A Christmas Movie Christmas

OK, I'm going to try to be kind. The movie was clean, Christmasy, and had a new plot -something totally missing from most Hallmark Christmas movies which all follow the same formula. 2 sisters, whom are obsessed with Christmas movies (obviously Hallmark ones) get transported Into an actual "Hallmark style" Christmas movie. You find this out in the first few minutes so I don't consider it a spoiler. This plot had so much promise but as much as I liked the characters, the acting was so amateurish. I even began to wonder if it was "camp style" on purpose? Still not sure! This didn't seem like a Hallmark production and I wonder if someone else produced it and Hallmark simply aired it on their movie channel just to have something different to offer. Lastly, if your idea of a balanced meal is cotton candy, cotton candy, and cotton candy, this is the movie for you. If you are expecting decent acting and quality entertainment....well.... I watched it in 20 minute segments. Kind of like pacing yourself when eating at the county fair.

If you get it, you get it. If you don't, you don't.

I thought the idea was very clever! How can you watch multiple Hallmark movies and not see the cookie-cutter formula in 90% of them? I love how they take this concept and make a bit of a spoof out of it, without being insulting. Someone commented that it had poor acting because they were so over the top. But in my opinion they had to have some characters over the top so you would get the idea that in most cases things turn out too perfectly. Even when everything seems ruined towards the end, just as it does in a typical Hallmark movie, I wasn't able to see how they would fix it. So I found this very enjoyable. However I did think that they could have added some more clichés From these movies, such as the tree lighting that you always see. And don't get me wrong, I really do love Hallmark movies! It's my go-to when I've had a tough day. Especially in times like these that we are living in at the moment. It's nice to have something predictable instead of so much bad news. But I just think they have the opportunity to do quite a bit more with it. I still would very much recommend it!

Cool idea, it kinda falls flat by the midway point though.

'A Christmas Movie Christmas' is far from a terrible film, you could watch much worse during the festive period - this is at least different from the usual made-for-TV Xmas formula. It just gets a little boring as it goes on. I'm not exactly sure how they could've done it better, but there is certainly something missing to keep it fresh and entertaining for the full duration of the run time.

The cast give satisfactory if unspectacular performances. Lana McKissack (Eve) is, as you'd expect, the most standout as the lead. I actually watched her YouTube videos when she was doing that about eight years ago, back when YOMYOMF/'Internet Icon' was a thing - what a throwback!

Elsewhere, Kimberly Daugherty is alright as Lacy, starring alongside co-writer/producer and real life husband Brant Daugherty (Paul). I can't say I'll remember this cast, but they are all fine for what this film is to be honest.

Two sisters. Eve and Lacy, who are having a miserable Christmas season wind up living in a Christmas movie as all the cliches (mean boss, sweet grandma, handsome small-town guys, a Christmas festival that needs to be saved, romantic problems involving nasty ex-girlfriends) are rolled out to be gently mocked. I loved this cute holiday movie satire, which manages to be quite funny and also avoids being too snarky. Though it originally aired on UpTV, it's harmless enough that it could easily play on the Hallmark Channel. There are some story glitches but the actors, especially the real-life husband-and-wife team of Kimberly and Brant Daugherty, seem to be having fun and make the movie a delight. Brant Daugherty is especially good, walking a tightrope edge, balancing charm, whimsy, and non-threatening small-town masculinity. The sparkle in his eye helps to keep the slightly stalkery aspect of his love for Lacy in check. Some IMDb reviewers downgrade this for its "stupid" plot, but that's the point. The plot is silly and exposes the silliness of the more traditional Christmas romance movies. I had a smile on my face for almost the entire film and I recommend it wholeheartedly.