Mystic Christmas

I'm not quite sure why "Mystic Christmas" isn't rated more highly.

I had no illusions going in. I expected another standard Hallmark Christmas rom-com, but I was very pleasantly surprised! This one is a little different.

The main character Juniper Jones (Jessy Schram) is an introvert. We're not talking "a little shy" like some of Hallmark's blushing maidens. We're talking full-on avoidance of human interaction whenever possible. Finally! A character I can relate to!

The writing includes some very rapid-fire, very funny dialogue. I often had to back up my recording to make sure I heard what I thought I did: "How come everyone had a better time at my wedding than I did?!?" "Because you had a terrible date." "Oooh!" "Sorry." At this point, I knew I was onto a winner!

If you have a sense of humor, give "Mystic Christmas" a shot. It had me laughing out loud in less than 5 minutes!

I enjoyed the movie as a decent "time pass". I liked Jessy Schram in the role of Juniper who I know from her role of Dr. Hanna Asher in Chicago Med. However I can't figure out who creates the page on this site. I see Shravan Amin being credited in the cast list when he appeared for may be 3 - 4 seconds and said a word of 2. While Brooke, I believe that was the name of the character, who had a fairly decent role and was involved a whole lot more is not mentioned anywhere. Not even in the extended list of "Full Cast and Crew.".

I liked the premise of some missed past connections and history without making a mess of it.

Marine biologist Dr. Juniper Jones (Jessy Schram) is a self-declared introvert who likes to travel around the world by herself. Her best friend Candice Adams (Patti Murin) needs her help back home. The only problem is that Candice's brother Sawyer Adams (Chandler Massey) is there. She claims that she declared her love to him in a school crush email. There is a dispute over the facts.

Jessy Schram is always adorable. She does try to be awkward for this role although she could try harder. The comedy is right there for the taking. She needs to be more klutzy for the physical humor. She does do fine with the verbal vomit sometimes. She's a little too put together. Otherwise, I love her as always and the guy is a good match. That's all one could ask for in a Hallmark Christmas movie. It's certainly not drama.

Jessy Schram has at times been at the very top of my favorite actresses list. The leaders often drop down if I don't see them in anything for a while. This movie brought her back to the top for now.

This movie was made for Schram. She gets to use her many talents in acting, romance and comedy. Her comedy isn't one dimensional. She has screen presence. She uses a lot of physical comedy with body language and gestures, facial expressions, and great timing. There were a couple of cases where she and others were delivering lines simultaneously and the timing had to be perfect. And she has great energy.

Schram's timing with Chandler Massey was excellent. There was an obvious comfort level. Their characters had obvious affection.

The story? Who cares. I was enjoying the characters. The story was good enough but followed obvious lines. There was some quirkiness. Some of the Christmas activities were out of the ordinary. No snow ball fights. The ending had a little twist.

All in all a great Christmas movie and I even laughed.

BTW pet peeve. I hate when you can't read text messages. Maybe if you have great eyes. Hallmark don't you know you have a significant audience of Senior citizens many of whom don't have great eyesight? This movie is the worst I can remember for unreadable phone and computer screens.

I enjoyed watching this one, even though I had read the reviews before diving in. Jessy Schram and Chandler Massey are both decent actors, have good chemistry, and I was drawn-in by the tour of Mystic, CT.

The story is lacking, to be sure, but the leads and the scenery make this one an enjoyable watch. The seal isn't the star, but does steal a scene or two. The "made-up Canadian proverb" should become a new trope of this genre.

There is a recent trend where these Christmas movies have basically no stakes. The characters start off liking each other, have very little competition for each others attention or affection, and we are left with kind of a waiting game until they finally get together. It works in this film because the real roadblock is their own awkwardness.

The "big argument" here felt like a missed opportunity to bring the characters together through some heightened emotions, and showing that conflict doesn't always have to be a scary or uncomfortable experience.

All in all, I'd recommend this one. It kept me watching, so it has something going for it.