A Godwink Christmas: Second Chance, First Love

This is a true-life second chance romance between outdoor guide/single father and hometown high school sweetheart turned marketing executive. Pat moved to Hawaii to take a job post high school this ending their childhood romance, divorce and two kids later he ends up back in Boise, Idaho where it all began...two kids in tow. Fate seems to keep bringing them together including matching job offers in Seattle!

If six years of buying the same gift for one another (her gift a charm for her bracelet, his gift a coordinating ornament) didn't tell them that they were destined to be together, I Don't know what would.

I hope that part of this real life story is true, because it is pretty special.

I'm 60 and have Godwinks (God Winks) in my own life starting with Lincoln Logs as a 4 year old to becoming a mechanical engineer as an adult (I had a ton of Erector sets as a teenager)!!

Though I like all e Godwink movies so far, the 2nd one was better because the man turned out to be her hero in the end. The Godwink just put them together but it was his personal choice that saved her.

The acting wasn't bad by the leads in this one but (as with all holiday movies) the rest seemed wooden to help support the leads. That's really what I like is the stories anyway and it's great when the cast and storyline inter-mash.

The other thing is being based on true life...it's easier to write/act on this alone vice made up stuff. I belief in Artistic creativity even for true stories because in real life, life isn't always a dance or song.

I loved the second Godwink movie where Cindy Busby's character faces a difficult future but the Godwinks are bringing someone special into her life at a crucial time. The first movie was nice, but didn't knock me over. I put this movie about the same as the first. It's decent but I didn't think there were any great highs or lows, or major surprises.

It would be hard for me not to like a movie with Brook D'Orsay. She is such a joyful actor and it's hard not to smile when she's around. (At this writing, this website doesn't even acknowledge her in the cast despite her presence in the promo picture as one of the leads. Likewise Sam Page.) And Page is always a strong presence. They have instant chemistry and share a fair amount of screen time. However the movie also uses a lot of screen time to set up the various situations that bring them to the right place for the inevitable result.. The main supporting actors ranged from adequate to good. The two boys did a pretty good job.

The movie is very predictable in general, but each Godwink is a mini twist. Margie's fearful assumption was pretty silly given how much her boss obviously approved of her. I saw where things were going right about the time of the overheard phone call.

I was surprised by how little screen time Brooke gets despite being the protagonist. Of course the movie could be about the male protagonist, but he's not presented as being the center of the story yet most of the screen time goes to pointless scenes about him having irrelevant conversations with his children. Her initial boyfriend, uncannily feminine, serves no purpose whatsoever in the story, which is yet another element the writers used to fill empty spaces and compensate for the lack of an actual story.

Anyway, I'd say it's an okay family movie, just mislabeled as romance.

The first film may not have been great or without its flaws, but it was decent. The second also didn't blow my mind, but was the superior film and one of the better Hallmark follow ups. And Hallmark have always varied with their follow ups, some surprisingly good, others mediocre at best. Was hoping that this third film, again with different leads like the second film, wouldn't be the latter. Brooke D'Orsay and Sam Page have both been good in other things so expectations were hardly low.

Luckily, this second follow up is in the former category of surprisingly good. Again, there are flaws and it could have been better and done even more with a great premise. Like the second film, it is to me better than the first film and on par with the second. As far as Hallmark follow ups go, it's towards being one of the better ones. The first film has the best leads, but the follow ups handle their messaging more subtly and are more consistent tonally.

While D'Orsay and Page are great individually, the two could have had more chemistry together. It's there, just that it could have done with more spark and the relationship itself could have had more development.

Did think as well that the ending was on the too convenient and tidy side and some of the dialogue still a bit awkward and sugary.

However, there is much to recommend. It has an at least professional look to it, the scenery is very pretty with a cosy look to it and the photography is slick. The music is generally not as constant or as over-scored as Hallmark Christmas films can be, with some nice soundtrack choices throughout. The direction is assured enough. There are enough moments that made me smile and came over as genuinely sweet, mostly too without being overly so.

Even though flawed, the story had a sincere charm often, it was often light on its feet and it did warm the heart enough. The more serious moments fit easily and don't come over as over sentimental, any tonal gear changes don't feel abrupt. D'Orsay is endearingly charming and Page a sympathetic partner, while Michele Scarabelli brings class and zest to her role (prefer her over Kathie Lee Gifford). The rest of the supporting cast do more than ably. The film does well at making me care for the characters too.

In conclusion, very nice film. 7/10.