This is a cute movie, although it fails to hold attention in my case. While I love Alicia Witt's roles for the most part, this one seems to be over-acted. Her expressions and voice are really amusing, but not captivating compared to other Hallmark movies she and others have done. (See: Lacey Chabert for perfection in acting each role.)
She plays Isobel, a young woman who struggles with an overbearing mother who tried to keep Christmas as neat and tidy as possible; I understand having a mom who cares about these things, so I found that relatable, but not to this level. So point #1: Mom is a handful, and responsible for plaguing her daughter with obsessive limitations. To the viewer, you do get a slight desire to punch the mom...in theory, of course! :-)
The romance-triangle is interesting; her boyfriend is insufferably obsessed with work, and the rest is Hallmark history: workaholic, but "safe" and overall decent.
Point #2: I admired Isobel's desire to keep her commitments to him, even though he was disturbingly rude to her and her interests.
Point #3: the new man is very natural in his role with her, and they have a fun vibe/chemistry. He is also incredibly respectful toward her and supports her commitment (well, for the most part).
Point #4: The Elf Voice that she did was extremely unsettling. I spent more time thinking about whether they manipulated the sound to create that voice than understanding or appreciating why the elf scene was even in the film. To be clear: the elf and santa costume scene was hard to watch without turning away. Poor Alicia - that voice.
The ending was good - I thought that it was finally gratifying. That's when I realized that this movie deserved a few more stars than I was initially planning to give (like, a 4).
Bottom line: If you are a die-hard Christmas fan and committed to the usual traditions, you'll appreciate this movie. I also love love love the actress that plays the movie mom of Jamie. (the romantic lead). She is amazing, as another reviewer said.
