I really think this movie is much better than many people think. It seems like people are basing their opinion on Tyler Hynes performance, but he isn't the focus of the film!!! It is about the relationship between the two friends, who have known each other since grade school and own a company together. They have come to the point where they have to sell. So there is a lot of anger and sadness. Plus the girls' relationships with their moms are really difficult. Having a daughter who is of a similar age, I can totally relate to daughters who get mad at their moms while the moms are just trying to do their best. They go to their hometown and see people from their school class. The relationship with Tyler Hynes is not that big of a deal. It's the friendship between the girls that is the main point. But when Tyler does kiss the girl, it's so sweet. He does know how to kiss!! Also love the song playing while they are kissing and can't find it anywhere, as is often the case with songs from Hallmark movies.
Reviews
9 Reviews
A Bramble House Christmas
(2017 TV Movie)
Love this Movie!!
17 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
A Bramble House Christmas (2017):
Starring Autumn Reeser and David Haydn-Jones. This was a great movie.
Willa receives $100,000 from a deceased patient she worked with. She is thrilled to take her son, Scout away for Christmas, after her son's heart surgery 2 years ago. Willa does not know that her benefactor's two adult children Molly and Finn have also read the will and are sure that she has swindled their father. Determined to get to the truth, Finn follows Willa to Bramble House to confront her and serve her with an injunction to prevent her from inheriting anything.
Finn becomes enamoured of Willa after loads of questions about her previous patient, Mr. Conrad. He also becomes fond of her son, Scout. Willa is offered a job as a participant in the Bramble House business. However, Molly comes to Bramble House and blabs everything to Willa before Finn is able to do so.
Naturally, Willa is completely aghast at Finn's deception and she packs up her son in the car and leaves.
While I really like this movie, a few points annoy me:
A. After all of Finn's intrusive questions, Willa doesn't suspect him at all of an underlying motive??? Seriously????
B. Willa "forgives" Finn for his behavior and they make up and kiss in the end and all is wonderful, which is, of course, the way Hallmark likes things to be. She's only known him a few days and he was very deceitful and had very bad intentions. How could she ever trust him again?
C. As per usual, the amount of lights in the town and Bramble House could set the place on fire.
I'll still give this a 9 out of 10 because it's so festive and Autumn Reeser is a great actress!!
Willa receives $100,000 from a deceased patient she worked with. She is thrilled to take her son, Scout away for Christmas, after her son's heart surgery 2 years ago. Willa does not know that her benefactor's two adult children Molly and Finn have also read the will and are sure that she has swindled their father. Determined to get to the truth, Finn follows Willa to Bramble House to confront her and serve her with an injunction to prevent her from inheriting anything.
Finn becomes enamoured of Willa after loads of questions about her previous patient, Mr. Conrad. He also becomes fond of her son, Scout. Willa is offered a job as a participant in the Bramble House business. However, Molly comes to Bramble House and blabs everything to Willa before Finn is able to do so.
Naturally, Willa is completely aghast at Finn's deception and she packs up her son in the car and leaves.
While I really like this movie, a few points annoy me:
A. After all of Finn's intrusive questions, Willa doesn't suspect him at all of an underlying motive??? Seriously????
B. Willa "forgives" Finn for his behavior and they make up and kiss in the end and all is wonderful, which is, of course, the way Hallmark likes things to be. She's only known him a few days and he was very deceitful and had very bad intentions. How could she ever trust him again?
C. As per usual, the amount of lights in the town and Bramble House could set the place on fire.
I'll still give this a 9 out of 10 because it's so festive and Autumn Reeser is a great actress!!
A Royal Corgi Christmas
(2022 TV Movie)
Love the Corgi's and the Prince isn't bad either
8 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Positives about this movie:
1. It has cute Corgi dogs. The Prince buys a Corgi called Mistletoe for his mother, the Queen of some never heard of country somewhere. Because all royals love corgis apparently. Actually, I've heard they tend to be aggressive and they shed. I think a good poodle mix would be much more desirable- no shedding.
2. Hunter is hired to help train the Corgi. This involves getting the Prince involved in training the pooch. Fortunately, Mistletoe, the corgi, appears to be well trained by the end.
3. The actors who are in the royal family actually speak with British accents and dress like royals. The costumes are fabulous.
3. The dress worn by the lead actress, Hunter King, to the ball is spectacular!!!
4. The baddie in the movie, the evil dog trainer, tries to get Hunter King in trouble with the Prince. Fortunately, the Princess finds out and he gets booted very publicly out of the castle.
1. It has cute Corgi dogs. The Prince buys a Corgi called Mistletoe for his mother, the Queen of some never heard of country somewhere. Because all royals love corgis apparently. Actually, I've heard they tend to be aggressive and they shed. I think a good poodle mix would be much more desirable- no shedding.
2. Hunter is hired to help train the Corgi. This involves getting the Prince involved in training the pooch. Fortunately, Mistletoe, the corgi, appears to be well trained by the end.
3. The actors who are in the royal family actually speak with British accents and dress like royals. The costumes are fabulous.
3. The dress worn by the lead actress, Hunter King, to the ball is spectacular!!!
4. The baddie in the movie, the evil dog trainer, tries to get Hunter King in trouble with the Prince. Fortunately, the Princess finds out and he gets booted very publicly out of the castle.
Joyeux Noel
(2023 TV Movie)
French Village is great, but....
30 October 2023
A romantic painting of a Christmas market captures the imagination of copy editor and wannabe reporter, Lea. She is sent to France with pragmatic reporter "moody" Mark to uncover the mystery behind the artist. While Lea is all eager to solve the puzzle, Mark is less excited, somewhat annoyed at being sent on an assignment which is beneath him. Lea and Mark are total opposites. Lea tends to correct Mark's speech, which is annoying. Mark has his own view on how to research a story.
The French Market town is very festive, decorated with Christmas lights and featuring an accordion player, multiple shops, hot chocolate and roasted chestnuts and singers. Lea goes around the shops but it is embarrassing how she speaks to vendors and passersby. Meanwhile, Mark tries to get some sleep (jet lag) but is bothered by Sophie, the landlords daughter. The cute gnomes left around by Sophie are a highlight. Wonder why she isn't listed in the cast on imbd.
Jaicy Elliot, as Lea, is the wrong person for this role. She has deadpan delivery and facial expressions are equally blah. She dresses in a boring coat and beret and her French accent in pronouncing "Merci" is also blah. There is no chemistry between herself and Brant Daughtery.
An interesting feature of this movie is that the plot was written by Brant Daughtery's wife, Kimberly. Maybe she should have been cast in this movie along with her husband.
The French Market town is very festive, decorated with Christmas lights and featuring an accordion player, multiple shops, hot chocolate and roasted chestnuts and singers. Lea goes around the shops but it is embarrassing how she speaks to vendors and passersby. Meanwhile, Mark tries to get some sleep (jet lag) but is bothered by Sophie, the landlords daughter. The cute gnomes left around by Sophie are a highlight. Wonder why she isn't listed in the cast on imbd.
Jaicy Elliot, as Lea, is the wrong person for this role. She has deadpan delivery and facial expressions are equally blah. She dresses in a boring coat and beret and her French accent in pronouncing "Merci" is also blah. There is no chemistry between herself and Brant Daughtery.
An interesting feature of this movie is that the plot was written by Brant Daughtery's wife, Kimberly. Maybe she should have been cast in this movie along with her husband.
Mystic Christmas
(2023 TV Movie)
Great Movie
30 October 2023
Jessy Schram plays a scientist who works with seals who is asked to come to Mystic, Connecticut to assist with a seal named Peppermint in the Mystic Aquarium and rehabilitation center. While there she runs into an ex, played by Chandler Massey, who owns the pizza shop. This was inevitable given that his sister, played by Patti Murin, is in charge of the Aquarium and is Jessy's friend.
The leads have a great chemistry together, amid multiple misunderstandings between them and it takes the sister and the students in the Aquarium to set the pair straight. I.e: "Did you tell him why you couldn't meet him?" "No." "Did you ask her why she couldn't meet you?" "No."
Among the actors was Patty Murin, who was on Broadway as Anna in Frozen. She has a lovely voice. Also, William Moses, who was in the Perry Mason episodes in the 80's and 90's. Fun fact: Jessy Schram and Patti Murin have both been on Chicago Med.
My primary beef with this movies is Jessy's straight hair, cut in a bob. This look does nothing for her since her face is long and thin and the straight hair just makes her face look longer. Aren't there any stylists at Hallmark? We either get this clinical straight bob or we get the wrinkly bob (hairstyle where hair is slightly wavy with ends straight. Which to me looks awful (Erin Krakow's hair in movie with Tyler Hynes). I'd like to see Chandler Massey without the beard and mustache. I know that people think facial hair is all the rage, but really, women don't care to be kissed by hair that stabs you in the face. Think about it, people!!!
The leads have a great chemistry together, amid multiple misunderstandings between them and it takes the sister and the students in the Aquarium to set the pair straight. I.e: "Did you tell him why you couldn't meet him?" "No." "Did you ask her why she couldn't meet you?" "No."
Among the actors was Patty Murin, who was on Broadway as Anna in Frozen. She has a lovely voice. Also, William Moses, who was in the Perry Mason episodes in the 80's and 90's. Fun fact: Jessy Schram and Patti Murin have both been on Chicago Med.
My primary beef with this movies is Jessy's straight hair, cut in a bob. This look does nothing for her since her face is long and thin and the straight hair just makes her face look longer. Aren't there any stylists at Hallmark? We either get this clinical straight bob or we get the wrinkly bob (hairstyle where hair is slightly wavy with ends straight. Which to me looks awful (Erin Krakow's hair in movie with Tyler Hynes). I'd like to see Chandler Massey without the beard and mustache. I know that people think facial hair is all the rage, but really, women don't care to be kissed by hair that stabs you in the face. Think about it, people!!!
A Royal Christmas Crush
(2023 TV Movie)
Give me a BREAK!
29 October 2023
1. If you are going to have a romance featuring a prince, get someone who can actually speak with a consistent accent or just don't bother. Stephen Huszar is a good actor and certainly didn't deserve this.
2. Come up with a new approach. Recycling the same old plot is sad. The interfering Brigitta who tries to besmirch the prince's love interest is just downright stupid! Credit us with more intelligence. Birgitta should have been fired and/or tossed in jail.
3. Does anyone who is staying in an Ice Hotel really get romantic? It is literally FREEZING! They are wearing coats and gloves throughout, yet they go get in a hot tub, which will result in them freezing when they get out. That scene seemed gratuitous so we could view Stephen Huzsar's chest. But Ava wears a jacket in the hot tub.
4. At the Royal Ball, the costumes were awful. What's with the woman in the tight yellow sausage dress?? Can't afford to hire anyone else?
DO Better, Hallmark!!!
2. Come up with a new approach. Recycling the same old plot is sad. The interfering Brigitta who tries to besmirch the prince's love interest is just downright stupid! Credit us with more intelligence. Birgitta should have been fired and/or tossed in jail.
3. Does anyone who is staying in an Ice Hotel really get romantic? It is literally FREEZING! They are wearing coats and gloves throughout, yet they go get in a hot tub, which will result in them freezing when they get out. That scene seemed gratuitous so we could view Stephen Huzsar's chest. But Ava wears a jacket in the hot tub.
4. At the Royal Ball, the costumes were awful. What's with the woman in the tight yellow sausage dress?? Can't afford to hire anyone else?
DO Better, Hallmark!!!
A Royal Runaway Romance
(2022 TV Movie)
Much Better than Expected
17 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I hadn't really any hopes about this movie as there are so many Royal movies out there. However, it was better than expected. The Royal Princess Amelia's bodyguard, Grady, thwarts her attempt to steal a car to runaway from LA to Chicago to see a man who painted her portrait. The bodyguard is not thrilled to have to cancel his camping trip to take this princess anywhere, but they actually have a good time on the road. They go camping, try smores, stop in Utah, Colorado and Nebraska on the way to Chicago and meet some interesting people, go to a dance, meet Grady's parents. Amelia turns out to be a more interesting person than she appeared in the beginning. Worth watching.
A Christmas... Present
(2022 TV Movie)
CCBure Should Go off into the TV Abyss
17 October 2023
I have not been favorably impressed with GAK network, especially since they pinched Hallmark stars for their Faith, Family and CLEAN entertainment. PUKE!!! Please kick off all the nauseating actors and actually, just go off the air.
Bure has played really tight-assed characters in her many movies, but this one takes the cake. Do we REALLY need another whacko female trying to force Christmas activities on her family??? Marc Blucas, you deserve better than this!!! She's not in touch with her brother but then forces her family to spend time with her brother- Seriously?? Who does that? How is that a Faith Based behavior?? What is good about that? There is no chemistry between the stars. No surprise as Bure is really difficult to care about. Nauseating!
Bure has played really tight-assed characters in her many movies, but this one takes the cake. Do we REALLY need another whacko female trying to force Christmas activities on her family??? Marc Blucas, you deserve better than this!!! She's not in touch with her brother but then forces her family to spend time with her brother- Seriously?? Who does that? How is that a Faith Based behavior?? What is good about that? There is no chemistry between the stars. No surprise as Bure is really difficult to care about. Nauseating!
Really Dumb
17 October 2023
Particularly GAKKY. No surprise coming from GAK. A woman goes to Brussels to learn about chocolate making impersonating her friend. She has minimal skills in the field. The actress portraying her is just awful. She is very fake. The man playing Matthias, the Belgium chocolatier is also awful. Can we please hire someone from Belgium with an actual accent???? Someone with a bit more emotion??? There is NO chemistry between the main actors. None at all. Don't waste 2 hours watching. Or rather, go watch the version from Hallmark with Lacey Chabert and Will Kemp which is a whole lot more interesting and romantic!!!
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