Given my very low general interest in Christmas movies, of course I was not familiar with this movie prior to sitting down and watching it.
Were I harboring any expectations to director Heather Hawthorn Doyle's 2024 movie? Well, no not really. I sat down to watch it with a blank slate, so she had every opportunity to entertain, bedazzle and impress me with this movie.
Of course I had not heard about "A Christmas Less Traveled" prior to sitting down and watching it as part of this years Christmas movie marathon.
Writers Masey McLain, Taylor Kalupa and Justin D James put together a script and storyline that definitely broke the archetypical formula that make up the vast majority of Christmas movies out there; yes, I am definitely looking at you, Hallmark. And I will say that it was a refreshing change of pace to have a storyline such as this, as it didn't cause instant tooth decay from the sugar-sweet sappy storyline that the generic Christmas movies have. So thumbs up to the writers for that accomplishment. And I will say that I was genuinely entertained by the movie.
I was actually starting to get worried that I would sit through a Christmas movie without seeing Candace Cameron Bure on the screen this year. Of the entire cast ensemble, she was actually the only one I was familiar with. The acting performances in "A Christmas Less Traveled" were good, and I will say that Candace Cameron Bure really is nicely cut out for Christmas movies, and she carried the movie quite nicely.
If you enjoy Christmas movies, and if you want to deviate from the usual Christmas sap, then you should sit down and check out director Heather Hawthorn Doyle's 2024 movie.
I was genuinely and wholeheartedly entertained by this movie, though the movie is not going to become a Christmas classic in my home.
My rating of "A Christmas Less Traveled" lands on a six out of ten stars.
