A Fiancé For Christmas (2021)

Rated: PG

Genres: Comedy, Family, Romance

Starring: Amanda Payton, Adam Gregory, and Marie Osmond

Synopsis: Perpetually single Sawyer makes a fake wedding registry to burn off some Christmas loneliness.  Her friends find it and think she’s become secretly engaged.  Too embarrassed to tell the truth, she instead finds a fake fiancé for the holidays.

Review: The story is exactly what you’d expect. What makes the movie so much fun is the actors and how they portray the characters. You can’t help but like them and want it to work out.  It’s fun and enjoyable. A sweet romcom. 

Scoring: 3

as The Holiday. A New York ad man and a NC handyman switch homes. As you’d expect, the city boy falls for country girl while the country boy falls for city girl. Despite that it’s relaxing and has some interesting characters.

Finding Santa: A Christmas Adventure (2016) aka A Christmas Story

Rated: NR

Genres: Animation, Fantasy

Synopsis: When Julius, a small boy living in an orphanage, finds himself disenchanted during the holidays, he is suddenly transported into a magical world of Christmas and goes on an adventure-filled quest to meet Santa.

Review: This movie was originally made in Denmark.  I found it to be a little odd and boring.  Julius has a Christmas box with items he has made.  In the world inside the box, Krampus has decided to take over Christmas so he puts Santa in his present machine where Santa is spit out in pieces.  Krampus enslaves the elves to dig coal for all the children as he is now Santa.  Meanwhile, Julius goes into the box to save Christmas.  I think American children will need an introduction to Krampus.  Maybe children will enjoy it if it isn’t too scary for them.

Scoring: 2

First Christmas (2020)

Rated: PG

Genre: Family

Starring: Idara Victor, Tonea Stewart, and Nikki Dixon

Synopsis: A writer is invited to spend Christmas with the biological family she never knew she had.

Review: It’s very interesting how many different relationships there are and issues to have.  I liked how their relationships slowly evolve as they work through their own feelings.  It’s a drama for sure but there’s a lot of love and Christmas, too.

Scoring: 3.5

The First Noelle (2022)

Rated: NR

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Novi Brown, Todd Anthony, and Lala Milan

Synopsis: After twenty years of friendship, Terrance and Noelle finally decide to date each other but ultimately break up when Terrance moves to London for work. Now that Terrance is back in Atlanta for Christmas with his new girl, also named Noelle, our lead is determined to get him back and say goodbye to being friend-zoned forever.

Review: I did know how it would end but I liked the story to get there. Watching the characters grow and change to get to their endings was lovely.  Noelle’s brother-in-law was really funny.

Scoring: 3

Fit For Christmas (2022)

Rated: G

Genre: Romance

Starring: Paul Green and Amanda Kloots

Synopsis: Follows Audrey, an enthusiastic Christmas-obsessed fitness instructor who begins a holiday romance with a charming, mysterious businessman.

Review: The first half of the movie I didn’t like. The animosity was so severe it was hard to enjoy. Then it finally became a friendly rivalry, and I was able to enjoy it. Then add in love triangle and see what happens. All the characters were likable and interesting. 

Scoring: 3

The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (2012)

Rated: PG-13

Genres: Drama, Family 

Starring: Edward Burns and Connie Britton

Synopsis: The adult siblings of the Fitzgerald family prepare for their estranged father to return home for Christmas for the first time since he walked out on his family 20 years ago.

Review: The stories of each family member, and their relationships, unfold at just the right pace. I was completely absorbed in the movie. It’s not a feel-good Christmas movie. It’s a tender examination of life, family, and forgiveness.  It’s very well done.  If you've seen an Ed Burns movie this will have a familiar feel.

Scoring: 4

Five More Minutes (2021)

Rated: G

Genres: Drama, Family

Starring: Nikki Deloach, David Haydn-Jones and Mila Jones

Synopsis: Follows the story of Clara who wishes she had more time with her late grandfather at Christmas.  Her holiday wish seems to come true as she comes across his journal and looks back on her time with him.

Review: I can describe this movie in one word, goosebumps. The story unfolds slowly but kept me involved and caring about the characters. The end had me in all the feels and even a tear or two. I loved it.  The theme of not wasting time in life was beautifully sewn throughout.  There’s also plenty of Christmas all around.

Scoring: 4.5

Five More Minutes: Moments Like These (2022)

Rated: G

Genres: Drama, Family, Romance

Starring: Ashley Williams and Lucas Bryant 

Synopsis: Inspired by Scotty McCreery's song "Five More Minutes", a Christmas wish gets realized in an unexpected way, as a young widow has to return to her old home for the holidays.

Review: This was a really sweet movie.  Watching a single mother grieving her husband and prioritizing her son with the help of family was moving.  When she had her five minutes, I got chills.  It’s a heavier emotional movie but it has lots of Christmas.

Scoring: 4.5

Five Star Christmas (2020)

Rated: G

Genres: Comedy, Family, Romance

Starring: Jay Brazeau, Bethany Joy Lenz, and Victor Webster

Synopsis: After moving back to her hometown, a woman plots with her siblings and grandparents to help her father’s new bed and breakfast get a five-star review from an incognito travel critic.

Review: At first, all the deception and awkward moments made me very uncomfortable.  I was waiting for the missteps and mistakes and hoping they would be okay.  While it made me uncomfortable it also means I cared enough about the characters to worry about them.  I knew how it would end early on but there was so much joy and fun along the way.  Grandma and her Russian persona, the town fair, dad finding romance again, and all their adventures. 

Scoring: 4

Fixing Up Christmas (2021)

Rated: G

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Natalie Dreyfuss and Marshall Williams

Synopsis: Known as a “fixer” for difficult clients, a talented party planner must help a young CEO plan the Christmas party of the year to dazzle the mayor and save his company.

Review: It’s a predictable love story but the characters are likable and there’s a lot of Christmas throughout the movie. Holly’s a smart and independent woman who saves the day rather than being rescued. 

Scoring: 3

A Flintstone Christmas (1977)

Rated: NR

Genres: Animation, Family, Fantasy

Starring: Mel Blanc

Synopsis: When Santa has an accident at Fred's house on Christmas Eve, Fred and Barney have to continue his run for him.

Review: As a Flintstone fan, I was naturally prone to enjoy this.  I believe viewers who aren’t familiar with it will still enjoy it.  The prehistoric spin on Christmas is entertaining. 

Scoring: 3

A Flintstones Christmas Carol (1994)

Rated: G

Genres: Animation, Family, Fantasy

Starring: Frank Welker

Synopsis: Fred is cast as Ebenezer Scrooge in a stage adaption of the story, but is acting a bit stingy in real-life.

Review: A delightful take on the Dickens classic story.  All the prehistoric twists and usual characters.  It is lacking some of the feeling of the show but it makes up for it in other ways.

Scoring: 3