A Christmas Melody

Mariah Carey directs this Hallmark Channel Christmas romantic comedy. Single mother and fashion designer Lacey Chabert returns with her daughter to Silver Falls, Ohio. There are the usual crises, including Ms. Carey's evil PTA mom and Brennan Elliott as the music teacher who has had a crush on her since high school. In the end everything turns out fine.

Ms. Chabert is fine in her role with a couple of lovely small scenes and there is a big product placement for Folger's Coffee (perhaps this mention in the review will get me a few bucks from the Smucker company). There is also a big set piece musical number at the end, featuring Fina Strazza singing a club-music "Santa's Gonna Make It Right This Christmas" and Kevin Chamberlin plays a suspiciously knowledgeable and white-whiskered school janitor very nicely.

All in all, it turns into a typical Hallmark seasonable romcom in which the competent actors and crew do a good job, but very little extra is added.

''A Christmas Melody'' is a new Hallmark Channel's movie. Fashion designer Kristin Parson (Lacey Chabert) sells her house in LA, and with her daughter, she is coming home, in town, where she used to live as a child. In Silver Falls, Ohio, she meets a music teacher Danny Collier (Brennan Elliott), who had a crash on her, since they were a kids. Now, Danny is Emiliy's (Fina Strazza) teacher.

It's a nice movie. Mariah Carey, as a director did a good job. I really love Lacey Chabert and Brennan Elliott, think that they were amazing. Fina Strazza is a surprise for me.

At the end, nice movie, with very good actors.

If Mariah hadn't been in this movie I would have scored it higher. Her acting was poor and there were all these awkward close ups. Did they film half of her scenes later so she didn't have to spend too much time with the other actors? It was just bizarre and threw off the flow of the movie every time she was on. Otherwise a typical Hallmark Christmas movie. If Mariah would have stuck with directing and not acting on this, I probably would have scored it an 8 or 9.

Don't get me wrong, I love all Christmas shows, Mariah Carey and Lacey Chabert, but the closeups of Mariah were starting to freak me out. Was she pregnant while filming? That might make sense. Aside from the freaky head shots, I enjoyed this show.

I've followed Lacey in many, if not all, of the movies she has made for Hallmark and have enjoyed every one of them. Mariah's music worked well in this movie and it didn't disappoint. The young girl who played Emily was a cutie. I can't wait to see more of her on Hallmark in the future.

Although, the plots are the same on the Christmas shows, I don't mind and will continue watching the Hallmark channel for years to come.

I was concerned that this was going to become all about Mariah Carey, but thankfully she is good in her supporting role and it's Hallmark stalwarts Lacey Chabert and Elliot Brennan who carry this above average film from the channel.