A New Year's Resolution

Kelly is a producer at a morning show, Tom works in marketing in a National Bank. She believes in New Year's Resolutions, he doesn't. Her resolution is "to say yes to social invitations"

Unbelievable. We get a different movie than the usual Hallmark gives us and people start complaining. I liked it. We have two people who meet each other, like each other, flirt, go on dates until we have a problem threatening to split them up, which, in my opinion was quite realistic.

There are reviewers saying that the leads didn't have chemistry: i'm sorry, were we watching the same movie? The chemistry was amazing. Both leads were great, but Michael was probably my favorite. His character was quite charming and he definitely knows how to keep me watching.

The script was quite original. We had fun activities and we had a group of friends (we usually get one or a sibling). The characters just talked to each other like the mature adults they are, they never kept anything to each other (even at the ending, and I will defend Tom, he tried his best to tell her). And the romance was ON POINT. The final scene was delightful. Not gonna lie though, I was expecting a flash-forward (since they kind of share a dream) and I was disappointed there wasn't one.

So, I liked it, and this movie gets extra stars for originality.

After what feels like months of watching Hallmark holiday movies that have one common plot and a series of attractive leading actors going through the same stories, along comes this mature, sensitive, and truly original movie! Hats off to the writers, producers, and actors who offered tired viewers a stimulating, intelligent story with interesting, well-developed characters.

Both leading actors are excellent in their roles. Both are truly gifted actors. Aimee Teagarden as the busy tv producer who needs a life change is delightful to watch. Her emotions are real, they are displayed with all the vulnerability, caution, and, yes, moxie that a woman of her profession might possess.

Michael Rady is a guaranteed pleaser! He is an actor. He knows his craft. He has a style that is consistent in each of his films. His facial expressions are spot on. He has a wry little smile that is captivating. And he knows how to act! He is not just another handsome fellow in a familiar plot.

The story presents many challenges for both leads. Life changes, professional ethics to face and deal with, and love. Love is what has eluded these two really intelligent people. and they move towards it with caution, with maturity and with great charm.

It is wonderful to see them find resolution to their individual and mutual problems. And to see a Hallmark film that transcends a hometown reunion, a Christmas parade that needs to be rescued and a big city successful woman returning to her roots for love.

This movie does away with all of that and lets us see much more mature and realistic side of life. Thank you, thank you, writers and producers of this movie.

Michael Rady and Aimee Teagarden have wonderful chemistry. I loved watching every scene with them (prior to the conflict). I wish there had been more. The acting is mostly good all around. Important characters seemed natural to me.

I've said several times that in Hallmark type rom/coms it is necessary to suspend a demand for realism to some extent or another. This movie has two huge plot holes. The first is when a pretty young woman appearing on TV saying she won't turn down any invitations. I'm glad the movie didn't go into the gutter on that one, but in reality that would have been a disaster. The second is the obvious conflict of interest which would have torpedoed their story in the real world. Here's a case of the writers "hanging a lantern on it" when Kelly brings that up and they almost immediately dismiss it. So we'll give this movie two Mulligan's instead of just one and move on.

Disregard those problems, or find a better way around them, and this is a good story. I can't remember a story quite like it (at least recently). There is some real conflict and some angst. There are some great situations. There's also some good dialogue. Some is funny. Some is a little highbrow. Some gets a little philosophical. This movie goes a little more sophisticated than a lot of what we see on Hallmark, even given the two plot holes I pointed out.

Looking at actors' pages on this web site, this movie shows up as both 2019 and 2021. I can't believe I missed it in 2019. Wonder what happened.

Rady was a little too much of a happy puppy, Aimee was good (Note: It's Gung, or Kung, Hay Fa Choy - phonetically.) The tale was sweet and I liked the bank issue, a more realistic hard hitting story issue than is normally covered in these movies.

Regular Christmas Hallmark movies are so cliche, like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. This movie is more of a quiche - some work put into it, a variety of ingredients and leaves you satisfied at the end.

I love that both the female and male lead have relatively successful careers and neither one of them has to give it up in order to be with the other. They also don't have to go to some quaint small town to find their purpose or love of their life. The seriousness of the bank fraud was a little glossed over, but then again we're watching a romance not the Panama Papers.