Ice Sculpture Christmas

Having not seen each other since they were kids, aspiring chef Callie (Rachel Boston) and rich man's son David (David Alpay) are reunited and fall in love while working together to win an ice sculpture competition. Enjoyable Hallmark movie that benefits from very likable leads and a pleasant tone without some of the more irksome parts of the Hallmark formula. Don't get me wrong, this is a routine Hallmark movie in many ways. But having seen so many of these things I really appreciate the ones that try to mix it up even a little. For example, the guy in this one does not have a witch of a fiancée and the girl does not have a fiancé that focuses too much on work. Those are two of the more common Hallmark tropes and I was happy to see neither present here. In fact, there is no love triangle in this, save for a brief point where Callie is given the wrong impression about David's relationship with a friend of the opposite sex. That alone is a refreshing change in the made-for-TV romcom landscape. But there are some elements you will have undoubtedly seen in other movies like this. For example, David's subplot about not wanting to take over his father's business is pretty trite and the ambitious and jealous coworker of Callie's is a walking cliché. But the movie needed a villain, I suppose.

I actually think one of the reasons it works so well is that there isn't much of the usual romcom cartoon villainy, outside of that one character (and maybe David's dad in one or two scenes). The plot provides some bumps in the road for the couple but never any major roadblocks. To some, that might sound boring, but to me it's one of the reasons I like Hallmark movies. This is feel-good entertainment that's easy to digest. Rachel Boston is a delight and David Alpay has an easygoing, gentle quality about him. Their chemistry is believable, which is half the battle. It's a good way to pass the time for a couple of hours. If you're a fan of Hallmark's usual output, you'll likely enjoy this.

This is a slightly above average Hallmance which at least did keep my interest. I liked the ice sculpture theme and the setting in an acclaimed kitchen of a master chef both of which I found educational and interesting. The touch of villainy and rivalry with the sous-chef was balanced by the lack there of with the boyfriend and the wisdom, fairness, and niceness of the head chef. Her romance with our heroine's widowed father added a further touch of piquancy. Rachel Boston is always reliable, though I find her giggle distracting. Her romance with the boy she met briefly in childhood but never forgot was rather dull. Her misunderstanding of his relationship with his work partner was not understandable, so thank-goodness, it was brief. I guess the reason I did not like the romance much was because I did not like the hero. First of all, his lack of height and too handsome face bothered me. I thought his behavior showed a lack of character. He let his partner shoulder all of the responsibility of meeting the very important proposal deadline while he was romancing Rachel. The romance should have waited. She wasn't going anywhere. His stupid arrogant move in entering Rachel in the ice sculpture contest in the first place was just incredibly clueless (and she told him flat out not to and why!). After writing this, Maybe I didn't like it as much as I thought I did!

I fell in love with this Movie the minute I watched it. It just grabbed me in a way that made me feel Love had blossomed from the beginning to the end; so much so, I had to special order it from WalMart.

I have watched and purchased a lot of Hallmark Films. With the Christmas Season in the air, they are playing non-stop. A few others I have purchased and I hope you love are: A Boyfriend for Christmas, Snow Bride, A Very Merry Mix-up, A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride, 12 Men of Christmas, The Christmas Shoes, Home by Christmas,Debbie Macomber's: Trading Christmas, and The Holiday.

These all may not be Hallmark Movies, but are great Holiday Movies to help you enjoy your Christmas.

These are just a few I wish to mention.

I loves this adorable ice sculpturing movie. Well worth watching James Welch Henderson Arkansas 12/3/2020

Callie (Rachel Boston) has always longed to be a successful chef, since childhood. Her father was the main handyman at a posh country club near their home and, each year, he would take his family to view their ice sculpting contest. One year, Callie was even given an extra block of ice to carve and was admired by a little boy, David. Now grown up, Callie has finished culinary school and recently landed a job as a dishwasher in the country club kitchen. It's a start. In fact, the job is a stepping stone to food preparation and each underling gets to view the top chef in action. The holiday season is starting and the sculpting contest is still going on. As luck would have it, Callie literally runs into a grown up David (David Alpay), now a very thriving businessman. His family has always been wealthy, Callie's middle class. Yet, David is charmed by this brief encounter and wants to get to know her better. In secret, he signs Callie up for the ice contest, something she was reluctant to do since her boss has won the last three events. But, its a go. With David helping as her partner and her boss gaining admiration for her underling who pitches in on the cooking line when needed, will Callie win a prize and become a sous chef? Not if the current and very mean sous chef can wreck the prospects! This is quite an usual film for Hallmark, as ice sculpting is not a well known skill. Who knew it went hand in hand with cooking, as chefs are often required to carve a figure as part of food presentation? Its not a likely subject for ten future films but this one is quite nice. The two leads do their jobs well and the supporting cast, plus fine scenery, costumes, direction and a sweet script move the flick along nicely. As still another offering in the growing repertoire of dear Hallmark holiday movies, fans of the genre should seek it out.