Our Christmas Love Song

For us, Alicia Witt's quirky style adds to every movie she appears in, and that alone gave us reason to watch this film. It's probably our second favorite (in a dismal 2019 field) of the current year's Hallmark Christmas films.

Luckily, Alicia was included to carry the film, because much of the plot makes no sense at all. Alicia, a country singing star, must return home to find proof that will defend her against a plagiarism claim. The movie focuses on finding the original music or notes written for her song.

However, while she returned home for this purpose, she doesn't work at it very diligently. Random scenes are interspersed, and they only return to the search from time to time to remind us that was supposed to be important. During the random scenes and search scenes, innumerable people remember her singing the song in public 10 years before the song she's accused of plagiarising, but no thought of getting these memories down as testimony on affidavits is ever considered. LOL

More cliches follow, regardless, we found this to be a watchable film, but probably now the bottom of the list of Alicia Witt's Christmas offerings, and I don't really plan on repeat viewings.

She does do some singing, and we discovered that she has "singer/songwriter" in her history. So the singing was real, and she did a nice job.

Alicia Witt's Christmas Hallmark efforts are variable, as are her performances in them. While the likes of 'A Very Merry Mix Up' and 'Christmas List' were worthwhile watches despite flaws, she was in mediocre misfires such as 'The Mistletoe Inn' and 'Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane' as well. Actually do not think she's too bad an actress despite not being a big fan, but whether she is good in her films is dependent on the role and that's the aspect where the Hallmark films she stars in vary.

Personally think she comes over quite well here and her character is one of her more endearing ones. As far as her Hallmark festive films go, 'Our Christmas Love Song' leans towards the better end in ranking if more high middle. 2019 was not the best of years for Hallmark or their Christmas films, but 'Our Christmas Love Song', despite being heavily flawed, is to me among their above average ones with a good deal to like about it. Not a great film but certainly didn't leave me tearing my hair out.

These good things include Witt, who has not been this charming in a long while. She is expressive and her character is neither too perfect or her flaws too exaggerated. The supporting performances are above average and spirited, even if the characters are fairly sketchy in development and just Hallmark cliches. 'Our Christmas Love Song' looks good, the photography complementing the pleasant scenery very well. The music is some of the best of any Hallmark film in a while, it's catchy and lovely to listen to and if that was Witt performing she has some vocal chops.

Dialogue is not great to begin with, but it does get better throughout the course of the film and there is less cheese and it becomes more natural. The story generally is heart-warming, light-hearted and has a charm.

Even though it also is very predictable, a slow starter and at times silly with an easily telegraphed and too tidy resolution. Brendon Hines doesn't have the same amount of warmth and likeability that Witt has, takes his role too seriously and didn't always seem at ease.

His chemistry with her didn't really gel either, the romance felt both underdeveloped and underused with not an awful lot of growth and was then hurriedly written and together the two seemed under-rehearsed. The dialogue early on really isn't good and is quite stilted.

In summary, not great but above average. 6/10

The first virtue is represented by the lead couple. The second one - the admirable job of supporting actors. Not the last - the atmosphere. Result - just a beautiful film about roots, romance and a song.

Explain to me why she needs the sheet music since she has at least two people outside her family that can testify to hearing the song (and sounds like one helped perform it) long before Connie came out with her song. This is a detail I just can't enjoy the rest of the movie as a result especially since there is so much screen time devoted to it. But without the focus on the sheet music, we couldn't have had the surprise of the ultimate resolution, which I guessed early in the movie when the clue was given the first time. They did come up with a couple of nice twists at the end (even if some of it was very predictable).

Even without that problem, the story seemed forced but as noted, it smoothed out toward the end.

I am a huge Alicia Witt fan. But I can't say I thought she acted well in this movie. I didn't see the chemistry between Chase and Melody. There wasn't enough screen time between the two of them to show it (because too much was spent moaning about the plagiarism accusation).

But I loved the fact that she and others got to perform songs including original music. She posted that she isn't a guitar player (as she said, "not yet"). But she is a very talented singer, songwriter, and piano player.

I would like to see more Christmas movies like this where musically talented actors sing more than one song.

I try to watch as many Hallmark movies as I can, so this one made it to the DVR.

I want to like Alicia Witt. I really, really do. But she seems to only play, lately, the sugary sweet, sappy, too nice for her own good kind of person. She usually does this voice that sounds like she wants to be looked upon as the weak and childish woman who needs help tying her shoes. All that's missing is a pout. I'd love to see her as a character with a stronger, more assertive voice.

Also, the writing for this seems more than a little formulaic. I rolled my eyes when, in the beginning, she reminded her mentor she came to Nashville as a young girl with her "guitar and a dream."

Really? Could we toss a few more clichés in there?

As others have mentioned:

If there are SO many people who remember her performing her song while still in high school, ten years before the other song came out, why aren't they slapping some signatures down on some affidavits?

AND - for someone who so desperately needs this sheet music, she's sure not putting a lot of effort into finding it. Her quest is interspersed in the story almost as an afterthought. "Oh, yeah, so long as I'm here..."

I reached a point in the movie where I think a clue was given as to what happened to it, but haven't gotten to the end, yet, so...

This is a great premise for a movie, lost sheet music, but it could have been more solidly put together. There could have been some funny moments created in this, involving her hunt for the sheet music.

Also, I'm not loving her hair in this movie. I know that's a petty thing to mention, but I'm starting to see more flaws in the movies, which detract from my enjoyment of them. In addition, I started seeing smile lines around her eyes, which is fine. Grow old gracefully, I always say, and never deny your age. It's an earned right. But, she's still playing people in their 20's and 30's and it's getting harder and harder to accept. How about Hallmark letting her be her age? Let's let her be a mom of older children, for a change, instead of the ingenue?