Le come-back de Noël

Wow! This movie breaks the mold of what one finds on Hallmark this time of the year. I almost believe that it was made my an independent production company and Hallmark just bought it--it really does not have any of the usual tropes. Ladies, if you have a husband/ boyfriend around and you want to force them to watch a Hallmark movie this Christmas, I guarantee that this one will make them the least ill!

As soon as I saw Peter Gallagher (aka the dad from 'The OC') and Bruce Campbell (aka Ash from the 'Evil Dead' franchise) at the top of the bill, I was looking forward to seeing 'One December Night'. I can report that I was not disappointed. The acting is great. The story is engaging; i.e., it feels genuine. And the musical performances sprinkled here and there are surprisingly good. The story is about two feuding rock star fathers (played by Bruce Campbell and Peter Gallagher) who, after ten years, reunite for a lucrative holiday concert in the small town of Pineville, the place where their band, Bedford and Sullivan, began. The challenging task of keeping these two from butting heads lies with their children, Jason Bedford (played by Brett Dalton) and Quinn Sullivan (played by Eloise Mumford). Jason and Quinn, who also work in the music industry, have their own personal and professional motives for making sure their dads reconcile and take the stage that one December night. It is through this challenging experience that the two reconnect and soon discover that they are more than childhood friends. The story has several layers, several storylines. The writers do an excellent job of bringing these together in a coherent, and more importantly, engrossing overall narrative. What makes this work, and one of the strengths of the film, is character development. The writers do a brilliant job of portraying Bedford and Sullivan as complicated and flawed men who are at turning points in their lives. The dialogue, in particular, between the two reveals a considerable amount of depth to their relationship, which pulled me in as a viewer. The script also does a good job of integrating humor with the more touching, heartfelt scenes. I may have even shed a tear or two. What makes all this work on-screen, of course, is the acting. It was impressive. Both Campbell and Gallagher had strong performances. They are the perfect duo in this one, both tapping into different energies that work well together on-screen. Dalton and Mumford too had convincing performances. The chemistry between the two felt authentic and genuine. I could feel them (re)connect and fall in love on-screen, which is always a plus for a romance. Finally, this Hallmark movie was a bit light on the Christmas traditions and holiday cheer (no making of gingerbread houses in this one...thank god), which I suspect will be refreshing for some and disappointing for others. However, we do get an ugly Christmas sweater and some fun Christmas sunglasses. All in all, it is an enjoyable Christmas movie, a change of pace for Hallmark, which many fans will no doubt enjoy this holiday season.

Bruce Campbell and Peter Gallagher can do no wrong. The interaction between the two of them was great. They were actually just like brothers - conflict, bickering - just great!

The secondary story about the young singer - not interesting. Yes - Eloise Mumford's character was a music/singer manager - but the focus on this singer wasn't really necessary (even as little story time devoted to her). The music manager issue could have been handled without the screen time given to her story.

Solid performance by Eloise Mumford and Brett Dalton ... and what a treat to see DiDi Conn (Frenchie from Grease)! No one can mistake that voice...

I've been a fan of Hallmark Christmas movies since they did few enough titles a year that they didn't all look the same. "One December Night," thankfully, doesn't follow the recent formula.

I was curious to see how Peter Gallagher had matured; my image of him is from another favorite Christmas movie where he plays the immature brother, "While You Were Sleeping." Age has been kind to Gallagher, and his acting proved he's more than just a pretty face.

While the plot still contains a few too many, "Will they or won't they?" (when we all know they will), it's nice to see a story that revolves around older actors in this bromance. The young folks in this case are the side story.

While it's no "Christmas Card" or "Snow Bride," still, nice job Hallmark.

For anyone who has been estranged from a close friend or even worse, a close family member, it really doesn't matter with the passing of time. There is always a glimmer of hope that time can heal old wounds and in this case both family and an old friend are reunited.

The film title, One December Night, is a classic song the former duet of Bedford and Sullivan stopped singing ten years ago and so it has remained a mystery until this Christmas season when the son and daughter respectively of Bedford and Sullivan are tasked with bringing their fathers together again for a once in a lifetime Christmas performance.

The story has a mysterious past that needs to be revealed, a challenge for the present in making this Christmas concert a reality by re-uniting Bedford and Sullivan on stage, and a future romance brimming with possibilities.

Mrs. Shullivan and I both enjoyed the entirety of the film and recommend it to movie viewers who enjoy some good music, family and old friend reunions with a Christmas period theme. I give the film a better than decent 7 out of 10 IMDb rating.