A Boyfriend for Christmas

I realize this TV movie is a few years old but I just saw it this past Holiday season. Like the comment I read posted on the main web page, I agree that the plot needed more complexity. However, I did think the story-line was charming and I liked the acting of all the main characters.

My main protest has to do with the outside settings. This is supposed to be December and all the deciduous trees are still in full foliage? Oh, please. If it's at a geographical location that's cold enough for winter wear and even snow on the ground then I can assure these Southern California movie producers that in December there are NO green leaves (nor even autumn-colored ones left, for that matter) anywhere except on evergreens. Even the grass was still green in this fantasy land.

For some reason I kept getting distracted from the "charming" story by these seasonal discrepancies. They provided a good laugh.

A simple, romantic Christmas film. I enjoyed it and know that many others would if it was given the chance. People don't seem to want to watch films that aren't box office hits anymore. I search the internet for such unknown films (like this one) and I am always much more impressed with them. This film is really nice; I would have liked a little bit more emphasis on the Christmas theme over the romantic theme .. but it was still enjoyable. It had Santa so that was good enough ha!

I think it's a bit slow at first, but after this it picks up and turns out to be great overall. Just get past that slow part and you will most likely enjoy it as much as I did. Yeah, it wasn't the best film (or Christmas film) I have seen, but it is still good and I am glad I found it!

While the movie is 18 years old as I type, we only discovered it several years ago when we started to watch the Hallmark channel's holiday films, and now we watch it every year, when offered.

This movie uses three romance tropes in a satisfying combination: reunited with long lost friend, the dark secret, and the bad boyfriend.

Throw in some Santa Magic and it becomes a Christmas movie. :-)

Holly thinks Ryan Hughes, whom she's never seen, ditched a courtroom date, causing a mother and children to miss Christmas together. In truth, he was caught in a meeting where he tried talk his law firm and a client out of screwing over the residents of a housing project, then made a special effort to get to the judge and make up for missing the court date.

When Santa shoves them together, she doesn't know he's the same lawyer. Of course, every time he tries to explain, they get interrupted. There are funny scenes between Ryan and Ted (the bad boyfriend), and a lot of bonding scenes between Ryan and Holly and Holly's family to sell the building relationship.

Recommended.

I watched this movie on Hallmark last night. There wasn't much Christmas-oriented entertainment in spite of being Christmas Eve. It was OK, even if I didn't really believe it. The movie is another one about nice people with money who have personal problems, which is what fills up most of the Hallmark Channel. It could have been called Chistmas Chick Flick, as that's all it was. On that level, it was good enough. Kelli Williams is pretty as a cynical social worker who needs some Holiday Cheer and 1990's heartthrob Patrick Muldoon is likable and competent as the boyfriend she gets for Christmas from a tree lot owner who might be Santa Claus. Some familiar names are included in the supporting cast and they help make it easy to take. One complaint mentioned by another reviewer is that in spite of the winter season, the plants and trees were in full bloom, which didn't help credibility. It looked like it was filmed in the Spring. It won't matter much if you keep your expectations from getting too high.

I know this movie isn't very old. But it has become one of my daughter's and my favorite traditions. We both love the romance of it all. We can't wait for it to be on every Christmas season. The acting is better than most in a "made for TV" movies. We have already set our DVR to make sure we catch this years showing. We recommend it to all our friends and family. It is enjoyable for all ages. My daughter got hooked on this movie when she was about ten years old. And it is still enjoyable to us over 30 romantics, as well.

It is a feel good movie with a happy ending. What more can you ask for at holiday time?