As a variant on the thread already running for the Netflix movie " A Castle for Christmas" I thought I’d start one for Hallmark. We like watching a few of the Hallmark Christmas movies during the season. One one level they’re all the same movie; boy and girl that wouldn’t meet under ordinary circumstances are thrown together, come to find a spark in the relationship, some crisis happens with about 20 minutes left in the movie, but all ends happily. But some are have more interesting plot variants, or better acting, or are filmed in alluring locations, etc. Also for the CA native it’s enjoyable taking a virtual trip to the snow!
I’ll start off with one. We watched “A Kiss Before Christmas” and thought it was well-acted and at times had witty dialogue. Also it has a feeling of familiarity about it seeming in a loose way to be the inverse of a film I’ve always liked, “The Family Man” from 2000. In the latter movie Nicolas Cage is a wealthy and single man who gets a chance at Christmastime to see what his life could have been life with a different choice at a turning point, declining a job overseas. In the alternative he marries his girlfriend and has adorable children in a middle-class life. In this film James Denton sees his life if he doesn’t go into an elevator and meet his future wife. It’s the flip version since in the alternative he is wealthy and single instead of in a middle-class life with a family. In both movies the protagonist is charged with finding some meaning from the switch, being aware of their previous life while in the new one.
So any Hallmark movies people have watched this season they’d recommend?
I watched the Eight Gifts of Hanukkah last night and will rate it better than the average Hallmark movie. I think the reason I liked it so much was because the couple had known each other since they were in elementary school and it was a more realistic love story based on that. I sometimes have a hard time playing along with the love stories where they meet one week before Christmas and realize they are soulmates by Christmas Eve.
Movies on Lifetime are similar but can often times have a slightly more interesting plot or twist. An older one I just watched last week was
“Kristin’s Christmas Past”
A thirty something who is floundering and estranged from her family wakes up as herself in her 30’s to face her 17 year old self during the fateful Christmas that estranged her from her family.
I saw “A Castle for Christmas”. I love movies shot on location where they actually show the landscape.
I was pleasantly surprised by Hallmark’s “Every Time the Bell Rings”. a story of three adopted sisters who return home for the first time since their dad’s passing. It was a little deeper than your typical HM movie.
Fun thread. I will keep my eye out for some of theses.
After years without getting the local newspaper, I recently enrolled in online version ($1 for 1st 6months… the format is surprisingly readable, and I’ll probably keep it up when it goes to full-pay). That means it is very easy to scan upcoming evening “HALL” movies without even turning on the TV (where Comcast has a clunky way to scroll through).
I love Ashley Williams and Kimberly Williams Paisley so enjoyed their movie on Sunday night. Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday. Next Sunday is the second part, Sister Swap: Christmas in the City.
I’ll have to hunt for the name, but there is another movie where the female “Hannah” is a TV reporter. After making a Xmas wish with Santa, she wakes next to her college BF, “Ben”, and 2 young girls. Again, the what if she hadn’t gotten on the plane 7 years prior.
Not from 2021, but my two favorites are A Boyfriend for Christmas from 2004 with Kelli Williams and Patrick Muldoon, and Marry Me at Christmas from 2017 with Rachel Skarsten and Trevor Donovan. Great acting, and even better chemistry between the stars, which matters more than the plot to me.
Recent movies, in addition to being mass produced and lower quality, crowd the schedule so the classics can’t be shown.
I love all the Hallmark movies especially the ones with princes and castles. They all run together
for me and formulaic but it doesn’t bother me a bit. Always one interrupted kiss, a fight/ misunderstanding and the final kiss. You always know where you are in the story no matter when you tune in.