Five More Minutes

In my opinion, Nikki DeLoach is Hallmark's best actor. Her movies aren't the fluffy ones that are stereotypical romance movies.

This movie has echoes of other movies. A beloved deceased relative leaves evidence behind of a first love before marrying the spouse that all the family knew. There's a beloved family store. This one isn't going bankrupt, but it's gotten disorganized. Widowed mom meets someone. The leading lady has a boyfriend and there was an aborted proposal at the beginning. Then back at her hometown she runs into an old flame that didn't end well when they were young.

But there's more to this movie. The title refers to Clara's expressed wish for 5 more minutes with her late Grandfather. That theme isn't a casual one. But saying more is definite spoilers.

There is a major twist with subtle clues foreshadowing it. I was very lucky to spot the clues and interpret them from the first.

Very nice ending. Sappy, but I love sappy.

With a sweet, warm, and magical feel to it, the opening scene in 'Five More Minutes' sets the tone for this lovely Hallmark Movies and Mysteries' Christmas movie. The story pulls at the heartstrings, providing a bit of mystery and a touch of magic, making for a wonderful viewing experience. Hands down, one of the best this season thus far. The story revolves around Clara (played by Nikki Deloach), an art teacher who will soon lose her job and is also having doubts about her current romantic relationship. So, she heads home this Christmas to help her mother with her late grandfather's candy cane confectionery. While home, she makes a wish for five more minutes with her grandpa (played by Eric Keenleyside), who had always given her the advice and support she needed. Shortly thereafter, she discovers her grandpa's journal, which provides an account of his first lost love. She decides to find this mysterious lost love, eventually teaming up with Logan (played by David Haydn-Jones), her first love, who, like her grandpa, seems to always know what she needs. It is a warm and heartfelt story that immediately pulls you in. It is rich in feeling and emotion. Indeed, I found myself shedding a few tears in this one. The writers do a great job developing all this thru some engaging dialogue and, of course, there is a magical twist to the story. The acting in this one is brilliant. Deloach, a Hallmark regular, had a very convincing performance, quite impressive. Her performance engaged me; I could feel the emotion, her emotion on-screen. Haydn-Jones too was quite good. He had this warm and supportive vibe to his performance, which I found appealing. The chemistry between the two was lovely to watch as well. It felt easy and natural. All in all, 'Five More Minutes' is a beautiful Christmas movie, a nice new edition to Hallmark's Miracles of Christmas movie line-up. I highly recommend it.

The best Hallmark Christmas movie of 2021. What a lovely, inspirational story. Loved the twist at the end. I guess my only question is - had none of them seen pictures of grampa when he was young? Maybe not - and that might explain why her mom never had an encounter with Jay. Still - even with the question, the end had me in tears. Loved it ... will watch this one over and over.

This movie was a family winner. It was not the usual predictable storyline, and had all the warmth we hoped for in a holiday movie. My husband and I found it fresh and wonderful pleasure to watch. As the ending credits rolled, we declared it the best one so far!

I totally enjoyed the movie. The story line was fantastic and it did not give anything away like in most Hallmark movies. I can totally feel her emotions and cried right along with her. Thanks Hallmark for a fantastic holiday movie.