jjbdavis-88338

Overall a good movie to watch, but go in knowing that the plot and surroundings are typical Hallmark-like. No mystery as to what the final outcome will be (including so long, old boyfriend!). Positives include the well known stars, other excellent cast members, and the pleasant winter setting (in reality, northward in Ontario) and Christmas decor.

However, there is one major flaw in the timeline of the story, which could easily have been avoided by the writer. Namely (and this is all known early on in the movie, so not a spoiler), Jill Wagner inherits a farm in "upstate New York" from a great uncle with whom she had a close summertime relationship until age 10, in 2003. There is no specific mention to my recollection as to why no contact after that or anything about her immediate family. Now it's 20 years later, i.e., age 30-ish. Well, as attractive as the stars are, they aren't 30 years old anymore! The script could have described the close relationship until 2003 at age 17 or 18, after which a youth would more likely lose contact; then 20 years later would more closely match the actors' real ages.

The other always unbelievable timing in Hallmark and now Great American movies is the sudden need to plan, organize and put on a major event in something like a week, which would in reality takes weeks or months. But they can always do it!

Browsing recently through Sony Bravia's movie library, we came across this offering. Interestingly the previous reviews on this site are bipolar, i.e., no one in the middle, either they liked it a lot or hated it. I suspect there may be an aspect of anti-Christian or religious sentiment from the latter, as there is a mild Christian message toward the end. And, yes, some stereotypical hysterical woman scenes.

But overall this is a funny movie, reasonably paced, and indeed one that the whole family can watch. Pay attention in the early part of the movie (more than we did at first) to the names of the various characters, including the bird in the story, as that helps make sense of one of the funniest later scenes (when the cop pulls the family minivan over).

We liked the movie overall. However, it does involve 2 timelines, one within reality (involving the lawyer) and one a dream (involving the hometown boy), which is somewhat confusing -- particularly in the early part of the movie and again in a major way toward the end when a cell phone is shown with the date December 24, which should have been December 25 (Christmas morning). This is also well summarized within the Critic Reviews by the Romance Movie Fanatic.

One other possible discrepancy relates to the heroine's flight from Chicago leaving at 8 AM Christmas morning but arriving in Vermont such that she is riding home with her father in the dark -- must have been a bad air travel day!