A Perfect Christmas List

It's a toss up between which is worse, the acting, the script or the background music.

Predictable and boring plot, forced romance, mediocre performances, and incredible lack of originality, I don't recommend it.

Over the past two years or so, my Christmas film completest quest (made up for primarily those from Hallmark and Lifetime) has been very interesting but also hit and miss. Some were very charming, easy to digest and lovely watches with good casts, providing that one doesn't expect too much. Others were very dull, cheesy, too sentimental and badly written and acted with excessively predictable and thin stories (due to doing nothing new with familiar formulas).

Unfortunately, 'A Perfect Christmas List' is one of the films in the latter category. Have actually seen worse Christmas films overall, but what could have been a decent warm-hearted film turned out to be anything but with nearly everything falling as flat as one can get. 'A Perfect Christmas List' is not a complete and utter disaster as there is one performance that stops it from being so, and lifts it to a very weak film with many terribly executed elements.

That good performance comes from a charming and perky Marion Ross.

Also thought that the production values were quite nice, especially the scenery.

Everything else fails. The rest of the acting is a mix of looking ill at ease to shameless overacting. Despite his part not being massive, Richard Karn does grate from trying far harder than he needed to and it does stick out. Didn't find myself caring for most of the flimsily fleshed out to the point of dullness and stale stereotypical characters, with only Ross' having much spark or rootability. The romantic chemistry is practically non-existent and the romance itself in writing is completely charmless and strained, not to mention very underwritten.

Furthermore, the music is too loud and too much of one mood. The dialogue continually sounds awkward, and is very cheesy and over-sentimental too. The pacing is sluggish (direction likewise), especially in the over-stretched middle act. The story is very thin and predictable, the final third is of the kind that has a contrived dramatic situation and ends on a very pat note. The lack of warmth and charm is noticeable and the Christmas spirit didn't seem there either, it all felt bland. Do agree that the theft scene was very out of place and brought a temporarily mean spirited edge to the story.

In conclusion, weak. 3/10.

Such a shame but this was tired. No chemistry between any of the characters. The worst scene was on the ice rink where she pretended not to be able to skate to impress the guy. Why????? It was awkward and dated. The mother was awful but the daughter just as awful acting was appalling.

Review Date 6/2/2019

I Have Reviewed OVER 500 "Christmas Films and Specials". Please BEWARE Of films and specials with just one review! For instance When "It's a POSITIVE" chances are that the reviewer was involved with the production. "If its Negative" then they may have a grudge against the film for whatever reason. I am fare about these films.

As her dying wish, Evie tasks her daughter and granddaughter, Sara, with a list of festive accomplishments to do together before Christmas, hoping it will repair their relationship. Along the way, Sara discovers an adventure of her own.

What was nice about this film is that it shows us that we all make mistakes and that forgiving and understanding is part of life and we all must be willing to make amends when needed.

People that have had complicated relationships with parents should give this ia try.