Journey to Christmas

7.2 stars.

There is a lot to say about this very strange movie. First of all, I don't recognize any of the actors, literally not one. I've seen a million movies and how could I not recognize one? The lead female looks familiar, so maybe I've seen her, but I couldn't say for sure. The lead male, same story. The rest of the cast, nada.

'Journey to Christmas' feels like the first try for the director and most of the actors as well. It feels new, fresh, but amateur and green for sure. This is what I would imagine the final product would be if you took a bunch of skilled people doing it for the first time. Literally, all of them doing their first movie, but they are all very charismatic and intelligent, so it might turn out pretty good. And guess what, it actually works, overlooking the fact that the acting is so rudimentary and wooden throughout. Some of it was so cheesy and basic, as if they only did one take for every scene and we are stuck with the end product. What's amazing is that the last act is endearing and moving, even it it still feels robotic and wavers throughout. I just can't emphasize enough how freakish this film is to me, the acting is so bad, yet all the actors are so likable that I felt I could overlook the whole fiasco.

All the overly positive reviews are not realistic, so you know there are proponents of the movie with an agenda (whatever that may be) that are padding the results in their favor. That's fine, you can get an unadulterated opinion right here, go no further my friend.

It's only year three of the Great American Christmas movies, so you can't expect all of them to be winners. Journey to Christmas will not be among the more fondly remembered of the year by most people.

The plot is at least somewhat original: limo driver taking a famous model across the country at Christmas time until weather forces them to stop, not coincidentally at his boyhood home, where he hasn't been for several years. They naturally fall for each other, until a misunderstanding, well...you know.

The problem here is the acting. Everybody seems so stiff and unnatural at times you think you're watching a rehearsal for the high school play.

A theme among GAF actors I've noticed is they don't speak clearly enough to understand, exacerbated by the fact they talk so fast.

The lead actress is certainly pretty, tall and thin enough to be the supermodel she portrays (although this one actually eats), but there was zero chemistry with her costar.

They're just getting started. I know they'll get better, but I doubt I'll be watching this one again.

I was not familiar with the leading cast members prior to this movie. I have become a fan of Ash Tsai and Joey Hayworth now. The two have excellent Chemistry throughout the movie - Fresh, sweet, appear genuinely enamored with one another. I love the way the couple meet and how the relationship develops, something that is completely rare in 99 percent of Hollywood movies today. Kuddos to the writers! The scenery and sets are realistic for common people . I feel the set designers did a wonderful job creating "real life" at the various stops and the main home used in the movie. Once again, a thank you to all invoved for making a movie that I happy and uplifted at the end. This is a good one for a sequel!

A lovely story with "real people." It's a road trip rom com, with the usual twists and turns along the way--it is winter solstice after all!

Our protagonists discover Christmas as a season for expressing love by having the eyes to really see each other at their best.

While both leads are "easy on the eyes," one handsome and one beautiful, their attractiveness goes beyond the physical to the hearts we see revealed and softened throughout the movie.

If you love romcoms, add this to your list. If you're still feeling the blows of a breakup in your own life, add this to your list. If you are single and a workaholic, add this to your list. If you love the message of the meaning of Christmas (without any sermonizing), add this to your list.

Don't pay too much attention to the intolerant reviewers who just want to complain about the main actor's lack of experience and to compare one network's stable of performers to another's--and even whine about the commercials shown during the TV broadcasts of a film. How are people like that even fans of the genre? In this instance, no, the main stars have not been doing the same old stories that many actors have been doing for fifteen or twenty years, but in my opinion that made them sound fresher. Sometimes the "experienced" actors just sound bored, or tired of the same old lines they are delivering. Of course, what I like best about Great American Family films is that they are not trying to socially manipulate their viewers like Hallmark does. GAC stories are family friendly--some of us really appreciate that. But even if you don't, or don't care, this is an enjoyable film regardless. That's the bottom line.