A Reason for the Season

I really enjoyed this Hallmark holiday romance...starting with its two leads Taylor Cole (Evie Lane) and Kevin McGarry (Kyle Newman). The premise is a wealthy cosmetics mogul puts a whole bunch of stipulations on her daughter's trust fund inheritance. Evie has to find the four strangers in a small town who helped her mother give birth to her and saved her life 35 years ago. The catch...she has to grant their wishes anonymously and all before midnight Christmas Eve.

Evie rolls into town and employs the town lawyer and hockey coach Kyle Newman to help her blend in, identify everyone in the photo and handle the legal around her gifts.

The romance is actually very sweet and I think will appeal to most romantics, but the real reason to watch this Hallmark holiday romance is amazingly selfless towns people...they really are too good to be true. The cast was amazing and I liked the spirit of giving that is highlighted in this film.

Kevin McGarry and Taylor always do a great job in any movie and this one didn't disappoint. . I loved the fact that the move had no twists or turns in it. It was just a straigh forward holiday movie by Hallmark. Now I'm not a big fan of Hallmark movies anymore, but I did like this.

The movie was about a girl Evie who was asked by her mother to go to this small town and find the people that helped deliver her when she was pregnant.

I do like the fact that Evies' mother taught her how to give to others and not expect everything to be handed to her on a "silver platter". That concept along brings out the best Christmas movies. The mother wants what's best for her daughter, even though she has plenty of money and the daughter is about to get her trust fund, Evie had to learn the hard way what it really means to give and not receive. Along the journey, she finds love with Kyle who she hired as a lawyer.

This was really solid for HMM and I appreciated the uniqueness of the story. I also thought I had it well predicted until I didn't. Kevin rarely has a bad pairing and Taylor was no exception. These two were great together. It was interesting that Evie's father was never brought up which is a bit different for Hallmark. Also appreciated the older characters and letting us know the lead was turning 35 and all the ramifications of that.

I did want a little bit more from the ending but nothing that takes away from my overall enjoyment of this movie. One of my favorite movies of the season so far.

The best part of this was the great chemistry between Kevin and Taylor. They look great together but there was a believable connection, not too overdone or scripted.

Another thing I liked about this one was that it was a hidden identity much like we get with secret royals and heirs in other movies, but this one didn't turn it into the 20 minutes left just before the 2nd to last commercial break conflict. In fact, that didn't really exist and it was so refreshing!

While it was big city vs small town there wasn't a huge issue on who is staying who is going long distance nonsense. It's purely that a small town can brighten the heart of the season.

They didn't do enough to explain really why he had to be the lawyer other than just tax breaks of gifting which he wouldn't need to actually help if that's the case. Also, cardinal rule of lawyers was broken- don't get romantically involved with your clients. I'll forgive it this time.

I thought all of the side characters were great, especially the mom and diner owner. The town is cute and it wasn't too over done town traditions (minus her as the elf but that wasn't too overplayed either).

I thought this was really well done for a hallmark movie. It was just missing a certain pizzazz that kept it from a higher rating that I save for my favorite of the year each year.

I would watch it again and I think the quality of the acting and absence of certain overdone cliches raise it above the average hallmark movie.

This movie has an unusual take on a Christmas pay-it-forward story, or perhaps a charitable Secret Santa. It is an appealing approach to an already appealing premise. The opening scene works right into that.

Then there is the scene with mom's ridiculous do-or-die requirement for Evie/Mary to earn her Trust fund. I wish the writers would have toned the whole thing down a little. It appears to Evie and the viewer to be more of a Hail Mary (no pun intended) effort rather than a fair opportunity to prove herself. The requirement is reinforced a couple of times. Mom even acknowledges at one point that the task is more than difficult and that she has already failed once to make it happen.

I like Kyle's approach moving forward from the beginning. And the story develops very nicely. Meanwhile Taylor Cole and Kevin McGarry build some nice playful chemistry. And the spoiled arrogant rich girl quickly turns into a smart and kind lady. The acts of kindness proceed and in general terms the result is about what you'd expect. Strangely, the story lacked, at least in my view, a key element of all Christmas rom/com stories. To identify it would be a spoiler so I can't say more. The movie managed to succeed without it.