A Very Vintage Christmas

'A Very Vintage Christmas' is another one of those Lifetime Christmas films to have a rather cheesy and uninspired title, but also have a story that potentially could be quite charming and sweet. There never has been any bias against Lifetime's output, much of it is formulaic sure and some of it has just as much corn and schmaltz of that of Hallmark's but with the right leads and the right amount of charm and heart they can have some likeability. Provided that not too much is expected from it.

While understanding and appreciating that there are others that like the film, it is easy to see why it's garnered a mixed reception here. Personally am one of those that didn't care for 'A Very Vintage Christmas' and do agree with some of the criticisms. Not one of the worst of Lifetime's Christmas output of 2019, in a fairly unimpressive year, or overall. Also not one of the best on both counts, somewhere around low middle if anything. There are good things, but the corn and schmaltz are there, the charm and heart is not enough and the casting is a missed opportunity.

There are good things. Jesse Hutch is an engaging male lead and has a subtle easy going charm. Patricia Richardson does a nice job as well. It is a pleasant looking film, especially the scenery. The music is pleasant enough, and is not as constant or intrusive as with other Lifetime efforts.

However, Tia Mowry's performance is very flat and one-dimensional, she also looks bored. She and Hutch are quite limited in their chemistry as well, they look disconnected and under-rehearsed and their relationship doesn't really grow or go anywhere, it's also underdeveloped and bland. The rest of the cast are okay but nobody else stands out and the character writing is sketchy and little more than Lifetime cliches. The direction is workmanlike at best.

Really did like the idea of the story, but the Christmas theme is underused and the more mysterious elements are less than mysterious and are quite obvious. There could have been more charm and heart, while what too little of the tension there is is predictable and contrived. Again the idea was nice but more could have been done with more and there is very little freshness to it. The script lays it on too thick with the corn and slushy schmaltz, not unexpected but it was overkill in places and it is too talky.

Lacklustre all in all. 4/10.

The casting was ludicrous. The lead actress is boring, dull, uninteresting, downbeat, and non inspiring and the concept was absurd. No way a 10 would fall in love with a 5. Does not happen. Reminds me of the Facts of life, when after badgering from Mindy Cohn i am sure, they started having gorgeous guys asking her out. Omg puleeease. Same thing here. Extremely nonbelievable. And ZERO chemistry between the 2 actors.

Mowry-Hardrict is just dull. Granted, it's a possibly intriguing concept to have an antique store owner seek out the original owner of a box of memorabilia, but the flat script and her limited set of emotions just make you wonder what Mr. Romantic Interest sees in her.

Love Christmas movies but this one just felt....miscast. The magic between the 2 just wasn't there. And at times she looked old enough to be his mother! Story was good and Christmassy but this film just didn't hit the mark........

This film has me torn. On the one hand we have Jesse Hutch who is quite simply my ideal man and on the other we have a badly put together work.

I do not buy the relationship that builds at all between Jesse and Tia. I also wouldn't buy anything from their "vintage" shop, like any of it's older than 20 years?

If he'd got together with the other girl I could have seen it and it's not because 'Sister Sister's' got back and then some, but because she is just totally annoying, a know it all and interfering to boot. Not to mention her trades description fraud on the internet. Their connection seemed very forced. Thank God for 'Home Improvement's' wife who provided some feeling to the whole thing, although Carl should have been Ed's father for a bit more depth as well.

Quite often Jesse has played a more comical role - a snowman come to life or the next in line to be Father Christmas, but that silliness needed to be curbed for this story and it wasn't. It's a good job he has that face.

I actually liked the idea of the vintage shop, but I would have liked to have seen more Christmas mixed in and that could even have been flashbacks to a vintage Christmas to make it tie in.

I also wanted more of a fuss made over things like the snow. There are little bits that get overlooked, but leave the audience wondering what happened there?

Overall, I just feel like there were too many missed opportunities and that it was rushed to be produced without too much thought, but Mr Hutch will always have a place in my heart.