**Merry, Merry Christmas Movie Reviews**
The Road Home for Christmas stars Marlo Sokoloff as Lindsey Scott and Rob Mayes as Wes Bailey. Lindsey and Scott play rival musicians. The movies starts with them playing dueling pianos. Quickly, the pair are forced to band together for a common goal: make it home in time for Christmas. Like a lot of Lifetime and Hallmark movies, there are a number of unbelievable coincidences that push the plot forward. Yet, the sweet and heart-warming romance left me more than willing to suspend any disbelief. This is a feel-good movie that sets the mood for the holidays. I particularly loved the music. If you enjoy jazzed up version of Christmas Carols, this movie is for you. The Road Home for Christmas was released on Oct 26, 2019, and is available on Xfinity On Demand.
4 out of 5 stars.
How do you feel about modern versions of Christmas Carols? Do you prefer the classics left alone?
**Merry, Merry Christmas Movie Reviews**
A Cinderella Story: A Christmas wish.
Premiers on Netflix on December 1st, 2019
Kat Emerson (Laura Marano) is a cute Christmas elf and aspiring song writer. Her life is a disaster, following the death of her father, who has—can you guess?—left her with a horrible stepmother and two truly, terrible stepsisters.
Enter Dominic Wintergarden (Gregg Sulkin), the gorgeous son of a billionaire, and we all know which way this plot is going.
This movie featured great music. The hero and heroine shared undeniable chemistry, and I feel a shout out is in order for top-rate performances by Kat (Laura Marano) and Dominic (Rick Sulkin). Unfortunately, performances put on by the rest of the cast fell flat, and the story seemed uni-dimensional. 2.5 out of 5 stars for me
Merry Christmas Movie Reviews
A Holiday for Heroes, premiered November 8th, 2109, Hallmark
The theme of supporting servicemen and women is strong in A Holiday for Heroes.
This story starts when Audrey, (played by Melissa Claire Egan) becomes pen pals with Matt (Marc Blucas). She’s introduced to Matt through her brother. Matt and Audrey’s bother are in the army and stationed in the same unit overseas. Matt is one of those soldiers who doesn’t get letters from home, and Audrey is the sort of person who cares.
When Matt’s commitment to the military is over, he has to decide if he plans to re-up or follow a new career path. He’s become so intrigued by Audrey, he decides he needs to spend some time with her to see what’s there before he makes his decision. His letter telling her he’s on his way is lost in the mail, and when he shows up it’s a complete surprise to Audrey.
At first, I thought Audrey and Matt were a little stiff. It took me a while to warm up to the characters. However, I loved the reaction to the soldier’s homecoming.
I give it 3.5 stars
If you have any homecoming stories featuring service men and women, please share.
**Merry, Merry Christmas Movie Reviews**
Let it Snow. Netflix released November 8th, 2019.
Let it Snow is based on the Young Adult novel by the same name, authored by Maureen Johnson (Key to the Golden Firebird), John Green (The Fault in Our Stars), and Lauren Myracle (Kissing Kate).
This movie features three intertwined stories that take place in Laurell, Illinois on Christmas Eve.
In story one, Julie (Isabela Merced) joins pop star Stuart (Shameik Moore) on a walk into town when their train is stopped by snow. Julie confides in Stuart about her acceptance to Columbia, which she’s going to turn down because her mom is ill. They end up back at Julie’s house where Stuart, Julie, her mom, and grandpa bond while dancing like Mick Jagger.
In story two, Angie, nicknamed Duke, learns her best friend Tobin has been secretly in love with her for years.
In story three, Dorrie (Liv Hewson) comes face to face with her crush, Tegan (Anna Akana) who is not yet out and is surrounded by her high school friends.
Additionally, there is an endearing “foil princess”, played by Joan Cusack and an admirable amount of diversity.
*This movie should be rated PG-13 for language and crude behavior.*
I'm giving it a 5.0 out of 5 stars because I love a good YA story, and all three of these manage to portray emerging adults learning to navigate relationships, friendships, and family. I laughed out loud more than once.