Kristin's Christmas Past 2013

     It’s Christmas Eve and Kristin is a 34 year-old woman in New York.  She goes to sleep in her apartment because she doesn’t want to go home for Christmas.  She hasn’t been home in years for any occasion.  When she wakes up, she's in her family home and she sees herself at 17 years old beside her.  She is hoping she can help her younger self not make the same mistakes she made.  These mistakes caused her not to want to go home again.

     There really isn’t anything new in this film.  Just a little twist on the going back and trying to change the past theme.  3* (This movie is OK)

83 min, Family directed by Jim Fall with Shiri Appleby, Hannah Marks, Debby Ryan, Elizabeth Mitchell, Judd Nelson, A.J. Langer, Courtney Henggeler, Will Kemp, Michael-James Olsen, Deniz Akdeniz.

Note:  Imdb 6.2 out of 10, 80% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.2* out of 5* with 12 reviews.

Special Note:  Shiri Appleby has been in many TV movies and series programs from 1985 until the present.

Comfort and Joy 2003

     Jane Berry is a powerful, extremely busy and wealthy advertising executive.  She’s heading to a Christmas Eve party but she becomes involved in a car accident.  She hits a light pole, damages her car and receives a severe bump to her head.  When she wakes up, she’s not in the right car and a man beside the car says he’s her husband?  She also learns she has a son and daughter.  Jane doesn’t know what to do?  She goes to her secretary’s house and she confirms it’s true that Jane is married with two children.  She goes to her boyfriend’s place and he tells her he hasn’t seen her in 10 years.  She doesn’t have anywhere to go except back to where she ‘lives’ and this life?

     This film has a slight twist on the amnesia theme.  I thought this was interesting and the reactions Jane receives when she doesn’t remember anything are funny.  She doesn’t remember how to cook either and her family starts talking about the new Jane and the old Jane.  The old Jane is how she was before she got married and had a family.  3* (This movie is OK)

85 min, TV Movie, Romance directed by Maggie Greenwald with Nancy McKeon, Steve Eckholdt, Paul Dooley, Andrew Chalmers, Jordy Benattar, Maria Herrera, Dixie Carter, Sandi Ross, Lindsay Leese, Myriam Sirois.

Note:  Imdb 6.0 out of 10, 47% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 128 reviews.

Oh Christmas Tree 2013

     Elise is not a fan of Christmas.  For many years she spent Christmas in New York in a trailer helping to sell the trees from her family tree farm.  Now she has a new apartment and a good job in advertising in New York.  Just when she thinks that she has left the tree farm behind, everything quickly changes.   She is fired from her job because sales are down at her firm.  Her parents need her help after her dad dropped a 40 pound turkey (he got it on sale) on his foot.  She is also working with a ‘head hunter’ to try to get another job.  She’s supposed to be ready within one hour notice for job interviews.  She begins working the Christmas tree lot in office attire and heels but later changes to jeans and tennis shoes. 

     The Christmas season can become better for a person when they can change everything about themselves.  Their environment, the people around them and their job even though it’s not their choice.  Elise starts out remembering everything she didn’t like about Christmas but now that she is an adult, it could be different?  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

87 min, Romance directed by Craig Pryce with Sarah Lancaster, Eric Johnson, Colin Mochrie.

Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 16 reviews.

Wishin' and Hopin' 2014

     This film is based on a best-selling novel by Wally Lamb.  It is the 1960’s in the fictional small town of Three Rivers, Connecticut.  Felix Funicello is a distant cousin of Annette Funicello and he attends Aloysius Gonzaga Parochial School.  Annette was a Mouseketeer and teen movie actress.  Felix is a fifth-grader in 1964 and he’s learning about life from his family, his school and his friends. 

     It’s the Christmas Season and the different grades at the school  will put on a program for the parents and relatives.  Everything goes wrong but it’s a big hit.  This film may have more meaning for those who grew up with the same lifestyle as pictured in this film.  Some scenes, everyone can relate to, stage fright, being scared by a movie and not knowing what a joke means.  3* (This movie is OK)

Comedy directed by Colin Theys with Chevy Chase, Molly Ringwald, Annabella Sciorra, Cheri Oteri, Conchata Ferrell, Meat Loaf, Danny Nucci.

Note:  Imdb 7.7 out of 10, 67% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.