A Season for Family

8.5 stars.

Maddy's (Farber) magnetism and cheerfulness caught my attention immediately. She is not an actress I've seen often. I was surprised to see that Sipos was not the lead actress, as I've seen her in shows and movies, especially 'Chesapeake Shores'. It's apparent she and Penny collaborate here, being that he's one of the main leads in Chesapeake.

'A Season for Family' is generally festive and fun, but there are some dramatic and serious moments to balance out the laughter. Paul (Penny) is a troubled father of an adopted boy. If I had to give a theme for this film it would be: A despondent father comes to terms with his fears. Paul's wife passed away a couple years back, and he's left to deal with the aftermath, but hasn't adapted well, but his son Cody is a real trooper.

Sometimes a movie just works. This one is pieced together in a way that gives us a lot of emotions all over the spectrum. Rarely is a story so versatile. I laughed a couple of times at some uncharacteristically humorous moments. I don't believe they were necessarily meant to be funny, but they were presented in just a way that was brilliant. There are some tearful moments too, and the two young boys were amazing. The grandparents fit right in place, and the plot lends itself to making every actor so likable. Wonderful production. 8.5 rounds up to 9 stars! I had to award this the coveted 9 star status, it's THAT good.

Being adopted is one of the kindest shows of selfishness a person can show, but denying that adopted child the truth and even worse family is selfish, insensitive and abominable. Trying to tie deception to a flimsy excuse of a promise to wait for some magic number 10 indicates incompetence and immaturity as a parent. Zero empathy or loyalty to his child but blind loyalty to a person who is deceased? What?!! I'm just so disappointed that Hallmark thought that this behavior would make for a charming character that we are supposed to relate to. Not at all. What if his wife was actually alive and, say, his sister knew and hid that from him because she promised to protect the secret until he turned 50. How stupid is that? Come on. Do better...

This one is a really great movie for the whole family. It kind of has a small mystery regarding adopted brothers and how they come to find each other. I found it very enjoyable and entertaining to see how it all played out. Really Loved Brendan Penny as the single dad. His loyalty to his deceased wife was admirable. The two kids were so sweet and made the story more believable because they liked each other so much and favored each other.

I enjoyed all of the supporting cast and highly recommend this one. I even shed a tear towards the end in regards to the boys getting their Christmas wishes.

No spoiler here, just a statement that can let the viewer know that a quality family movie is here to enjoy. Although a long shot for plausibility, fine acting, good supporting actors and a steady growing story unfolds nicely. Whereas in some Christmas love stories the kids are second tier, here we have two responsible adults. This doesn't dampen the romance but brings a sense of reality to the account. Excellent acting gives the slow unveiling of emotions, rather than bluntness sometimes seen in rushed movies. Touching musical score and strong child actors come together for a heart warming Christmas tale.

I just love Hallmark Christmas movies and can't wait to start watching them every year, from the older classic favorites to the new releases. I love them all, even the less than stellar ones BUT I just couldn't wait for this one to be over!! Every character had the weirdest, creepiest smile on their face and it was such a distraction during the entire movie. The two boys were actually the worst offenders of this permanent goofy smile thing and I'm sorry but real life boys that age just do not act like that towards each other and I agree with another person here that said maybe they should have cast two little girls for those parts?

I also didn't like how the father acted concerning telling his kid he was adopted because any child therapist would have disagreed with the way he was handling this whole situation. Definitely won't be watching this mess again.