Christmas Under the Lights

I really enjoyed the stars Heather Hemmens (Emily) and Marco Grazzini (Luke). The film was supposed to be set in a small town near Seattle and in Seattle, which it so clearly and annoyingly was not.

Emily heads home to help her brother run their family farm Christmas carnival, the first since their mother passed. There she meets the famous artist Luke. The two initially have conflict, but then come up with the brilliant idea for Luke to do a "special" Christmas art installation for the carnival.

The conflict in this one seemed very manufactured and artificial. Luke's divorced and lost his artistic muse...he's helping on the farm to find himself and discover his next chapter...and Emily has guilt for not going home to help out her mom, but her home town is not big enough to support her successful career (talk about first world problems).

I did enjoy the hallmark actor cameo, that was fun but there was very little Christmas besides the white elephant gift party. I loved seeing the alpacas and goats...but their is no way they were drinking fresh out of the goat milk, and they certainly weren't whipping up goat milk eggnog that quickly!

For me this was very unrealistic and kind of middle of the road for a Hallmark holiday romance and I can't recommend it unless you have a crush on Marco Grazzini, he really is the best part of this film.

6.4 stars.

Not much to see here. The story has potential that sort of falls flat. Mother is deceased, the lead female has flashes of seeing her mom, memories, all that good stuff, it is endearing.

The brother turns out to be a very quiet farmer who really has no personality. He is very laid back and nonchalant about life in general, which is sort of a realistic point of view actually. Many people become that way in life.

She is a go-getter, but too much of one. She ran away from home several times, wanted to get out, see the world, be adventurous and daring. These traits are her downfall, and now she's back home to see the town for Christmas due to her circumstances.

She meets an artist who is best friends with her brother and they eventually hit it off.

The film is not exciting and there is very little romance. It's a story of a woman reliving her past and regretting all her decisions, yet not really. She's conflicted, and so is this film.

I enjoy Heather Hemmens in most of her Hallmark movies. I thought this one was good, and she played the emotional story beats very well, mostly in trying to grapple with her mom's death and the regret associated with that. The romance as usual was a slow build over the course of maybe two weeks (lol), but I liked that it wasn't your typical "I'm in love with you" but rather "I really like you and want to see where a relationship could go".

For my first '24 Hallmark offering, this fit the bill. But it wasn't anything particularly groundbreaking. Still, even the most casual of Hallmark fans will find something enjoyable in this one, so I say give it a watch!

Christmas under the lights is a movie about a marketing executive who is persuaded by her brother to return to the family farm to help run a holiday event after the passing of their mother. I feel like I've typed that before.

Anyway, she is reluctant to return because she's still carrying baggage from her troubled relationship with her mom.

She does so, and on the way has a meet-hostile with a man she later learns is an artist staying at the farm as a refuge following a bad breakup.

There are several things that stand out in this movie: for one, the leads are prettier than people have a right to be. I have to say it's nice to see some actual masculinity in one of these movies, and they have a little fun mocking it from time to time.

They also manage to get in a couple jabs at the Hollywood/social media types.

This movie is very dialogue-heavy. Some of it is very well-written, but some not.

Supporting cast is good, although again, another movie with mostly unfamiliar faces.

Not a bad job, I think many will enjoy it. I do not happen to be a big fan of all the heavy conversation, and really didn't care for the flashbacks.

Six.

Christmas Under the Lights is easily one of the best Hallmark movies I've seen in years, and I watch plenty of them! What sets this one apart is its calm, realistic tone and the maturity in its storytelling. The acting is wonderfully natural, the characters feel genuine, and the story has surprising depth. Instead of relying on clichés or forced drama, the film focuses on heartfelt relationships, emotional growth, and a community coming together.

It's a refreshing, feel-good movie with just the right amount of holiday magic. If you're craving a Hallmark movie that feels authentic and meaningful while still delivering all the festive charm, this is a must-watch!