Hats Off to Christmas!

No chemistry Haylie Duff she needs to give up acting so awful usually like Anthony Cupo but this is an awful

I was a reluctant Hallmark holiday movie watcher until I could see the joy in a repetition...a gazebo...a snowstorm...a miscommunication...tradition...and happy resolution finding the deeper meaning. My favorites are when the couples seem like they really like each other and you can play Hallmark Bingo. It took awhile to get to the Christmas part, I couldn't really play Hallmark Bingo and I wasn't sure if the couple liked each other very much.

While I wouldn't call this one amazing, it's certainly a nice one to watch for the winter season. I've watched A LOT of Hallmark holiday films and this one isn't as cheesy as some of the others airing this time of year. The acting is good to start with, at least by all the main actors. Some of the supporting could use a few more acting classes. Unlike other Hallmarks where the main couple seem to fall in love with a few days to a few weeks, this one has a more logical time-line, which makes the story a little more believable. The only question i have is how quickly the main male lead changes his tune. You'll understand when you watch.

All in all, cute and simple, something to watch while decorating for the holidays or while waiting for the holiday meal to be done cooking.

Yes, I know it is cheesy and grossly sentimental. The interplay from the widowed single mother (she is getting over her husbands death well, kind of like Scarlett O'Hara) and the put upon disabled child is really over the top.

Yet for reasons I do not fully understand this is one my favorite Hallmark movies. I would recommend this one for all.

This story had good potential. Add one key element to the usual widow with a son breaks in the new boss plot-line. That element is that the son is in a wheelchair, injured in the accident that killed his dad. I also give this movie some small creativity points that Nick didn't come in trying to make Mia's life miserable by changing everything without asking.

I thought the execution was choppy. I expected more from Hayie Duff. At times she was OK, but at other times she seemed clumsy in her role. I got tired of seeing her tilt her head down in her humility pose. And she was clumsy at times with Antonio Cupo. They didn't seem to have chemistry and it sure didn't seem like Mia wanted to give Nick a chance. Most of the courting going on seemed to be Nick courting Scott, not his mom. There just wasn't enough of Mia and Nick connecting.

The company in trouble theme was also executed clumsily. (You don't leave your conference room door open when you are discussing ideas for cost cutting that affects employees.)

On the other hand, there were definitely some good moments especially toward the end. But they seemed like items checked off on someone's list of plot devices. Overall though, I guess there were enough positives that I give this movie a thumbs up, but barely.