Five Star Christmas

The supporting cast totally made this movie! They were so fun and entertaining.

This is what happens when you get actors who have tons of chemistry together. I don't mean just the leads. I mean the ENTIRE CAST. Who is mostly made up of veteran actors. IF only Hallmark would do this with every movie! I am going to praise Bethany Joy as I always do with her movies. She's a godsend of of a actress. She never disappoints me! She could have chemistry with a door handle that's why I am quick to watch whatever she's in. Cast in Victor Webber and you can't go wrong with Five Star Christmas. The plot is new and not overdone. The conflict is fresh without the usual hang-up of another lover. Add in Christmas fun and you'll have a good time. Laughs all around! You won't be disappointed!

A man and his family put on a good face for an incognito critic who visits their B&B.

This Hallmark holiday romance has a strong cast, featuring Bethany Joy Lenz as Lucy Ralston, daughter of the owner of the Ralston Inn.

This film has elements of comedy combined with heartwarming moments. It also has a gentle tone and a slower pace.

This was a great Christmas movie. I really enjoyed this one. The story is unique, which is a plus for a Hallmark movie. There is even a twist to the plot, which is revealed about 50 minutes into the film. It was a bit of a surprise for me. The script was well-written. During the first 30 minutes of the film, I found myself laughing out loud multiple times, which is something I rarely do during a Hallmark movie. The family pretending to be the guests, staff and the chef was quite good. Some very funny scenes here. For an 84-minute film, the writers did a pretty good job as well developing the sub-plots: Amber and her mother's cooking; the father and Beth's romance; and Annie and Will's future baby. Overall, the acting was very strong. Bethany Joy Lenz (playing Lucy) had a very good performance. She has always done well in Hallmark films; they are some of my favorites. Victor Webster (playing Jake), another Hallmark regular, had a pretty good performance too. The chemistry between the two was good, I thought. I was a bit surprised with the kiss at the fair scene between the two; they usually wait to the end of the film to do this. The Elvis Blue Christmas scene was very warm/cute as well. I have said this many times on here, Hallmark usually does a very good job casting the supporting roles in their films. The supporting cast in this one was brilliant. Jay Brazeau (playing Walter, the grandfather) and Paula Shaw (playing Margo, the grandmother) were my favorites. They had some fun scenes. For example, Margo's entrance at the beginning, along with her funny accent, was entertaining. I thought too that Robert Wisden (playing Ted, the father) and Laura Soltis (playing Beth) had solid performances; the scene, towards the end, where Ted confesses his interest in Beth, comes to mind. The scenery, props, and sets were well-polished and quite festive. The festive spirit of the film worked well. The tree decoration scene, the taffy making scene, the Christmas festival scenes, and the Christmas morning scene (at the end) all were fun and festive (with some good Christmas music). I even learned a bit about candy canes to boot. Overall, this is a fun, warm, and festive Christmas movie, a nice new edition to Hallmarks 2020 lineup. I highly recommend this one.

When adult children Bethany Joy Lenz, Grace Beedie, and Blair Penner return home for Christmas, they discover their father, Robert Wisden, has turned their childhood home into a bed and breakfast chateau. It's quite a shock, and no one's very happy about it, but when Robert explains he's been lonely as a widower for fifteen years, and especially now that the kids have moved out, they agree to support him. When a critic arrives for a Christmas stay, rather than admit the inn is completely inexperienced and free from guests, all the family (complete with Grandma Paula Shaw and Grandpa Jay Brazeau) pitch in and pretend to be paying customers or the hired staff.

The plot is very funny, but you've got to be prepared for some silly humor. This is one of the cutest "This would never happen" Hallmark scripts. In real life, if they acted that way, the critic would leave after ten minutes and write them a terrible review. But this is Hallmark, not real life, so it's hilarious to see them flounder around pretending they're not all related.

Where's the romance, you might ask? There's always a romance in the Hallmark Christmas movies, right? Right. The other 2020 premieres featured frustrating romantic pairings with clashing personalities, men with major problems, and women who kowtowed just to have someone to kiss under the mistletoe. I know it's only Hallmark, but I think it's important to teach impressionable people who watch these movies what a healthy relationship looks like.

In Five Star Christmas, Bethany Joy Lenz is paired with Victor Webster. Not only is there great chemistry between them, but their characters blend well. They get to know each other during late night talks, he spends time with her family, she respects his intelligence - and best of all, they don't put each other down when they flirt. I know it's considered cute repartee to show a couple bantering and putting each other down with confidence, but that doesn't teach the audience good behavioral patterns. In this Hallmark, you can really imagine these characters with a good future ahead of them.

It seems like I'm taking a silly comedy very seriously, doesn't it? Partly, I'm relieved to be able to praise a Hallmark this year, and partly, I'm very grateful to get back to the sweet relationships of yesteryear. When a man is willing to utterly humiliate himself to make you smile, you know you've got a keeper. From start to finish, Bethany and Victor steal the show. Check it out!