Natale a sorpresa

This is a more mature Hallmark movie, it still has "cocoa" and "traditions", but it's more modern and real. Jeff and Maggie are a divorced couple, that's the new reality and Jeff has a girlfriend Kate and Maggie has a developing relationship with Sam, Kate's brother. That parallels life, even though Hallmark would like all marriages to be "forever" they aren't, people get divorced and remarry. Amy Acker and Warren Christie the two leads have chemistry and the story is good and believable.

Hallmark has missed so many opportunities for hits, like the 2016 film "The Pumpkin Pie Wars" with Eric Aragon and Julie Gonzalo. They could have had spin offs from that movie, but they missed it. They have had competition from Lifetime, UP, Paramount and others ,which means their "formulaic" model isn't a trade secret any longer. Hallmark has to up their game and produce a higher quality product.

As someone else pointed out, people often complain about Hallmark movies being all the same. I don't think that's fair, even though they do tend to follow a basic formula (there's only so many ways to tell a feel good love story). But this is not a typical Hallmark cookie cutter movie. The problems of divorced couples are rarely featured in Hallmark movies (former spouses tend to be conveniently dead). And there were some authentic well acted moments in the movie. That said, as a divorced father, I think it's wildly wildly wildly implausible that a divorced mother would ever agree to spend Christmas (and the days leading up to it) with her ex husband's girlfriend and her family, in their home, in another state (or that the ex and his girlfriend would suggest it- and pick that time to...). That kind of fantasy may work for Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow, but not for the other 99.5% of us. Then again, with all the secret prince, amnesia, magical Santa, time travel stories, Hallmark is not exactly devoted to plausibility.

I like Amy Acker, Brooke Nevin, and Warren Christie, and there was good chemistry between Acker and Christie. But the ex husband Jeff was horribly miscast (not his fault). I don't see him being with either Acker or Nevin and I didn't see any chemistry between him and Nevin.

But kudos to Hallmark for trying something different and including a divorce plot line with both parents being around (instead of the convenient "my ex is out of the country on business" plot line). It was unrealistic, especially for those of us who had the opposite of an amicable divorce, but there's a lot to be said for promoting a post divorce life that puts the needs of the kids first. But that's easier to say then do.

The very fact that the premise is so unlikely for any of the participants to actually go along with is the strength of this movie. What mom would agree to this? Even more so, what new girlfriend would create the invitation? So many people complain (including me) about Hallmark's lack of fresh stories - this one is different.

At first, Kate is too perfect. And Brooke Nevin handles this quite well and even more so as the cracks in her façade appear.

The self-deprecating, clumsy, insecure Maggie is right in Amy Acker's wheelhouse. Many of us first knew her as Angel's Winnifred, but Acker has since been so many other personalities. Hallmark has used her, twice I think, but I think they should do so even more going forward. Actually, Acker probably overdoes this role slightly, but this personality is important in the story, so it's not surprising she has to really sell it.

Yes, Angst. The situation is unlikely because it's awkward and full of angst, and all the main actors bring this out. The insecurity of a mother afraid of losing her daughters to a step mother. A possible step mother afraid of competing with the real mom for both her possible husband and the girls. An ex-husband and boyfriend caught in the middle trying to reconcile them all but making mistakes that only make things seem worse. Isn't all this realistic?

There is a little more depth in this story than the usual Hallmark Christmas movie. It's not quite up with Two Turtle Doves, or Holly & Ivy, but this movie isn't the same old fluff like so many we get between late October and the first of the year.

I liked that there were no villains. In so many movies where there is a rival girlfriend or rival boyfriend, that person is developed into a villain. Often, the writers turn that character at the end to make them into an understanding and forgiving person. I never like either trope. It doesn't feel natural. But there doesn't have to be a true romantic rival here and thus there doesn't have to be a villain. These are real people trying to do the best they can for themselves and for two young girls. It's true that Jeff is wrong in a few ways including blaming Maggie for the situation, but it's only because he too is trying to dig himself out of a mess, and everyone's first reaction to a mess is to find someone to blame.

I thought the ending was a hair anti-climatic so maybe not a perfect score for this movie.

For a made for TV Christmas rom-com that didn't even come out on Christmas this was pretty great. There are many shortcomings due to the way it is produced but despite all that, it is much better than it has any right to be. An awkward family gathering and a romance around it is not a new concept but the family dynamics that are kind of entirely new with the exes prospectively going for siblings while thinking about their kids have been dealt with nicely. Amy Acker was so charming that even some of the over the top moments became much more believable. I wish this was an actual Hollywood production with a few cast changes which would've really made this a great Christmas rom-com.

Very nice to see a realistic scenario with divorced parents and dealing with the holidays. They are way too nice to each other (must be the Christmas magic), but it makes the movie sweet. Really enjoyed it.