I find musicals difficult to review as I always find myself trying to disentangle the singing from the acting, which, of course, does not work. Overall, it is a fun movie, especially if you like musicals. It is not a very original story, of course, as the "Scrooge" plot has been done many times. The twist here is it is done in a musical. Regarding the story, I did find the plot around building a mall a bit funny, given that they have been closing across the country. Anyway, the choreography (in the song and dance scenes) is fun and engaging. Indeed, the strongest scenes, I felt, were those when the full cast participated (e.g., the opening scene, the church scenes, the closing scene). The individual performances, I thought were mixed. The lead, Christine Baranski (as Regina) and Treat Williams (as Carl), both had good performances, even though they are not what I would call naturally good singers. Josh Segarra, playing the pastor, could really sing, but his acting was rather weak. I was unimpressed with Jeanine Mason's (as Felicity, the other angel) performance overall. The producers could have cast a stronger actor for this role, a pity really. Jenifer Lewis (as Margeline) and Matthew Johnson (Mack) were excellent, great voices/singing. And there was a cute performance by Selah Kimbro Jones as Violet; I really enjoyed her scene with Regina. Overall, a fun movie. However, if you are not a fan of musicals, you should probably sit this one out.
76 Reviews
Cringy but Adorable
SpookyPie8830 November 2020
It's embarrassing, cringy, sickly sweet, unoriginal, but, God help me, I do like this film. It's not going to win any awards, and I'd definitely change the channel if someone walked in and caught me watching it, but it's adorable and uplifting with a positive message. It's the sort of film where you get the impression that the only thing the creators wanted to achieve was to put a smile on your face.
A Sugary Sweet But Grounded Movie
Neon_Gold23 November 2020
This movie is perfectly lovely. It is sweet and more grounded than your typical holiday movie. It has lots of cute moments too.
It does have the same trappings but it has more going on than them sort of movies. It runs rings around Hallmark movies as it is so inclusive and diverse. I will say it was a little bit too pious for me but that is just me and i guess some holiday movies are like that, it is about Christmas at the end of the day i guess.
I didn't love the dancing if i am honest too. It seemed a bit manic at time. It was hard to keep track of and it felt like there were just too much people all trying to dance together.
Christine Baranski is fantastic, i would watch her in anything. She is so great i was in fact kind of here for her being this no nonsense business lady just doing what ever she wanted. I don't think the movie wanted me to feel like that but she is just so good.
The acting starts to plummet from there though apart from Jeniffer Lewis and Dolly. I really didn't enjoy the pastor or any of the towns people to be fair. At times when watching just the towns folk i felt like it bordered on your local church group putting on a Christmas show. I even skipped some of their songs because it was pretty bad.
I think you could probably watch it if ou like this type of movie, like i said it does have something over Hallmark movies and it has Christine Baranski and Jennifer Lewis that is all you really need.
It does have the same trappings but it has more going on than them sort of movies. It runs rings around Hallmark movies as it is so inclusive and diverse. I will say it was a little bit too pious for me but that is just me and i guess some holiday movies are like that, it is about Christmas at the end of the day i guess.
I didn't love the dancing if i am honest too. It seemed a bit manic at time. It was hard to keep track of and it felt like there were just too much people all trying to dance together.
Christine Baranski is fantastic, i would watch her in anything. She is so great i was in fact kind of here for her being this no nonsense business lady just doing what ever she wanted. I don't think the movie wanted me to feel like that but she is just so good.
The acting starts to plummet from there though apart from Jeniffer Lewis and Dolly. I really didn't enjoy the pastor or any of the towns people to be fair. At times when watching just the towns folk i felt like it bordered on your local church group putting on a Christmas show. I even skipped some of their songs because it was pretty bad.
I think you could probably watch it if ou like this type of movie, like i said it does have something over Hallmark movies and it has Christine Baranski and Jennifer Lewis that is all you really need.
Christmas on the charmless square
TheLittleSongbird13 July 2021
Am not somebody who hates Christmas or has a bias against made for television Christmas films. The complete opposite on both counts. Christmas is actually my favourite time of year and always has been for as long as can be remembered. Also love musicals, or at least films music-oriented, and Dolly Parton is always a treat to listen to (deserving of her reputation as a country music legend) and watch. The premise sounded nice enough, though there was the worry of it being cheesy.
'Christmas on the Square' was badly misconceived unfortunately from start to finish in my view. Any potential it had is completely wasted and there are far better representations of Parton, who deserved much better than this, on film and anywhere. Have seen worse Christmas films and overall than 'Christmas on the Square' and it has a couple of small good things, but nearly everything fails badly and am saying this with much regret. Speaking as someone who doesn't like being critical.
The best thing about 'Christmas on the Square' is the spirited performance of Christine Baranski.
It started quite nicely and the closest the film got to evoking seeing Parton in concert.
Sadly cannot say anything good about everything else. On the whole, the acting is too campy and it was like a vast majority of the cast were over-compensating. A case of a cast with solid singing ability but don't have the goods dramatically. Even Parton doesn't charm as much as she usually does, although she does look and sound amazing. Being a musician, music is very important for me to talk about and that is lacking here. Ranging from very forgettable to borderline embarrassing with very cheesy and soppy lyrics.
Will agree with those that didn't care for the choreography or dancing, to me it was too manic and overdone. In fact, pretty much everything about 'Christmas on the Square' is manic and has no subtlety whatsoever. The dialogue is very awkward and cheesy, while almost none of the characters are interesting in personality and actually irritate (excepting Baranski's and that is more to do with her performance). The story is paper thin and suffers from excessive predictability, a hectic to the point of chaos pace and overuse of cheese and froth.
Overall, misconceived and charmless. 2/10.
'Christmas on the Square' was badly misconceived unfortunately from start to finish in my view. Any potential it had is completely wasted and there are far better representations of Parton, who deserved much better than this, on film and anywhere. Have seen worse Christmas films and overall than 'Christmas on the Square' and it has a couple of small good things, but nearly everything fails badly and am saying this with much regret. Speaking as someone who doesn't like being critical.
The best thing about 'Christmas on the Square' is the spirited performance of Christine Baranski.
It started quite nicely and the closest the film got to evoking seeing Parton in concert.
Sadly cannot say anything good about everything else. On the whole, the acting is too campy and it was like a vast majority of the cast were over-compensating. A case of a cast with solid singing ability but don't have the goods dramatically. Even Parton doesn't charm as much as she usually does, although she does look and sound amazing. Being a musician, music is very important for me to talk about and that is lacking here. Ranging from very forgettable to borderline embarrassing with very cheesy and soppy lyrics.
Will agree with those that didn't care for the choreography or dancing, to me it was too manic and overdone. In fact, pretty much everything about 'Christmas on the Square' is manic and has no subtlety whatsoever. The dialogue is very awkward and cheesy, while almost none of the characters are interesting in personality and actually irritate (excepting Baranski's and that is more to do with her performance). The story is paper thin and suffers from excessive predictability, a hectic to the point of chaos pace and overuse of cheese and froth.
Overall, misconceived and charmless. 2/10.
Tedious to watch
r96sk10 December 2020
It tries, I guess.
I can't say I enjoyed 'Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square' at any moment, though it does have (minor) peaks and (major) troughs. Some parts are OK, a couple of the songs fit and there's one nice scene between Christine Baranski (Regina) and Selah Kimbro Jones (Violet). Parton, meanwhile, is fine in her role.
However, the rest is a slog to watch. Far too much emphasis is put on the musical numbers. Yes, it obviously needs them but you must also have more meat on the bones if you're going to make a film out of it. The plot is tedious to watch unfold, as you know what's coming and it doesn't do anything to throw you off the scent.
If you just want a music-filled film then head this way, if not it's probably best to avoid.
I can't say I enjoyed 'Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square' at any moment, though it does have (minor) peaks and (major) troughs. Some parts are OK, a couple of the songs fit and there's one nice scene between Christine Baranski (Regina) and Selah Kimbro Jones (Violet). Parton, meanwhile, is fine in her role.
However, the rest is a slog to watch. Far too much emphasis is put on the musical numbers. Yes, it obviously needs them but you must also have more meat on the bones if you're going to make a film out of it. The plot is tedious to watch unfold, as you know what's coming and it doesn't do anything to throw you off the scent.
If you just want a music-filled film then head this way, if not it's probably best to avoid.
The plot thinckens towards the end
annikale-29-4944415 December 2020
I love Dolly. I don't particularly like Christmas movies in general. To be honest, this wasn't my favorite movie - it was too sugar coated and boring to watch for the most part. The songs are also kind of forgettable, after watching the movie, I can't actually remember even one of the melodies. And there was a LOT of this very mediocre music to fill the space. However, when the movie was approaching the end, the plot took some very touching and heartfelt turns, which actually made me cry. So if you decide to give this film a shot, just be sure to watch it until the very end, however clumsy the beginning might feel. It really surprised me positively towards the end, even up to tears, which was the last thing I expected to happen, based on the most part of the movie. PS. I love you Dolly, just keep being you.
Cheesy and awful but all in a good way
jakethesnake-4200723 November 2020
Ok you have to go into watching this with an open mind. The sets are like it's a play and I think that's the point and that's what oddly worked for the film. The songs are fun and serious and again it oddly worked. The acting is over the top and at times bad but it's a Christmas musical what do you except. The plot has been done countless times before but with Dolly she just makes it magical. Overall it's full of chess and over the top acting and musical scenes but it all works cause you can't take Christmas in the square serious.
I love Dolly Parton, but no...
katier-868-27080124 December 2020
Let's start by saying I love Dolly Parton. I will watch anything that she has anything to do with. She's amazing. This movie is not. It's bad. I recommend watching it to know how bad it is. It's bad. You will yell "what is happening?!?" at the tv a lot.
Feel good Christmas musical play
lupe_mojo1321 December 2020
Remember this isn't a big budget movie this is based on a stage play and it plays that way on screen too. It's a sweet story with a message. People need to get off their high horse when it comes to reviews. This is meant to be fun and entertaining with a moral. That's the basics. I love the effort and heart put into this story.
Alcohol needed...
alainabelameh19 December 2020
I am writing this mid-watching, and I must say, I haven't laughed this much in ages! Cue 5 espresso martinis and this turns into a hilarious comedy! Dolly is the most glam homeless person I've ever seen & the music is CHEESE! Horrible musical, but if you fancy a giggle, it's worth watching! A mentally challenging film, with or without the booze!!
Based on the stage show, this is the closest we get to live theatre for Christmas 2020
CaryBenjamin14 December 2020
Would be great to see this (or anything) live for Christmas 2020. As that's not possibel this year, it's nice to see a show that was captured as it was intended to be -- like a live stage show. It's not "opened up" as most shows are when turned into films (with location shooting, etc.). This keeps the theatrical aspect alive with stage-like sets, acting, etc. A refreshing change, really. Long live Dolly!
Have a Holly Dolly Christmas...
Defected7424 December 2020
If you ask anyone why they wanted to watch this movie, you'll probably be told it was because of Dolly Parton; after all, that's also why I turned it on.
The opening musical scene is generally where most viewers start to have regret for tuning in. I too was a bit overwhelmed with this bright, overly jolly, and way to long of an opening musical number (of that caliber) to start a down-home, feel good Christmas story. Unlike most reviewers here, I stayed tuned-in to see where this was going to go from here. I just wasn't about to give up on Dolly Parton yet.
This movie does have its ups and downs, but I started to realize that this is definitely 'I'm always happy and grateful' Dolly style and quickly dropped my preconceived idea of what this movie was going to be.
From the 30-minute mark going forward I started enjoying the story more and more, but I found myself looking at my phone during many of the following musical numbers, only to find myself watching again when the story returned. Not every musical journey was bad, and they did tie into the story itself, but in Dolly fashion they were very exuberant and busy on the screen.
Christine Baranski was a joy to watch in this film, and I believe they could have made this movie great without the musical numbers and a bit more of the storyline. With Dolly steering the musical direction of the film, she could have had a few beautiful and soon-to-be Holiday classics or even had a great duet with Christine. However, this movie was intended to be an off-Broadway style film with a simple storyline and lots of over-the-top numbers, and they certainly achieved their goal.
It's clear to me Ms. Parton and the entire cast wanted to cheer us all up through the musical numbers and have fun too. After all it's 2020 and why not watch a Holiday musical comedy with a few laughs and snarky quips sprinkled through the movie while adding a touching conclusion and good performance by Christine Baranski.
The opening musical scene is generally where most viewers start to have regret for tuning in. I too was a bit overwhelmed with this bright, overly jolly, and way to long of an opening musical number (of that caliber) to start a down-home, feel good Christmas story. Unlike most reviewers here, I stayed tuned-in to see where this was going to go from here. I just wasn't about to give up on Dolly Parton yet.
This movie does have its ups and downs, but I started to realize that this is definitely 'I'm always happy and grateful' Dolly style and quickly dropped my preconceived idea of what this movie was going to be.
From the 30-minute mark going forward I started enjoying the story more and more, but I found myself looking at my phone during many of the following musical numbers, only to find myself watching again when the story returned. Not every musical journey was bad, and they did tie into the story itself, but in Dolly fashion they were very exuberant and busy on the screen.
Christine Baranski was a joy to watch in this film, and I believe they could have made this movie great without the musical numbers and a bit more of the storyline. With Dolly steering the musical direction of the film, she could have had a few beautiful and soon-to-be Holiday classics or even had a great duet with Christine. However, this movie was intended to be an off-Broadway style film with a simple storyline and lots of over-the-top numbers, and they certainly achieved their goal.
It's clear to me Ms. Parton and the entire cast wanted to cheer us all up through the musical numbers and have fun too. After all it's 2020 and why not watch a Holiday musical comedy with a few laughs and snarky quips sprinkled through the movie while adding a touching conclusion and good performance by Christine Baranski.
Unwatchable
christopher-m-collins26 December 2020
Awful
rich-fouts18 December 2020
It's a Musical For Sure
debdobson-9590826 November 2020
Zero iisnt an option
bdbbelameh19 December 2020
I'm still watching with twenty minutes to go and it feels like I've been watching for days. Where can I buy the DVD so that I can burn it. We did put on at eight and it's now midnight as we have had to pause so many times because we couldn't stop laughing. Please don't make a sequel to this. I think one movie is quite enough .
Uplifting and enjoyable if you let it be
melissacarvell-455353 December 2020
Wonderful songs and message of light and forgiveness. Because the story is set over a couple of days you can't look into it too hard but it's throughly enjoyable and packs a punch if you embrace it for what it is. I'm planning to watch it again this side of Christmas, when work and planning gets too stressful.
Vomit inducing
assenal19 December 2020
This is over acted and under written. How this got the go ahead I do not know. The lyrics and songs and general writing is so basic as if a child wrote it. A slightly deranged child with learning difficulties.
Its just so sickly like a school play.
If you are constipated or bolimic then this movie will sort you right out.
It's gone a long way to killing my affections for Christmas!
If you are constipated or bolimic then this movie will sort you right out.
It's gone a long way to killing my affections for Christmas!
Cheesey, but fun
huntergirl-131895 December 2020
My limit was 35 mins..
erhanipekciler3 December 2020
I love musicals but this was a little boring one. Story is so familiar, nothing is new actually, musics are so easy and simple almost in every song there were only 2 notes so that makes kind of boring...i couldn't get in the movie..
i didn't feel the christmas sprit.
Not for everyone but syrupy fun
hutchingsbj28 December 2020
Well, very Dolly Parton.....which is not surprising considering the title, and fairly religious, which is also not surprising considering its Dolly's movie.
Basically it's Dolly's take on the old Scrooge story
Pleasant music and lyrics by Dolly but not chart toppers I suspect.
Not what I expected from Christina Baranski but she manages to pull it off. So is it sugary sweet and naff; yes but worth a watch.
Cheesy but charming and fun.
shelswel10 December 2020
I nearly stopped it 5 minutes in. It was cringe bad acting and ridiculous choreography. But I hung in there. And I'm super glad. Dolly has such a art for lyrics and Cristina's acting was hooked me. And she sings even better than in the Momma Mias. The story is very sweet and some of the songs are very shazamable.
Hard to watch
murphytwerps23 November 2020
I love musicals, I love Dolly and I love Christine Baranski. I hate this movie. The story is utter garbage, character motives are nonsensical, the songs are horribly written and the acting is hard to watch, bar 2/3 exceptions. Christine Baranski does what she can with the role, but the bad writing combined with the surprising amount of religion heavily sprinkled throughout this movie, I found myself pulling my hair out. I hate this move so much and I will never ever watch it again.
Absolutely dreadful
assenal20 December 2020
Cringe is the word here. I think dolly went prowling churches and homeless shelters looking for the cast of this one.
It started bad and at a very rapid pace, steamrolled its way down, crashing through the gates of hell where it was quickly rejected too.
It was hard enough to watch, never mind the difficulty I had keeping my dinner down!
Self indulgent doesn't even begin to cover it!
Dolly, why?
It started bad and at a very rapid pace, steamrolled its way down, crashing through the gates of hell where it was quickly rejected too.
It was hard enough to watch, never mind the difficulty I had keeping my dinner down!
Self indulgent doesn't even begin to cover it!
Dolly, why?
Not a fan of Christmas movies
shanthny30 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This isn't bad. It's not really good, but it's a Christmas film so it's cheesy and cheery and the songs are corny but sung well(especially Dolly). I don't really agree with organized religion or it's inclusion with Christmas, but I get that some people do so it is what it is, a religious Christmas movie.
Some of the lip-syncing was bad at times, but I enjoyed the LGBT+ inclusion and dancers.
SPOILERS: But what was with them justifying the dad giving the antagonists child away because he was embarrassed???!! She was like "Oh well he thought it was the right thing to do and people make mistakes". Uhhh ignoring a woman's/parent's right to their child is a SERIOUS "mistake". And she just forgives her father like that? Girl spit on his grave, destroy that prototype lamp, and burn his portrait.
Also what was with the love story between the antagonists and the general store owner? It contributed nothing and was unresolved...
Some of the lip-syncing was bad at times, but I enjoyed the LGBT+ inclusion and dancers.
SPOILERS: But what was with them justifying the dad giving the antagonists child away because he was embarrassed???!! She was like "Oh well he thought it was the right thing to do and people make mistakes". Uhhh ignoring a woman's/parent's right to their child is a SERIOUS "mistake". And she just forgives her father like that? Girl spit on his grave, destroy that prototype lamp, and burn his portrait.
Also what was with the love story between the antagonists and the general store owner? It contributed nothing and was unresolved...
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