The Holiday Stocking

The Holiday Stocking (2022) -

It was a different story and one that I wasn't expecting to even get through. Based on the TV images and IMDB thumbnails, it looked over the top and cheesey, but I was soon engaged and enjoyed the way that the story went, not focussing on romances, although there were some, but rather concentrating on the idea of family at Christmas and reuniting estranged sisters.

Overall I felt that it was enjoyable, heartfelt and easy to connect with. In fact the whole production was well done and a new spin on the Heavenly intervention of a Guardian Angel at Christmas trope, whilst also being cheerful and festive.

Nobody gave a bad performance and while some of it was a bit of a stretch, nothing was so unbelievable that I couldn't get on board with it.

I might have liked handsome men to come in to the ladies lives more prominently, which they probably could have achieved with just another ten minutes, but I did appreciate that the focus was on the family relationship this time.

A film that was full of the importance of family and shared the joy of the season will always be alright by me and I would definitely look to watch this one again in the future.

7/10.

I really debated on watching this because I thought I wasn't going to like it for some reason. Maybe the typical angel comes back and saves the day like a lot of other movies. Not that some of these haven't been really good, I just wanted different stories this year. But, even though this was still based around that concept, the movie dealt more with the sisters and their lives. It showed how families can grow apart without even realizing. It centered on forgiveness and love. Showing such an accurate description of what Christmas is all about. The scenes where the brother/angel admitted his part in the breakdown of his family were very emotional. The ending was beautiful and I found myself tearful several times. Really good movie.

Yes, this is another movie where an angel goes back to earth to resolve a problem from the angel's past life - this time, it's reuniting his estranged sisters.

But, this really works because of the really fine writing by Cas Sigers-Beedles which is sharp, with realistic dialogue and enough twists and laughs to keep the story really interesting and fun to watch. It also works because the acting is excellent - the leads: Tamala Jones, Nadine Ellis, and a wonderful B. J Britt as the angel, are just terrific, and the rest of the cast supports them with nice performances as well. It's all here - humor, warmth, some spark, a little intrigue, and a little sadness, all played by the cast with sincerity, spirit, and genuine feeling.

A pleasure to watch all around.

This time the angel is part of a deceased brother and his targets are his sisters who have become bitterly estranged. The journey is a rocky one with a lot of anger which is expressed mostly in words and turning away from each other. Romance is not really a focus in this story, although one of the sisters develops a new relationship.

There is a strong emphasis on charity work which was a big family tradition when these siblings were children. Dani is a rich CEO and her motives are questioned by both her sister and potential beau. This rich snob softens considerably as the story progresses.

The acting is good and the script is decent. There were not any real highs or lows or surprises.

7.6 stars.

'The Holiday Stocking' does not disappoint. A man has died and his last request is to mend the rift between his younger sisters who are still alive. There are some rules and caveats since he's an angel (I think he's an angel) and all that good angel tropes we've seen on Hallmark every season. The cool aspects of this film are that it's done in very good taste and to me it seems realistic, but I don't want to overstep with my assumptions with the culture being different and all.

There is a wonderful message expressed about forgiveness and family and Christmas, from the perspective of very civilized, hard working, and wealthy city dwellers. Breath of fresh air.