Mary Christmas

Wasn't expecting much, but this TV movie presses all the buttons for a great Christmas movie With a really good cast and a wonderful Dickensian plot this has that X factor that so many movies miss. Gives you a warm glow. Very soppy but very enjoyable from a 50 year old bloke.

This is another feel-good Christmas movie that is made for TV, where nine year old Felice (Jenna Boyd) writes a letter to Santa Claus asking for a mommy. Her father is widower Joel Wallace (John Schneider) who is a workaholic and lets reporter Mary Maloney (Cynthia Gibb) get the scoop of Felice's story inside their home. She soon learns that miracles can happen.

Schneider and Gibb make a great duo and had great on-screen chemistry. Much of the acting was spot-on and the story was mostly entertaining, if a bit too slow at times. But, there is a nice plot twist to the story.

It's another nice movie for Christmas time, providing you with some good, clean entertainment and with some heartfelt moments that will make you feel good.

Grade B

This movie is simply wonderful! Cynthia Gibb and John Schneider work well together. Jenna Boyd is a terrific actress, and I have a feeling that her career is just going to take off! This film is a great, feel-good Christmas flick. It's not one of those ordinary, could-never-happen-in-a-million-years stories, because stranger things have happened. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who's in a Christmas-ey mood.

NOTE: I work with cameras and am continually analyzing what makes good (and bad) movies so this movie review is more than just a surface thing.

I didn't see this on TV but did recently on DVD. There are so many crummy movies being made lately that all I hoped for was something decent to watch with my family. Boy was I surprised! Not only was this movie very well produced and acted but it had an interesting and novel plot (I mean how many new ways can you do "Boy Meets Girl").

I can get very critical of bad acting where the actors don't really seem like they believe what they are doing. In "Mary Christmas" there was a real feeling portrayed between the various leads as well as those with lesser parts.

I would have only made two changes in the entire movie and they were only minor but would have given it an even better feel.

Heartland Entertainment can be very pleased with all who had a part in this film from the casting, directing, and acting to the camera crew. I would love to see them make another movie of this quality. I'm going to buy a bunch of DVDs and give them away as Christmas presents.

Thanks to all for having a Hollywood look without all the Hollywood garbage. You forced me to give this movie a very high rating.

The Generic Critic

Mary Christmas is the best Christmas movie made in years. It contains all the elements of an excellent Christmas movie. The outstanding writing of Betty G. Birney and story by Stanley M. Brooks come together with quality acting and production.

The simple writing of a letter to Santa by a lonely little girl joins the letter of a TV personality on a news show to form the basis of the magic of all great Christmas stories. The magic starts early and increases throughout the story. Believable, wonderful, hope and despair combine to keep us engrossed in the story

If you want the warmth and joy that great Christmas movies bring be sure to see Mary Christmas.