A Christmas Love Story

I am a fan of Danica McKellar (Winnie on Wonder Years) but this movie has problems. She is 37 years old in this movie and she is first seen playing a part of an 18 year old. The movie shows the pair at the Christmas Table since they were about 4 and it ends when they are supposed to be about 30.

The movie story was fairly engaging but the story was a bit strange.

This is one of the most unique Christmas romance stories I have seen. Things happen near and at the end that I sure didn't see coming. The entire movie is refreshing. The entire movie is a continuing flashback that takes place on several Christmas eves spanning most of the main characters' lives.

Sometimes the story doesn't advance a lot, but it is still entertaining with witty dialogue and other things. One of those is a beautiful dance sequence that is not so much about talented dancers as it is about the beauty and the romance of the dance which includes many of the cast.

Danica McKellar is known for Wonder Years but also for Christmas movies. This is possibly her best. The romance between her character, Kat, and Dustin Milligan's Sam is tangible. Supporting performances are also good.

I had a hard time with the timeline because I couldn't understand why two people so in love would have gone so long. I especially can't see how 5 years could have elapsed (as mentioned when Kat first sees Sam) and still led to what follows. An attempt is made to explain at least the former about 3/4ths of the way through the movie but I think the movie would have made a lot more sense if that had been plainer earlier on. Nevertheless, I don't deduct for that because the story is otherwise so charming and unique.

While I don't see Hallmark's signature on this, it fits their nature perfectly. For some people this will be too sappy and idealistic, but that's what these movies are and this one is done so well.

78This movie follows Sam and Kat, who have celebrated their Christmas Eves at the same lady's house since they were children. The movie flashes back and starts at a Christmas Eve from when they were very young, then a few years later, and so on until they are 30. The flashbacks are very fast-paced and it is hard to grasp the relationship that Sam and Kat have together. Is it cousin-ish? Brotherly/sisterly? Neighborly? Appears to be brotherly/sisterly, but I was contradicted, obviously by the title of the movie.

Throughout the movie, Sam and Kat always sit at the kids table, even when they are adults. They play this confusing game with the children called "Best Life." It would have been nice to understand the game because it took up much of the movie time and would have been comedic if I knew what they heck they were talking about while playing it. The dance scene in the movie was extremely entertaining and I loved the old song they danced to, but it was very random and made no sense for the plot.

Sam lost a lot of sympathy for me when he and Kat got into an argument, via telephone, while he looked at her through her bedroom window and she looked at him on her front lawn. He mocked her feelings for her widowed father and dead mom, then said that she lives her life for the day she dies and get buried next to her mother's grave.... Why on earth would the writers write that into the movie? Geezes, that was mean.

I gave this movie 6/10 because I would watch it again next Christmas. It is a simple, relaxing movie that is a good time-waster. It also has a nostalgic feel to it because it takes place at the same house with the same people and you feel that you are a part of the 'family.'

I'm not actually writing a review. I love this movie. It's like a better version of a Hallmark holiday movie.

But someone in a review from 2019 said it wasn't believable that Sam quit his newspaper job to become a logger. That's because it's not. He quit to become a BLOGGER, with a B. He decided to get a remote writing job. (My last job was as a remote blogger - often now referred to as a content marketer - ghost writing blogs for SaaS companies.) Anyway I find that part very believable because I worked in journalism and left to do marketing writing in 2013 because journalism pays terribly and marketing pays pretty well in comparison.

I must admit, I was looking to dislike this movie, but with each passing minute, I grew to like it and learn about movies in the process.

Movies do not need a budget, or be sex, sex, sex. A lot of crappy female driven movies rely on sex to sell. This relies on values and a crisp, clean dialogue. It(MOVIES) can be good natured and having meaning, if the characters are interesting, the plot is easy to follow, and the dialogue is engaging.

This movie is good fun and it does pull at your heart, but it is a Christmas movie and you do get an innocent, engaging story with a nice shad of vibrant Christmas colors thrown in.

It's a man and a woman, a girl and a boy and typical life gets in the way. This is simply about life getting in the way of love and how really easy it is to make the wrong choice.

Without giving anything away, it is a Christmas move and it is engaging and must see. I give it a 9 out of 10 and I think it is one to see, during Christmas.