Une famille pour Noël

The movie begins with Hannah Dunbar (Lacey Chabert) faced with a decision between her career or her sweetheart Ben Matthews (Tyron Leitso). The movie fast forwards 10 years and she is an award winning news reporter. Out of the blue she gets a friend request through social media from Ben. With a chance encounter with Santa he asks her to wish for something that she wants, and then she wakes up she is married to Ben, with two children, a dog and living in the suburbs. It is a delightful movie that has Hannah trying to figure out which life is most important.

Victor J

This Hallmark holiday romance downplays the romance and concentrates on the choices we make in life. Lacey Chabert does a good job of portraying Hanna Dunbar, a successful television newswoman who is single. A Christmas miracle allows her to see what her life would be like if she made other choices.

Or is it all a dream? Regardless, Hanna has an opportunity to compare two possible life tracks, and she is changed by that experience. What I like most about the story is that when she is placed in her alternate life, the shock of the experience is not glossed over for comedic effect; she actually does seem concerned and distraught. Hanna is a bright woman with agency who comes to understand that her choices have consequences, and that we sometimes make those choices because they seem to naturally follow from the life path we are on.

A fairly entertaining, mindless movie. But I'm sorry - her husband and kids were horrible. The husband berated her constantly, had no patience or understanding for the fact that she was clearly going through something, and the kids whined and complained the whole time. They got mad at their mom because she didn't pick the fruit out of the cereal for them... really?? So I didn't buy the ending at all - she would never choose to go back there. She would run FAST back to her great single life and growing career!

Lacey Chabert, Hallmark's second darling of Christmas, stars in the fun, well-acted film Family for Christmas. The beginning will probably make the romantics in the audience reach for their hankies: Lacey and her boyfriend Tyron Leitso are parting ways at the airport because she has a six-month internship in San Francisco. They vow to wait for each other, but then a title card displays the dreaded words "ten years later" and Lacey's a famous news anchor with no romantic attachments. So sad!

Then again, the movie's just started, so dry those tears and get ready for some holiday magic. She starts thinking of her old flame, wondering what would have happened if they'd held on a little tighter all those years ago. The next morning, she wakes up married to him, in a suburban house with two children and a dog! Lacey is so funny in this film, letting audiences know she's out of her element without being annoying or unlikable. She tries to cope with her new life as a housewife, and along the way she starts to fall in love with Tyron all over again. He's a particularly likable love interest, a perfect blend of a romantic lead and a dad and husband. Together, Lacey and Tyron have a comfortable yet exciting chemistry together.

Family for Christmas is one of the better films to come out of the Hallmark channel, because not only is the story accessible rather than silly, but the acting is very good. The characters aren't one-dimensional, so the audience can really get invested in the movie, rather than just concentrate on their popcorn. While the ending is bittersweet, the overall film is very enjoyable. Add it to your yearly line-up of Christmas movies; I did!

I think people have been overly harsh to this film, missing the message completely.

I thought this was a different sort of Hallmark film, and all the better for it.

It helps that it boasts Lacey Chabert in the lead, who can make even the sappiest of material palatable.

With some nice messages and moments this kept us entertained.

Lighten up people!