Silent Night  (2002)

Rated: PG

Genre: Drama 

Starring: Linda Hamilton

Synopsis: Fact-based World War II story set on Christmas Eve, 1944, finds a German Mother and her son seeking refuge in a cabin on the war front. When she is invaded by three American soldiers and then three German soldiers, she successfully convinces the soldiers to put aside their differences for one evening and share a Christmas dinner.

Review:  If you enjoy history this one is for you. It’s a wonderful drama about the magic of Christmas bringing peace and kindness. Hamilton is great. 

Scoring: 5

Silent Night (2017) (In Polish with English subtitles)

Rated: R

Genres: Drama, Family

Starring: Dawid Ogrodnik

Synopsis: Adam unexpectedly visits his family house at Christmas after a few years of working abroad. No family member knows about his secret plans and the real reasons of his visit.

Review: Although quite slow, it seemed to take forever to end, it is a universal story with something most everyone can relate to.  There’s a lot of love, years of drama and hurt feelings built up, alcohol issues, domestic violence, drugs, cheating, and yet they still hope for a better future.  The basic theme is you can’t choose your family and how do you deal with that.  I will say that the young girl playing violin as grandpa’s house burned reminded me of Nero.  Like most family issues, the movie leaves them unresolved.

Scoring: 2.5

Silent Night: A Song For The World (2020)

Rated: G

Genres: Documentary, Musical

Starring: Hugh Bonneville

Synopsis: The creation and cultural impact of the world’s most famous Christmas Carol, composed in 1818 in Salzburg. 

Review: A truly beautiful explanation of how the song was created and what it has meant through history and around the world. There are also lots of versions sung by very talented singers. I really enjoyed it. 

Scoring: 3

Single All The Way (2021)

Rated: PG

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Starring: Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers, Luke Macfarlane, Barry Bostwick, Jennifer Robertson, Steve Lund, Kathy Najimy, and Jennifer Coolidge

Synopsis: Desperate to avoid his family’s judgement about his perpetual single status, Peter convinces his best friend Nick to join him for the holidays and pretend that they’re now in a relationship.

Review: This movie reminded me of “When Harry Met Sally” in that it’s two best friends who don’t realize they’re in love. The story kept me thoroughly entertained. It was well written and acted. The only thing I didn’t like was Jennifer Coolidge’s Aunt Sandy. She wasn’t a realistic character. She was too extra. 

Scoring: 4

Single and Ready to Jingle (2022)

Rated: PG

Genres: Comedy, Family, Romance

Starring: Natasha Wilson and Edward Ruttle

Synopsis: Emma Warner, as a SVP of a toy company, spends 12 months a year focusing on Christmas, leaving no time for dating. This year, she plans a trip to a tropical singles resort, but a booking mistake takes her to a Christmas obsessed town.

Review: You have to look past some things, distractions for me, like it being Alaska and they don’t even have their coats zipped or hats.  That being said, if this was a real place I would go.  It’s a Christmas 24/7 place with lovely people.  The romance was sweet and happened in a natural and relatable way.  Definitely a good romcom.

Scoring: 3.5

Sister Swap: Christmas in the City (2021)

Rated: G

Genres: Family

Starring: Ashley Williams, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and Keith D. Robinson

Synopsis: Two sisters find a new sense of purpose and discover what they both truly need in life during the holidays.

Review: I loved this movie as much as part 1, “Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday.”  Very few scenes overlapped from the first one.  Just enough to tell the story.  I loved seeing the second sister’s journey and appreciated the cast diversity.  It’s sweet and fun and everything you’d expect.  It’s wonderful.

Scoring: 4

Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday (2021)

Rated: G

Genres: Family

Starring: Ashley Williams, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and Mark Dekklin

Synopsis: Two sisters find a new sense of purpose and discover what they both truly need in life during the holidays.

Review: I loved this movie.  Knowing they’re sisters in real life added to the story for me.  There was something special about their bond and their hometown.  Both sisters are really likable and fun characters.  Knowing there’s a part two also added to the excitement and interest for me.

Scoring: 4

A Sisterly Christmas (2021)

Rated: PG

Genres: Drama, Romance

Starring: Deborah Joy Winans and Lisa Michelle Cornelius

Synopsis: Two sisters receive an early Christmas gift, an inheritance that takes them on a luxury holiday vacation.  They run into their childhood rival, who digs in on these sisters, testing their resolve as women and their bonds of sisterhood.

Review: This is an amazing character driven story. The sisters work on their issues and relationship in a way that’s completely realistic. The only part that seemed too easy was repairing their friendship with Regine. Still, it’s a lovely movie about embracing the people you love for every part of them. 

Scoring: 3

Six Degrees of Santa (2022)

Rated: PG

Genres: Drama, Family, Romance

Starring: Steve Lund and Kathryn Davis

Synopsis: Christmas enthusiast Steph, has created a program, Six Degrees of Santa. When Steph's own gift lands in the hands of a leading internet entrepreneur, Jason, he's convinced that the original Santa might be his soul mate.

Review: This was a really sweet movie. Yes, it has an obvious ending, as so many do, but it’s the middle that counts. The relationships between mothers and daughters, friends, coworkers. It’s full of love and Christmas and while it’s a drama, it’s not heavy or dark. 

Scoring: 3.5

Sleigh Bells Ring (2016)

Rated: G

Genres: Drama, Family, Romance 

Starring: Erin Cahill and David Alpay

Synopsis: A busy single mother begins organizing her city's Christmas parade. While prop hunting, she finds a beautiful sleigh that seems to have a mind of its own, and it begins nudging her back to an old flame.

Review:  What makes this movie special is the subtle nudge to Christmas magic and Santa. Yes, we have exes reuniting, an amazing kid, a beautiful town, and the required happy ending. But we also have a fun time on the ride. The movie keeps a gentle pace and is a relaxing watch. 

Scoring: 3

Small Gifts (1994)

Rated: PG

Genre: Drama

Starring: Jessica Steen

Synopsis: Nora and Evan are a young married couple who find their finances are in serious trouble as Christmas draws near in this new take on O. Henry's classic story "Gift of the Maji".

Review: The beginning of the movie felt like it took forever.  The acting seemed so-so and the story blah.  I’m so glad I stuck with it.  I ended up caring about the characters.  This isn’t your typical, I know everything will be okay movie.  I won’t spoil the ending but I will say it wasn’t good.  It felt like they skipped from one scene to another with no explanation.

Scoring: 1.5

Small Town Christmas (2018)

Rated: G

Genres: Drama, Family, Romance 

Starring: Ashley Newbrough and Kristoffer Polaha 

Synopsis: Nell’s last stop on a nationwide book tour takes her to Springdale, the hometown of Emmett, a young man she met when both were young coy editors at a New York publishing company. 

Review:  This movie mixes the usual ingredients; a company wanting to take over a small town, a single parent to a niece whose parents died, and a long-lost love. Utterly predictable and utterly delightful. Despite the lack of story originality, they manage to create a town and characters that capture the Christmas magic. 

Scoring: 3.5

Small Town Santa (2014)

Rated: PG

Genres: Comedy, Fantasy 

Starring: Dean Cain, Christine Lakin, and Sophie Boleyn

Synopsis: On the eve of Christmas, Sheriff Rick Langston has lost his holiday spirit. But when he arrests a home intruder claiming to be Santa Claus, his world gets turned upside-down ! With the help of Lucy, the new girl in town, Santa helps show Rick that even when you feel that all is lost, love is all around you.

Review:  The movie borders on silly but it’s still fun to watch. Lots of Santa magic. I found it enjoyable. 

Scoring: 3

The Snowball Effect (2022)

Rated: G

Genre: Romance

Starring: Anjali Khurana and Landon Moss

Synopsis: Two weather rivals trapped in the same small town that Christmas has forgotten must create the best weather report to get their dream job.

Review: I liked that they were bringing Christmas back, even though that was a competitive self-serving act, but that’s about that.  There were so many moments that could have funny, or at least more effective, but it was just too much blah and negativity to make up for the end. 

Scoring: 1.5

Snowball’s Christmas Tails by the Fire (2016)

Rated: G

Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis: Join a cute puppy and his furry friends as they narrate classic holiday tales that celebrate the Christmas spirit and make you feel warm and cozy. 

Review: This is a nice movie for children. The only issue is you can only see the back of the book. If you’re a visual person, it may be hard to pay attention. 

Scoring: 3

Snow Day (2000)

Rated: PG

Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Family 

Starring: Chevy Chase, Chris Elliott, and Jean Smart

Synopsis: When a school in upstate New York is snowed in, a group of students hi-jack a plow to keep the school closed.

Review:  I’d say this is definitely for kids and teens. They’ll get the most out of the children’s hijinks and relationships. For adults it’s a little corny. 

Scoring: 2

A Snow White Christmas (2018)

Rated: PG

Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance 

Starring: Carolyn Hennesy 

Synopsis: Blanca’s dastardly stepmother tries to cheat her out of her father’s inheritance. When she wakes up with amnesia, she receives the help of seven quirky friends, the Holly Jollies, to help her figure out her life. 

Review:  Based on the synopsis, I had higher expectations for the movie. The plot is so good but some of the characters, like Zane, are so over the top it takes away from the story. If you like fairy tales, as I do, you may still like this take on Snow White. I liked it but I’m just disappointed because it could’ve been so much better. 

Scoring: 3

Snowbound For Christmas (2019)

Rated: PG

Genre: Romance 

Starring: Zarrin Darnell-Martin, Henderson Wade, and Scott Thompson

Synopsis: A marketing executive and her handsome boss get snowed in together at a hotel.

Review: I loved that they were the only two people at the hotel.  It was like a dream vacation.  While the emotions were superficial the characters were likable.  It even had the woman to hate and root against.  The lack of story between Diane and the drive was a missed opportunity.  The movie isn’t deep but it’s fun. 

Scoring: 2

Snowed In For Christmas (2021)

Rated: G

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Jeremy Guilbaut and Juliette Hawk

Synopsis: Kaley is unable to return home for the holidays when a snowstorm derails her plans.  She is determined to teach the girls she watches as an au pair the magic of Christmas.

Review: This is a very sweet movie that feels like a comfortable blanket. I wish it had more Christmas. They talk about it, like picking out the tree, making cookies, etc. but then we just see the end. We don’t get to see them doing it. The romance is also a little superficial but the actors manage to pull it off. 

Scoring: 3

Snowed-Inn Christmas (2017)

Rated: PG

Genres: Comedy, Romance 

Starring: Bethany Joy Lenz and Andrew Walker

Synopsis: Jenna Hudson and Kevin Jenner are polar opposites working for the same online publication in New York City. With both having nowhere they want to be for Christmas, they volunteer for a special writing assignment. After a snowstorm forces their plane to land in none other than Santa Claus, Indiana, the two are placed in a Christmas Wonderland and the focus of their story shifts to saving the historic town inn run by Carol and Christopher Winters. As the two overcome their differences, they also rediscover the magic of Christmas. But with the inn's fate in jeopardy and the return of someone from Jenna's past, Carol and Christopher lend a helping hand to bring Jenna and Kevin together.

Review:  It's a little expected with few surprises but filled with Christmas which makes it so good. I love the town and all the people. The love story is also fun to watch developing.  It also has a touch of Christmas magic.

Scoring: 3.5

Snowmance (2017)

Rated: PG

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Romance 

Starring: Ashley Newbrough and Jesse Hutch

Synopsis: A true romantic finally gets her chance at the love she’s always dreamed of when a little Christmas magic brings her snowman to life. 

Review:  I realize the premise sounds ridiculous but it actually works. It’s a sweet story about someone always looking for what she doesn’t have rather than what she does. 

Scoring: 3

A Snowy Christmas (2021) aka One Snowy Christmas

Rated: G

Genres: Romance

Starring: Damon Runyan and Elisia Rotaru

Synopsis: Lawyer Kelly returns home to spend Christmas with her family.  She dreams of finding her perfect man, just when she meets contractor Forrest.  With her family’s home at risk of demolition, will the magic of Christmas be enough to save it?

Review:  While it reminds me a bit of Snowmance with the magical snowman, I do like it. The family is close and have interesting personalities. You want to root for them. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen or anything to pique my interest but it never happened. It’s not bad but just very bland and lackluster.  Of course, it had the required happy ending. 

Scoring: 2