User reviews

"Christmas in Connecticut" is a made-for-TV remake of a feature film from 1945, which I must admit I've never seen. Elizabeth Blane is a famous television chef, whose public persona is that of the perfect All-American housewife. She lives in a large house in a rural part of Connecticut with her husband John. She has a daughter, Mary, a son-in-law and two grandchildren, Kevin and Melissa. At least, that is the story put out by her publicity machine and her manager Alex. In reality Elizabeth is, and always has been, single without any children and lives in a penthouse in New York. To make matters worse she cannot cook and has no idea about housekeeping. All the dishes featured on her show are actually cooked by her assistant Josie. (Elizabeth also claims to be too young to be a grandmother, but as Dyan Cannon was actually 55 when the film was made, that claim should be taken with a pinch of salt).

One year, Alex has a great idea for a Christmas special. Jefferson Jones, a forest ranger from Colorado, has become a national hero after saving the life of a young boy during a blizzard. Unfortunately his home was burnt down shortly afterwards, and as he was rumoured (wrongly) to be a great fan of Elizabeth's TV show, Alex invites him to spend Christmas with Elizabeth and her "family". This, of course, involves a certain amount of deception. He finds an old farmhouse to stand in as her home, casts himself in the role of John and Josie as Mary and persuades various acquaintances to represent the rest of the family.

This is one of those films which could have been much funnier than it actually is. The basic idea is a good one, and "Christmas in Connecticut" could have been a devastating satire on the dishonest way in which the mass media manipulate the truth, something along the lines of "Network" or "The Truman Show". The final result, however, is nowhere near as good as either of those great films. I don't think it matters that the film's central concept is an improbable one. In 1945 it might have been possible to deceive the public as to a celebrity's domestic circumstances and culinary abilities. By 1992, however, the inexorable rise of the paparazzi and of the scandal-raking tabloids would have made this sort of deception virtually impossible. Satirical comedy, however, has always been a genre which has enjoyed a licence to stretch the bounds of the probable, and even the bounds of the possible; "The Truman Show", for example, is based around a central concept even more improbable than this one.

There are, however, three reasons why this film does not work as well as it could have done. The first is that the film is both a satire and a romantic comedy; Elizabeth and Jefferson find themselves falling in love, even though he at first wrongly believes her to be a married woman. The heroine of a rom-com must always be sympathetic enough to retain the audience's affections, which means that the script never satirises Elizabeth as mercilessly as it could have done.

The second reason has to do with the first word in the film's title. Any film with a Christmas theme is virtually guaranteed endless repeats on television every December. Yuletide, however, is the season of goodwill to all men, even to dishonest and manipulative television stars and executives, so Christmas movies must always contain a strong feelgood factor. Nobody wants to watch anything depressing while recovering from an overdose of turkey and mince pies, so over the holiday season sentimentality is in, mordant satire out. The third reason can be summed up by those words "TV movie". Hollywood can sometimes (as with "Network") produce a brilliant satire on the television industry; television producers tackling the same theme tend to pull their punches for fear of biting the hand that feeds them.

On the credit side, the acting is generally good, with Cannon making an attractively lively heroine, Kris Kristofferson a genial if bemused Jefferson and the late Tony Curtis showing that he was at much at home in comedy as he was in serious drama. Arnold Schwarzenegger's direction, however, is rather heavy-handed; this is to date his only film, and he was probably wise to diversify his career by going into politics rather than into film directing. Overall, "Christmas in Connecticut" is not such a bad film. It just could have been so much better. 6/10

There are risks in doing remakes. When I saw this, I had not seen the Stanwyck film. I just found this about as dull as can be. The whole thing with trying to cook a dinner for a forest ranger and having to hide the fact that she can't cook and going through the gyrations they do, just doesn't work. Is her career really going to hit the skids because the tree guy might find out? Two really tiresome actors, Dyan Cannon and Kris Kristofferson (I like his music) walk through their roles and produce something they hoped would sell at Christmas time. I imagine they managed to put a few people in the seats at the time, but I doubt it has had much of a following. It's just a weak film and can fade into the woodwork of cheap collections of Christmas movies.

I gave "Christmas in Connecticut" 5 stars instead of the ~3.5 it deserved due to its one redeeming quality: its radiant star, Dyan Cannon. Aged about 55 at the time the film was released, she's just as lovely, charming, and sexy as ever, and actually brings a measure of believability to her character, the beloved-by-America but ultimately fake TV chef Elizabeth Blane. The tired, utterly predictable script would have been even more insufferable in the hands of a lesser actress. Unfortunately, Cannon's bright spectre only serves to underscore just how less-than-mediocre the rest of the cast is. Elizabeth's TV "family" are completely unremarkable and forgettable individuals who bring little to their respective roles. Tony Curtis is meant to bring flair and comic relief as Cannon's manager/producer and would-be TV husband, but his over-the-top execution of the predictable slapstick jokes and comic gigs ultimately falls flat, leaving the audience to feel he's been horribly miscast. Kris Kristofferson, as Blane's western-woodsman forest ranger love interest, looks appetizing enough, but walks through his lines woodenly. And those are the more remarkable of the cast members, most of whom look like they've been plucked right off the main street of a small town somewhere in Middle America. The opening scene, where Blane is filming her TV cooking show, and the camera changes points-of-view to reveal the behind-the-scenes workings of the fake cooking show - including Blane's assistant (and the actual chef) crouching under the counter and handing up the finished dishes - is probably the best scene in this film, which gets more contrived and predictable as it progresses towards its inevitable conclusion, in which her ruse of being the perfect domestic doyenne is destroyed on live TV for all of America to see, and she predictably finds love with Kristofferson amidst the chaos.

I should add that haven't seen the 1945 original, so I am judging this film purely on its own merits. Schwarzenegger brings absolutely nothing new or interesting to a film whose best line may just be (coming from Cannon's fake grandson) "For $50, I can fake a nightmare and sleep in your bed!" (to prevent her from being stuck there with fake "husband" Curtis). With this as his sole directorial credit, it's no wonder he hasn't directed another movie since. Despite the fact that Cannon's sparkling performance is ALMOST infectious enough to make us all partially re-discover the magic of Christmas along with her when she hears Christmas bells while taking a (completely unrealistically set-up) sleigh joyride, it's just not enough to save the tired writing and inane attempts at humor. If you're looking for a nondescript, Lifetime-style Christmas movie to kill a couple of hours, Cannon's performance puts this film just a notch above the other formulaic Christmas rom-coms out there. Otherwise, I can't see any reason at all to waste your time watching it.

I've got this movie for my birthday, but I certainly wouldn't have bought it. It's unbelievable how a remake can be this awful. I'm not saying that Arnold Schwarzenegger is a bad director, but I think somebody else would have made a better movie out of it. The jokes are stupid, the acting is extremely bad, the story seems to go nowhere. It's a shame to waste the talent of these actors. I've only seen it once, and after that one time, I had enough of it. So, I'll give it a 1/5.

The original was a gem; beautifully written, charmingly acted,

well directed. Why remake it? There is nothing about this

version that works. The premise does not work in the 1990s, the

stars are flat; the direction insipid.

Save two hours of your life. Skip this and rent the original

Stultifying TV-made remake of the 1945 chestnut starring Barbara Stanwyck. As directed by Arnold Schwarzenegger (!), this romantic comedy begins with a terrific bit of television-oriented satire involving Dyan Cannon as the hostess of a popular cooking program. Cannon (vivacious as ever) doesn't know her way around a kitchen, and so has cue cards in front of her and lackeys handing her props out of camera range. It's a wonderfully sly bit of prodding at manufactured show-biz 'magic'...however, once the contrived plot kicks in, the film loses that fresh, funny edge. Dyan has to pretend to be a family-oriented country gal in a publicity stunt which pairs her with recent wilderness hero Kris Kristofferson, and the rest you can write yourself. There isn't a spontaneous or uplifting moment in the mix as our glowing couple grows closer and closer, while she is forced to dislocate herself from the awful truth. A better movie might have been had just by keeping Cannon in the city working on her show, maybe with Kristofferson as her cooking guest. Sadly, the writing here was aiming for Bigger! Better! Funnier! while out-of-his-element Schwarzenegger darts around hoping to exploit every crash for knee-slapping laughs. They fail to arrive.

I thought this movie was very funny and light-hearted, which IS the point of a comedy. Everyone knows re-makes always take a certain poetic license. I thought there was a great relationship with Cannon and Kristofferson and he was perfect as the crusty woodsman. Cannon carried her part off with great panache and that million watt smile. The supporting actors all performed beautifully also. The "son-in-law" who was also auditioning, the faux daughter who was the real cook, and of course, Tony Curtis as Mr. Yardley, proved once again that he is a comedic genius.

This is laid-back entertainment, not a Shakespearean tragedy. Lighten Up People!

Now I am a huge fan of the original. That film I just discovered about 2 years ago. I knew there was a remake so yesterday I finally I got to see it it.

In 1992, this remake of Christmas in Connecticut was made, starring Dyan Cannon This made-for-TV movie, was directed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who also made a cameo as the man sitting in front of the media truck. In this remake, Elizabeth "Blane" is the hostess of her own cooking show. When her manager, Alexander Yardley, introduces her to Jefferson Jones—a forest ranger who lost his cabin in a fire— he asks her to make Jones Christmas dinner live on her show. As in the original, Elizabeth isn't as talented as she seems. This version was not as well-received as the original. As one critic wrote, "You'll be hungry for a better movie after suffering through this film.

I will say this film is not as bad as that critic has stated. The film starts off great but it does lose steam. The worse casting decision is that of Tony Curtis who is too over the top here. The film has a believable set-up and when the film sticks closely to the original it shines. In the last half of the when this film strays from the original is when this film encounters trouble. The first half of the film the original material is works great.

I know, I know. It probably sucked. And i really don't like Dyan Cannon; talk about a chick who's afraid to age.

But i LOVED this movie. It was a total 'feel good' production... no big downers, only delight.

try it, with an eye towards entertainment. i'm sure you'll like it!

(admittedly, this is no "Auntie Mame" :)

"Directed by Arnold Schwarzenegger" are not words I was familiar with in a sentence. I was totally unaware The Oak ha stepped behind the camera. The fact a Christmas movie was getting shown in the UK in October says it all really. But I was intrieged and in the absence of anything else to watch, I gave it a go.

Plot In A Paragraph: Elizabeth (Dyan Cannon) is the star of a successful cooking show and author of several cookbooks. But when her manager, Alexander (Tony Curtis) sees forest ranger Jefferson (Kris Kristofferson) who lost his cabin in a fire, on TV he arranges for a special live show on Christmas, for Elizabeth to cook him Christmas Dinner. Only one problem Elizabeth can't cook.

I used to have a crush on Dyan Cannon from when I first saw her opposite Burt Reynolds in 'Shamus' and while she has clearly aged she still has a certain sexiness to her, and Arnie was clearly a fan of her ass, as he showcases it a lot. I've liked Kris Kristoffeson since I first saw him in a Burt Reynolds movie too, this time 'Semi Tough'. Both do fine jobs here, but Tony Curtis hams it up to good effect and steals the show.

I'm surprised by Arnie's directorial debut being a Christmas TV movie, and it certainly has it's faults, but it also is not without charm either.

This movie is lighthearted and funny! I saw it when it first aired and I watch it and the original every Christmas season while I'm baking along with so many old Christmas movies.

The hunting scene is so funny and the final calamity filming Christmas Day is hilarious. Yes, it's cheesy but that's what makes it endearing. Shows that the simple things and just being present matter most.

Honestly don't know why they won't publish a review unless it's super long since I'm not going to give a rundown of the entire movie. It's definitely better that the new ones coming out every year so worth trying out.

Look this isn't a classic like Barbara Stanwyks version of Christmas in Connecticut. But it's also not a word for word remake of the original script. Dyan Cannon is fantastic. Tony, Curtis, Kris Kristofferson, and Richard Roundtree round out the household names that are very good here , obviously having fun , but unknowns also shine like child actor, Jimmy workman, who went on the play Pugsley Adams in a couple of big movies as well as the actor that played the crazed Director . His last name I believe is Arnott. I mean, that guy is great , hilarious and deserves to have had a bigger career than he has had so far.

Sit back relax and enjoy the show; the last 10 or 15 minutes are terrific. I laughed out loud the whole time.

Again, it's just fun.

The TV version isnt great but it isnt that terrible, i mean its a cute little movie that pokes fun at overdone TV characters and yes at times it gets a little crazy. Watch it and then decide. The original is good yes but its old. This one makes more sense.

The original movie is timeless. There is so much charm and good humour. While I love all of the actors, and the director outside of this film, they didn't work here. Too many similarities not to compare the two movies, yet not enough to make this one work.

This movie sucks so bad I can't think of a single positive thing to say about it. It's not in the "so bad it's good" category, it's just so bad it's BAD! The acting is atrocious, the writing is worse, and it was directed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, so I think that says all that needs to be said about it. Just find yourself a copy of the original 1945 Christmas in Connecticut and watch that instead of losing the brain cells that will die from watching this piece of crap.

👎 Thumbs Way Down... For this horribly done remake of a 1945 Christmas movie classic... Performances are like fingernails on a chalkboard... Direction by "Arnie" is happily the only thing he was ever allowed to direct... The story has no joy (which was one of the beautiful things that made the original so cozy to watch on late Xmas Eve nights) This remake is like getting Gone With The Wind and trying to remake it with sitcom actors on a TV sitcom soundstage.. JUST DREADFUL.

The original 1945 blockbuster megahit starred Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan who sings, Cuddles Szakall and Sydney Greenstreet. It melds the classic thirties screwball to the added pizazz of the world war two era in which big names not necessarily experienced in the genre topped the cast list. Other than a farmhouse without what we know around here to be a generic period kitchen seating at least twenty its depiction of the personal camaraderie, period charm and busy often sophisticated life of New York's wealthier and more sophisticated semirural exurbs seems on target for even the millennium. The comic relief scenes of mixed up babies, a crooner melting a hard boiled potential partner and a runaway horse and cow add period charm which is still dynamite seventy years later. This 1992 remake certainly has star power as Arnold Schwarzenegger directs Dyan Cannon, Tony Curtis and Kris Kristofferson each of whom shine on camera. The period charm, genuine tranquility and upscale sophistication of this wealthy semirural exurban Connecticut setting is not correctly filmed because the recently built house lacking period charm seems in the middle of nowhere, the long time neighbors in no way supporting or socializing with each other. The large house in which much of the film is set seems rented in what we around here might consider as the not far from the city burbs. The sexually tinged shots and lowbrow physical comedy building a logical storyboard is anything BUT classic screwball which jumps in no believable order from physical comedy to period charm to budding romance with a purposely tacked on ending which in no way ties up the threads of the plot. Well enough constructed to sit through but not to watch again.

I love many of the actors in this movie. But this was just painful. I tried to keep an open mind but I couldn't watch. 10 minutes in we had to turn it off. Some movies should not be remade. This is one of them. The writing and premise of this movie was just poorly constructed. Again don't bother. We will watch the Barbara Stanwyck version and try to forget this movie ever existed.

OK, My second favorite Christmas movie...my 1st being the Orig With Barbara Stanwick.

But this re-make is nicely done. The Marta Stewart-esquire Character is perfectly lame in the kitchen and her assistant does all the actual cooking. The Chemistry between Cannon and Kristofferson is nice and

Tony Curtis is hilarious as the producer/pseudo-husband who is worried about ratings and network politics; the side stories are light and provide comic relief every few scenes.

This truly wonderful, heartwarming and funny movie is sure to become one of your holiday favorites too.

The original is soooo much better. I like Dyan Cannon and it's not bad - but the Barbara Stanwyck version was sweeter and truly a classic.

To me this movie will always be a 10. I literally watch it at least 10 times a year. Lol my second favorite is Christmas Comes to Willow Creek if you haven't seen it.

This is an excellent Christmas movie. Really awesome. Much better than the old one from the forties!