Heaven Down Here

This Christmas movie from Hallmark was a nice surprise. Like the title, it's more women's fiction than romance. The acting is above par, and the storyline is heartwarming without the obligatory-I-got-to-make-a-choice romance trope.

Don't get me wrong, I like those story lines as well, but sometimes you need to change it up and actually watch the characters grow, their circumstances get better despite the obstacles, which were real and actually dire (planning a Christmas pageant isn't life altering😐) thrown in their way. Or in two character's instances, realize they're real jerks and give back. That's what the holiday is about, right?

I am a Hallmark fan and rate them accordingly. Every once in a while Hallmark surprises and this is one of those times. Absolutely wonderful. A superb cast (Krystal Joy Brown, Tina Lifford and Juan Riedinger) and an endearing, intriguing story. Lovely to see Phylicia Rashad too. We meet 4 very different people stranded at the diner and their unique stories unfold. Assumptions are tested. A mystery is solved. Some fabulous music and singing (Krystal Joy Brown) and, of course, a happy ending. This one is somewhat unexpected and definitely a must watch for the Christmas season. Thank you Hallmark.

I was enchanted with this movie. The characters are well developed and believable. Each person in this film was so relatable with realistic challenges coupled with totally believable story lines.

Bitterness, curiosity, loss, love and desire were covered in "Heaven Down Here" so very, very well!

The plot twists and turns with quite unexpected events.

How delightful to be pulled into a story with characters that made me wish I could know them in real life.

When "Heaven Down Here" ended, I was sooo sad because I wanted more, more, more!

The setting of the movie was perfect because emotional intimacy had to occur...or not...and the viewer is not sure how it will all pan out!

More, please!

"Heaven is other people."-Felix

A minister, a waitress, a young diner manager, and a home care-giver all end up snowed-in at a diner on Christmas Eve. Over the course of the evening we get to discover their stories as the four become closer to one another and try to bring a little bit of Christmas to the group.

The minister Felix's flock is shrinking, he lost his funding for his Christmas meal for the homeless and worse he has lost his connection to his family.

The waitress, Imani, is a widow and single mom just trying to make ends meet and spend Christmas with her two kids, especially for their first Christmas without their father.

The young diner manager, Dan, isn't well liked and has nowhere to go. His real talent lies in his ability to draw, but having dropped out of school he is just working on not being the disappointment that his uncle (the owner) thinks he is.

The home health caretaker, Clara, is hoping to have one last nice Christmas with her daughter before she goes off to college far away and is dealing with a difficult employer played by Phylicia Rashad, who I was thrilled to see having grown up on The Cosby Show with her playing the iconic Claire Huxtable.

I really enjoyed how these storylines wrapped up and I particularly liked the amazing discovery made by Clara. That paired with the lovely song, "Heaven Down Here", make this a Christmas recommendation from me. I think fans of Hallmark holiday films and heavenly miracles will enjoy this Christmas film and it's community message.

This movie was better than I thought! Just based off the preview (and my love of Mickey Guyton's music) I was intrigued. I'm actually loving that Krystal Joy Brown is getting a chance to do Hallmark films, she's a really good theatre actress and such is the case here as Imani. Of course we know that there's no way a movie like this is going to shirk its cliche responsibilities, but I thought the writers handled a familiar plotline in a unique way. Bonus points for the flashbacks for each character's backstory prior to them being at the diner.

I think my only critique would be that I wished the romance between Felix and Imani had been a little more overt. The hints were there, but it felt more like a wink and a nudge rather than a clear display of them having feelings. I mean, we've all seen Hallmark movies, so I just expected more on that front. But it wasn't a drawback to my enjoyment overall!

Good job, HM&M!