A Family Christmas Gift

I wanted to give up on this movie after the confrontation in the auditorium and probably should have. In the first half of the movie, I did not like Alan, and with Amber my dislike was even more severe. There was so much emphasis on a professional approach to fundraising including some coercing of sponsors. It was probably realistic, but I didn't like the tone. If this is a Christmas romance, where's the screen time for the leads? Maybe this contributes to the fact there was no chemistry between the leads.

Besides the overly used save-our-music-program plot line, the story didn't flow well at times and that showed in dialogue. I'd like to think that these two factors are what made the acting rough also. There was almost no tension outside the fate of the music program. There wasn't much of a story. The movie builds to the pageant where LaBelle sings O Holy Night and it is a good performance. But otherwise there is nothing special and much of the story is almost exactly like all the other Christmas romance movies. The ending is so derivative I found it painful and couldn't wait for the movie to be over.

I wonder if Patti LaBelle's reminiscing for the interview was autobiographical at least in part. If so, that would make it more interesting.

7/10 - I love some Holly Robinson Peete and Patti Labelle, so enjoying this one was no surprise!

Amber (Holly Robinson Peete) is a New York publishing executive who gets passed over for promotion.

To get over it she returns to her hometown in Colorado to spend Christmas at her Aunt Dora's (Patti Labelle) inn. She is a is a legendary soul singer who retired to run the inn.

Before long Amber uses her skills to take part in a much needed school fundraiser as the music program is being cut.

Amber gets close to single parent Alan who she initially mistook as an airport pick up driver. Only later being told that Aunt Dora had sent him.

Both fall for each other but Amber gets another chance of getting that promotion back in New York.

Too formulaic but at least this has Patti Labelle singing. I felt that even the director gave up on this one as it abruptly finishes.

A Family Christmas Gift (2019) -

As with so many of these films it was far too late for Amber, played well by Holly Robinson Peete, to turn up and save the Christmas Concert and the Music Programme at her old High School. It didn't help that I'd turned off a very similar film - 'My Favourite Christmas Melody' (2021) - only a week or so before this one, which was basically the same, but without Holly to save the day with her acting ability. And she was really the saving grace here, because Patti LaBelle as her Aunty Dora was surely only chosen to appear for her singing ability, assuming it was still any good, because honestly I didn't get that far.

Dion Johnstone in his role of Allen wasn't much cop and his character wasn't too appealing either.

In actual fact I've seen the "Save the school concert" schtick a thousand times and done much better, which might be why I did eventually give up on this one after about half an hour. I did feel for Holly, because she really did deserve a better supporting cast, script and even some of the production elements were a bit twee and kitschy.

Unscored as Unfinished.

Last year, Patti LaBelle appeared in the last half hour of the Hallmark Christmas movie, "Christmas Everlasting," and really hammed it up in her couple of scenes. She didn't sing. Well, this year Hallmark gave her more to do as Aunt Dora in this movie - the worst that Hallmark has to offer. The script appears to have been written by a child and the acting all around is stilted and unconvincing. Totally amateurish in every respect - with LaBelle allowed to sing in the end to, I guess, provide a big pay off for sitting through this turkey - or should I say, ham. LaBelles's singing voice is still impressive and strong, but the acting (by her and everyone else involved) is just one big ham - with all the trimmings. A shame really - maybe all these actors (Robinson and LaBelle included) just needed a better script to work with.