Christmas in My Heart

Sorry, but it was extremely hard to watch and listen to Sean play for Beth.... definitely not in Luke's wheelhouse....either cast a singer or change the script...

Much deeper story than the typical Hallmark fare. I thought the race issues it tackled were done incredibly well and aided the connection between the characters. I appreciated that it was Luke voice and I had no issues with his singing. Lovely story and romance. My only issue at all was with the editing. Note to Hallmark or Dish - the cuts to commercial were the most awkward ever and really distracted from this wonderful movie.

I really enjoyed this Hallmark Christmas movie. Both the script and acting were strong, and of course, it had a warm Christmas feel to it. As another reviewer has suggested, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries tends to have deeper, more meaningful storylines than its sister network, the Hallmark Channel. This movie is no exception and is an excellent start to this year's Miracles of Christmas series. Our two protagonists of this story are Beth (played by Heather Hemmens), a violinist who recently returns home after the death of her mother, and Sean (played by Luke Macfarlane), a reclusive country music star who is a widower and a single father. The two connect when Sean, unknowingly, hires Beth as his daughter Katie's (played by Maria Nash) violin tutor in preparation for the upcoming holiday concert. And so their romantic journey begins. The movie touches upon a number of challenging, real-life issues such as the loss of a loved one, interracial identity (e.g., being proud of who you are), and the raising of a child as a single parent. The script was well written (keeping in mind that this is a Hallmark movie). The dialogue was down to earth; that is, it felt real. There were some nice scenes, for example, between Sean and Katie. I especially enjoyed the banter between Sean and Beth regarding country versus classical music. That is, I enjoyed how they scrutinize each other's genre of music, which led them to appreciate and respect the differences between the two, adding, I felt, to the development of mutual admiration and their romantic connection. The acting overall was brilliant. Both Hemmens and Macfarlane had outstanding performances. The chemistry between the two was excellent. As noted above, you could feel this from the start via their banter at the music shop. Towards the end, when they were saying goodbye, I found myself wanting them to kiss, cheering for them to kiss, that is. I could feel the chemistry on screen. The supporting cast too was superb. Nash's performance as Katie was absolutely adorable. She is a future star. The movie too had a nice warm Christmas feel to it. For example, the holiday concert at the end was lovely. If you are in the mood for a more meaningful Hallmark Christmas movie, then Christmas in My Heart may be just what you are looking for. It is a warm and heartfelt Christmas movie with some wonderful performances. I highly recommend it.

I love Luke MacFarlane in many roles but not this one. First, Hallmark should have chosen an actor who could be more convincing with a Southern accent. I'm happy Hallmark is trying to incorporate more diversity, but it still needs to be believable and this was not. There was so much going on in this movie that I found myself distracted by trying to figure out all the relationships. Finally, Luke is not believable as a country star, whereas Heather is brilliant. They seem unequal in that respect.

The leads were fine, but dudemans solo at her house was cringe. Movie was okay, but some things were overkill. I'd still recommend it overall. Hallmark knows how to get it done 8/10 times.