Coyote Creek Christmas

Why was Paige mad at Dylan and not at her parents? It wasn't Dylan's place to tell her about selling the inn! It was absolutely her parents job - no matter how difficult it was to approach the subject. If I'd been Dylan - I would have run far and fast. Paige was completely unreasonable. Sometimes I wonder where the writers heads are at (well, maybe not ... it's quite obvious). That's not how a normal person reacts...

AND while we're at it - why does EVERY movie now have to include the"gay" angle? It was absolutely NOT necessary to the story - it was thrown in to keep it "woke." I am by no means a homophobe - I have a gay brother and niece. We've accepted them and their spouses with open arms. Leave it out unless it's essential to the story. Just throwing it in to be "woke" is absolutely annoying. (Last year's The Christmas House" did it right ...)

Unfortunately, this storyline has been done too many times. I watched the whole movie.....but found it boring and slow. Big fan of Ryan Pavey, was really hoping for more.

After some disappointments so far in the Countdown to Christmas, I was looking forward to this movie because it featured our (my wife and I's) favorite male lead in Ryan Paevey.

We immediately noticed the visually poor pairing with Janel Parrish, who is too young, short, and frankly, not in Ryan's league. However, Janel usually plays energetic, adorable characters, and so we hoped that her character would overcome the superficial disparity between the leads.

Unfortunately, this movie went the opposite way. Instead of Paige, the main female character, winning Dylan, the male lead, and us over with her charm, passion, joy, and kindness, she spends at least the second half of the movie angry at Dylan for no good reason, while he makes the situation worse, and even more unrealistic, by repeatedly apologizing for something that wasn't his fault. The final half hour of the movie is essentially Dylan moving heaven and earth to please Paige, even though there is no clear indication that she deserves it.

Maybe I'll sweeten slightly to this movie with repeated viewings, but my first impression is that this movie never overcomes this manufactured conflict or its rather one-sided resolution.

Unfortunately, we are seeing a trend in 2021's slate, at least early, that started in bombastic fashion in "Boyfriends of Christmas Past." The issue is that the female lead often represents a ultra-modern feminist view that every woman deserves a great guy, regardless of her actual actions towards that guy. The female leads are brimming with entitlement while the male leads are going into full simp mode. That is NOT romance.

The story was just okay. I thought the lead actresse's character was very harsh toward her parents and the Ryan character. She was controlling, didn't let the parents talk to her, when they were trying to be upfront with her. She took over and wouldn't let them talk. The two had chemistry and that was about it. I prefer watching the older movies like "The Christmas Card" and "Christmas Shepherd" which were good stories. Also, they are putting actors/actresses together that don't even click or don't have chemistry. The older "Hallmark Hall of Fame" holiday movies are better than these, as well. I am so disappointed in the new movies.

First, Janel Parrish may be immature, but only 4 years younger than Ryan Paevey... (for those who hate the disparity in age between the two). .. Strongly agree with the many who disliked the pairing... Hallmark has often put a popular weak female lead opposite a strong male. Doesn't work for me as a viewer, and really did not work here. Am tired, as many are, of the Hallmark recipe of the loud, often obnoxious, teary girls/females as the central character.

Second, The strong male leads are Rare in the Hallmark universe, but thankfully still exist in good movies. Women, and men, need stories where both leads are believable. We need good stories and better directing. It can happen- and does- in "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" with Paevey and Italia Ricci.

Third, Hallmark writers are now so very often: repetitive, seemingly clueless, and inept ... might be because there is only 4 weeks between projects.... Still Bad.

Fourth, the last ones standing, the ones who release movies with this magnitude of errors, the directors and their studios.. How can you not see the problems, not notice miscasting, not want an original, cohesive script? How can you be so blind to so many flaws on the finished products?

Shame on Hallmark. (Hopefully with the changes happening now at Hallmark, GAC, Lifetime, etc. ,these problems will be lessened.)