The Twelve Trees of Christmas

I get tired of the premises based on saving something especially saving a property from demolition for development. I love Lindy Booth. She might be my favorite actor although the top of that list is somewhat fluid. It is interesting that Lindy stars in at least two movies that are almost exactly the same premise and both with Robin Dunne. This is the first of the two.

Booth and Dunne have worked together several times. In an interview he said they are good friends. They certainly have good chemistry. Despite the fact that Tony is the force behind potentially destroying Cheri's library, the two spend casual time together and you guessed what develops.

As is common, saving the property involves a contest, this time tree decorating. Booth's Cheri has a mean rival. There are other budding relationships plus one that can use some rekindling. And there is an adorable kid who brings about a heartwarming moment. All these other subplots both keep the overall filled and yet detract from the main relationship. For me the tradeoff was not positive. Somehow the story lacks energy despite Booth who is known for her energy.

I can't remember seeing this in a while and I spend hours each Christmas season (including the Christmas in July ones) compiling my viewing list. I am raising my rating 1 star, which was already here but somehow without a written review which I try to do on every Christmas movie I watch.

Saw 'The Twelve Trees of Christmas' as a fan of Christmas and due to liking the concept. Despite it sounding like familiar ground, it also sounded quite cute. Have liked both Lindy Booth and Robin Dunne in other things, despite having hit and miss filmographies. The title is pretty cheesy and am not a fan really of Mel B and the type of role she's in here just screamed of disaster. Lifetime is very hit and miss, but when they hit they are surprisingly good. When the films are not good, they are really bad.

'The Twelve Trees of Christmas' is neither surprisingly good or really bad, and is neither one of Lifetime's best or worst. It's in the middling, mixed feelings category, with the two leads being absolutely no problem and with some other nice things but let down by a not particularly good supporting cast and an uneven story. There is very, very little offensive with 'The Twelve Trees of Christmas', there is also very little exceptional about it too.

Its best aspect is the two leads. Both Booth and Dunne give very engaging performances, Booth is a ray of sunshine and to me she didn't overdo anything (other female leading ladies for Hallmark have fared far worse than this) and Dunne has a natural charisma and charm. Both characters are easy to get behind, or at least to me they were, with flaws not being overdone and neither character is too perfect either. Their chemistry sparkles and the relationship develops realistically, proven too in 'The Sound of Christmas'.

Production values are lovely, particularly the photography. Enough of the music is fitting with the atmosphere and more subtle in placement and tone than a lot of Lifetime Christmas films, that are known for intrusive music (though not as bad or as frequent as Hallmark). There are heart-warming and charming moments, namely with Booth and Dunne. Shauna MacDonald is nice support and gives the only good supporting performance.

On the other hand, the rest of the cast are poor. Casper Van Dien looks as though he wandered onto the wrong set and even looks bewildered. While Mel B is a complete miscast, the role does not suit her and she spends the entire time looking miserable. The story is on the thin side and does little new with familiar ground, also don't understand the relevance of the title with it being a complete mismatch with the premise. The Christmas theme is sorely underused and plays second fiddle to the demolition conflict, which lacks tension and is overripe. Would have liked more development to the central relationship, the chemistry is absolutely there but the writing of the relationship seemed rushed and underwritten.

Apart from Booth's and Dunne's, the characters are not interesting and are quite unpleasant due to exaggerated flaws and the way they're acted. Mel B's especially is pretty pantomimic, and Van Dien's is really quite strange. The dialogue is rather awkward and also comes over as bland. The final act is predictable and contrived and the can be seen from way off ending comes over as too pat.

Concluding, not bad but fairly average. 5/10.

A sweet but not saccharine nudge at the preservation versus development struggle in any major city, this movie slightly echoes the rivalries of "You've Got Mail" or "Two Weeks Notice".

Lindy is convincingly earnest and sweetly intelligent in the lead role, and she's balanced by Robin Dunne as the romantic lead (better known as Will from Sanctuary, another intelligent role).

The supporting cast are quirky but not stupidly so, and each has their own gently heart-warming story.

Casper Van Diem is there in name only, except for a moment here or there of very rare face time.

A worthy entry into the seasonal love-fest.

I love the Lindy Booth character. Both her and Robert Dunne starred in the Christmas Song- 2016 which is an excellent movie and much better than this one. They both did a great job here and their scenes make the movie worth watching. Their relationship is almost identical in both movies. The supporting cast was not that supporting except the little girl and the lady that played the grand mother. The other characters were just kind of stupid and added little.

The Christmas tree decorations and the living kid Christmas tree singing "I saw three ships come Sailing in on Christmas Day" was very good. I did doze toward the end of the movie so this is an indication that the supporting cast stories were kind of boring (I did rewind and watch).

Librarian Lindy Booth wants to save her local library from being torn down by Robin Dunne. So she organizes a tree decorating contest with the neighborhood. How this would save the library is a little vague to me. Publicity for their cause I guess? The rest of the cast includes Casper Van Dien as a real estate developer, Scary Spice as a famous decorator who seems slightly medicated in all her scenes, and Steven Yaffee as the most Canadian-sounding person since Bob & Doug McKenzie. But the whole show really is the pixie-like Lindy Booth. Her bright personality and charm elevates an otherwise boring television movie. She even brings some life to the usually wooden Robin Dunne. Give it a shot if you're into sentimental TV Christmas movies. It's enjoyable enough thanks to Booth.