Christmas in My Heart

The Hallmark Movies and Mysteries channel offers a different kind of movie that the other channel, including, maybe especially Christmas movies.

There are a lot of levels in this movie. Like Two Turtle Doves, there is a lot in here about loss.

This movies adds to the little girl's loss the element of being different. Yes it chooses to use the race issue for that complexity. Unfortunately, right now in this country, a certain approach to racial issues is highly controversial. Two sides of that issue are deeply divided, and extremely emotional. As a result, when a movie like this comes along, some people will choose to totally reject it, without giving it a chance, without listening to the messages contained in it. Isn't doing that just proving the bigotry some people are accused of? Don't judge this movie as a (sneaky) tool of the opposition. Judge this movie on how well it's presented, and on whether it contains any truth, regardless of how that truth may challenge beliefs. This country should be about open discussion of values and beliefs, not censorship. Rejecting a movie without truly listening to the message is as bad as censorship.

I want to see more movies that freely and honestly discuss problems that real people face. This movie does that. First it discusses loss and on top of that it adds being different. No matter what our origins, don't we all deal with those things in one way or another?

I happen to think this movie did it all pretty well and I think it does it while evoking some positive feelings.

The conflict leading into the climax started to tick me off because I thought it was going to be the same cliché done in so many other Christmas movies. I was pleased to see that there was just enough of a twist to turn it into a very nice ending.

I enjoyed the music and the Dad/daughter dynamic. I didn't feel any chemistry between the main characters. It felt like she felt she'd get cooties from touching him. Both nice characters who can gain from their friendship but more than friendship felt forced.

To add; I see many reviews speaking on the racial items here. I personally love seeing so many ethnicities represented. I agree that many in this set of movies, are like this one, and seem to lack the character chemistry and writing. The diversity is blamed, likely because that's the major obvious change. Are they focusing so much on it that they are losing their identity? We don't really know if this is why they are lacking. Personally, I prefer Hallmark not try to tackle any present day issues in the movies. They never have before aside from grief and love. They were the place to escape into for awhile, the place where everyone got along, communities love each other and people matter. They are our ideal. They pointed the way without pointing the way. I hope they bring back the chemistry and writing soon.

The leads were fine, but dudemans solo at her house was cringe. Movie was okay, but some things were overkill. I'd still recommend it overall. Hallmark knows how to get it done 8/10 times.

Sean's daughter, Katie, has a concert at school, so they hire Beth, a violinist to help her practice for 3 weeks.

At first, I didn't realise this was a HM&M movie, so I was confused about what was going on. You know how their movies tend to be a little more complex. This is no exception. They deal with grief, and something that really surprised me, racial identity. Music is, of course, the main thing going on. And I discovered that Hallmark movies that base their plot around music are not my thing.

In my opinion, it was okay. At the beginning, there is no much going on, and it can be quite boring. The exciting things happen at the end. At the beginning they deal with the topics I mentioned before. I was more interested in the secondary relationships (Beth and Katie, Sean and Katie, Sean and his mother in law, Katie and her grandma) that in the main one. I want to point out one particular scene at the beginning with Katie and her grandma, that just filled my heart with love.

I would love to see Heather in a more cheerful character. But good performances by the whole cast. I do not think there is chemistry between the leads, which is a bummer because I love Luke.

Anyway, not a fave, but it touches very important themes.

I appreciate Hallmark's efforts to incorporate more diversity into their love stories. But so far they have not tailored the script to even acknowledge the difference in ethnicity or the unique challenges that an interracial relationship might entail. The black (or other) person of color might just as well be played by a white actor. It's been giving a new meaning to "color-blind." They don't in this one either. But they do touch on the complications that a white father might have raising a black daughter. The black mother of his late wife has a talk with her granddaughter while discussing her hairstyle options for a special concert. The young girl, beautifully played by Maria Nash, states that she thinks it would look more "professional" slicked back. The grandmother (Sheryl Lee Ralph) then takes the opportunity to encourage her to be proud of her heritage and her different hair and to be herself. But also, what ever she chooses, she will look beautiful. In another scene, the young daughter confides in her black mentor and her father's love interest that she almost quit playing the violin because she didn't see any other violin players that "looked like me." Also the father, Luke McFarlane, a favorite of mine, is overprotective of his daughter. He is a big country star on a hiatus due to the death of his wife, and although not stated, it is implied that he fears some friction or hostility from social media and the tabloids because of his black daughter. I was curious, and I checked the writers of this. And sure enough, one of the trio of women writers is black.

The love interest, also the product of an interracial marriage, is played with warmth and dignity by Heather Hemmens. I like the way she handled Luke rudely telling her to back off when he finds out his daughter has been confiding in her about the loss of her mother. It was well played. I won't critique the plot. There was a lot going on with Luke and Heather's career prospects and their different tastes in music, as well as their attraction to each other. Luke, who is usually in more comedic roles, is very effective in this more dramatic plot. However, I could do without his singing next time. Luke, I love you, and I suspect it was that god-awful song rather than your performance, but I was as stunned as poor Heather looked during the private audition of his new tune. She handled it with tact and kindness.