Trading Places (1983)

Rated: R

Genres: Comedy

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Dan Ackroyd, and Jamie Lee Curtis

Synopsis: A snobbish investor and a wily street con artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.

Review:  While it takes place at Christmas this is not a Christmas themed movie. It’s funny once you get past the cruelty of the two men. Murphy and Ackroyd are at their best. 

Scoring: 3

Trapped In Paradise (1994)

Rated: PG-13

Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Family

Starring: Nicholas Cage, Jon Lovitz, and Dana Carvey

Synopsis: Residents of a friendly Pennsylvania town foil three brothers' plan to rob a bank on Christmas Eve.

Review:  Lots of silliness and lots of laughs. A little campy but in the best way. Seeing Cage with Carvey and Lovitz is classic. 

Scoring: 3

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (1945)

Rated: PG

Genres: Drama, Family, Romance

Starring: Katie McGuire

Synopsis: Encouraged by her idealistic if luckless father, a bright and imaginative young woman comes of age in a Brooklyn tenement during the early 1900s.

Review:  This is another one I question why it’s on lists of Christmas movies. I don’t consider it a Christmas movie but I do consider it an excellent movie. It feels like an almost historical view of life for those in the early 1900s. Their joys and their struggles are seen through the eyes of one family. 

Scoring: 4

Tree Man (2015)

Rated: PG

Genres: Documentary 

Starring: N/A

Synopsis: Francois the Tree Man is far from his wife and three small children in Quebec, selling Christmas trees and living in a van on the streets of New York City. TREE MAN is the story of Francois's journey. 

Review: I found this documentary a little informative. That being said, it was way longer than it needed to be and there were too many moments with just visuals. The gaps in storytelling affected the emotional impact it could have had. I’d skip this one as likable as Francois is. 

Scoring: 1.5

The Trouble With Mistletoe (2017)

Rated: NR

Genres: Comedy, Romance

Starring: Rachel Melvin and Thomas Beaudoin

Synopsis: When San Francisco pet shop owner Willa Davis encounters the man who stood her up in high school, she fights both her head and her heart when she starts falling for him all over again ten years later.

Review:  This is a movie for adults. If it had a rating it’d probably be R. If you can handle the high school flashbacks it’s an interesting love story. 

Scoring: 2

The Truth About Christmas (2018)

Rated: TV-14

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Starring: Kali Hawk

Synopsis: Follows Jillian, a successful political consultant, confident in her ability to put a spin on anything whose next big project is the upcoming mayoral campaign for her boyfriend, George. On the way to meet George's family for the first time during the holidays, an unusual confrontation with a toy store Santa results in a drastic change in Jillian where she can't stop herself from wildly spilling the truth. Jillian must find a way to make it stop before her holidays, her job and her relationship are ruined.

Review:  Yet another movie about someone magically being unable to lie to learn the true meaning of Christmas. If you don’t mind the repetitive plot, it’s actually enjoyable. It has a few moments that fall short but overall it’s a fun watch. 

Scoring: 3

Twas The Chaos Before Christmas (2019)

Rated: PG

Genres: Comedy, Family

Starring: Sherri Shephard and Victoria Rowell

Synopsis: A mix-up causes both an affluent family from New York and a working-class family from North Carolina to rent the same home in DC for the holidays.

Review:  This movie had some points where it made you think but overall, it was a really funny comedy.  The clashes between the wives alone had me laughing out loud.  As soon as they’d reach common ground something would put them at odds again.  I truly enjoyed it.

Scoring: 3.5

‘Twas The Night (2001)

Rated: G

Genres: Comedy, Family, Fantasy

Starring: Josh Zuckerman and Bryan Cranston

Synopsis: A mischievous 14-year-old boy and his irresponsible uncle almost ruin Christmas when they decide to take Santa's new high-tech sleigh for a joyride.

Review:  Being a Disney Channel film you know it’s geared toward younger audiences. I thought it was funny and interesting and would make for good family viewing. If you don’t like children’s programming it may not be for you. 

Scoring: 3

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas (2022)

Rated: G

Genres: Fantasy, Romance

Starring: Torrey DeVitto and Zane Holtz

Synopsis: Follow a former actress as she needs to take charge of a town's annual Christmas Eve courtroom production debating the true authorship of the poem "A Visit from St. Nick".

Review: It was a very interesting and different movie. It had twists and turns that keep my attention. The script and other changes made it feel fresh and new yet it had the same calm feeling most Hallmark movies have.  The characters were sweet. I just felt the story was unfinished. Maybe there’s a sequel coming?

Scoring: 3

‘Twas the Text Before Christmas (2023)

Rated: G

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Merritt Patterson, Trevor Donovan and Jayne Eastwood

Synopsis: Addie and Nana develop a close friendship after an accidental text message. Addie goes to visit Nana, where she meets Nana's only son James. James and Addie start to view each other differently after years of spending holidays together.

Review:  The ending was clear from the beginning but the journey to get there was so enjoyable. The love and kindness between characters is special and makes it easy to care how things turn out. Definitely one I’ll be watching again. 

Scoring: 4

Twinkle All The Way (2019)

Rated: PG

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Sarah Drew, Ryan McPartlin, and Leslie Ann Warren

Synopsis: Two single parents of young daughters, grow closer as they work together on the girls’ play and contribute to each others' projects - Cadence with the wedding and Henry with his high-profile client, Mrs. Sutton, and her annual VIP Christmas Eve party.

Review: This movie gave me Christmasbumps. Yes, you’ll have to watch it to see what that means. There were so many times I got those feelings I had as a little girl on Christmas morning. Those feelings of magic, innocence, and joy.  Seeing the closeness of Henry’s family, the sweetness of the girls, and the relationship between Cadence and Henry together and with the girls is so lovely. This movie is really special. Don’t miss it. 

Scoring: 5

A Twist Of Christmas (2018)

Rated: PG

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Vanessa Lachey and Brendan Zub

Synopsis: In the frenzy before Christmas, two single parents - busy working mom Abby and her son, and overwhelmed lawyer Ryan and his daughter - accidentally mix up their toys at a crowded department store. As a result, both of their Christmases appear to be ruined. Although the two can't stand each other, the only way to get things back on track is to help each other salvage their holiday plans - not realizing they're falling for each other in the process.

Review:  This is a truly charming movie. While the storyline is predictable as it unfolds, the characters are so likable I didn’t mind. 

Scoring: 4

Two Turtle Doves (2019)

Rated: G

Genres: Drama, Family

Starring: Michael Rady and Nikki Deloach

Synopsis: Dr. Sharon Hayes returns home to search for a beloved family heirloom.  When she unexpectedly discovers an adorable little girl and her disheartened father, she realizes that Christmas miracles really do happen.

Review:  There’s a lot of loss for the characters.  We get to see the learn to cope with loss, continue to grieve, and move forward.  Yes, it has every Hallmark cliché including a woman returning to her small hometown, the widower, the adorable child, and a small town filled with Christmas traditions.  Each of these adds a layer to the story.  The main difference between this movie and others is while the ending is happy, it’s not really an ending.  It’s begging for a sequel.

Scoring: 3

Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas (2013)

Rated: PG-13

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Family

Starring: Tyler Perry, Chad Michael Murray, Larry The Cable Guy, Alicia Witt, and Kathy Najimy

Synopsis: Madea dispenses her unique form of holiday spirit on rural town when she's coaxed into helping a friend pay her daughter a surprise visit in the country for Christmas.

Review:  If you’re a fan of the Madea movies you’ll like this one, too. If you haven’t seen a Madea movie, watch it. It’s got plenty of laughs along with Madea’s life lessons with Christmas added. 

Scoring: 3