I'm Not Ready for Christmas

Holly Nolan is an ad person dedicated to her job. She is so dedicated, she puts it before everything and everyone in her life.…..until she misses one too many of her niece's recitals. Mad that her aunt was a no-show, Holly's niece meets a magical Santa conveniently standing outside of the recital hall. She asks Santa for one wish. That wish is that Holly only be able to tell the truth. Santa grants it and that's when the storyline kicks in.

Holly soon discovers that not only can she not tell a lie, she has lost her ability to filter her thoughts. In a normal world, that would be a bad thing. But in the Hallmark world, it opens doors and takes Holly to emotional and interpersonal places she might have never experienced. She tells her co-workers what she really thinks and it opens lines of communication. She tells a guy she'd really like to go out with him and it leads to romance. She tells an important client what she really thinks of his product during a pitch session and it lands her the big account. But does living an honest life ultimately lead to happiness? You'll have to watch the movie to find out.

It's typical Hallmark fare, but Alicia Witt's performance and some thought provoking moments make this movie worth a couple hours of your time.

This movie follows your typical Hallmark plot line, but has a nice twist. The main character, Holly, is a single, workaholic whose sister and niece often beg to spend time with her. Holly's main problem is that she has a knack for telling little white lies. This is accentuated when she promises her niece, who is in elementary school, that she will attend her Christmas program but doesn't. Later, when Holly arrives at the school after the program, she comes across the music teacher who she met earlier, who confronts Holly about a lie she told. Holly's niece asks Santa to prohibit Holly from telling lies, and as Holly walks out the school to the car, that wish comes true. Holly cannot lie. This throws a wrench in her otherwise normal life and she finds the true spirit of Christmas.

I'm Not Ready for Christmas is a 2015 romance film directed by Sam Irvin and starring Alicia Witt, George Stults, Brigid Brannagh, and Dan Lauria. Written by Hanz Wasserburger, the film is about driven businesswoman whose life is turned upside down when she discovers she can no longer lie—the result of her niece Anna's wish to Santa Claus. Her career and love life become complicated when her lies begin to catch up with her, forcing her to judge between truth and what is right.

Alicia Witt seems to be the go to actress for the Hallmark Channel when they produce a film that rips off other films. I think they do this because she does make these film enjoyable.

This film is family safe however children & men will be bored. If you like romantic comedies then watch this.

My rating for this one when I saw it 5 years ago was a 7. I'm bumping it up because I have come to appreciate Alicia Witt's talent when compared to the current crop of Hallmark favorite actresses. Most are not bad, but very few have Alicia's acting skills or comic talents. I found her very funny in this role, and the plot steps out of the current cookie cutter lines that Hallmark has fallen into in recent years. Special kudos to Mia Bagley who played the young niece. She was absolutely adorable. And it was great to see Brigid Brannagh again as Alicia's sister. One quibble: I hate it when either the hero or the heroine gives up the career opportunity of a life time to stay with the love interest. So instead of the guy going to be the musical director at NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY at twice the salary, he is going to stay with the high school? That is not going to end well.

I used to really enjoy Alicia Witt. She's done great work on really good films, but it seems she is overacting now. It's a little distracting. She's such a doll...but it's really hard to focus on the actual movie.