A Welcome Home Christmas

I watch a lot of Hallmark movies as well as many other types, including romances, and this one leaves a lot to be desired. I'm stunned at the relatively high rating others gave this movie. The storyline is bland, the unfolding of events is overly predictable and the acting is just plain bad with the exception of Jana Kramer who plays Chloe...she is acceptable, though far from supherb. Marquee is too easily "changed," is stiff in his character and has little in the way of chemistry with Chloe. The ending has the potential to be touching, but with the bad acting and predictable nature of events, it was far from moving. I do like light romances, but I also like realistic characters even in a fictional story. These characters are, for the most part, unrealistic. Everyone has a plastic smile, and the sentimental parts are forced. Kramer kept my rating from a 4 or 5, but couldn't go higher than 5.7. One last comment...Hallmark seems to be concerned about "spoilers" but look at the cover on these movies and they basically give away the ending!

In the past few years there have been a number of touching Christmas movies about veterans or service people and their families. If you haven't seen too many of them, this movie will touch some hearts, and even if you have, it might. I've seen my share, and I saw the predictable climax and ending coming and it still elicited a few tears. When I say predictable, I mean very. Also, there wasn't a lot of tension or potential conflict, which is OK, if you prefer that.

There are also some funny moments and dialogue.

I have loved Jana Kramer since I first saw her in a Christmas movie a couple years ago. She is the most natural of the actors in this. Others are much less natural, especially Santa. He said most of his lines way too deliberately. Between cliché Christmas tropes and unnatural acting, there were many times when things seemed off.

One great moment, however brief, was Jana's Christmas duet with Brandon Quinn supporting her great voice. There was some chemistry between the two, but it didn't stand out. I've seen a couple new movies this season where the chemistry sizzled by comparison but not here.

This movie was a good Christmas feeling movie the romance, and love the corporation of the troops

It does sound like she's saying Dad but CC shows that she's actually saying Doug.

Chloe works in the military as councelor who guides military people who are coming back to civilian life. She meets Michael, there who is having a bad time adjusting to real life. So she comes up with a great plan: he will be in charge of the toy drive they do at the town/base.

Jana Kramer was great. She always is. She even sang! I quite enjoyed Brandon as well. They had good chemistry, which really makes the movie more enjoyable. There were not plot holes, which i'm grateful fol. Good script. There are heartwarming moments, specially with Savanna, the little girl Chloe mentors. There is nothing much to say, it's not perfect. They even included a "magical" moment towards the end.

I'm giving this one more star because I almost shed a tear with the final scene. (you will see).

And to the question user lucylou3700 asked. At first I was confused as well, I thought it was her dad, but the guy is named Doug.