Christmas in the Smokies

This wouldn't be a 10 in any other category, but I feel like these Hallmark movies need to be judged differently. My wife and I watch this movie every Christmas since the first time we saw it. It has all the hallmarks of this type of movie, A worthy damsel in distress, a down on his luck/down on his self hero, a father figure everyone hopes to have, and a farm in trouble! I especially love the wit and loving forgiveness of the father over hometown music star looking to get back to his roots. No one is spared from his wisdom and teasing and everyone is made better for it. Trust me, if you're looking for a feel good Christmas movie outside of the classics, then this is just the one for you.

"Christmas in the Smokies" has a different enough twist on the usual romantic holiday season films. The plot idea was a good one, and it has the scenery to make a very good film. But there are too many shortcomings with this one. The most obvious is the weak screenplay. It really needed to flesh out the background much more and better, especially of Mason Wyatt's lifestyle and change when he achieved the spotlight as a country Western singing star.

Here's a story about a late teenage couple who had a sudden split, and now they come back together about 15 years later. The portrayal in the film of Mason is all a good guy, a little sorry for his past, and with a sense of humor, but having grown up. In contrast, Shelby Haygood still carries her hurt all these years later. And all the film shows of this is a very brief shot of a young girl looking forlorn as the movie opens. There was real drama and hurt in that relationship, which the script just passes over except for Shelby's dour portrayal.

And to the very end, there is really no sign of chemistry between these two characters. So, the acting doesn't really fit the circumstances of a real life situation.

The best thing about this film is the portrayal of Shelby's parents. Rebecca Koon play's Annie Haygood and Barry Corbin plays Wade Haygood. Corbin's character adds some nice humor to the story, and a bit of senior wisdom in places. He plays the role very at ease and comfortably. But, even with the good scenery on top of that, the loose, hole-filed script and poor screenplay relegate this to just another so-so holiday film. Without Corbin and the scenery, it would be quite boring and probably not hold the attention of many viewers.

Here are the best lines in this film, both by Corbin's "pop."

Wade Haygood, to Mason Wyatt on his return, "Those first years - burnin' all those photographs sure did keep the house warm."

Wade Haygood, to Shelby, "You know, it ain't baggage if you don't carry it around."

Yes, the story line of a farm about to close is one we have all heard before, but I love this one. I like the chemistry between the leads. Shelby is angry because she's been burned by him before, when he put his music career first, but you can't help but pull for them the whole time. Their squabbles keep you engaged and their smiles at each other are so great. I also love the side characters, which is often not the case. They are funny, they are not overacting, they are entertaining, etc...

My girls and I watch this one almost every year and I couldn't say that about most romantic Christmas movies.

An American television drama film; A story set in Tennessee about a woman in danger of losing her family farm to developers, yet the return of her childhood sweetheart may give her new hope. This is a predictable faith-based romance with a well-trodden plot but it has an attractive and competent cast guide the inoffensive, uninspiring mediocre storyline. The music is nice too. It lacks scale in parts where clearly the producers didn't even have the budget for a few hundred extras. The story is swiftly brought to an end with an appalling plot device, but overall it is a warm-hearted, good natured flick.

They writers don't know how to write a leading female character. Also she's a business owner and doesn't know anything about her finances or even how much she owes on her 2 mortgages?? What? She's poorly written and really unlikable

Her farm is in danger because she doesn't make money and is in a ton of debt and the old man who is the villain of the story wants to buy it to develop it in a way that benefits the town. They have a town meeting and she's the only one who doesn't want that and talks about how much she cares about the land and the town people but we never see that ever, and the villain doesn't want to develop the natural beauty of the mountains.

She can't save her farm from foreclosure and has to grovel to her famous musician ex-boyfriend ( who she's only been shown hating) to help her raise the money. The main guy is fine I guess, he has no real personality to speak of and I don't get why he likes someone who charges him $5,000 to sleep in her barn. She only softens after he saves her farm for her and they dance together on Christmas and that's how it ends. Her parents are the only real characters and they don't make up for the boring leads.

Great to watch and make fun of.