Noel Next Door

Hallmark's first Christmas movie of the 2022 festive season will be difficult to top. As bad a some of these made-for-TV Christmas movies are, when Hallmark (or Lifetime and GAC Family, for that matter) get it right, they really get it right. And that is definitely the case here as rising stars Corey Sevier and Natalie Hall star as neighbours going through things close to Christmas. Sevier as Jeremy, a Scrooge type of guy who seems to hate the world, is struggling from a stroke that has left him partially paralysed and separated, whilst Noel is a single mother (with a young son) whose ex-husband is marrying his mistress and wants his son with them on Christmas morning.

The chemistry between Sevier and Hall is great. This isn't their first rodeo together and it shows. Their efforts are helped by a very good script, too. Sometimes the actors are good in these films but are let down by poor scripts. Not so here. Sevier is particularly good, portraying in a sensitive manner a person with a disability. He is the star of Noel Next Door, and deserves all the plaudits he receives. This was a good one.

Noel Next Door was excellent. A youngish recently divorced waitress meets handsome partially paralyzed stroke victim who is sweet and kind (he gives her a 200% tip on his takeout order) and they are instantly attracted to each other. Her name is Noelle. Yes, really. Meanwhile, her tween son has several run-ins with the neighborhood scrooge who has recently moved into the neighborhood. In addition to insisting the condominium complex take down their Christmas tree, slamming his door in the faces of some little kid carolers, and walking around with an angry disgusted face all the time, he yells at and threatens young Henry who continually kicks his soccer ball against the wall of his condo. Noelle's son is a nice boy at home but does have a bit of a bratty side. In other words, he acts like a real kid. Little do the two know, while they fall in love, that he is actually the Christmas-hating neighborhood grouch with an anger management problem, and she is the incompetent mother of a mean little punk.

The tension builds throughout the movie in anticipation of the two neighbors meeting in person and discovering each others' true identities. Meanwhile, they grow more and more attached and happy with each other. It is handled very well, as the big moment doesn't come until about the 75% mark and their reactions are pretty hilarious and well-acted. In addition to her work, her son, and her new relationship, Noelle has to deal with an ex-husband who is a one-man asshole parade. He threatens her with a lawyer when she won't surrender her court-appointed Christmas day with young Henry to him and his mistress at their old home. There is some blind date comedy (Are you one of those people who believes the Earth is round?) and some heart-tugging moments as well.

Both Corey Sevier and Natalie Hall were terrific. I still don't like Natalie's hair and makeup, but she did well in a more mature down-to-earth role than she is usually given. Joanna Douglas plays her sister and she was lovely and appealing as always. She needs to be given a lead role with Hallmark if she is even interested. Corey had the difficult job of being a bit of a jerk on one hand, and a sympathetic romantic lead on the other. It didn't hurt that they had a good script to work with. It dealt with serious situations with a nice blend of comedy, drama, and romance along with a good message and plenty of Christmas Spirit to spare.

Countdown to Christmas is here and this is the first premiere of 2022.

This movie really doesn't follow any of the common plotlines other than a divorced mother having a conflict with dad over Christmas custody and that's really a minor thread here. Some movies in this genre have a hidden identity factor in them, but this movie approaches that differently. The movie is crammed with all the Christmas activities like baking cookies, snowball fights, a Christmas pageant, and so on. There are a couple, but it's not crammed.

No one is hiding an identity, but there is something about Jeremy that the audience knows from the beginning, but Noel doesn't, namely that Jeremy is the one her son is having problems with in the neighborhood. You could also say Jeremy doesn't realize who Noel is. It's a neat trick that the writers don't let the two discover that until way past the halfway point. That is a good scene when everyone is stuttering at each other.

Noel is an angel of a woman. There are several examples with one of the big ones being a spoiler related to her ex. Natalie Hall does a good job with this part - I think one of her better ones in this type of movie. She and Cory Sevier have quiet chemistry.

There is some humor in this move, I think Hall is the better comedian and Sevier more the foil of the jokes. The humorous moments sometimes border on the silly, but not overly so.

I'm disappointed with two things as far as this being Hallmark and they are about good old common sense values, maybe even call them family values. It is interesting that this movie has already resorted to this kind of values when Jeremy makes the jerk at the diner apologize to Noel. Why should he apologize? Because he was insulting her as a lady. Yet later in the movie there are two things I would say belong on the same level. 1 - Jeremy gets passed out drunk on hard liquor. This is a strike against this movie being good for children, which it could be. 2 - Noel lets Henry off for lying without any consequences. Given the situation, I could understand light consequences, but there should have been something. Henry went beyond the bounds of a rambunctious kid more than once and clearly lied. These criticisms have nothing to do with what many reviewers complain about Hallmark going woke in the past few years. These values have nothing to do with that, although lack of consequences seems to be more common among younger parents than it was for parents years ago.

This is a decent move. It is still something that most of the family can watch and it doesn't have the feel of a formula driven story. Some of the scenes are funny. Time will tell if I watch it again next season, but I think I might.

8.1 stars.

Ah yes, very nice change of pace, change of atmosphere, and theme. I feel this is not solely a Christmas movie, it's a drama about an unfortunate chain of events that usurps a man's happiness. Not your garden-variety holiday film. 'Noel Next Door' is a reprieve from the mundane viewings I've been exposing myself to for the past week. This is my new second favorite of the 32 Hallmark Christmases so far this year.

The leading man is a very good looking well known Hallmark guy, but this time he's a stroke victim, his left arm doesn't function very well, and he uses a cane. Our main gal likes him very much, and the attraction matures in the midst of difficult circumstances. She has not seen his really grouchy side, but everyone else who encounters him knows him as the neighborhood scrooge.

As the story continues, more and more unfavorable incidents are piling up against him, various incidents of scroogery. When she finds out he is the ugly and unapproachable beast that everyone else knows him to be, will she have ample patience and heart to forgive him and restore the relationship?

There are at least 3 laugh out loud comedy moments, and equally touching, tearful moments. This is not a sad movie, it started with a shade of melancholy and delivers a most inspiring conclusion. What a trip. Bravo!

A must see every Christmas.

'Noel Next Door' (2022)

Opening thoughts: Despite loving Christmas and Christmas films, expectations were a bit mixed here for 'Noel Next Door'. Really liked the concept, Hallmark have done many good Christmas films in the past and have liked Corey Sevier in other things. Have never personally been much of a fan of Natalie Hall, Hallmark has a variable track record when it comes to Grinch-like characters and 2022 has been very hit and miss for Hallmark (with Hall and Sevier's previous film 'Road Trip Romance' being a major misfire).

Luckily, 'Noel Next Door is a winner and a long way from a misfire. It doesn't start off very promisingly to be perfectly honest, but it really was well worth sticking with. It was a good start for the 2022 Countdown to Christmas block and is a million times better than 'Road Trip Romance'. Both Hall and Sevier come off well here and there is actual chemistry this time which already makes this a better film.

Bad things: As said, 'Noel Next Door' didn't start off too good at all. The dialogue is excessively cheesy and the story didn't really get much momentum for a while. But it was the emphasis on the supporting characters that hurt it most, and these characters are annoying and over-played. The son particularly.

Would have liked to have seen Hall and Sevier on screen more and longer.

Good things: However, there is a lot that is done really well. Have personally yet to see a better performance from Hall, she has never looked more natural or never this charming. She doesn't come over as too over sweet or too self absorbed and she has one of her few likeable and relatable characters. Was also not expecting Sevier to be this good, he has a difficult type of role here that has been overacted of performed stiffly elsewhere and has been written with too many exaggerated character flaws and nowhere near enough character growth. None of that happened here. The two have strong chemistry here that is sweet and easy to get behind despite it not being used enough.

Also did like their characters, ones that were true to life and even their flaws were easy to understand. The types of roles are familiar but given fresh slants. The supporting cast do become more subtle and comfortable later. The story didn't come as too predictable and it was light hearted and charming while also being moving and the harsher elements of the scenario aren't played too safely or overdone. The script isn't stilted generally and doesn't become too sugary or cheesy.

It looks attractive, especially the scenery and the festive decor is nostalgic. The music doesn't overbear and has variety, while the direction while not distinguished is more than capable. Did appreciate that the final act didn't feel contrived or the ending too neat.

Closing thoughts: Overall, not great and the weak start stops it from being one of the very best 2022 Hallmark films but good and worth sticking with if given a chance.

7/10.