All I Need for Christmas

Movie Review: A Fresh and Heartwarming Christmas Tale

This film is a refreshing addition to the Christmas season. It didn't have the usual cliché storylines that Hallmark is known for yet it was still heartwarming.. A nice change from the usual - girl leaves big city behind, along with self centered boyfriend and flits off to the countryside to save the general store and runs into her high school flame.

The lead actress shines with her captivating voice! Love the scenes with the two little piggies in the barn! The kids in this movie are especially charming. Archer, his sister, and the rest of the cast, bring believable chemistry and heartfelt performances.

The family dynamics are touching, the scenery is stunning, and the story feels like a perfect holiday escape. It's a cozy, feel-good movie that I highly recommend for the season!

I watched the first 10 minutes of the film and almost flipped to a different movie. I wasn't familiar with Mallory Jansen (female lead) and I'd seen Dan Jeannotte (male lead) in other films and his acting wasn't great. And "app creators" are a totally over used job in Hallmark films, their writers are obsessed with them. Get real writers, all Americans aren't working in tech creating apps.

I stayed with the movie and once Dan Jeannotte's character Archer traveled to Vermont for the holidays, the movie started getting better. Dan Jeannotte's acting was better in this movie than others I've seen him in, definitely better than Mallory Jansen the female lead. The supporting cast was good and it had a good ending.

7.9 stars.

What stands out about this film is the tension between the leads and also the lead male and his younger sister. While the romance is a long time coming, the buildup to it is palpable, so it's sufficient for me to come away refreshed.

There are several moments when the leads gaze into each other's eyes, but you know they're not going to kiss, they're not even leading up to it. But even in those moments you see there is potential. I thoroughly enjoy this type of tension in romantic films. So I went along with it, and the end was quite rewarding.

The cast were stellar and the story was good. Yes, this is still quite a formulaic Hallmark film, however It feels much different than most. The lead actors have a certain level of anticipation and a dramatic approach that is more prominent than most movies of this genre. They created a certain level of tension, and it was quite entertaining. It was probably the Director who orchestrated it. Along with the sister's competitive nature, and how it caused a lot of stress for the leading man, the nuanced performances were abundantly effective.

Will watch this every other year.

There are some great storylines going here. There are hints of some of the more common tropes. For instance, Maggie has career problems, but not exactly like so many other movies. Archer is almost unique among Christmas tropes. He is competing with his sister for the seat on the board, but is he? Archer and Piper, with her kids, have returned to the place of their one great Christmas as kids. I've never seen anything like Maggie's conundrum towards the end. Archer is the center of two relationships that face conflicts before the climax. One with Piper. One with Maggie. Maybe the one most common trope is the Christmas concert. And if the two relationship conflicts aren't enough for you, there is one more obstacle after those. I wouldn't say it is predictable.

Mallory Jansen and. Dan Jeannotte have very good chemistry. The kids are great, and so are the piggies. The dialogue is outstanding.

I didn't like a mean Emily Tennant, mostly in the sense of over competitive. She has always been a favorite of mine. I felt like she overplayed that aspect just a little.

Maggie performs twice. The lip sync is off at least the first time. I asked Jansen on X and she confirms she did all the singing. Great voice.

I've never been a bib fan of Hallmark's music themed movies- the music is usually pretty weak and pretty country. In addition, this has been a disappointing holiday movie season so I wasn't expecting much. What a pleasant surprise.

While the music still isn't great, it isn't a distraction and provides a framework for one of the underlying conflicts. Mallory Jansen has a always been a favorite and have to say this is Dan Jeannotte at his best- the most relatable believable I've seen him. In fact, the whole cast is great and (for a change this season) the important sibling relationship was given the attention it deserved as an intrinsic part of the story.

It was so nice to find a movie in this year's batch that didn't feel rushed, abbreviated or cynical. Just a pleasant, not flashy Christmas movie. I think most people will really enjoy it as I did.