Christmas List

Has Witt ever acted before in her life?! Ugh. I screamed at the tv. Yes, of course she has, I know I've seen her around. It must be the director who insisted she talk like a child and walk through town like she's never left her house before. Kimmy Schmidt's first Christmas with the opposite of laughs. Anyway, I'm blaming the producers and director because the soundtrack is childish, as well. You know, everything's terrible, honestly. Has she ever talked on the phone before? Interacted with a man in public? Done anything in the kitchen? Listened to someone when they spoke? Oh, no, I'm sorry, she interrupted her when she was about to tell her she's his sister. Oooh, he's not married then? Why's she so interested all of a sudden when before she kept dismissing him ... wow, this movie is worse than I thought. Surprise - the script sucks too!

"You're gonna regret it." - Addy Langdon, American Horror Story

Alicia Witt seems as childish as the young actors. And It is not cool that she is banging the boss. Even Witt should not be doing that. The music is not good, and the secondary characters are so unlikable. Skip this one.

4/10 - probably my least favorite Hallmark movie of all time - an obnoxious main character and pretty flat acting

This is a cute movie, although it fails to hold attention in my case. While I love Alicia Witt's roles for the most part, this one seems to be over-acted. Her expressions and voice are really amusing, but not captivating compared to other Hallmark movies she and others have done. (See: Lacey Chabert for perfection in acting each role.) She plays Isobel, a young woman who struggles with an overbearing mother who tried to keep Christmas as neat and tidy as possible; I understand having a mom who cares about these things, so I found that relatable, but not to this level. So point #1: Mom is a handful, and responsible for plaguing her daughter with obsessive limitations. To the viewer, you do get a slight desire to punch the mom...in theory, of course! :-) The romance-triangle is interesting; her boyfriend is insufferably obsessed with work, and the rest is Hallmark history: workaholic, but "safe" and overall decent.

Point #2: I admired Isobel's desire to keep her commitments to him, even though he was disturbingly rude to her and her interests.

Point #3: the new man is very natural in his role with her, and they have a fun vibe/chemistry. He is also incredibly respectful toward her and supports her commitment (well, for the most part).

Point #4: The Elf Voice that she did was extremely unsettling. I spent more time thinking about whether they manipulated the sound to create that voice than understanding or appreciating why the elf scene was even in the film. To be clear: the elf and santa costume scene was hard to watch without turning away. Poor Alicia - that voice.

The ending was good - I thought that it was finally gratifying. That's when I realized that this movie deserved a few more stars than I was initially planning to give (like, a 4).

Bottom line: If you are a die-hard Christmas fan and committed to the usual traditions, you'll appreciate this movie. I also love love love the actress that plays the movie mom of Jamie. (the romantic lead). She is amazing, as another reviewer said.

When you like a movie even more the second time you watch it, you know it will always be a favorite for you.

I am totally in love with Isobel. She is totally crazy in a quirky way. Her laugh is amazing. I can't get enough of it - it doesn't hold back. The world around her is full of awe and wonder. She has dreams and tries to live them. This is someone that I wish I knew. In the beginning of the movie she is a little stuck on perfection. That doesn't show up as much after she and her mother have a heart-to-heart. Maybe she is a little naïve. Maybe.

Alicia Witt does all of this so well. She is so expressive. She does quirky well and the same with awe and wonder. She also does sad or angry well. I can't see Chabert, or McKellar, or Lowndes, or Bure doing this role. This is my favorite Christmas Movie and my favorite Alicia Witt movie. I also love Very Mixed Up Christmas.

For me, this movie is about falling in love with Isobel, and Jamie is the vehicle. But maybe it is a cute love story too.

I didn't realize when I saw this the first three times that Alicia Witt and Gabriel Hogan were reunited in this movie after doing Christmas at Cartwright's. I think they both connected much better in this one, partly because they had more screen time together.

I think my favorite scene in the movie is the Nutcraker. I think it really sums up different aspects of Izzy.

There is much to laugh at in this movie, not just dry jokes that don't quite get past just a smile. And maybe there are some things that will bring sweet tears also.

There are no great surprises. There is one minor villain in the form of Izzy's existing boyfriend Brett. Like so many Hallmark movies, the current boyfriend is stuck on himself, or a workaholic, or both, not to mention looks down on small towns.

Having watched this at least three, maybe four times in about 11 months, I can still say I will watch it again and maybe even this season.