User reviews

This was a great Christmas movie. I really enjoyed this one. The story is unique, which is a plus for a Hallmark movie. There is even a twist to the plot, which is revealed about 50 minutes into the film. It was a bit of a surprise for me. The script was well-written. During the first 30 minutes of the film, I found myself laughing out loud multiple times, which is something I rarely do during a Hallmark movie. The family pretending to be the guests, staff and the chef was quite good. Some very funny scenes here. For an 84-minute film, the writers did a pretty good job as well developing the sub-plots: Amber and her mother's cooking; the father and Beth's romance; and Annie and Will's future baby. Overall, the acting was very strong. Bethany Joy Lenz (playing Lucy) had a very good performance. She has always done well in Hallmark films; they are some of my favorites. Victor Webster (playing Jake), another Hallmark regular, had a pretty good performance too. The chemistry between the two was good, I thought. I was a bit surprised with the kiss at the fair scene between the two; they usually wait to the end of the film to do this. The Elvis Blue Christmas scene was very warm/cute as well. I have said this many times on here, Hallmark usually does a very good job casting the supporting roles in their films. The supporting cast in this one was brilliant. Jay Brazeau (playing Walter, the grandfather) and Paula Shaw (playing Margo, the grandmother) were my favorites. They had some fun scenes. For example, Margo's entrance at the beginning, along with her funny accent, was entertaining. I thought too that Robert Wisden (playing Ted, the father) and Laura Soltis (playing Beth) had solid performances; the scene, towards the end, where Ted confesses his interest in Beth, comes to mind. The scenery, props, and sets were well-polished and quite festive. The festive spirit of the film worked well. The tree decoration scene, the taffy making scene, the Christmas festival scenes, and the Christmas morning scene (at the end) all were fun and festive (with some good Christmas music). I even learned a bit about candy canes to boot. Overall, this is a fun, warm, and festive Christmas movie, a nice new edition to Hallmarks 2020 lineup. I highly recommend this one.

The supporting cast totally made this movie! They were so fun and entertaining.

When adult children Bethany Joy Lenz, Grace Beedie, and Blair Penner return home for Christmas, they discover their father, Robert Wisden, has turned their childhood home into a bed and breakfast chateau. It's quite a shock, and no one's very happy about it, but when Robert explains he's been lonely as a widower for fifteen years, and especially now that the kids have moved out, they agree to support him. When a critic arrives for a Christmas stay, rather than admit the inn is completely inexperienced and free from guests, all the family (complete with Grandma Paula Shaw and Grandpa Jay Brazeau) pitch in and pretend to be paying customers or the hired staff.

The plot is very funny, but you've got to be prepared for some silly humor. This is one of the cutest "This would never happen" Hallmark scripts. In real life, if they acted that way, the critic would leave after ten minutes and write them a terrible review. But this is Hallmark, not real life, so it's hilarious to see them flounder around pretending they're not all related.

Where's the romance, you might ask? There's always a romance in the Hallmark Christmas movies, right? Right. The other 2020 premieres featured frustrating romantic pairings with clashing personalities, men with major problems, and women who kowtowed just to have someone to kiss under the mistletoe. I know it's only Hallmark, but I think it's important to teach impressionable people who watch these movies what a healthy relationship looks like.

In Five Star Christmas, Bethany Joy Lenz is paired with Victor Webster. Not only is there great chemistry between them, but their characters blend well. They get to know each other during late night talks, he spends time with her family, she respects his intelligence - and best of all, they don't put each other down when they flirt. I know it's considered cute repartee to show a couple bantering and putting each other down with confidence, but that doesn't teach the audience good behavioral patterns. In this Hallmark, you can really imagine these characters with a good future ahead of them.

It seems like I'm taking a silly comedy very seriously, doesn't it? Partly, I'm relieved to be able to praise a Hallmark this year, and partly, I'm very grateful to get back to the sweet relationships of yesteryear. When a man is willing to utterly humiliate himself to make you smile, you know you've got a keeper. From start to finish, Bethany and Victor steal the show. Check it out!

This is what happens when you get actors who have tons of chemistry together. I don't mean just the leads. I mean the ENTIRE CAST. Who is mostly made up of veteran actors. IF only Hallmark would do this with every movie! I am going to praise Bethany Joy as I always do with her movies. She's a godsend of of a actress. She never disappoints me! She could have chemistry with a door handle that's why I am quick to watch whatever she's in. Cast in Victor Webber and you can't go wrong with Five Star Christmas. The plot is new and not overdone. The conflict is fresh without the usual hang-up of another lover. Add in Christmas fun and you'll have a good time. Laughs all around! You won't be disappointed!

A man and his family put on a good face for an incognito critic who visits their B&B.

This Hallmark holiday romance has a strong cast, featuring Bethany Joy Lenz as Lucy Ralston, daughter of the owner of the Ralston Inn.

This film has elements of comedy combined with heartwarming moments. It also has a gentle tone and a slower pace.

The film has a good love story that is told in a lovely Christmas atmosphere and conveys a good feeling to the viewer. The happy atmosphere full of warm colors gives the viewer a feeling of love at Christmas and with its comedic and funny atmosphere, it creates happy moments for the viewer. In general, the film has both a good romantic and family part and a happy comedy that makes the viewer feel good.

Bethany Joy Lenz is my favorite female Hallmark lead, hands-down. If the summary said it was her leading a team of Christmas pugs against a team of alien invaders, I'd be in. And that's before I knew how well she could sing!

Five Star Christmas is not only the best movie of the 2020 holiday season, I think it's the best I've ever seen.

'Hilarious' is not a word I associate with Hallmark, but this movie was laugh-out-loud funny. And it sacrificed none of the romance or Christmas we expect along the way. Lenz' Lucy and co-star Victor Webster as Jake had a real snap of chemistry from their first run-in, and her extended family had an easy, loving vibe that never felt schmaltzy or forced. Two points for letting a little squabble in.

Honestly, Five Star Christmas felt like proof Hallmark noted all of our gripes and turned them into one warm, goofy movie. The plot was much fresher. The sets were lovely and well-decorated without being overdone. Family memories and traditions were represented without getting sappy. No smarmy little kids, crazed workaholics, overbearing mothers, exes from hell, or marches through 50 Christmas events.

I'll leave it for other reviewers to name exactly what they enjoyed most, because I don't want to spoil a single surprise, even the little ones.

As Grandma said, "People surprise you. You should follow your heart."

Almost all the characters are very friendly and attentive. They all seem to be doing their best. I can't say I enjoy every Christmas movie, but this one was heartfelt and family-oriented. Fun, comedy and emotion flow harmoniously. The setting is beautifully decorated and adds to the lasting impact of the movie. The snowman and tree decorating scenes they did together were beautiful. It can be watched without getting bored because it is meaningful and family-oriented rather than a silly romantic story. It can be a good choice for those who want to have a good time with those you care about.

I really enjoyed this film! Of the 2020 Hallmark Holiday film offerings, this one was one of my two favorite ("Holly and Ivy", being the other). I loved the script, the sets, and most of all, the chemistry of the entire acting ensemble. It made me laugh, which felt good, especially after this year!. Bethany Joy Lenz never disappoints, and always delivers. I wrote a quick note to the production company, echoing my sentiments here, and wondering if(hoping) we might see a sequel of the continuing adventures and goings-on at the Ralston family B&B for Christmas 2021.

Cheers!

No pun intended - maybe you would not give it 5 stars (or 10 points when it comes to imdb rating of course), but if you are into good feel movies .. you could do worse. Of course there are also things like the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special ... I almost wrote Christmas Special. It is of course, but they do not call it that. You do have the word Christmas here - because no one has banned it - it is still allowed to say the least.

All that being said, the story is quite predictable. Not just the "meeting" of the two main characters and then meet again ... and of course not hitting it off from the start ... would be too easy. Still the jokes are nice and the story works as it should ... suspend your disbelief and leave your sarcasm outside ...

About 15 minutes in to this movie I found myself thinking, this is awful. I decided to check the reviews and was pleasantly surprised at all of the good reviews. Nice that so many people enjoyed this movie so I decided to just keep watching hoping that I would end up enjoying some parts of it. There was zero chemistry between Bethany and Victor and the remainder of the cast just acted goofy. This is the worst offering from Hallmark that I have seen in a long time. Differences make the world go around and it looks like I am in the minority with my "not great" rating.

"Laugh out loud funny", words used to describe a Hallmark movie, never...until this one. I could not believe I was actually laughing out loud. The credit goes to the writing, perfect casting and superb acting of all the cast. Bethany Joy Lenz is one of my favorite Hallmark actresses. I love her comedic timing, dramatic acting without going over the top and her chemistry with any actor who is cast with her. She and Victor Webster had chemistry galore. Everyone in this movie did a wonderful job. This movie had it all comedy, sentimentality, a good script, great acting and the usual touch of romance. And may I add?...an actual kiss 30 minutes before the end of the movie without someone or something interrupting. I think Hallmark thinks if you have an interrupted kiss at 30 minutes before the conclusion, it will make the final kiss more satisfying. Well Hallmark, it does not as proven by this movie.

Bethany is my absolute favorite among all the Hallmark actresses and I was really looking forward to this movie. The previews shown funny moments and silliness which I know she's great at, too! Unfortunately, it didn't quite deliver.

So what happened? I'm not quite sure.

To me, there seemed to be no chemistry. None between supposed family members. They actually did seem more like a bunch of strangers sharing a B&B than a family. And I definitely didn't detect any sparks between Bethany and Victor which was the most disappointing. Love them both in other movies but as a couple they just didn't click. They both seemed like they were holding back. Or maybe they were just too mismatched for this movie?

The main story was also somewhat predictable as I knew exactly what the twist was going to be in the first 10 minutes.

What I did like: The dad and Beth had a great romance starting which was cute.

And an Excellent cast! Loved all their different stories and getting to know them.

We were fooled by the many good reviews. Not funny, not very romantic, after 20 minutes at the latest we felt like turning off and unfortunately it doesn't get any better afterwards. Very below average movie.

I hardly ever watch any Hallmark productions so my expectations were really low. Sure there is a number of cliché and cheesy aspects but the actors are the ones who really gave this production much more than what these kinds of productions normally get for the money they pay. Or maybe Hallmark was paying better for this one?

Bethany Joy Lenz carved out a few almost monological scenes, so one might say that director also deserves kudos for having a ear for a slightly different approach when and actor brought it and not forcing everyone into an "ensemble" routine. Grace Beedie also managed to carve out, let's say a few solos and a few other created sparkling miniatures.

That's what gave this flick the quality that other people called, fun, witty, quirky - the sense of character's individuality which is rare and not usually expected in this kind of production.

Robert Wisden delivered very good support, almost prefect segue for others to shine when they could, and wanted to. A few others were not up to the (unexpected) higher standard. Victor Webster and Paula Shaw, almost unwatchable, Laura Soltis plain routine going on cheesy.

Now I'd like to see Bethany Joy Lenz and Grace Beedie doing something together, but with much better script, direction and production.

After about 10 minutes, I was ready to turn it off, but I persevered. It did improve, but not amongst the best of this year's batch. I've always enjoyed Joy Lenz, but I had seen her in a "woke" psa earlier this year, and I had some trouble separating the actress from the role. This is why I wish actors would keep their politics to themselves. The rest of the cast was excellent, and the movie concludes nicely. I can recommend it if you have nothing to do for a couple hours and you've seen the rest of them.

6/10 - sweet story about a family coming together at Christmastime has plenty of romance as well

One of the best of Hallmark's 2020 crop of Christmas movies. What really distinguishes this is that the plot line is clever and different from the usual fare offered by the channel. Plus, it's really funny at times and well written. In addition, every single character has his or her memorable scene. The acting is top notch by all. You get the feeling that they were all having a good time with this script. The banter between the siblings is very realistic - we do tend to talk at each other like this. Bethany Joy Lenz is excellent, and her chemistry with the always good Victor Webster is totally believable, as are the scenes between Robert Wisden (as her dad) and Laura Soltis (in a lovely performance as a visitor at the B&B). I added an extra star in the rating for Paula Shaw, who shows up as Margo/Grandma. Shaw is always a welcome addition to any Hallmark film, and she is a real hoot here during the first hour. The biggest hoot, however, comes, surprisingly, from Webster toward the end of the movie in a scene on the town street. It's a real surprise and had us belly laughing. All around good fun, charmingly told and acted. You will probably like all these characters.

I was pleasantly surprised with "Five Star Christmas." As opposed to the usual pap of most of the stories so far this year, this quirky (I know that word has come up before) and romantic comedy was refreshing. The storyline was well written and thought out, coming together nicely with the usual romantic ending on several levels. The energy that Lenz gives off was contagious as was the interplay between the characters. This is my favorite for the 2020 season (a few so far were bland, boring and so very predictable which could describe Hallmark, overall, to a tee). Not since the fantastic "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008)," which featured Henry Winkler, have I enjoyed a Hallmark Christmas feature so much. Put this one on your 'Watch list,' you won't regret it. I'd give it 9-stars.

I love both actors but they just acted silly in this movie. Maybe it was my mood but I'm not going to watch this again. I didn't find it funny like most did.

Bethany Joy Lenz & Victor Webster are normally better than this gave them the opportunity to display! Friday night viewing was somewhat of a letdown with this seemingly amateur effort! The pretence of the family as staff & guests should have been more entertaining. Too bad; maybe next time!

Well Mrs. Shullivan and I don't necessarily agree on all the film's we watch together but Five Star Christmas kept us both entertained from the beginning until the end. We also agreed that actress Bethany Joy Lenz is a fantastic actress with still untapped potential.

Bethany Joy Lenz plays Lucy Ralston who comes back home for Christmas to stay with her widower father, grandparents and her three other siblings only to find out that her father has recently (and secretively) turned their family home into a Bed & Breakfast. They find out that a famous Bed & Breakfast critic is coming into town to write reviews on a few local B&B establishments and so the family agrees to help out their father and try to impress this unknown critic by putting on a show by pretending to be paid guests and/or hotel employees.

It's a fun, witty, romantic story with some heartfelt moments and is well worth watching at least twice if for no other reason to see a star emerge in actress Bethany Joy Lenz.

I give it a 9 out of 10 IMDB rating

I stayed up to watch "Five Star Christmas". Victor and Bethany Joy did the best they could with what they were given, but I was disappointed with the movie itself. Hallmark Channel you can do better.