Leah's Perfect Gift

Leah's Perfect Gift was also her nightmare. This movie made me uncomfortable in a way that few made-for-TV movies can. The storyline was borderline abusive to our dear Leah who took unrelenting verbal blows and slights from her prospective mother-in-law. Leah, dear Leah, run! Don't walk. Run from this awful family and their terrible mother.

Leah, a fully-grown Jewish woman with a real career and undoubtedly many other prospects, is dating Graham, a Christmas-celebrating person (we don't actually speak of his religion). Maybe not wanting to work at the bank is a religion? Graham invites Leah to his childhood home with his horror movie mom Barbara. Leah, despite living in New York City, is amazed by seeing what might be her first-ever Christmas decorations and trees. Apparently she's never walked on any street in the winter in NYC.

Leah is game for going to Graham's torture house because she thinks Christmas is cool, like in the movies. It does not go well, but it's not for lack of trying by Leah. She's great and would be a lovely addition to many families, but to join Graham's family, she'll have to deal with mom Barbara. Don't you dare call her Barb, or there will be blood.

Barbara is a witch. She's uptight, mean, cold, pretty dumb, uncaring, oblivious - with absolutely zero redeeming qualities to root for. She controls her children's behavior, down to how they unwrap gifts. She's a terrible cook, basically starves her family, schedules every moment of Christmas and is always dressed like she's going to the country club to gossip with the other kept wives.

Leah should have called it quits on day two. There is absolutely no plot development between the first 70 minutes of this movie that could possibly justify the last 10 minutes. It's insulting.

I took so many notes while watching this car wreck, but I feel defeated as a human and don't want to give this movie any more of my time than it always has. So I'll keep my many thoughts to myself.

Please don't watch this movie. Run away, like Leah should have.

Measuring Christmas Magic: Barbara is a certified witch, so I guess that was magic.

Cast Kudos: Give me more Tricia (who isn't even listed as cast on IMDB). She's the friendly clerk at the Christmas/convenience store who sells snacks and doles out life advice. I want more of Tricia.

Alternative Titles: "Leah learns that Barbara will ruin her life and she dumps Graham" Is that too long?

Leah's Perfect Gift is one of the harder 2024 Hallmark Christmas movie releases to critique. There is a lot to like, but at the same time there are plenty of things in the plot that are head scratchers and detract from the movie. For the "pros" category: This was our first time seeing the actress Emil Arlook who plays "Leah" in this and her performance was actually quite good in this. She's believable and likeable, and Leah becomes more likeable as her character develops throughout the story. Leah's family is also quite believable and likeable and appear to be a lot of fun. Now the "cons": Leah's boyfriend, "Graham" (played by Evan Roderick) and his family aren't all that likeable. It's hard to describe but there's something super annoying about his parents, particularly his OCD mother "Barbara", and unfortunately, we get to spend the bulk of the time of the movie stuck with these parents. "Barbara" is not likeable, and maybe that's the whole point, but at the end of the story there's a total 180 degree turn with "Barbara" and we're all supposed to be empathetic towards her. Why? Not enough of a backstory there to explain why we should "let her off the hook" for her rude and abhorrent treatment of Leah throughout the majority of the movie. In many ways this felt like a Hallmark Christmas movie version of the 2017 horror thriller "Get Out" because for most of the movie I was yelling at the screen to Leah "Get out of there! Get away from his family!" Graham was a lousy boyfriend and really never stands up to his parents (he lets them off the hook one too many times IMO), he "humors" their rude behavior and treatment of Leah and constantly explains it off to Leah as basically "Well I told you they're quirky". I told my wife at the end of the movie, "I'd rather have spent the bull of the movie with Leah's family, they were fun and nice!" The only reason I'm giving this Hallmark Christmas movie 6 stars instead of 1 star is because Leah was likeable/believable and I was empathetic to her situation.

I am not sure what was going on in the writer's room when they were writing this movie, but someone must have skipped food and turned in a hangry script. I really like Leah, she was the best part of this film. The rest of the characters are just plain awful. No woman with her amount of education and humor would stay with a milk toast man who did not stick up for her and let his mom be so condescending and just mean. Most of the movie the acting is over the top or just dull. I think with less snakiness from the mom, the over the top and stereotypical nasty ex girlfriend, and a strong leading man this could have been something. This one misses the mark.

This is not a Hallmark movie. Hallmark movies have lovable and kind characters. These people were mean and rude and it wasn't redeemed in the end. I thought the lead actress did a great job as an actress, it was no fault to her that the story line lacked the true Hallmark Christmas spirit.

Most of us watch Hallmark movies because they are uplifting and warm. This was one of those that left you uncomfortable in every scene. I don't understand the direction Hallmark is going in but this didn't work. I would compare this to Meet the Parents, although it wasn't a comedy it gave me the same uncomfortable feeling the entire movie.

Here is one of the Jewish people partaking in their first Christmas (and sometimes vice versa) stories. We've seen several, and ALL the rest are better.

The mother is unbearable. I "think" she's supposed to be funny. She's not. She's insensitive, cold, and obnoxious to the point we simply could not watch anymore.

Emily Arlook as the female lead should at least be charming and sympathetic. She's not. We found her annoying, too. The father is shallow and useless. The sister is okay. They should have used her more. MUCH more. The male lead came across as the most likable "main character", but they didn't even use him enough. When the plot description says "awkward", believe it. It's just not "funny awkward", it's "disturbing awkward".

But the mother spoils the entire story. She's not someone I'd tolerate in my life, and not even for two hours. Buh bye!