To Have and to Holiday

6.3 stars.

I have this nagging feeling that I'm supposed to like this movie. It's almost as if I'm not in the mood today. Should I hold off and watch it later? Anyways, I am getting through it slowly but surely. Slow and steady wins the race. Right now I'm not anticipating finishing it.

Pastor dad puts on the pressure, various gaslighting, bullying and guilt trip sessions later, the story improves somewhat, but not enough to sway my final opinion. This movie is not completely capturing my affections. I'd usually say something is missing, but in fact many somethings are missing.

There are good moments strew about, but insufficient to save it.

I continue plodding along...skipped to the last 15 minutes, it gets a lot better, too late to save it. Not my cup of tea.

There are many great moments in this hallmark film that were new and fresh, like 60 minute Christmas and the pastor's marriage bootcamp. The story centers around the small town pastor's daughter, Celeste. Celeste moved to New York for an internship in the fashion industry. Unfortunately, she didn't procure a fulltime job, but she did procure a serious boyfriend. When her internship is over and she has given up her NY apartment, it's understandable that her father Pastor Mark might assume when she comes home for Christmas that she is coming home to their small town for good. The problem is Celeste and her boyfriend Jason are having trouble saying goodbye in New York...so after a special 60 minute Christmas they decide that Jason should go home with Celeste for Christmas.

Jason's appearance is a big surprise to her parents, but not as much of a surprise as the proposal that he give Celeste on the first night after Celeste confesses she always wanted to get married in her father's church when learns her father's church is being remodeled in the new year. This sets up a whirlwind wedding scenario and prompts Pastor Mark to insist on a lightning version of his marriage bootcamp for Jason and Celeste, with the real hope that it will break them up.

I think romantics like me will love this one. My favorite part was how the young couple really knew each other and trusted their love and each other...and Jason was amazing. I liked how supportive everyone was, with the exception of Pastor Mark. This is a big recommendation from me.

I'm happy and proud of Robert Bazzocchi. He deserves more recognition. To Have and to Holiday. Is a pretty good movie. I like how crazy the town is. And beautiful. I didn't like Celeste father. He was so annoying. And childish. Yet he calls himself a pastor? As for Celeste mother. She is one of my favorite characters. She was sweet, kind and a better parent. Jake and Judith are my favorite characters. I thought, it was funny how the mailman acts. When someone beats him in a dart game. They seriously need to find a new mailman lol. Robert did an amazing job playing Jake. He's very talented and deserves more acting roles.

To Have and to Holiday is another of the Hallmark movies this year featuring a cast of people who are virtually unknown to me. With the exception of the lead actress' parents, I'm not sure I've seen any of them before.

That said, the acting was better than a lot of movies you see this time of year.

Madeleine Arthur and Robert Bazzochi are excellent as a young couple who become engaged after dating briefly, prompting her father, who is also a pastor, to insist on putting them through his marriage boot camp in order to gauge their compatibility.

We've seen these things before, even this year, and this part of the movie didn't really work.

Fortunately, there was enough of a plot to make it worth a watch.

Arthur is cute and sweet and pretty, and has excellent chemistry with Bazzochi, and both turned in strong performances as the young couple navigating issue after issue on the way to the altar.

We'll be seeing them again.

There's a million choices at Christmas time. This is not great, but there are worse choices.

Six.

While "To Have and to Holiday" is reminiscent of some older movies like "Father Of the Bride" and "Meet The Parents", this one was enjoyable because of the excellent cast who portrayed believable characters for a change. The relationship between the romantic leads Celeste (Madeleine Arthur) and Jason (Robert Bazzocchi) is believable. Madeleine Arthur is a very talented actress and was excellent in Hallmark's 2023 movie "3 Bed, 2 Bath, 1 Ghost". The actor Eric Close, who plays Celeste's pastor father, Mark, was also excellent in this. I remembered him from the intriguing 2002 mini series "Taken". Let's hope Hallmark can keep the remaining 2024 Christmas releases on par with this one!