Mary Christmas

NOTE: I work with cameras and am continually analyzing what makes good (and bad) movies so this movie review is more than just a surface thing.

I didn't see this on TV but did recently on DVD. There are so many crummy movies being made lately that all I hoped for was something decent to watch with my family. Boy was I surprised! Not only was this movie very well produced and acted but it had an interesting and novel plot (I mean how many new ways can you do "Boy Meets Girl").

I can get very critical of bad acting where the actors don't really seem like they believe what they are doing. In "Mary Christmas" there was a real feeling portrayed between the various leads as well as those with lesser parts.

I would have only made two changes in the entire movie and they were only minor but would have given it an even better feel.

Heartland Entertainment can be very pleased with all who had a part in this film from the casting, directing, and acting to the camera crew. I would love to see them make another movie of this quality. I'm going to buy a bunch of DVDs and give them away as Christmas presents.

Thanks to all for having a Hollywood look without all the Hollywood garbage. You forced me to give this movie a very high rating.

The Generic Critic

This is another feel-good Christmas movie that is made for TV, where nine year old Felice (Jenna Boyd) writes a letter to Santa Claus asking for a mommy. Her father is widower Joel Wallace (John Schneider) who is a workaholic and lets reporter Mary Maloney (Cynthia Gibb) get the scoop of Felice's story inside their home. She soon learns that miracles can happen.

Schneider and Gibb make a great duo and had great on-screen chemistry. Much of the acting was spot-on and the story was mostly entertaining, if a bit too slow at times. But, there is a nice plot twist to the story.

It's another nice movie for Christmas time, providing you with some good, clean entertainment and with some heartfelt moments that will make you feel good.

Grade B

Excellent acting by John Schneider (Dukes of Hazard County & Smallville), Cynthia Gibb, and nine year old Jenna Boyd, who played Schneider's nine year old daughter, Felice Wallace, who wrote a letter to Santa Claus asking for a mommy. The letter ended up on the desk of Gibb's Mary Maloney, a TV reporter who was goaded into filming Felice and her family's Christmas. Tom Bosley did an excellent portrayal of a mysterious temporary governor, i.e., a male nanny, for Felice. Renee Ridgeley of "The Young And The Restless," portrayed the woman in Schneider's life whom Felice felt was intrusive in their relationship. My wife and I were spellbound watching this movie with a heart. This movie crosses age groups and I would recommend it to anyone wanting good clean entertainment. This review was of the November 26, 2005 showing recorded from PAX television and viewed several days later.

This 2002 film by Heartland Entertainment was rebroadcast on PAX-TV ever the weekend of 19-21 Dec 2003, so I taped it then watched it just last night. I thoroughly enjoy movies with plot twists (which I also never spoil) and I didn't see this one coming. A very enjoyable film and an excellent vehicle for John Schnieder - who also directed. Also, the role of Guv'nor was very well filled by Tom Bosley (of Happy Days fame). All around good casting, acting and direction. If you didn't catch it this year, I highly recommend it for future Christmas viewings.

This movie is simply wonderful! Cynthia Gibb and John Schneider work well together. Jenna Boyd is a terrific actress, and I have a feeling that her career is just going to take off! This film is a great, feel-good Christmas flick. It's not one of those ordinary, could-never-happen-in-a-million-years stories, because stranger things have happened. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who's in a Christmas-ey mood.