The Angel Tree

7/10 - touching story of community is one of Hallmark's better 2020 offerings

I hate this premise. Reporter is sent to town to do an expose on something or someone and either a promotion or even a job depends on it. In this case, as is often true, the hit piece is aimed at a selfless and generous enterprise. Often there is a betrayal involved. This is not intended to necessarily describe this movie, but it is the pattern most movies with this premise follow. In this movie, the reporter is Jill Wagner whom I can't imagine having a ruthless bone in her body.

This movie has some nice banter. There's some funny moments even beyond the dialogue.

Wagner and Lucas Bryant have instant chemistry. Cassidy Nugent also does a great job as Cassie, Rebecca's daughter.

There's a sub-plot based on what has usually been a surefire heart warmer. This device is becoming very common and predictable to the point where I fear the impact is becoming diluted. I won't say what it is, but you should probably recognize it when you see it. I did like the way it was handled and it still got a tear or two.

Rebecca's backstory develops into an interesting theme. I love the lesson about Christmas magic. Again, I don't want to spoil it and it's well explained by Rebecca.

In the end, it wasn't as predictable as I expected. As I already said, there are a lot of sentimental moments even if some of them are predictable. You might even call it sappy, but I like sappy.

Loved it until the military mom showed up in some type of costume. Is it so difficult for wardrobe or costume or whoever to get an Army uniform right? Google is your friend. I literally laughed out loud. Almost discredited the whole movie for me.

I absolutely love both Jill Wagner and Lucas Bryant and they didn't disappoint.

Jill Wagner plays Rebecca, a writer who writes an article about The Angel Tree from her old home town where a mysterious and anonymous benefactor grants the wishes left on the Angel Tree every year at Christmas. Rebecca's editor bribed her in to trying to find out who the benefactor is and write an article about them...promising that she can write more of the articles that she wants to write about real people if she does. Challenge accepted! Rebecca packs up her daughter (she is a widower) and goes back to her old home town for the first time ever and stays with her aunt. On the first day she runs in to her old best friend, Matthew, who is running his parents diner and doing a coffee roasting business on the side. The two fall back in to an instant affection...they have great chemistry, and are immediately set up on opposing sides as Matthew wants to help keep Angel anonymous. His nephew however joins Rebecca and her daughter on the hunt to solve the Angel mystery.

One interesting wrinkle, Rebecca's article attracts outsiders and the number of wishes appearing on the Angel Tree more than doubles. Rebecca realizes it is more than one person can handle.

"People, in general, just want to believe in something good at Christmas. You know and if you want to call that magic, then yeah they want to believe in magic. And now because of me it is just going to be a big disappointment...unless..."-Rebecca.

Rebecca doesn't want anyone to be disappointed like she was all those years ago when Matthew's wish to save the diner came true, but her wish to stay in town did not, so along with Matthew and quite a few other town members...they start working on granting the wishes.

This was a delightful film that is exactly what Christmas should be about...helping others. I smiled, I laughed, I cried and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Thank you, Hallmark!

Jill and Lucas are the best, I hope there are more opportunities to see these two.

"I know she wants to know your name...but maybe things won't be the same."-Matthew

The impromptu and unique song was the icing and cherry on top of this delicious holiday treat.

Nobody should watch Hallmark films with massively high expectations, their Christmas output particularly. If a Hallmark fan or wanting to see as many Christmas films as possible, expectations would understandably be higher. They are very formulaic with most of them being more of the same narratively and structurally, apart from sporadic attempts at changes of pace. There are a fair share of them though that are surprisingly above average and even good amidst the many average and less ones.

The 2020 output from Hallmark did vary in quality but was not near as bad or wildly uneven as it could have been (there have been worse years). None of the films from the batch were really terrible, and a small handful of them were actually very good. While not one of the best 2020 Hallmark Christmas films, 'The Angel Tree' is still worth watching, has a lot going for it and a good representation of why Jill Wagner is so popular with Hallmark.

Did find the film a little bit of a slow starter. The ending is once again on the pat side.

Also that the lead character's naivety was not buyable, neither was the reactions to what she does and what she intends to do.

However, a lot is good. It is visually pleasing and has a professional look. The appropriately festive locations especially. Enough of the soundtrack is nostalgic and pleasant enough. The direction is accomodating while not going through the motions. Wagner and Lucas Bryant don't overplay, any mannerisms not overdone, and neither do they hold back too much. Wagner especially is very good and the main reason to see the film. Their likeability shines through and their chemistry charms, personally actually thought it was there.

Moreover, the dialogue is tighter and less stilted than a lot of Hallmark Christmas films and the cheese and sentiment isn't as much. The story is heart warmingly charming and with the right amount of light heart, told simply but not too much so and not as overly predictable as it can be with Hallmark. The good intentions are sincere and are not laid on too thick. The characters may be well worn cliches, but they came over to me as likeable enough and any negative character traits didn't come over as over the top like can be the case in Hallmark Christmas films. Actually cared for these characters, not the case with a lot of recently seen Christmas films.

Nice film overall, don't expect anything award worthy though. 7/10.