavier" that's disappointingly undercooked. Nope, there's no way you will ever recall watching this, but it's harmless fodder to shove on in the background whilst you wrap, or stuff, or snooze through December.

Having been watching more Christmas films for a while now, since 2019 but becoming more regular each year. Namely those from Hallmark and Lifetime, with very variable success, with some UPTV and ION films too. Only got into the newly formed GAC Family films fairly recently, and like Hallmark, Lifetime etc. There are good films, some bad ones and some in between. Have liked Maggie Lawson and Christopher Russell in other things, though their work in acting and filmography are hit and miss.

'A Lot Like Christmas' is one of the in between efforts for GAC, and while it is a good representation of Russell Lawson has been a lot better in other films of hers. 'A Lot Like Christmas' was more or less what was expected. It didn't exceed expectations, but it is a long way from a waste of potential. Instead it sounded like potentially it would be a pleasant enough diversion with a number of good things and a few big drawbacks, and 'A Lot Like Christmas' turned out to be pretty much exactly that.

Russell gives a very sincere and charming performance in his role, and his character up to a point comes over as very amiable. Lawson has moments of perky charm. The supporting cast do well, despite their characters being stock and ones seen many times in similar films.

It looks good, lovely scenery and slickly shot. The music is pleasant and fits tonally enough, the placement also not getting too much.

For my tastes, Lawson on the whole tries too hard and her character goes overboard on the too eager to please side. Her chemistry with Russell isn't really there, pretty lacklustre, especially later on when the conflict kicks in and when Lawson's acting becomes particularly overdone. Also lost a lot of respect for Clay when his secret came out, a secret that was handled in a contrived and predictable way and a very mean spirited one. Which is a big reason as to why the ending didn't ring true. The conflict that it causes felt very forced.

The dialogue tends to be flat and stilted and also rather soapy in the final act. The story is one of those doing nothing new with familiar ground ones, so the predictability is excessive and nothing here feels fleshed out enough. The pacing tends to drag and the charm, light hearted-ness and heart are missing, especially later on. It is easy to predict what the ending is, but part of me really didn't want it to happen and that it would do something different but it went down the too easily resolved route.

Watchable but nothing special. 5/10.