Return to Christmas Creek

This movie is a combination romance and story of a family working through long time issues. There are a lot of the formula themes for a Christmas romance like one lead goes home to fix an new app that has problems. Two high school flames reunite. Town tree lighting. Ginger bread contest. Service man separated from wife and kid.

The story doesn't have any real surprises or highs or lows. The tension is normal family issues. The one slightly unusual thing is the "Fly-by Christmas" which involves Amelia (whose heroine is Earhart) getting reacquainted with flying.

Tori Anderson and Stephen Huszar are comfortable together but their story is diluted by other things. Most of the acting is adequate including supporting cast.

Nothing new here--same plot that they have recycled hundreds of times. Same 10 square miles of Ontario that looks NOTHING like the Midwestern US.

As usual the thing that makes it watchable is the acting/chemistry of the main characters. The whole cast is pretty good but the lead actress is particularly strong at the feel-good/romance element. They should put her in as many movies as she can deal with because she can single-handedly rescue the whole thing.

Review Date 7/13/2019

I have Reviewed OVER 500 "Christmas Films, & Christmas Television Movies , & Television Specials". Please BEWARE Of films and specials with just one review! For instance When "It's a POSITIVE" chances are that the reviewer was involved with the production. "If its Negative" then they may have a grudge against the film for whatever reason. I am fare. I am on a mission to watch every Christmas Movie ever made. Since 2014 I average 100 a year.

As Christmas approaches, Amelia Hughes, a career-focused Chicago app developer lacking in holiday spirit, returns to her small hometown of Christmas Creek to rediscover the meaning of Christmas. There, she reunites with her childhood best friend Mike and her estranged uncle Harry, whose mysterious rift with Amelia's father divided her family during the holiday season when she was a child.

This was a nice story and Steven Weber was shockingly very good. I love again that they don't make the career woman a heartless villain. In fact she is the hero of this story!

This is actually the third Stephen Huszar film I have seen in a row now and I have to say I don't mind that one bit. He is really quite a guy, handsome and funny with a lovely smile and manly to boot. Add to that Steven Weber whom I have always liked as an actor ever since I saw him in Jeffrey and the fact that the story isn't bad either and you've got a winning formula.

The romance is cute and the family storyline makes it more than just the usual. I like the fact that we get time to see the couple come together and rekindle their past where as some films are rushing it all lately to the point that you're wondering why and how they fell in love after meeting twice?

It's not one that has a huge difference to its tale or a standout, but it does what it does well.

Obviously with the sheer volume of movies Hallmark puts out at Christmas they can't all be great. This one was ok but nothing particularly special or memorable. Tori Anderson was delightful, hopefully she gets another shot as a Hallmark lead in the future.