Jack Vasen
We have another story where a contest decides the fate of one of the main characters. I thought there were some original elements in the film. Some interesting things took place on the way to the ending. The ending surprised me a little.Gabriel Hogan has done several of these Christmas movies and he comes through again. I wish I thought there was chemistry between him and Natasha Henstridge, but I thought the relationship was forced and I didn't care enough about the outcome. The teen actors were good and had nice voices.Unfortunately there was a bit too much boring rehearsing shown in the movie, but their final performances were a pleasure. With the two romantic characters, and the four performers, there were a lot of sub-stories going on, perhaps too many.
Christmas-Reviewer
The nicest thing about this film was it least it wasn't about A POOR WIDOW WOMAN who finds love Christmas time. This film however suffers because it tells too many stories. The film would have been better served if they would of eliminated one story. In this film we had the following stories 1) The Commercialism of Christmas 2) Cutting funding to Arts Programs 3) Having your own voice 4) Is winning everything when someone loses 5) Opposites Attract in reality they are not so opposite In this film 2 schools have merged. An all boys school and an all girls school. Each school has a music class but there is only money left for one teacher for the following year. The principle however has encouraged the music teachers to enter a local television Christmas Carol contest. If either teacher wins then they will be able to keep their job. When word gets around school that one of the teachers will be let go then the students start playing dirty. Now this film I give credit for being a little different but its one of those films you watch and then you won't remember anything about after a good nights sleep. Family Safe.
David Love
Natasha Henstridge plays Miss Thiessen and Gabriel Hogan plays Mr Stoddard, two High School Music teachers who are in competition for one job following a merger of a girls' and a boys' school. The competition boils down to a competition over who has directed the best Christmas carol performance.Filmed in Ontario, and directed by Timothy Bond, production values are good. To remind us it's Christmas, every scene features garlands and Christmas lights in the background with plenty of fake snow everywhere, and snow-covered fake bushes.Look, it's inoffensive, light and fun. Henstridge is very easy on the eye and Hogan has clearly done lots of this stuff before. Of course the plot is predictable and the dialogue bland. But for a Sunday afternoon pre-Christmas with kids and grandparents this is well pitched
boblipton
The Hallmark Channel's annual festival of Christmas movies begins with this effort. Gabriel Hogan and Natasha Henstridge are music teachers in two private schools that merge. Only one will have a job long term and it comes down to a competition over who has directed the best Christmas carol performance. Soon enough, all sorts of student and parents' neuroses complicate the plot.As is usual with Hallmark TV movies, Ms. Henstridge is the more buttoned-down of the two, preferring classical music and technique, while Mr. Hogan holds for creativity and feeling the music. However, both are presented as likable, competent teachers and closer to the middle of that range than most Hallmark movies. There are also several amusing bits, particularly one in which they keep getting matched by an online dating service. Both are likable and relaxed with their characters and the net effect, while no world-beater, is very pleasant.
AD
