Christmas Jars (2019)

Rated: NR

Genres: Drama, Family, Romance

Starring: Jeni Ross

Synopsis: Based on the novel by Jason Wright, it tells the story of reporter Hope Jensen, who uncovers the secret behind "Christmas Jars" - jars filled with money and given anonymously to people in need.

Review: This movie is one that I believe should be a yearly must-see for everyone.  I was hooked from the very beginning.  The people are so relatable and likable making them easy to care about.  I was hoping for a happy ending for everyone the entire movie.  I even shed a few tears and not just at the end.  The story of the jars is such an inspiration.  I hope it leads people to give their own jars to others.

Scoring: 5

Christmas Joy (2018)

Rated:  G

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Danielle Panabaker and Matt Long 

Synopsis: Based on the book of the same name written by Nancy Naigle, Joy is a corporate market researcher, gunning for a promotion within her firm. Just as her company's CEO is taking notice, Joy finds out her Aunt Ruby has broken her ankle and will be undergoing surgery. Despite the less than opportune timing, Joy makes her way back home to Crystal Falls, NC to be with her Aunt. Stars seem to be aligned as Joy sees her former crush, Ben Andrews, while at the hospital. At first, Joy is focused solely on helping her Aunt heal; even taking over her position as chair of the local Cookie Crawl competition. Eventually, she begins to let Ben in and remembers there's no place like home for the holidays. The pair work together on the Cookie Crawl to make the event a success.

Review:  Not altogether unexpected but lovely and definitely full of Christmas spirit. It’s a movie about love, of course, friendship, family, and priorities. A fun watch. 

Scoring: 3.5

A Christmas Karen (2022)

Rated: TV-14

Genres: Comedy, Fantasy 

Starring: Michele Simms

Synopsis: Karen is an entitled middle-aged woman whose demanding nature has alienated her neighbors and family. After a series of instances displaying her privilege and prejudice, Karen receives an 'intervention' by some unconventional spirits.

Review: This movie is ridiculously stupid. I can’t give you specific reasons to watch but I can say I laughed full on out loud many times. I don’t know if it’s a watch twice and still enjoy it movie, but I was completely absorbed the whole time. I think you'll love it or hate it.

Scoring: 3

Christmas Keepsake (2023)

Rated: G

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Daniel Lissing and Jillian Murray

Synopsis: A father and daughter find a Christmas themed time capsule buried in their backyard. They task themselves with finding its owner and the father might just find love along the way.

Review:  I really enjoyed this movie. It’s sweet and heartfelt without being sappy or overly dramatic. The four main characters are relatable yet have their own distinct personalities. This is one I’ll watch again and again. 

Scoring: 4.5

The Christmas Kid aka The Return of the Yuletide Kid (2020)

Rated: NR

Genres: Comedy, Family

Starring: Craig Roberts

Synopsis: A struggling former child actor arrives home in Wales for Christmas.  He soon has to decide what’s more important, bluffing his way through putting on a show for the gullible locals or reconnecting with his loved ones.

Review: Boring.  To make it worse, they constantly play this short burst of rock music that’s screeching.  I actually had a headache by the time I was finished.  There’s too many characters and no real backstory given, even to the lead character.  Skip this.

Scoring: 1

Christmas Lilies of the Field (1979)

Rated: G

Genres: Drama, Religion

Starring: Billie Dee Williams

Synopsis: A nun wants a veteran to add on to the chapel he built.

Review: I need to preface this by saying I haven’t seen the original Lilies of the Field.  This is a made for TV sequel to the award-winning movie.  It started out really slowly but that may be that I didn’t know the connection to the end of the previous movie.  Once the children became involved, I got interested in the movie.  It felt like there was more at stake and an importance to the work.  I felt the movie could’ve been done better moving through certain areas but rooting for the children to stay with the nuns made it worth watching.

Scoring: 2

The Christmas Listing (2020)

Rated: PG

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Lexi Giovagnoli, Travis Burns, and Greg Evigan

Synopsis: Sparks fly between a real estate agent and a handsome rival when they compete to sell the same property during the holidays.

Review: Very cheesy movie.  The acting was okay except for Donna.  The cookie decorating scene made me want to yell, ‘Why’.  Who tells their guest they’re decorating the cookie the wrong way and asks another to sanitize his hands with the huge bottle of sanitizer in the middle of the table?  The rest of the story was okay.  The best part was the two sisters.

Scoring: 2.5

Christmas Lodge (2011)

Rated: G

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Family, Romance

Starring: Erin Karpluk and Michael Shanks

Synopsis: Mary Tobin has wonderful memories of family gatherings at the Christmas Lodge. When she arrives for a weekend vacation, she quickly realizes that the lodge that she loves has fallen into serious disrepair. With a lack of funds and a looming deadline, she not only restores the Christmas lodge's charm but finds love along the way.

Review: There are a few slow moments but hang in there. Mary’s passion for the lodge and the people in her life is truly heartwarming. It’s an original plot that celebrates the true meaning of Christmas. 

Scoring: 3

Christmas Lost And Found (2018)

Rated: PG

Genres: Drama, Romance

Starring: Dianne Ladd, Tiya Sircar, And Terence Kelly

Synopsis: An event planner mistakenly throws out her grandmother's Christmas ornaments, and the person who finds the ornaments leads her on a scavenger hunt to retrieve them, helping her to find the magic of Christmas again along the way.

Review:  This movie was delightful. The plot was a new one and it was done so well. Ladd was wonderful and the scavenger hunt incorporated so many Christmas traditions. It’s one I look forward to watching again. 

Scoring: 4.5

The Christmas Lottery (2020)

Rated: TV-14

Genres: Comedy, Family

Starring: Reginald VelJohnson, Candiace Dillard, and Asia'h Epperson

Synopsis: A man who wins the lottery tries to bring his estranged daughters together for Christmas.

Review: This movie has heart.  There’s lots of family drama, we can all relate to this, and there are lots of laughs.  I knew I was hooked when I realized how much I cared about them finding the lottery ticket.  The one downside is I feel they could have easily made multiple movies out of this and many of the sisters’ stories are cut way too short.  I still really liked it.

Scoring: 3

A Christmas Love (2020)

Rated: PG

Genres: Drama, Family

Starring: Chris Spinelli and Craijece Danielle

Synopsis: A couple struggling to make ends meet are given a new chance by the arrival of a mysterious letter that grants them one special wish during the holiday season.

Review: This is clearly a low budget film.  The story, acting, and everything is subpar.  Nothing to redeem it.

Scoring: 1

Christmas Love Letter (2019)

Rated: PG

Genres: Comedy, Family, Romance

Starring: Chante Bowser and Adam Cole

Synopsis: When relationship advice columnist Amalie Hess receives an unsigned love letter in a Christmas card, she returns to her hometown to solve the mystery of who sent it and maybe find true love.

Review: This was such a special movie.  It had so many little touches that added up to make it engaging.  The one guy’s laugh, the little girl, the dog, the senior center, hot cocoa, and many more.  I was completely absorbed the entire time and even laughed out loud more than once.

Scoring: 4

A Christmas Love Story (2019)

Rated: G

Genres: Drama, Romance

Starring: Kristin Chenoweth and Scott Wolf

Synopsis: A youth choir director needs to write a big song for the Christmas Eve show but "finds herself distracted" when a boy with a golden voice joins her choir, which will come as news to his widowed father. 

Review: The beginning was slow and lackluster. As it went on it became more and more interesting. It even through in a few plot curveballs. It was quite emotional at the end. I can’t wait to watch it again now that I know the ending. 

Scoring: 3.5

Christmas Lovers Anonymous (2021)

Rated: G

Genre: Romance

Starring: Brooke Burfitt and Houston Rhines

Synopsis: A best-selling author hides her love for Christmas after an ugly break up, finding love again when she joins a website for people who are crazy about Christmas: "Christmas Lovers Anonymous."

Review: This is one of those movies that is just blah. The acting is so-so, and the story is superficial. I never really cared about the characters. It seems like they were trying to make a “You’ve Got Mail” or similar Ryan and Hanks version of a Christmas movie. This is the movie version of a first draft. 

Scoring: 1.5

Christmas Lucky Charm (2022)

Rated: G

Genres: Romance

Starring: Sugenja Sri, Adrian Spencer and Ish Morris

Synopsis: Jessica leans into her unlucky love life and swears off dating for the Christmas Season.

Review: This was a very different kind of movie. Christmas was a feature but not the star. The actors were perfect for the roles and really brought the characters to life. Watching Jessica struggle with whether or not she would ever find love was such a relatable story line.  I enjoyed every minute. 

Scoring: 3.5