Veggie Tales: St. Nicholas (2009)

Rated: NR

Genres: Animation, Religion

Starring: Paul Vischer, Mike Nawrocki, and Lisa Vischer

Synopsis: The Veggies discover the true joy of giving to others at Christmas time and throughout the year.

Review: The story tells a lot about the origin of St. Nicholas but the main focus is learning that the true meaning of Christmas is giving, not getting.  It teaches that the religious aspect and not the commercial one is important.  Like all VeggieTales, the Bible and Christianity are the focus.  It’s educational and entertaining.

Scoring: 3

Veggie Tales: The Star Of Christmas (2002)

Rated: NR

Genres: Animation, Religion

Starring: Dan Anderson, Matthew Hodge, Tim Hodge

Synopsis: Two jingle writers plan a stage production they believe will teach London to love but it’s for the same night at the church’s nativity play.  In the end, they learn the true meaning of Christmas.

Review: It’s a wonderful movie for children but would be good for families to watch together.  It does teach values through Christianity so if you prefer to avoid Religious material this isn’t for you.  The veggies are entertaining but relatable.  This was my first viewing of anything VeggieTales and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.  The messages are very positive for children.

Scoring: 3

A Very Boy Band Holiday (2021)

Rated: PG

Genres: Musical

Starring: Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, Lance Bass, Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman, Bobby Brown, Michael Bivins, Joey McIntyre, Erik-Michael Estrada, Nick Lachey, Drew Lachey, and Jeff Timmons

Synopsis: Favorite boy band members sing their holiday hits and celebrate the season.

Review: If you’re a fan of boy bands, you’ll love the music as much as their stories about their experiences and how they celebrate the holidays with their families.

Scoring: 3

A Very Brady Christmas (1988)

Rated: NR

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Family

Starring: Florence Henderson, Robert Reed, and Ann B. Davis

Synopsis: The entire Brady family manages to overcome personal obstacles to spend a happy holiday together.

Review:  A typical Brady story. It’s about dealing with struggles but in a very G-rated way. It’s also about family and togetherness. If you like The Brady Bunch you’ll probably like this. 

Scoring: 3

A Very British Christmas (2019)

Rated: G

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Rachel Shenton and Mark Killeen

Synopsis: Opera singer Jessica's flight to her concert in Vienna gets delayed and she is stuck in a remote area of England. The only place to stay is a bed-and-breakfast in an enchanting village run by a handsome widower named Andrew.

Review: What an enchanting romance.  The characters are magical yet relatable.  The scenery is beautiful.  The little girl is so adorable and quite funny.  It’s more about relationships and the town than Christmas but there’s enough Christmas to give the feeling.

Scoring: 3 

A Very Charming Christmas Town (2020)

Rated: PG

Genre: Romance

Starring: Natalie Hall, Jon Prescott, and Kelley Jakle

Synopsis: Travel and lifestyle blogger Aubrey Lang visits the small town of Slovang for a Christmas vlog.

Review: There’s a lot of corny and expected plot moments.  There’s also something special about the Danish traditions the town has which are different from other movies.  The characters are very likable and fun.  The worst part is the amount of chocolate and pastries in the movie.  I was craving kringle and chocolate the whole time. LOL

Scoring: 3.5

A Very Country Christmas (2017)

Rated: PG

Genres: Drama, Family, Romance

Starring: Greyston Holt, Bea Santos, Greg Vaughn, and Deana Carter

Synopsis: Jeanette is a busy single parent, trying to make the best life for her and her daughter. With no time to follow current celebrity gossip, Jeanette is unaware of when a Country superstar returns to their small town to escape the intrusive paparazzi and the chaos of fame. A chance meeting between the two have them both letting their guards down and opening their hearts to the possibility of romance.

Review:  A sweet and lovely story. The daughter is so adorable and adds to the emotions of the scenes. You get your happy ending but it’s a beautiful story. There’s some good country music as well. 

Scoring: 3.5

A Very Country Christmas Homecoming (2020)

Rated: G

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Bea Santos, Greyston Holt, and Deana Carter

Synopsis: Complications arise for a country music superstar and his new wife when her former father-in-law throws a wrench into all of their holiday planning.

Review: This movie is missing some of the magic of the first movie. It has some deeper topics, like handling a son’s death and paparazzi, but they’re only skimmed over. It has Christmas but it’s mostly fluff. I think the movie would’ve been better served by choosing either the Cake and paparazzi storyline or the grandfather returning one and really exploring it fully. 

Scoring: 2.5

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011)

Rated: R

Genres: Adventure, Comedy

Starring: Kal Penn and John Cho

Synopsis: Six years after their Guantanamo Bay adventure, stoner buds Harold Lee and Kumar Patel cause a holiday fracas by inadvertently burning down Harold's father-in-law's prize Christmas tree.

Review:  I haven’t seen their other movies but it’s pretty easy to figure out they are just as crazy. Their antics and adventures have a  Griswold feel but upped to add everything inappropriate you could think of. It’s funny but definitely only for adults. 

Scoring: 2

A Very Merry Bridesmaid (2021)

Rated: G

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Emily Osment and Casey Deidrick

Synopsis: A woman’s childhood crush makes sure her Christmas Eve birthday doesn’t go by the wayside due to her brother’s wedding.

Review: This is the best kind of Christmas romance stories.  It has relatable, even flawed, characters, a lovely story, family, and plenty of Christmas spirit and warmth.  Osment did a great job playing such a giving character.  This is one I’ll watch over and over again.

Scoring: 4 

A Very Merry Hood Christmas (2022)

Rated: TV-MA

Genres: Drama, Family

Starring: Thomas L. Harris, Sino Harris, Comic Jwill, and KC Clark

Synopsis: Every year the Perry's one big crazy ghetto family celebrates Christmas. This year, however, brings twists and turns that disrupt the festivities.

Review: This was cringeworthy bad.  From the very beginning I just couldn’t take the constant cursing, treating each other badly, etc.  Bad acting.  Save yourself and avoid this one.

Scoring: 1

A Very Murray Christmas (2015)

Rated: TV-14

Genres: Comedy, Musical

Starring: Michael Cera, George Clooney, Miley Cyrus, David Johansen, Rashida Jones, Bill Murray, Amy Poehler, Chris Rock, Maya Rudolph, Jason Schwartzman, and Paul Shaffer

Synopsis: When a blizzard shuts down the production of Bill Murray’s live holiday broadcast, he makes the best of the situation by singing and celebrating with friends.

Review: This would have been even better as a variety special.  It’s mostly singing and dancing.  Very entertaining and festive singing and dancing by very talented people.  The attempt to add a plot to it is just strange.  Ignore that part and just celebrate the music and the talent.

Scoring: 3

A Very Nutty Christmas (2018)

Rated: PG

Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance

Starring: Melissa Joan Hart, Barry Watson, and Melissa Jaret Winokur

Synopsis: Kate, a workaholic baker, has given up on Christmas, especially this year, when her boyfriend dumps her and she's got to fill an order of 12,000 cookies before Christmas. However, the gift of a magic nutcracker who turns into a real man makes the once cynical Kate understand the magic and beauty of Christmas--and of love.

Review:  A nutcracker coming to life sounds weird but somehow it worked. The whole movie I was waiting for the end expecting sadness, but I loved it. I’ve watched this many times and love it more each time.

Scoring: 3.5

A Very Salem Christmas (2021)

Rated: NR

Genres: Drama

Starring: Chandler Massey

Synopsis: Follows Will Horton, as he writes a screenplay before his Christmas Eve deadline.  He creates a festive story based on his family and friends in Salem but with lots of twists and turns you’ll never see coming.

Review: I personally am not a fan of Days of Our Lives, so I watched this with a super fan.  Even she thought it was ridiculous and stupid and wanted to stop watching about 15 minutes in.  Don't waste your time.

Scoring: 1

A Very Vintage Christmas (2019)

Rated: G

Genres: Drama, Romance

Starring: Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Jesse Hutch, and Patricia Richardson

Synopsis: An antique shop owner finds a hidden box containing an eclectic collection of mementos. She decides to make it her mission to deliver it to her rightful owner. 

Review: If I had to describe this movie in one word, I’d say sentimental. It’s not just the romance of the vintage store. It’s the two love stories, the mission to find the couple, and all the feelings it all evokes. It’s a new plot I haven’t seen before which is refreshing. A lovely tale. 

Scoring: 3

A Veteran’s Christmas (2018)

Rated: G

Genres: Drama, Family, Romance

Starring: Eloise Mumford and Sean Faris

Synopsis: Captain Grace Garland, a decorated US veteran, returns home after two tours of Search and Rescue in Afghanistan. After being separated from her beloved K9 partner, Grace must rediscover the magic of Christmas. When Grace finds herself stranded in the town of River's Crossing a couple weeks before Christmas, the local judge Joe Peterson, offers her a place to stay on his property and takes it upon himself to show Grace everything she has been missing; Christmas, family, community, and love.

Review:  A sweet story about coming home from war when you have no one to come home to. Charming characters with a beautiful setting and lovely Christmas traditions. 

Scoring: 3.5