Christmas at Dollywood

6/10 - I love some Danica McKellar, but unfortunately this one did little to distinguish itself

If you take out Dolly Parton and Dollywood, this movie is a very lackluster production which almost could have been written by a phone app or a bunch of monkeys using past scripts and piecing them together. The story elements had no originality. The dialogue was blah. The acting was not worthy of note. There might have been a smidgen of chemistry between Danica and Niall.

I'm sure most viewers noticed Mckeller's real life book which in the story, and probably in real life, was being distributed by Dolly's foundation to children's charities. Someone made a reference talking to Danica's character saying that maybe she too would one day have her book from the movie story distributed by Dolly's organization.

The hype for "Christmas in Dollywood" was a little to much and I was expecting to love this movie. I mean who doesn't love Dolly Parton right? She's amazing!! I also love Nina Weinman, she is a beautiful storyteller and writes beautiful scripts! Keep her Hallmark! I personally did not feel Nail Matter was not a good fit for Danica! Or for this movie, I felt NO chemistry and NO sparks between them at all! The dancing scene was VERY hard to watch!! So sorry..... I have always loved Danica, especially in previous Hallmark movies with Paul Greene (When calls the Heart) they always have beautiful onscreen chemistry together (Campfire Kiss) And (Perfect Match) which I feel Paul would of been a much better leading man for Danica and for this part. Nail is just ok for me here, he mumbled his lines A LOT! I could not understand what he was saying most of the movie! He is much better suited with Erin Krakow (Finding Father Christmas) movies.

Rachel Davis (Danica McKellar) is told by her boss to take a break and go home to Tennessee for Christmas. She takes her young daughter back home which is close to Dollywood. She interviews to put on an anniversary Christmas event for Dolly. She gets hired with Luke and they have to work together.

At least, I get to visit Dollywood. I've never been there and that's all I want from this movie. It would be nice if Dolly has a bigger role. She should be a real character. It would be nice if we do more with Dollywood. This seems to be begging for more musical performances. There definitive should be more music instead of jamming it all into a small section. The lead couple is fine but there is little heat. There is too little of everything.

This made for TV Christmas themed film missed their target audience by a country mile. Sorry Dolly, we love you but your earlier film in 2016 "Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love" was so much better and much more personal that touched on the true meaning of Christmas. This film which tried way too hard to make sure that every single scene that actress Danica McKellar appeared in would warm our hearts just did not work. Danica McKellar plays Rachel Davis a widower Special Events Planner whose childhood dream was to be a children's book writer.

Although Rachel reminisces around the family kitchen table with her own parents and her daughter while making homemade Christmas ornaments, the scenes felt so much staged that I thought I was watching an extended commercial that just dragged on.

Of course there is a romantic interest between Rachel (Danica McKellar) and Dollywood's new general manager Luke Hackman (Niall Matter) but the nauseating banter and shallow cat and mouse foreplay was just too much for Mrs. Shullivan and I to want to even watch the rest of this so called Christmas themed film with the phony cotton ball snow on the set, and the word Christmas repeated ad nauseum.

Most irritating though was how often the director thought the next scene would be the BIG tear jerker scene, but our tears were saying "oh please, let's get this show over with."

I give Christmas at Dollywood a paltry 5 out of 10 IMDB rating and will state affirmatively that this is a forgettable film that Dolly would be better served calling it Christmas Ad Nauseum.