Write Before Christmas

This is a well-intentioned break from the Hallmark tradition in that it sprawls beyond the network's predictable and cloying formula to focus on several couples - and, if you can believe it, a further subplot that doesn't involve romance at all. That said, any one of these storylines could have fueled an entire film, and if you know how sketchily drawn the average Hallmark movie's characters are, imagine how little you'd get to know about them if you multiplied by four. Obviously, this entry is overplotted and bursting at the seams, even more so because the screen time between plots is uneven, so some characters are allotted only a small handful of scenes with which to register. Some actors look alike (is it Jax or is it Luke?), which often makes it challenging to register which subplot we're in. The seasonal charm is there, and the performances are true, but the end result is a hodgepodge embarrassment of riches. That said, it's encouraging to see Hallmark finally starting to expand its horizons in terms of scope and formula.

Jessica sends five letters to people who had any kind of influence in her life. Those letter somehow affect their lives for the better, including her own. Original and beautiful premise, which was well developed.

I had low expectations for this one, and I'm glad I did. Torrey DeVito and Chad Michael Murray had great chemistry. And Drew Selley, that's a face I haven't seen in a while, it was a nice surprise.

It kind of reminds you of Love, Actually, different stories but all of them connected. I'm glad Hallmark gives us, even if it's once in a while, something different than the predictable movies we get all the time.

This is one of the best Christmas movies I've seen so far this year. It has a believable plot and great message about how our actions make a difference for others.

At the core, it is still pretty much a typical dumped-before-Christmas movie, but it adds a little twist that sets up some endearing moments. Jessica was going to send her boyfriend 5 Christmas cards on successive days, but being dumped, she changes her plan. Instead she sends one card to each of five people that were important in her life. The cards bring some surprises to these receivers.

The dialogue, especially between Jessica and Luke, was lively and fun. Combine that with Jessica's optimistic and generous qualities and it makes this a nice romantic movie.

We follow three other couples and a fading boy-band celebrity. Spreading the story among 5 people and the people around them is both positive and negative for me. The positive is seeing what follows receiving the card for these people. The negative is that it diverts screen time from the central characters, Jessica and Luke. It's done pretty well, so the down side was minimized.

There are musical mini-performances. One is a short cello instrumental and the other is an original song by the boy-band although the latter is distracted by a conversation.

I could say it is a typical Hallmark ending, which it is, but some of the things that might be part of a typical ending are spread out a little.

Lots of familiar TV faces populate this Christmas movie. Feel like there's more than 1 movie going on at a time. Torrey DeVitto shows her skills playing the cello. She sends cards to a variety of people in her life. Chad Michael Murray plays her love interest.