Holly Jolly Romances

Five More Minutes Plot Summary A woman's Christmas wish is answered in unexpected ways when her late grandfather's journal turns up and reveals an untold romance.  Starring :  Nikki DeLoach and David Haydn-Jones Image:  Crown Media Five More Minutes Achieves the Hallmark Gold Standard Hallmark was once synonymous with good storytelling and clean movies you could immerse yourself in to escape the cares and stresses of this world. When Wonya Lucas took over as Crown Media CEO, fans noticed an immediate an unwelcome shift.  As if we aren't confronted with politics at every turn already, Hallmark began weaving political talking points into their movies, such as feminine empowerment, racial diversity, homosexuality, and social "justice" issues.  Hallmark is no longer a safe space where you can let down your guard.  If you possess conservative values, you must now filter the movies and ignore the agenda behind the scripts or change the channel when the usual wokeness

Debbie Macomber's A Mrs. Miracle Christmas Plot Summary When a family faces loneliness and loss of faith, Mrs. Miracle swoops in to renew their Christmas Spirit, and they experience a holiday of heavenly proportions. Starring :  Kaitlin Doubleday, Steve Lund, Paula Shaw, and Caroline Rhea Image: Crown Media Big Shoes To Fill Doris Roberts captured the hearts of Hallmark fans when she took on the role of an angel in the 2008 movie based on Debbie Macomber's novel, Mrs. Miracle, where she nannied twin boys and served as housekeeper, chef, and matchmaker for a single man. So enthralled were fans by this story of divine intervention, Hallmark transformed another Macomber novel into a movie in 2010-- Call Me Mrs. Miracle.  This time, Emily Merkle posed as a seasonal employee in the toy department of a struggling retailer. Roberts passed away at the age of 90 in 2016 from a stroke, so finding a suitable replacement fans would accept and embrace posed a unique challenge for

  Want A Chance To Win The Most Watched 2020 Hallmark Christmas Movie? Lacey Chabert and Will Kemp are a dynamic Hallmark couple adored by fans, and they wowed viewers in 2020 as they romantically danced their way across our TV screens.   To our delight, Christmas Waltz was released this fall onto DVD, and we are giving away a copy to one lucky winner! Giveaway Is A Facebook Group Exclusive If you are a member of our  Hallmark Movies-Christmas Magic  Facebook group and a legal  resident of the USA,  18 years or older, you are welcome to enter.   Not a member of our Facebook group yet?  No problem!  You can join here .                 How Do You Enter? Once you are in our Facebook group, click on the featured tab  at the top of our group page.  There, you will find a link to this blog post and the announcement about the giveaway.  In the comment section of the Facebook post  (not the blog post), simply  make a comment about the Christmas Waltz movie .   You might mention your favorite

  A Christmas Treasure Plot Summary After opening a 100-year old time capsule and meeting a charming chef, Lou questions whether or not she should move to New York after Christmas and further her writing career. Starring :  Jordin Sparks and Michael Xavier Image:  Crown Media Jordin Sparks Wows With Her Singing, Not Her Acting Have you ever heard of the Peter Principle ?  It's a term sociologists use to describe how people rise to their highest level of incompetence.  When people are good at their jobs, they continue to be promoted until they reach a level where they are inept. Fabulous singers often attempt crossing over into acting, and though some are brilliant at both, it's rare.  Successful singers-turned-actors include people like Will Smith, Queen Latifah, and Cher.  In the class of legendary singers who bomb as actors we have Madonna, Mariah Carey, and Prince.  Jordin Sparks is an uber talented singer who rose to fame via American Idol , and in A Christmas Treasure ,

Next Stop, Christmas Plot Summary   Angie is determined to spend Christmas alone, but her usual commuter ride turns into a Christmas train that drops her off in her home town in 2011. Starring :  Lyndsy Fonseca, Chandler Massey, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, and Eric Freeman Image:  Crown Media Magical Storytelling! Time travel stories can be tricky, so it's a good thing Hallmark enlisted the help of two people who know a lot about it:  Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson, veteran actors from the iconic Back to the Future trilogy. If you recall, the third installment of Back to the Future was released in 1990, and Doc Brown (Lloyd) traveled through time on a steam engine locomotive.  How fitting and nostalgic of Hallmark to cast Lloyd as the conductor on another train that hurtles Angie Reynolds (Lyndsy Fonseca) back 10 years.   Angie is tasked with making things right in the past so future problems can be avoided.  The challenge is she isn't sure exactly what needs fixed.

Gingerbread Miracle Plot Summary Two old friends from high school work together over Christmas to sell his uncle's Mexican bakery, famous for its magical gingerbread cookies that grant wishes. Starring:   Merritt Patterson and Jon Ecker Image:  Crown Media Christmas Magic Is Always A Crowd Pleaser Luis Casillas is ready to sell his bakery.  Since his wife died, the magic has disappeared from the gingerbread cookies. Luis keeps baking them, but wishes aren't coming true. Alex is grateful to his aunt and uncle for putting him through college so he can have a good life as an attorney, but the problem is he'd much rather be working in the kitchen.  When Alex starts baking the gingerbread cookies, the magic returns:  Gabe receives a hockey scholarship, Sydney is discovered and given an opportunity to pursue photography, and Jake gets to keep his dream bakery. As in EVERY Hallmark plot, the secret ingredient that creates the magic is love .  Just think back to The Baker's So

Christmas Sail Plot Summary   When Liz returns home to take care of her estranged father she is determined to give her daughter a perfect Christmas and reconnects with her best friend. Starring:  Katee Sackhoff, Patrick Sabongui, and Terry O'Quinn Image:  Crown Media A Different Type Of Story & Cast We fans have patiently watched scores of Hallmark Christmas movies with identical plots.  The only thing that ever changes is the actors assuming the roles.  Hallmark movies spun from a novel offer us a break from the usual tropes, but Christmas Sail is not based on a book--it is written by Robin Gadsby, Katee Sackhoff's husband.  I guess if he wanted their marriage to survive, his wife had to be cast as as the lead.   Unfortunately, Sackhoff, of  Battlestar Galactica fame, is not the best choice.  All Hallmark leading ladies smile throughout seventy-five percent of every movie, and that's fine--unless you have a villainous Joker smile like Sackhoff.  With a smile so wide

The Christmas Promise Plot Summary Nicole learns to deal with grief, with the help of her grandfather and a carpenter she hires to renovate the home once meant for her and her fiancé. Starring:  Torrey DeVitto, Dylan Bruce, and Patrick Duffy Image:  Crown Media Finally, A Decent Cast Hallmark hasn't been doing the greatest job in 2021 when it comes to casting, mainly because their decisions are based on political ideology rather than talent and chemistry. The Christmas Promise finally takes us back to how storytelling used to be at Hallmark before Woke Wonya Lucas took the helm at Crown Media. The cast in The Christmas Promise is stellar.  Torrey DeVitto is actually a talented actress, not some newbie who stinks like we've seen of late.  DeVitto has starred previously in Best Christmas Party Ever in 2014 and Write Before Christmas in 2019.   Image:  Crown Media Dylan Bruce isn't the hunkiest Hallmark leading man, but he is upbeat, witty, and fun.  He's starred i

Coyote Creek Christmas Plot Summary While throwing a "Christmas Around the World" party at her family's inn, an event planner discovers Christmas magic with a charming father-son duo whose presence brings about tension and joy. Starring : Janel Parrish and Ryan Paevey Image:  Crown Media Nothing New To See Here While many of us are happy to watch the eye candy that is Ryan Paevey, it is rather pathetic that Hallmark keeps feeding us the exact same plot and taking advantage of our fandom. Too much of a good thing ceases to be a good thing.  Imagine eating your favorite food every day for dinner.  Sounds good in theory, but it quickly grows unpalatable.  I packed PBJ for most of my high school lunches, and after graduation, nearly 20 years ticked by before I could eat one again. We have watched a gazillion event planners get upset to learn the family business is being sold, only to take it over because their career really hasn't been satisfying after all.  Good grief,