Rarely does a Hallmark Christmas movie involve a death that occurs during the course of the movie. Usually, the viewer is told that grandma or dad died last month or last year or whenever. But here, the death is an intricate part of the plot line and it is done in a manner that is quite interesting. The actors play their roles intelligently and realistically, particularly Ali who delivers a sincere, emotive, and multi-faceted performance.The only distraction is Patti LaBelle, but that doesn't happen until the last half hour of the movie. In a small role with only a couple of scenes, the part was obviously given to her because of her name value and not any acting talent. She adds nothing to the story and, when she walks into the dining room carrying the big Christmas ham, you think, "Oh look - there's the ham carrying the ham !" Otherwise, the dialogue is well-written, the story is rather unique for Hallmark, the sets are attractive, and the main cast carries the movie off very effectively.
