A Maple Valley Christmas

This movie has a lot more meat to it than most of the Hallmark Christmas films. On the one side a believable division between two sisters, and on the other side a believable division between father and son. Then there is the surprising decision from the mother, ready to retire and let her daughters take over the business.

While some viewers didn't see a connection between the romantic leads, we did. They had plenty of screen time together doing the types of things that build friendship which can transition to more than friendship.

So despite some of the reviews, we do like Andrew Walker in most of the stuff we've seen him in, and that gave us a reason to check it out. I'm glad we did.

Rating this a 5/10 because of great locations and decent set dressing. Costumes could have used an alternate to that red dress - YIKES! Everything was fine and not the average over-the-top-Hallmark-Christmas-costume-y until that dress! I will always appreciate Andrew Walker in any Christmas movie, but Peyton's character was one of the worst. I don't want to watch a 40-something year old person behave horribly from start to finish. No thanks. She "redeems" herself far too quickly at the end (even for a Hallmark film) and I wasn't buying it. Once a brat, always a brat, especially if they are an older brat. I guess the script did Peyton dirty. Glad to cross this off my Hallmark list, but won't be rewatching any time, which is something I usually do with some of the better ones.

This is the first movie I've watched so far this year, and it's pretty much the usual Hallmark fare: boy meets girl, boy and girl lose their minds, everything falls apart, and then...well I won't spoil the end.

One thing that is a tried and true part of the Hallmark formula is turned on it's head early on.

The sub-plots/conflicts are nothing new: guy and dad, girl and sister. Ms. List is very pretty, and Andrew Walker is the same as always.

This being Hallmark, it should be noted that there is an absence of mixed race (unless you count European) or homosexual relationships. That is important to some. Indeed it's chased half of Hallmark's audience over to GAC.

Being the first movie I've watched this year, I don't really have much to compare it to, but it does seem like an ok Hallmark Christmas movie.

I do really hate that hat though.

My wife and I watch every darn movie these channels put out and this is one of worst. I genuinely don't like any of the characters and especially hated all of the lead characters. Yes I expect the ones on the movies and mysteries channel to be more dramatic and schmalty. But this one has presented very two dimensional characters with no redeemable qualities. I normally like Andrew Walker but his stunted development and lack of warmth is terrible. Honestly I have not even finished watching the movie yet but I had to get this off my chest. I'm sure everyone will live happily ever after but in the meantime I feel like yelling at the tv every two minutes.

I really enjoyed this movie and will 100% watch again. I truly don't get why so many felt there was no chemistry between the leads. Perhaps having a female that is atypical is what turned them off?

The story starts with a successful (a nice change from the usual fare, to be honest) family-run maple syrup business looking to buy the property next door when it finally goes on the market. But lo and behold, a developer from a large city arrives to outbid the heroine. Our heroine and protagonist, almost from the start, works and grows with her love interest to try to keep the deal from happening. There aren't any big misunderstandings or hidden secrets here. It's just honest communication and two people being surprised about their feelings and healing from their past broken hearts. Our female lead is guarded, but I found her relatable and likable.

The meet-cute was finally not a ridiculous over the top trope, but original, without the female lead being unnecessarily rude or snapping to judgment or having that "You" moment when they run into each other later. There weren't any eye-rolling misunderstandings to get past; everyone was fairly honest from the start. There wasn't the overdone scene of an interrupted kiss: it happens spontaneously in the first 10-15 minutes. There wasn't some widower's/divorcée's kid trying to move the plot forward with an overly sweet and far-too-old-to-be-acting-as-babyish-as-they-typically-do act. The scenery was realistic and what wasn't winter or Christmas-y was overall well-hidden. And finally, I didn't find this with any of the usual cheesy professions of love that generally make me cringe with embarrassment for the actors who have to do them. Again, I will 100% watch this in the future.