A Wish For Christmas

I'm always amazed at reviews of Hallmark movies that complain about predictability or flat endings! What else do they expect? That's Hallmark for ya. I like thinking there are actually people who have wonderful Christmas traditions and family gatherings. I would love to spend Christmas in a town where I could get lost in happiness!

In this movie I was more amused that once again the women playing Paul Greene's mother is his age! Ok, she's 7 years older and his Aunt is 6 years older. This has happened before with Paul. Are they trying to make him seem younger?!

Anyway, typical Hallmark and I liked it.

Sara Thomas (Lacey Chabert) is an awesome team player at marketing firm that is basically a pushover that allows others to take advantage of her good nature. At the company's Christmas party her marketing director promotes her project as his own. Santa offers to grant a Christmas list that would will only last for 48 hours. Sara wished for courage to stand up for herself. This wish takes Sara on a journey with her firm's CEO Peter Williams (Paul Greene) that includes a road trip, confronting an unreasonable client, strained family relations, and so much more.

The chemistry between Sara and Paul is believable and you find yourself cheering for them. Chabert is my favorite HM leading lady, and Williams is also a favorite.

This is Lacey Chabert's 6th Christmas Movie and it is her best. I was about ready to give up on her. Finally a movie with some excitement that I don't fall asleep watching it. This was a good role for her. As unassertive Sara Thomas, she is wronged and is granted a wish to have the courage to speak up for 48 hours. Many scenes where she surprises by speaking up- all good. It was well done and the anticipation of what she is going to say/do next keeps the movie exciting. The admiration of her boss is just great and really makes the movie. The role of the boss is well done. Also the zillionaire Wilson was well played. The reviews preceding this one indicate a movie similar to her other five. No. This movie is much better. I will watch this one again and I am very happy it was good.

Just to remind. Matchmaker Santa (2012), Royal Christmas (2014), Tree that Saved Christmas (2014), Family for Christmas (2015), A Christmas Melody (2015).

But if Lacey Chabert's in it and it's Hallmark I'll usually give it a solid look. Lacey has become the Queen of Hallmark Christmas movies, she's quietly attractive, distinctive, and with a little edge to her. I really liked her last few Hallmark Christmas entries, this one seemed a little forced or something. Lacey is a marketing wiz who won't stand up for herself, at the company Christmas party she gets courage from Santa, and then gets thrown into a challenging marketing pitch with company CEO Greene. I know Greene is also a Hallmark staple (who I hadn't seen before), he was okay but something about this just didn't feel right (as opposed to, say, Once Upon a Holiday where things seemed to effortlessly flow). So I would recommend it to the Hallmark hard core but not necessarily others.

This movie was so cute!! I loved the two leads, Paul Greene and Lacey Chabert, two Hallmark legends! They were so fun to watch together and I really love how the story incorporated more than just one theme. This story had some magic, lessons on believing in yourself, forgiveness and more! Especially compared to some of the thinly-veiled plots that are coming out this year (Holiday 2019) on Hallmark, this one is definitely a cut above! It's so cute and most importantly it's about family, friends and lifting up one another all year long! Christmas 365 :)