zyxnix Danica McKellar plays a spunky girl who is going to fix a Christmas for a wealthy dysfunctional family. I hate spunk! She has a great body and really holds up well after all these years, but I can't get past her droopy eyes. Andrew Francis is about the most irritating guy in Canadawood. Lay off the hair product and stop being evil. All this being said, it is watchable. Looking forward to seeing Chelan Simmons in more movies.

dconrad-49108 One of the worst Xmas movies ever. A trite, but common, plot: girl, a bit down in life, falls into a delicious situation that includes young men, a task, and a crotchety matriarch that must be won over (and is, of course). Some dark secret lurks in the background: WHY is this family so Xmas-dysfunctional?? Why don't they understand, as sweet goofy Danica does, that Xmas is all family, sweetness and light, and Yule logs for dessert? The staging is right out of Dickens with charming quasi-English street scenes. The acting is flat and predictable. Stern, unemotional Robert, always wearing a suit; his rascally UNpredictable brother, Kip, the foil (except his antics are totally predictable), and their upper-class raised sister Sloane, with two adorable toddlers, who is suffering a situation that just a small donation from Grandma's coffers would easily fix. And so it yawningly goes. Of course, every time Robert and Lizzie almost get close to each other, that rascal Kip bursts onto the scene and ruins everything. Hence many puppy-eyed over-the-shoulder looks from Lizzie as Kip drags her away. The tree cutting scene is laughable and only provides an "outdoor" venue for more anguished questioning by Lizzie about why this family is so un-xmasy! Don't they know it's all about family and Yule logs?? Another laughable occasion designed to provide more of the same platitudinous conversation occurs when Lizzie enters the bedroom she has been given at Ashford (and a pretty unimpressive bedroom it is for such a grand estate) and finds Robert in there, it having been his old room from childhood. Of course, oddly, Lizzie has not left ONE SInGLE thing anywhere in the room to indicate the fact she is residing there! How was poor Robert to know?? But, hey, they get to talk in the middle of the night! I could go on and list many more plot contrivances because thus movie is all contrivances and trite-isms. At the end, it's the usual overheard partial conversation which threatens to throw all asunder but fortunately reformed-grandma saves the day, the Xmas, and the romance. Wooden Robert suddenly turns into a dancing Lothario( not a very convincing one) and even a bend-her-backwards kisser. All is well. Except the movie is soooo bad; Holiday Inn for the millionth time would be a better Xmas watch.

RvaBread22 The acting is strong and solid. I have to admit, that Danica McKellar is very easy on the eyes. I was interested in seeing this because it takes place in my home state of Virginia. So naturally, I was wondering (if at all) I would recognize something as they might be filming on location. And apparently, not so.Perhaps its just a pet peeve of mine, but it would have been more accurate if they had the setting some place other than Virginia. For example, Virginians can be stuffy, but not New England stuffy! I do realize this film was made in Canada and they sort of shoot in the dark when it comes to getting the right flavor of the locale . But the tone was a bit off for Virginia. The characters seem very New England/Northeastern and a Butler with a British accent? That would not be commonplace here in Virginia. The help would be... well, mostly non-white. Also, while Virginia can get some decent snow amounts , its not commonplace to have snow on the ground before Christmas, and even a White Christmas isn't all that common either. I realize they may have just used the snow for affectation to make sure you knew it was "Christmasy".I'm trying to picture where in Virginia they might be, and I'm guessing outside of Washington D.C. towards the blue ridge- perhaps Loudoun or Fauquier County. While by no means Deep South, its personality here is not like depicted in this film. Virginia definitely has a more Southern lilt and a more folksy , friendly kind of wealth than the New Englander-ish style they portrayed.

Jack Vasen To me, this is a different approach to a Christmas story, although it still uses many traditional plot devices. Lizzie becomes the house manager, put in the middle of a wealthy and slightly estranged family just before Christmas, and as that same house is being sold.The story is interesting even if it has no great surprises. Lizzie finds herself bringing this family together. This is a big part of the charm of this movie. It is heartwarming to see each time a connection is repaired.One thing I liked about this story is that it didn't accentuate the class difference between the Marley's and Lizzie. Unlike so many stories where unemployed girl meets rich guy, especially when it is "old-money", you can actually see these two overcoming those differences easily.Danica McKellar, as Lizzie, works that charm as this part is tailor made for her. I assume her annoying chattiness in the beginning is the story and direction rather than the acting. Given that, she carries it off. Neal Bledsoe, as Robert Marley, the head of the clan, has a difficult part. He is difficult to warm up to. The chemistry between McKellar and Bledsoe must be subtle and steady. Robert's nature is intentionally stiff and businesslike.I will gladly make this a regular Christmas movie treat.