Mistletoe in Montana

Have enjoyed Melissa in other Hallmark movies and loved Duane in NCIS, but they had absolutely no chemistry in this. It was excruciating and couldn't watch it til the end. And where was the snow??!!

Apparently Christmas takes place in the summer in this movie. The grass is green and there is zero snow. Beautiful scenery, but completely filmed out of season. There was no chemistry between the two main characters. I can picture a scenario where they were best friends from college that dated twice and decide being friends was better. I liked all the characters, however, especially Merry's dad and the girl. I loved the photography arch and the message of being present in your kids life and ditching the devices. I also loved that they cast a Native American two actors and made them multi dimensional instead of a sterotype. It was an okay movie, but a little dull.

Why?? The one scene with the Tim and his "hot cocoa" was totally ridiculous. The least they could have done was put a lid on it. Blah I have been watching Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies for years, so it's pretty difficult to get a good rating from me.

I had high hopes for this when I saw it was directed by Kellie Martin. She used to be in a lot of the better movies. I won't blame her. I'm sure she did her best. I'm sure it was really cringeworthy for anyone who really knows what Montana weather can be like at Christmas.

I liked the cook and the nanny, they made a better couple than the leads.

Yes, there are flaws, but when I need a distraction I don't focus on the negative. Duane Henry did well in this role and I look forward to more of his movies.

As far as the mistakes, I don't take them seriously and have to laugh when the clothing, makeup, and hair don't reflect what would happen in real life. Ditto for the indoor and outdoor decorations. Of course, if they did reflect real life, there would be complaints.

The snow, or lack thereof, is a glaring error and I am not certain why the decison was made to film a Montana winter without snow.

If you need perfection in your movies, this is not for you, but if you like Duane Henry or you want to just escape the pressures of the season, this is a good choice.

The story has no highs or lows and no tension or surprises. The dialogue is blah. The acting is terrible almost all around. The wardrobe is ridiculous. There is no chemistry between the leads unless you count all the moon eye they give each other across the set. The sets are cheap. There are a couple of nice shots of scenery.

I saw some comments about weather and I noticed it too. The worst case is when they take refuge from a blizzard in a remote barn. They draw attention to the fact there is no fire or other heat and the weather outside is supposed to be frightful. Yet neither one wears gloves, ear covering, or a scarf and Duane Henry's coat is open.

I'll give the director credit that when they are looking at stars there are no bright lights around them which is a mistake most of these movies make.