Heaven Down Here

For some reason, the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Christmas movies are considerably better this year than the Hallmark Channel Christmas movies. This is yet another HMM movie that has beat out all the other 2023 Hallmark Channel Christmas movies. Although it seemed to start a bit slow, I really got into the characters. Those characters that were not particularly likable early in the movie became likable by the end. This was because these characters were touched by the Christmas spirit and opened themselves up to developing warm relationships. And the spirit of Christmas centered around God being in the lives of the characters. This the movie was heartwarming in spite of the difficulties experienced by the various characters throughout the storyline. It was not a trite or formulaic script like so many of the Hallmark Channel movies. This is a feel-good movie that was perfect for Christmas! Keep making these types of movies, Hallmark!

A film about family, vulnerabilities, miracles and God. Not exactly for presence of a pastor but for fine perspective about Christmas Eve , about revelation of secrets in a town under snow, in a local caffe bar in which a young mother, a young boss reminding Scrooge , a pastor with difficult relation with his son and a caretaer lady discover theirselve to the other and are more wise defined by their authentic vocation.

A film who offers nothing new , in essence, but good emotions and a different recipe than the Hallmark classic. And, for many motives, this just matters.

So, real surprising , nice at whole. Maybe useful, in same measure.

I am a Hallmark fan and rate them accordingly. Every once in a while Hallmark surprises and this is one of those times. Absolutely wonderful. A superb cast (Krystal Joy Brown, Tina Lifford and Juan Riedinger) and an endearing, intriguing story. Lovely to see Phylicia Rashad too. We meet 4 very different people stranded at the diner and their unique stories unfold. Assumptions are tested. A mystery is solved. Some fabulous music and singing (Krystal Joy Brown) and, of course, a happy ending. This one is somewhat unexpected and definitely a must watch for the Christmas season. Thank you Hallmark.

This Christmas movie from Hallmark was a nice surprise. Like the title, it's more women's fiction than romance. The acting is above par, and the storyline is heartwarming without the obligatory-I-got-to-make-a-choice romance trope.

Don't get me wrong, I like those story lines as well, but sometimes you need to change it up and actually watch the characters grow, their circumstances get better despite the obstacles, which were real and actually dire (planning a Christmas pageant isn't life altering😐) thrown in their way. Or in two character's instances, realize they're real jerks and give back. That's what the holiday is about, right?

7.6 stars.

I say this is a tidy drama because it's clean and easy and inspirational. I suppose it's got a lot of life lessons to be had and so I would highly recommend this for anyone struggling with finding their place in this world. Look at what these strangers do for and with each other and maybe it will spark a bit of inspiration. They are firstly very forgiving of each others' shortcomings and faults in spite of being ill treated by some. There is a lot of patience and kindness too, but what got my attention the most was how they realized that just being with people, making friends and family out of complete strangers - that's one of the most favorable blessings any of us can experience in this life.