It's very common in Hallmark Christmas movies to feature a widow or widower who is still too sad to fully embrace the Christmas spirit. In Magic Stocking, Bridget Regan hasn't celebrated Christmas since her husband died three years ago. Now that she's finally decided to celebrate the holiday, it's not exactly the Christmas of her daughter's (Imogen Tear) dreams. She wants a puppy, Bridget says no. She finds a magical Christmas stocking, Bridget repeatedly downplays it.
In addition to the mother-daughter relationship that's fraught with tension rather than cheesy Hallmark smiles, Bridget gets courted by a local handyman (who's actually a professional contractor) hired by the Mayor Fred Henderson. While I didn't like the main plot of the story, since I didn't think Bridget was a good mother, I really didn't like the romance. Victor Webster's character was far more depressing than the usual Hollywood fellows, and he seemed to bring her down far more often than lifting her up. Wouldn't you think a widow celebrating Christmas for the first time in years would need a very warm, outgoing, infectiously friendly man to bring her out of her shell and find love again - rather than someone quiet, argumentative, and full of his own emotional hurdles? Magic Stocking isn't my favorite, but if you want to see Victor Webster in something lighter, check out the cute Five Star Christmas.
In addition to the mother-daughter relationship that's fraught with tension rather than cheesy Hallmark smiles, Bridget gets courted by a local handyman (who's actually a professional contractor) hired by the Mayor Fred Henderson. While I didn't like the main plot of the story, since I didn't think Bridget was a good mother, I really didn't like the romance. Victor Webster's character was far more depressing than the usual Hollywood fellows, and he seemed to bring her down far more often than lifting her up. Wouldn't you think a widow celebrating Christmas for the first time in years would need a very warm, outgoing, infectiously friendly man to bring her out of her shell and find love again - rather than someone quiet, argumentative, and full of his own emotional hurdles? Magic Stocking isn't my favorite, but if you want to see Victor Webster in something lighter, check out the cute Five Star Christmas.