Reviews

This is one of those films where one can't help but wonder how it ever got past the drawing board. For a cast that's shown themselves to be much more talented than what this movie's giving them, I actually feel a bit bad that they had to act in this catastrophe and try to make something out of it.

The film's weakest point is easily Jen Lilley's character, Kate, who everyone in the reviews (rightfully) is incredibly annoyed by. She is unbelievably neurotic and overanalyzes every possible human task, and at first, I was intrigued by these traits, because most Hallmark female leads don't have a personality outside of "driven businesswoman," which is the default template of a woman through which every lead gets recycled. I applaud (but not energetically) Hallmark for trying to make their characters be less two-dimensional, but they failed extraordinarily in this venture by making Kate so overwhelmingly obnoxious in her constant anxiety. To make matters worse, she's not actually consistent in this anxiety. She's afraid of driving in a car in Canada, but has no problem getting in a taxi in New York. She fears everything, but gives her love interest Noah lessons on getting over his stage fright.

Some of the reviewers were charmed by the side couple, photographer Jayne and right-hand-businessman Simon, but I found them so out of the realm of realistic that I couldn't enjoy them either. As much as I love and appreciate a woman who makes the first move, she pursues Simon -- a man who gives her flirtations absolutely no reaction -- to a point where it's cringeworthy, until Simon, suddenly and miraculously, returns her feelings and makes it clear by buying out what looks like all the inventory of a flower shop. Cut to the next scene, they're cuddling in each other's arms and giving each other goodbye kisses. Simon himself attests to being a man of few words, but Jayne is somehow convinced that they'll make a long distance relationship work. Their entire relationship is so ludicrous that it was hard to take it seriously.

Also breaking the suspension of disbelief is male lead Noah, who wants to save his B&B business by becoming a tour guide. He is so laughably bad (and also laughably oblivious about being so bad) that it's hard to believe that he and Simon are hinging the success of their entire business on Noah's adventure tour. He obsesses over perfecting his script, never once considering that he might -- like all tour guides -- need to actually learn the information instead of just memorize and regurgitate it.

Needless to say, he and Kate -- inexplicably -- begin to fall for each other. Their chemistry is completely lost in the absurdity of this movie. Not helping their cause is the rocky beginning this couple has, having an awkward first meeting at the airport and, thereafter, uncomfortable scenes in which they do little but disagree. Kate pounds on the fact that she's from New York, the best city in the world, and is so stubborn in this short-sighted opinion that it's hard not to get bored of her repeating it every other scene. How Hallmark thought a grown woman who can't handle a car ride, is too afraid to order coffee in a foreign country, and is too closed-minded to think happiness exists outside of Manhattan, would be a likable character is beyond me. Her and all the other ridiculous choices made in the story made this movie downright bad.

All in all, I'd recommend skipping this movie and choosing another from Hallmark's winter line-up this year. Two stars for beautiful Canadian scenery.

This movie is genuinely funny, heart-warming, and well-written. I can only hope Paul Campbell and Kimberley Sustad do more writing for Hallmark, specifically because I love the comedic touches put into this film (for all the rom-coms they put out, Hallmark frequently forgets to be funny). Paul Campbell is a force to be reckoned with when humor is in the picture, and I personally feel he thrives in those charmingly funny roles much more than when he plays overly earnest, serious characters (his best performances for me are his roles in Window Wonderland and Surprised by Love, where he plays Shawn-Spencer-like characters that you both want to roll your eyes at and love with all your heart). Even as a businessman, he gets to be authentically funny here, and paired with Kimberley's equally sharp comedic chops (she absolutely nails awkwardness in a way that's super amusing), the movie just works. It moves fluidly, believably, and the scenes are just fun to watch even if you already know how the whole thing will end.

Funny enough, I don't think the chemistry between Paul and Kimberley's characters was particularly strong (nor in their last movie they starred in together), but they're such a great writing team, I'd love to see them work together again.

This movie's predictability honestly turns it into a snoozefest.

I have no idea what happened to Chad Michael Murray in this film. I've really enjoyed him in Christmas films in the past (Write Before Christmas and Road to Christmas come to mind), but his acting was so poor here, I started wondering if he legitimately was trying to get himself fired off the film. His character was distant and cold and never really warmed up, not to his family and not to his love interest. He had this deep, almost Southern twang (completely unlike the rest of his family!) that kept making me think he was filming a movie about a grumpy rancher on the side and that character kept bleeding into this one. The lack of family chemistry was super disappointing, especially between the brothers, which not only felt inauthentic, but was a seriously missed opportunity for comedy. (I kept thinking back to Hallmark's The Christmas House, also from this year, where the fun and believable banter between the brothers really made the movie for me).

Jessica Lowndes has become a staple in these Lifetime/Hallmark movies, and I agree with other reviewers that she's slowly but surely improving. She's loosened up considerably and become much less wooden, but still needs to work on bringing emotion into her voice.

The movie's biggest failure, though, is that its plot is so predictable that the audience will literally never be surprised or even impressed by the storytelling. This plot has been told a million times before, and nothing helps it stand out from all the other recycled versions of this exact same movie. There's a calendar of almost rigid holiday traditions that the family follows to a T every year shown near the beginning, which would've been much more enjoyable to watch than what actually happens when everyone else is too sick or indisposed to participate: the two leads have to plan an event together. It's disappointing that this script was approved, because it lacks creativity and any real ingenuity.

This movie kept surprising me with how sweet it was. It starts off as a run-of-the-mill story end ends up chock full of tender moments, family bonding, and a romance full of maturity and development. Good acting is at work here, but the script is doing its job in spades too; several moments can leave you a bit teary-eyed if you let yourself get sucked into the movie. Another reviewer mentions the word "nostalgia," which feels very apt for the movie. It leaves you thinking fondly of Christmasses of the past but also looking forward to how they can impact Christmasses still to come.

Particularly nice in the movie is that every character has a struggle, but at no point does the story feel crowded with too many plot points. The depth of each character adds great levels of realism to the film. At one point while watching, I commented to my friend that it was refreshing to see a mother different from Hallmark's usual brand of bubbly, happily married, magazine-ready mothers. My friend then pointed out that the entire film felt like a turning point for Hallmark (for the better) in that they're stepping out of the mold a little bit of surface level characters and cookie cutter plots (obviously this can't apply to all movies, but baby steps, and these baby steps have to be acknowledged and commended). This movie was festive, but also rooted in realism, which elevated it substantially. The characters are realistic and they're facing realistic problems.

Also a plus is that Lucia Micarelli really is a violinist rather than just an actor pretending to be one. You can see the authenticity in how she plays, the concentration on her face, the expertise in her movements. The portions of the movie where she plays the violin were almost my favorites; just to watch her do so was incredibly enjoyable. It felt as if she was more comfortable in the role of violinist than actress (she struggled to develop good chemistry with not just her love interest, but her family members as well), but it didn't detract significantly from the movie.

This is a sweet movie, with better actors from the pool of Hallmark regulars than most. Kavan Smith and Autumn Reeser are both believable, charming, and comfortable in the roles they play (these being no exception). Their chemistry wasn't exactly off the charts, but they still worked well together and their romance was slowly built up (another reviewer mentioned that the use of montages and the passing of time made their budding relationship seem much more organic) rather than pushed too fast. Including the male lead's teenage daughter in the bonding felt natural too, unlike some of the young children in Hallmark movies whose purpose is essentially just to play matchmaker. The movie hits snags with only a few things:

• The ending felt much too short on time. A lot of loose ends were left hanging in regards to the food critic and the future of the restaurant, which was unsatisfying. The movie also could've saved time in a variety of other scenes (or even cut a few) to make time for a bit of a longer ending.

• There were are a few plotlines that seemed to be picked up and dropped again with the lead's daughter that added nothing to her character or the story in the end. One such part comes to mind in which the daughter is suspended from school for hacking into school computers to change her friends' grades after they've been tampered with. This almost seems like the start of a B-story or even a mystery, but this is completely useless to the movie as a whole and is never expanded upon.

• Barbara Niven's character, the boss of the female lead, was one line short of being a cartoon villain. She had no sympathy, no charm, and never even pretended to care about ANYTHING but frozen foods, which seems odd at best and just over-the-top evil at worst.

• A lot of the movie is spent on helping Kavan Smith's character loosen up and allow change to infiltrate his life and his restaurant. By the end, he's accomplished this with the help of his love interest, but Autumn Reeser's character, who is shown at the beginning to be neurotic and almost clinical in her habits of order and cleanliness at home, never gets to benefit from the same character development (aside from one scene where she eventually is coaxed into making dough with her hands). It would have been nice to see them both impact each other's lives equally, rather than focusing so much on just one half of the coin.

Overall, though, this movie is cute and the setting is fun. It was also enjoyable to watch a movie where the frozen food business isn't seen as a massive bad guy (Hallmark's "Appetite for Love" comes to mind). It just could have used a few tweaks.

After a string of subpar Hallmark movies, I expected nothing special from this movie, and ended up being seriously (and pleasantly) surprised. With their movies being very hit or miss lately, this movie is a total hit. The chemistry between the two leads is incredible, and I actively found myself both rooting for them and being excited for their inevitable romance. Jessy Schram and Niall Matter are also not only playing likable characters, but also playing them very believably.

Also a plus is that this movie at no point feels rushed. The romance takes its time, the story takes its time, and the character growth takes its time. A lot of background was set up in this movie without ever disturbing the forward flow of the plot, especially the turbulent relationship between superstar Duke and male protagonist Grady. (Speaking of Duke, I fully expected him to be an almost villianous caricature of an over-the-top character, but even he was well developed and was both relatable and likable.)

For once, I have no complaints for a Hallmark movie. I was just very impressed. Excited to watch this one again!

It's amazing what a difference good actors make. It's easy to get used to the par-for-the-course subpar acting that comes with Hallmark movies, but a movie like this is a pleasant reminder that experienced talent is out there in the Hallmark universe! The two leads played well off of each other, had great chemistry, and worked up organically to their romance. It didn't feel rushed or forced. This movie isn't bursting with autumn ambience (although some nice apple picking and a corn maze is included) as some other Hallmark films released during the fall season, but that's hardly noticeable considering the sweet storyline holds the audience's attention just fine on its own.

As cleverly pointed out by another reviewer, Hallmark gets props for one reason and one reason only for this movie: creating a plot different from their usual fare as of late, which usually circles around evil corporations trying to swoop in on family-run businesses. Instead, this movie is almost refreshing in how it takes its time developing a neighbors-to-friends love story, which is a storyline that has the potential to make for a good film if paired with good actors.

As for the negative points of the movie:

• The recurring motif of the science of meteorology being complete garbage, while natural indicators of weather are far superior. It was pushed so hard in this film that I started wondering if there was an anti-science propaganda agenda behind it. If science was truly always so woefully inept at predicting weather patterns, we as a society would've given it up ages ago.

• The seriously bad miscasting of main character Leah's mother, who nobody is surprised to hear is only FOUR YEARS OLDER than her "daughter" Cindy Busby. This woman has been put into a terrible wig and expected to pretend that she's a good twenty years older than she really is.

• Speaking of Cindy Busby, I unfortunately cannot under-emphasize just how much she contributed to this movie being as bad as it was. Ever since she became a Hallmark regular, it feels as if her acting has somehow gone progressively downhill. She over-enunciates, sometimes shouts her lines, is almost hammy with her facial expressions, and is, overall, just not believable. Her performance took me out of the movie multiple times, which is a shame, because Christopher Russell opposite her was doing a much better job in his role.

• Lastly, although it's a small point: it was laughable when the two main characters go fishing and Leah proceeds to pull out a limp, obviously plastic fish that they both pretend is alive and well.

As part of Hallmark's Fall Harvest, this movie definitely excels at emphasizing the autumn atmosphere it's aiming to immerse the audience in. Each and every room a character enters is full of fall decorations, leaf garlands, gourds and pumpkins, and when paired with plenty of stereotypically fall activites such as apple picking and baking, the film totally succeeds in putting you in the mood for the season! The small town charm is also in full force with neighbors who all know each other and a bustling main street. Another plus is that after playing many icy, business-oriented characters, lead actress Taylor Cole comes across as much warmer than usual in this role., if not a bit juvenile in her pushiness and lack of any financial knowledge.

Unfortunately, the movie falls apart a bit with its logistics. The radio station, which urgently needs a financial boost, is such a loosey-goosey operation (employees wander in and off the air as they please, an "ON AIR" sign is nowhere to be seen, and an intern does little more than stare at circuit boards) that it takes the audience out of the story a bit. The station also relies on the city for its funding, rather than ad revenue, which this station seems completely oblivious to. Even stranger is how the main character, Taylor Cole's Lacey, manages to rope in her love interest to be, Zac, played by Tyler Hynes, who is in town strictly to work (he frequently has phone calls with a coworker who, despite being in a busy, bustling office space, refers to their project as a small and struggling start-up), to join in with her Bake-Off, a fundraising event for the radio station. The "deal" she strikes with him is that she will promise to teach him how to bake in return for him helping with her finances, and at no point does the male lead pick up on the fact that this deal benefits Lacey alone. He willingly submits himself to baking lessons and sessions of financial advice -- sessions, during which, Lacey refuses to accept his professional advice -- for no good reason. Outside of the Bake-Off, Lacey lives with her aunt in her guesthouse, where she routinely bad-mouths guests and walks into the kitchen for breakfast in the morning in her pajamas while guests are present (!).

However, there are a few twists along the way that don't make this movie entirely predictable. Along with the aforementioned autumn ambience, the movie is worth a watch, although isn't a strong contender for a rewatch.