A Dickens of a Holiday!

I was hesitant to watch this after reading a few of the less than positive reviews. Glad I watched this. It was wonderful. No overdone tropes, just a genuine story of two people and a transformation of a mediocre action hero into a quality dramatic actor. Kristopher Polaha was amazing! They both were exceptional. I like them both individually; here they were great together. I will add this to my DVD collection. And yes, they had great chemistry! Kristopher posted about it on his Facebook page. He enjoyed working with Brooke a lot. You can tell they had fun with this! Bravo!

I like the leads in this movie.

Kris Polaha always seems to be enjoying himself. Here he has a chance to go way over the top, but he doesn't lose his way in the process.

Brooke D'Orsay is always gorgeous and sweet, and she displays some fine acting here.

The chemistry, while not perfect, is certainly adequate, and they play off each other nicely.

Good supporting cast, although I thought the long-simmering feud was resolved a little too easily.

All in all one of the more enjoyable movies this year.

8/10

"Dickens of a Holiday!" is about a woman named Cassie who set to to direct the theatre production of "A Christmas Carol". When the usual Scrooge is sidelined Cassie is forced to make a decision she doesn't want to and asks an old friend and current mega movie star Jake to step in. A bit of a Scrooge himself he reluctantly agrees.

One of the few Hallmark movies that actually hits the mark. While it is definitely cheesy at times with how quickly problems are resolved and how flirtatious romance is practically already there, it still hits the emotional marks. The actors were definitely believable in their roles and the chemistry between them was perfect. The story in and of itself is engaging and touching at the same time.

The weakest part of the film was the cinematography. I hated a lot of the shots they used and at times it was distracting. I managed through, however, because as stated above, the actors were convincing in their roles.

All in all it was a perfect blend of holiday cheer, with the slightly cheesy romance and quick resolve of issues, and a cast that brought their roles to life. While it's set to leave Prime in a few short hours it's worth the watch the next time you come across it.

I love Kristoffer Polaha, but Brooke D'Orsay hasn't been my favorite Hallmark actress. This story gives them both a chance to shine. While it contains elements of your typical Hallmark plot - career crises, actor wanting to stretch, sibling issues, secret crushes, and a show to save - it still seems refreshing. Well done, Hallmark. Find another great story for Brooke.

Although the story here is sort of typical for this type of movie, the acting from both leads is the real story. I've always liked both actors but Kristoffer Polaha shows some acting chops in this movie, I didn't realize he had. There was a simple scene, where he literally drew a tear. His part was very very well done.

Brooke D'Orsay does a great job with her part as well. Her character is sweet, caring and very good at her job, despite having some problems of her own. In spite of what some others have thought, I found their chemistry to be strong.

This one is WELL worth watching!