Heaven Down Here

For some reason, the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Christmas movies are considerably better this year than the Hallmark Channel Christmas movies. This is yet another HMM movie that has beat out all the other 2023 Hallmark Channel Christmas movies. Although it seemed to start a bit slow, I really got into the characters. Those characters that were not particularly likable early in the movie became likable by the end. This was because these characters were touched by the Christmas spirit and opened themselves up to developing warm relationships. And the spirit of Christmas centered around God being in the lives of the characters. This the movie was heartwarming in spite of the difficulties experienced by the various characters throughout the storyline. It was not a trite or formulaic script like so many of the Hallmark Channel movies. This is a feel-good movie that was perfect for Christmas! Keep making these types of movies, Hallmark!

I enjoyed this Hallmark movie(despite some annoyances)of course in typical fashion,it was clichéd & similar storylines have been done.. Airport cancels flight,car breaks down & miracles happen along the way.. etc.

Need to(basically)agree with a reviewer.. Why do people feel entitled to guilt or hurt anyone during the Christmas holiday,as though is acceptable because it's a time of goodwill or else!

Yes unfortunately some people are more well off,others not so much & not saying be a cold hearted scrooge but feel we've become a society looking for easy handouts.

Such an example.. The waitress gets upset over a tip,the priest gets involved to guilt a customer.. How do we know he wasn't having hardship of some kind too,so being confronted made him sound less than kind & later the priest justifies it by assuming he was once like that guy. Wow! Talk about both,the waitress & the priest being pushy.

Even prior to this the priest is asking for help with meals although commendable what he might be trying to accomplish just felt he was always causing guilt for his missions,again where is it law because of the season means boundaries don't exist or saying no means.. Grinch!

If that was my diner unfortunately the priest might be asked to not return or the waitress reprimanded,considering the circumstances they overstepped.

The hospice worker although she also got involved,when she took the file her client had it was done with"good intentions"(despite invasion of privacy,hmm)glad the waitress got some closure to her adoption.. Still in the real world none of these people,would be actively employed for long.

With that said.. It was cast good,acting was ok & cinematography decent.

This year have actually enjoyed several movies,hoping they got fresh writers with ideas because the cookie cutter programs get boring.

Worth a watch at least once,this holiday season.

This Christmas movie from Hallmark was a nice surprise. Like the title, it's more women's fiction than romance. The acting is above par, and the storyline is heartwarming without the obligatory-I-got-to-make-a-choice romance trope.

Don't get me wrong, I like those story lines as well, but sometimes you need to change it up and actually watch the characters grow, their circumstances get better despite the obstacles, which were real and actually dire (planning a Christmas pageant isn't life altering😐) thrown in their way. Or in two character's instances, realize they're real jerks and give back. That's what the holiday is about, right?

"Heaven is other people."-Felix

A minister, a waitress, a young diner manager, and a home care-giver all end up snowed-in at a diner on Christmas Eve. Over the course of the evening we get to discover their stories as the four become closer to one another and try to bring a little bit of Christmas to the group.

The minister Felix's flock is shrinking, he lost his funding for his Christmas meal for the homeless and worse he has lost his connection to his family.

The waitress, Imani, is a widow and single mom just trying to make ends meet and spend Christmas with her two kids, especially for their first Christmas without their father.

The young diner manager, Dan, isn't well liked and has nowhere to go. His real talent lies in his ability to draw, but having dropped out of school he is just working on not being the disappointment that his uncle (the owner) thinks he is.

The home health caretaker, Clara, is hoping to have one last nice Christmas with her daughter before she goes off to college far away and is dealing with a difficult employer played by Phylicia Rashad, who I was thrilled to see having grown up on The Cosby Show with her playing the iconic Claire Huxtable.

I really enjoyed how these storylines wrapped up and I particularly liked the amazing discovery made by Clara. That paired with the lovely song, "Heaven Down Here", make this a Christmas recommendation from me. I think fans of Hallmark holiday films and heavenly miracles will enjoy this Christmas film and it's community message.

7.6 stars.

I say this is a tidy drama because it's clean and easy and inspirational. I suppose it's got a lot of life lessons to be had and so I would highly recommend this for anyone struggling with finding their place in this world. Look at what these strangers do for and with each other and maybe it will spark a bit of inspiration. They are firstly very forgiving of each others' shortcomings and faults in spite of being ill treated by some. There is a lot of patience and kindness too, but what got my attention the most was how they realized that just being with people, making friends and family out of complete strangers - that's one of the most favorable blessings any of us can experience in this life.