Nice Pairing, but Nothing Else Going for It

Melissa Joan has starred in some of my favorite Hallmark type movies. This one wasn’t bad, but it is not going down as a favorite. The main appeal of this one was the pairing with Jason Priestly. They made a good match, and his character was appealing. On the negative side, there wasn’t much to the plot. She is driving home for Christmas, when, near her destination, she has a flat tire. She is rescued by “Mr. Christmas” who looks vaguely familiar. She keeps meeting him and they like each other. Like like. He tells her that they were in 8th grade together but she still doesn’t remember him. She finally remembers him when she finds her childhood diary and finds out he was a big crush of hers.

Melissa shines in playing goofy quirky, somewhat hapless characters and the script did not take advantage of her comic talents. But maybe she’s getting a little too “mature” for anything other than stock Hallmark heroines with no personality other than being nice and pleasant. The hook on this story was disappointing. It is unbelievable that the character would not remember an 8th grade crush. Even if he was one in a very lo-o-o-o-o-n-g line. I’ll say no more on that. Something more could have been made of discovering him as being an entry in a diary. Other than he was one of her many crushes and she drew stars around his name. Did not seem to be a firm foundation on which to decide to commit to marriage. Maybe a special memory triggered? But she would have remembered him! Or maybe the got hit on the head trope could have figured in here some where. Oh well. I give up.

November 28, 2020