Christmas in Evergreen

The town of Evergreen is home to a magic Christmas globe. Veterinarian Allie Shaw (Ashley Williams) is moving to DC for a new job at a big clinic and spending time with her ex Spencer. She makes a wish on the globe and situations conspire to keep her stuck in town. Michelle (Holly Robinson Peete) is her best friend who is taking over the Christmas festival. Ryan Bellamy (Teddy Sears) and his daughter Zoe are passing through town to fly to Florida. Zoe makes a wish on the globe. They run into Allie at the airport. Flights are canceled. The road out is blocked. No one can come in for the Christmas festival and no one can leave.

This is a Hallmark Christmas romance. It is a no drama special. There are no big surprises. Ashley Williams is super sweet. Teddy Sears is perfectly nice. It is hot sugary chocolate and it doesn't even have the marshmallows for fun. It does what it sets up to do. It does not offend. It does not challenge. It is a dash of magic and a batch of sugar cookies. It is Christmas at its nicest and safest.

Ever seen a dancing class recital? The group is dancing away but there is always the kid who is simply doing steps. Sometimes you can see her mentally counting the step-ball-changes before the turn. It looks like dancing but it's missing what makes dancing, dancing.

For me, watching this movie, Ashley Williams is that kid and it ruins the movie for me. Overacting to the hilt, that jack-o-lantern smile, everything too big, too much, overdone. Natural is not in her acting tool box, she acts like a pre-teen in her school play. It's distracting and pulls me right out of the movie. It's a problem b/c she plays the lead and is on camera a LOT, so if watching an actor substitute big-eyed ear-to-ear smiles (sometimes at inappropriate moments) for actually getting into a role annoys you, you might want to plug in It's a Wonderful Life and enjoy the great acting that turns a Christmas movie into a Christmas classic.

The other actors are ok in their roles, and the plot is typical Christmas romance with the usual angels in the snow, tree decorating, bearded old guy dispensing holiday wisdom, etc. etc. The movie is predictable, of course, but that's what Hallmark movies do: guarantee the happy ending.

I love Christmas movies, and for me this one is fair to middling. If you enjoy Hallmark Christmas movies, you'll like this one as it follows their holiday pattern. Teddy Sears (Ryan) and Holly Robinson Peete (Michelle) were bright spots in this movie

Turn down the fake snow machine a little. Ashley Williams has an amazing smile...that's about it. She never wears anything sexier than an old sweater. There is no feel of chemistry in this movie. That being said it is a nice movie. Everyone seemed to try real hard and it is worth a viewing, but it's missing a lot of things. It sort of feels like a religious cult's first attempt at a Christmas movie. Can one have too much Lynda Boyd? No.

To all the sceptics out there.... don't watch them if you are bored of them or they are too "predictable"... My girlfriend and I , loved everyone single one of them shown on the hallmark channel this year, mainly because they are all the same "cheesy" movies ... It is a beautiful way to get away from the greed that has become the "holiday season" and it's a nice way to come home everyday and watch the ideal Christmas to a small town ... yes I get that the actors are cast in a bunch of similar movies , but that's not just because they are being paid less to film in Canada , it's because they love the idea of "Christmas" ... it's a time for miracles and a time for reconciliations and a time for forgiveness... it's not just a bunch of presents under the tree, it's that SPECIAL feeling that the season brings... and we both LOVE IT!! thank you

...like many other Hallmark films. Christmas, love, a lovely village, a single father and a succesful pretender, a decisions and the magic changing everything. And, sure, as a real good point, Santa. The virtue of film- it is...comfortable. Real , just real comfortable. Because all is familiar and predictable. And because it gives not a pledge or demonstration or lesson but a simple story . Nothing complicated. Only just nice. And, after a lot of sweet films about same theme, a so honest film and its snow globe are not bad attractions.