उपयोगकर्ता समीक्षाएं

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.

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!

I saw other reviews and expected Graham's family, especially the mom, to be worse. Oh she was bad enough, but I've seen worse. Actually the movie started out well enough at Leah's family's house. There are several good moments between Graham and Leah. However, the constant putdowns of Leah did not lead to much Ho, Ho, Ho. Leah starts to get down on herself which isn't a good look for her.

So awkward? All the putdowns are nothing compared to the Christmas Eve gifts.

Obviously things pick up and several nice things happen.

BTW - about the vases. It really bothered me enough the Julia made Leah pay full price for the broken vases given that it was an accident. Over $300 at retail should have got a discount for multiple purchases anyway. But then she had to rub it in later when Leah meets her again making it sound like Leah did her so much harm even after paying for it.

Another BTW - Hallmark's running gag about Die Hard is kind of cute.

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. I thought Leah and Graham had chemistry. You could tell they really loved each other. I loved the sister too. She brought in some comedic timing that was needed. I loved mixing the Jewish and Christian traditions. I would agree with other reviewers that Graham's parents were over the top and rude. I don't know why Hallmark does that and then in the final moments they change. It's not believable. I really felt Leah's performance and how she didn't feel like she fit in with Graham's parents. He played both sides well. Maybe he could have listened to Leah better but that is where some of the conflict lyes. The ex girlfriend could have been left out. She really brought nothing to the table. Overall I really liked this movie.

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.

I really enjoyed this movie (coming from a long marriage where we combined Christmas and Hannukah traditions). Some of the scenes were a bit over the top, however I can relate so well to the way I opened packages on holidays by ripping the wrapping paper vs. The way my non-Jewish husband opened packages by carefully opening the taped end and folding the paper afterwards. Combining our traditions led to some moments such as they portrayed in the movie. I have to think that some or all of the writers lived some of these type of situations too. I really enjoyed the ending when the mother and Leah have an honest conversation. I don't understand all of the bad reviews here; I enjoyed this movie and could relate to most of it.

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?

7.6 stars.

A lot of fans were horrified by this film. I can't blame them. The lead male's family is atrocious. Mainly the mother is a real piece of work. The whole atmosphere had to be staged just so, in order to make it as miserable as possible for the audience. I think the Director had the idea in mind to make it as realistic as possible, but only monsters truly act this way in reality.

This is an anti (you know what) story, no doubt. You cannot miss the blatant disregard for two different religions/cultures. I'll let you guess which. This is anti-both of them and it's disgusting. And the features of the lead female? Why do people assume that those people all look like that? They don't all look like that, it's such a cliché that they (Hallmark and many other studios) try to convey to the world that this culture/people has a particular visage and quirky way about them. I could go on and on down this rabbit hole, but I'll stop here. This movie is not subtle about it and I think Hallmark needs to be sued or something. This is so NOT cool.

Funny thing is, I like this movie. Let me explain why. About 30 minutes in, I realized this is that kind of story, you know the kind you see every so often about social injustice, equal rights, and all that jazz? Well, if you come at this film from that perspective, you will actually have a more fulfilling experience. I was quite pleased with it at that point. The lead female is quite the heroine. I was rooting for her at this point, and I had a great time watching her humbly dismantle this abomination of a matriarch and her buffoon of a husband.

This seemed like a cute movie, the main actress was great she was funny, cute and did a good job, but halfway through I had to stop watching take a deep breath and remind myself it's not real. It's a movie they are not real people. Because the way they treat this poor girl in this movie was so hard to watch it was giving me anxiety! Was the mom supposed to have a mental illness(ocd) and it just not be talked about? Because she was so bad and even in the end when she was being "nice" I couldn't take her seriously I was waiting for another put down from her and even the mean ex girlfriend I was thinking wow they really just threw in nice moments that fell flat. A rewrite for the mom and maybe a different actress to play her and I would've loved it! The main actress is the only reason I watched the whole thing and am giving it 5 stars.

Very Jewish Leah has always dreamed of the picture perfect Christmas, or Christmas from the inside. Her family celebrates Hanukkah and they are warm and welcoming to her non-Jewish boyfriend Graham. Their celebration consists of going out to dinner on Christmas to a Chinese restaurant called Egg Foo Yum as a family.

Graham invites Leah home to Connecticut for Christmas with his family the Westwoods. Leah is determined to get Christmas right. One of the family's traditions is writing letters to Santa, which comes back into the story in the sweetest way.

Graham is wonderful and seems really game for all of Leah's family's Hanukah traditions. Leah is equally eager to learn everything about the Westwood family and participate in a real Christmas. Things do not go as smoothly as you would think, even though both Graham and his sister Maddie have volunteered to help guide her through the holiday. (If I was Leah I would be pretty mad at them for letting her down because she is an apt and eager student.)

The Westwood family has some internal issues, in part because people aren't being open and honest with each other. The overly ambitious mom, played by Barbara Niven, seems to be at the heart of the not so warm experiences by the family. Food becomes a bit of an issue as Leah arrives starving and ends up voyaging out for food on her own. In the process she meets a delightful Connecticut local at a shop where she loads up on snacks. The woman, Trisha, is so nice Leah pours out her heart over a fresh gingerbread loaf. The house is decorated to the nines for Christmas, which is fun and to the delight of Leah.

"What was your favorite Christmas memory growing up?"-Leah "I don't know. I guess it would be anticipation. Like it was almost better not knowing what the gifts were than opening the gifts themselves."-Graham "Like it could anything, the possibilities are endless."-Leah "Then every so often you would get something that was absolutely perfect. The perfect thing. And you wouldn't think about all the other possibilities because it was just exactly right."-Graham

I did really appreciate that even when things were going awry, you never doubted Graham's love for Leah. The two were absolutely too cute with each other and very supportive. I loved the cast... Emily Arlook(Leah), Evan Roderick (Graham), Barbara Niven (Barbara), and Christopher Shyer (Mitchell Westwood).

I did hate the nicknames...Gremlin and Grammy, but I think they are supposed to grate.

"Graham, I feel like an outsider around your family. I feel like everything I do is the wrong thing."-Leah "Ok, I hear you. I feel like an outsider almost everywhere I go unless I'm with you."-Graham

When the two kids finally clue in their parents as to their real goals in life...artisanal pickle company vs business school and not returning to Connecticut to run the family business, that's when things really go off the rail.

"But they are perfect and everything has to be perfect. It's why she took down my ornament because it didn't fit. I don't fit. I'm like Alice in Wonderland, too big, too small, except she had cake, all I had were little shreds of goose."-Leah

The gift basket from a food catalog vs the handmade scrapbook cataloging their dates chronologically was a sad and low moment on Christmas Eve. I love that her friend volunteered to come get her...that is a true friend.

"I didn't know Christmas would be this hard."-Leah

"I just put so much pressure on a small window of time with my kids"-Barbara This was one of my favorite scenes in the film...because most moms have felt this way. But the best moments arrive with Leah's parents.

(This film has my husband's favorite bit from Christmas 2024..."I thought you meant fancy like...(and she lights up her tacky Christmas sweater)").

If you love a blending of two families, you will love this Hallmark holiday film. I loved that there were no true villains and the final scene is worth every minute. Highly recommend this 2024 offering.

Is it the CEO? Is it a board room full of empty suits? OMG, this was a horrible film. No I take that back, it is not fair to call this a film. It is a digital wasteland.

It is time to have the new DOGE org give Hallmark some attention or why not just manage the whole company with ChatGPT.

This should be a case study on how do I write a screenplay with dull or despicable or obnoxious characters. This makes the Netflix Lindsay Lohan film look like a Christmas Classic and that is an accomplishment.

They managed to lose Jill Wagner and if this is the level of pap they are going to produce I suspect Lacey, Taylor and Nikki will be departing also.

I always look forward to new Hallmark movies during the Christmas season so I've seen hundreds of these family misunderstanding plots. This one was pretty pathetic. The Jewish family was fun and jovial and loaded with traditions. The Connecticut Christians were of course dry, unfun, unpleasant and quite ridiculous. The mom can't cook, can't even provide snacks and even though every inch of the house was already decorated including all other trees, the MAIN tree in the house was undecorated?!! By the way, who the hell brings a terrarium as a Christmas tree ornament?

Most importantly, no one ever spoke about the real reason for the season.

The subplot of the expectation of engagement ring when they've been dating for less than a year is pretty silly.

I love Hallmark and especially the Christmas movies, but this was a really hard one to get through. The lead actresses, annoying voice and strange facial expressions reminded me so much of Vanessa Marcil (Convenient Groom). They both have a nasally voice and do strange movements with their hands and face to try to get them out of awkward situations. The New York accent and tonal similarities in their voices along with making awkward situations even more overdone is a lot! While this style of acting might appeal to fans of heightened romantic comedy, it can come off as distracting or artificial, especially for those who prefer a subtler. For viewers who find that kind of performance charming, it's endearing; for others, it might just be a little too much! It seems like they're overacting. The rest of the actors were OK. I've seen the mother and lots of Hallmark shows and movies and she's a great actress. I agree in this movie she was mean But again it's just a movie. The lead actor should've grown a pair and stood up to his parents and stood up for his girlfriend.

I would not recommend this movie and I will not be watching it again. Hopefully looking forward to some better Christmas movies for the rest of the month.