Under the Christmas Sky

Kind of sad this is the movie that Ryan Paevey goes out with as apparently he has stepped away from acting.

Can't really put my finger on why I didn't like it more. Someone called the movie clunky and I somewhat agree with that. I feel Hallmark has successfully pulled off multiple storylines in the Sister Swap movies but this with the two romances didn't seem quite as cohesive.

The storyline was okay but definitely very different and not the normal feel good Christmas or Hanukkah movie I'm used to. A bit too secular for my taste.

For the most part the actors were pretty good. The museum director and mom felt a little off but not horribly so. Maybe part of the clunkiness is the early interaction with the museum director. Part of it was the storyline and part of it was the acting. That said, the museum director was fine in the parts for the party for the opening of the display.

As many have pointed out, Andrew Bushell as her brother is great.

I really like Ryan Paevey but don't always feel he's cast in the best movies for his talent or with the best actresses so maybe this is a case of not utilizing his talents with the best script since I felt the chemistry was okay with Jessica Parker Kennedy. I hope she does other Hallmark movies.

What I didn't like about the script was a plot hole. It was sort of like a pothole that kept tripping up the characters. Towards the end of the movie, you know, where Hallmark puts in the drama bit, Ryan's character David is questioning Jessica's character Kat when he overhears her get a job offer in another city.

SCRIPT ISSUES She acts pleased that she's offered the job. Then to David acts surprised and says I think he's going to offer me a job. Duh, he just did! Also, why would she be so surprised when she knows her BF has told the person about her and he came all the way there to see the display and her? David states, VERY NICELY, he thought she was going back to her old job at NSP and she acts confused and frustrated then says, along with a few other remarks, I'm just figuring that out. Then, referring to an earlier kiss, she asks, with an annoyed expression, Is this because of what happened earlier? Then @ the last scene, before the trade Hallmark kiss, She says that she already knew she wasn't going to take the job. Why didn't she just tell him that in the first place instead of acting all confused and frustrated!? Poor script writing definitely made it feel clunky

PS if you like Ryan Paevey and haven't yet seen A TIMELESS CHRISTMAS, I think it's one of his best movies with Hallmark.

Under the Christmas Sky is one of my favorites so far this year. An attractive and really pleasant cast in a story that's a bit of a change from the usual formula. The leads were great together and the cute couple in the secondary romance were adorable. In fact, the casting was one of the best parts of the movie. The best friend was especially well done. Plus a story involving NASA, a planetarium and a bit of Christmas history is a big win for me. A nice change from the Christmas pageant/parade/small town plot.

I am a little puzzled by the negative reviews. Maybe people don't like science being included in Christmas? A shame. If you enjoy science and space exploration this will be fun for you.

The movie follows two intertwined romantic stories, both developing in a Planetarium. Kat, a should-be astronaut, grounded after an accident, is teamed to work at creating an exhibit with David, the divorced father of a preteen girl on wheelchair,. Kat's buoyant younger brother, Andy, who is trying to find a role in his life, helps Celeste, a volunteer in charge of decorating the location. To add some zest to the otherwise ordinary amorous themes, this production inserts marginal references to space traveling and astrophysics, less than relevant Christmas content, and the necessary, superficially dealt with, human message that disabilities do not hamper human dreams. In reality, the movie is not about space traveling and little about Christmas. The main romantic story is bland. Ryan Paevey looks unexplainably subdued and Jessica Parker Kennedy alternates graceful moments with many others where her gestures, poses and expressions are awkwardly exaggerated. Being Italian, I do understand speaking with your hands, but her body language appears inappropriately on steroids. Andrew Bushell, as Andy, is quite vivacious and single-handedly offers moments of genuine warmth. Overall, the film is inoffensive, family-friendly and watchable, though way more generic than the window dressing tries to sell it for.

I feel like this movie would've been better as the ones that Hallmark usually does during January (Winterfest I think? Can't recall) because it wasn't SUPER Christmassy. Definitely cute, but not super Christmassy. That said, I liked the chemistry between the leads and thought it also could've been even better if they'd written in some downtime for them to spend together. So like, outside of the project they were working on. But it didn't detract from the love story imo and I found their interactions super endearing.

The real charmer was Andy's character. Honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing the actor that played him as a Hallmark lead one day. He's funny, cute and charming! As was the subplot with his romance with the sweet redhead girl.

It was nice getting to see Jess Kennedy in something since she left The Flash. And I'll watch Ryan Paevey in pretty much anything. So, not the best HM I've ever seen, but not too shabby either!

Wow, I am surprised to look at the overall rating and other reviews for this movie. But it is still early.

Perhaps it is the science nerd in me that peaked my interest. There was a lot of interesting science, and besides that the scientist, Kat, brings out a lot of the mythology around Christmas.

I also like the fact that we weren't "saving" anyone's job or business. And the mutual project worked on by the leads was not a Christmas pageant or festival, although I suppose you could say it almost was.

The constant banter between Kat and her brother gave it some spice especially in the dialog. These actors had more chemistry than Kennedy and Paevey. His David seemed a little too stiff, but Kat and David's relationship was still enjoyable. Andy and Celeste provide a second romance.

A cute kid almost always helps a Christmas story and I thought her handicap gave some depth to the overall story as she connected with Kat. One of the highlights of the movie was when the two of them visited Kat's NASA office.

Minor BTW - I really would have thought that a exhibit such as theirs would have taken advantage of a meet and greet with someone who actually worked on the NASA project, at least for opening night.