Un souhait pour Noël

Our family likes to watch Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel. While most of the shows are similar it is a safe network to view family style programs. Some of the shows are so bad we just laugh at poor writing, cheap production values and just plain bad acting. Watch "The National Tree" and you'll know what I mean. "A Christmas Wish" was on par with some of the better programs. While the story was familiar to many Hallmark movies the dialog was a cut above. The show was actually filmed during the winter instead of summer with fake snow scattered around. There were some cute moments which caused us to laugh out loud (in a good way), but perhaps what this Christmas movie had that the others did not was the true meaning of the season. Although not over bearing it did mention the birth of Christ and the importance faith plays in our lives. Overall a good effort.

My Christmas film viewings over-time have been a very mixed bag. With some surprisingly good hits, where regardless of how predictable they are succeed in being full of charm, warmth and heart so succeeding in being light-hearted and undemanding fun. But also some quite big misses, where the characters are not likeable, everything is forced and shallow with implausibility too in some of the worst cases, the acting and writing being weak and basically with just nothing to them.

Despite being a long way from perfect or being a complete hit, 'A Christmas Wish' is thankfully closer to the former category. It is the second Kristy Swanson Christmas film seen back to back (the other being 'Angels in the Snow') and is the infinitely superior one, with it actually being a good film and Swanson is also much better here. Although the story execution is not perfect, 'A Christmas Wish' is still sincere and moving and is worth seeing for primarily the cast.

'A Christmas Wish' isn't perfect. It takes a bit of time to find its footing pace-wise with it being a bit thin and draggy story-wise at times. Not all the script is there, with moments of awkwardness and sugar heaviness.

The messaging is well-intentioned but features too much and is on the heavy-handed side.

However, there is a lot to like about 'A Christmas Wish'. It looks attractive enough. The scenery is both rustic and festive and the photography doesn't look rushed or drab, quite beautiful actually. The music doesn't come over as too melodramatic while still having some presence. The direction is suitably sympathetic on the most part while taking a little time to find its feet. The dialogue is not perfect either but the cheese and sentiment don't go overboard and it generally doesn't come over as stilted.

Furthermore, the story, despite its imperfections, is warm hearted and has a lot of well meaning heart, without taking itself too seriously. The film did leave me feeling very moved. The characters interest and are worth investing in, not being too perfect or having flaws too exaggerated, which was refreshing after seeing a few films with distastefully over the top unpleasant characters that you are meant to root for. Swanson's performance is deeply felt and doesn't get melodramatic. Kirstin Dorn is a charmer and similarly moving and Edward Hermann once again plays the type of role he played so well beautifully.

Overall, not great but well done in a lot of areas. 7/10.

I dislike many Hallmark movies especially the cookie cutter Christmas movies. There are some stands outs however, even in the Christmas genre, and this is one of them. The acting is superb. I love anything centered around a diner in a small town. I won't rehash the plot. The kids are darling, not brats. Kristie Swanson is not too old for this role as some reviewer said. Women have children through their 30s and even 40s now. I watch this movie every year. It's very moving and sweet.

"A Christmas Wish"

I love this film. There are granted several of plot holes but it is one of those film that as it is about service is just makes you feel good.

Kristy Swanson is fun to watch, KC Clyde is fun to watch, but the fact that Kristy is eleven years older than KC is distracting. Fortunately, the film is not really about their relationship and there is no ending big kiss or romantic resolution. I didn't think that Kristy was necessarily too old for her role, but she just didn't match with KC.

The film instead is about "Martha's" circumstances and the kids. Why did Martha leave where she was living? She at least had a roof over her head. Did I miss her being evicted? Surprising that even with kids that considering her circumstances that she hasn't been working. Bart Johnson is too nice of a guy to be playing the abusive husband. The parts of the kids were well acted. It was disappointed that they didn't do much with acting elsewhere. The girl in particular was well acted. As someone else commented, it was interesting seeing Ed Herrman with his as usual amazing acting and in a different sort of role.

Dani Cuchran in the teen part of her career was fun to see.

Things as usual in Christmas films did "wrap up" a little too nicely.

I originally saw the film under the working title "A Rootbeer Christmas." I was disappointed when I saw that the title had been changed to "A Christmas Wish" which is far from a unique name for a Christmas film. I think that I heard that it is because people in Europe don't care for the taste of rootbeer that that is the reason that it was changed.

I understand the films made by the LDS/ Mormon market that clearly take place in that market using terms such as "pastor" to make the film more accessible to other groups, but it still bothers me. Hello just say that the nice heavy set man is the bishop and not the pastor!

The film made me wish to live in a small town like Mapleton, Utah where the film takes place and to work in a diner such as "The Rootbeer." Evidently, at one time it was an actual diner, but is now an insurance office or something. I was disappointed to learn that it is no longer a real diner. I keep meaning to drive passed it, but I haven't.

"A Christmas Wish" I love this film. There are granted several of plot holes but it is one of those film that as it is about service is just makes you feel good.

Kristy Swanson is fun to watch, KC Clyde is fun to watch, but the fact that Kristy is eleven years older than KC is distracting. Fortunately, the film is not really about their relationship and there is no ending big kiss or romantic resolution. I didn't think that Kristy was necessarily too old for her role, but she just didn't match with KC.

The film instead is about "Martha's" circumstances and the kids. Why did Martha leave where she was living? She at least had a roof over her head. Did I miss her being evicted? Surprising that even with kids that considering her circumstances that she hasn't been working. Bart Johnson is too nice of a guy to be playing the abusive husband. The parts of the kids were well acted. It was disappointed that they didn't do much with acting elsewhere. The girl in particular was well acted. As someone else commented, it was interesting seeing Ed Herrman with his as usual amazing acting and in a different sort of role.

Dani Cuchran in the teen part of her career was fun to see.

Things as usual in Christmas films did "wrap up" a little too nicely.

I originally saw the film under the working title "A Rootbeer Christmas." I was disappointed when I saw that the title had been changed to "A Christmas Wish" which is far from a unique name for a Christmas film. I think that I heard that it is because people in Europe don't care for the taste of rootbeer that that is the reason that it was changed.

I understand the films made by the LDS/ Mormon market that clearly take place in that market using terms such as "pastor" to make the film more accessible to other groups, but it still bothers me. Hello just say that the nice heavy set man is the bishop and not the pastor!

The film made me wish to live in a small town like Mapleton, Utah where the film takes place and to work in a diner such as "The Rootbeer." Evidently, at one time it was an actual diner, but is now an insurance office or something. I was disappointed to learn that it is no longer a real diner. I keep meaning to drive passed it, but I haven't.

Here 40-something Kristy Swanson plays 30-something Martha Evans whose husband of 4 years runs off with a woman in the weeks leading up to Christmas, wipes out the bank account, and leaves her with three children aged 3 to about 11. Not sure why but she puts them all in the old family car and heads north, ending up in a small community in Utah.

Once there she has to find a place to stay and a job and ultimately has to rely on the kindness of her new friends to make a go of it. And the kids have to start at a new school with the boy dealing with the school bully.

This is a nice small movie, some of the dialog doesn't seem to fit but overall nicely acted and with a good message. It was nice to see Edward Hermann in a different role for him, he died in 2014.

My wife and I watched it on Amazon streaming movies.