Christmas on the Bayou

The best part of this movie is Ed Asher. He is an amazing actor!

It's a very simple story. Usually these films tend to make a big drama in the middle where the two romantic interests argue about something, but this one just didn't have the harshness that usually comes with it.

I liked the charming setting of Baton Rouge and felt that it was a little bit like a Christmas episode of "True Blood", but without the Vampires.

I liked the simplicity and the ease of the story, it makes it an enjoyable watch while you're doing your favourite Christmas jigsaw.

This was one if the best TV movies I've seen in a LONG time. The production value was much higher than the usual standards, the story was well told, and the performances were genuine and heartfelt...not over-the-top and corny like so many other movies in this category.

I especially liked the young boy playing Zach. His storyline was precious and I expect we will see him in many more movies.

It was fun to see Ed Asner take on a Santa-like role again, too. Hilarie Burton gives a grand performance in a role that could have easily become melodramatic and she had great chemistry with the boy (Zach) and Tyler Burton and Markie Post. I've always been a fan of Markie's! She looks great and she, too, gives a very heartfelt performance.

I highly recommend this holiday movie.

"Christmas on the Bayou" is a holiday romance film that is set in the American South, were it rarely snows. But, unfortunately this is another film with multiple formulaic features. It has a divorced, single mom with a seven-year-old boy. She's climbing the corporate ladder in the big city. They live in an apartment and the boy feels she doesn't pay much attention to him. In frustration and weary from work, she decides to go home for Christmas. So, she calls her widowed mother who is vary happy to have her come home to Martinville, Louisiana. While there for a week, she still spend time on her laptop doing work, in between other things. The last formula element is that her old childhood boyfriend is there - and is now a town police officer.

The only fresh aspect in this film is the holiday lighting in the community for Christmas, the pictures of the bayou, and some interesting treatment of Santa Claus as Popa Noel. The mom finagles to get the daughter and her old sweetheart back together. But the daughter is overly standoffish with her former beau.

Although one can guess how this will end, as with most of these TV films for the holidays, the interest for many of us who continue to watch and enjoy these annual holiday offerings is in what may be new or different about them. But for the scenery and different location, I would have rated this film just five stars. The performances aren't particularly good, and some even seem wooden at times. That goes for Ed Asner too, who plays Papa Noel.

Here are some lines from this film.

Zack, "And I hate school. I don't wanna go." Katherine, "Hey, it's third grade. You don't know how to be miserable until at least high school."

Zack, "Look, I do like soccer, but you never play with me. How am I gonna get better if I have no one to play with?"

Caleb, "Cute kid. Got your nose. And your scowl."

Lilly, "Oh, honey, you can't chase happiness. You gotta find it where you are."

It is just so sweet. And the romance story is cute and realistic and they have funny banter. The kid in this had such an arc that towards the end I was crying over him when I started out annoyed!