Christmas Inheritance (2017) User Reviews

Get over it.

[shahdqutifan · 7/10 · 15 November 2019]

It's a Christmas movie. I don't understand why people are taking it too seriously. It's sappy and snowy and predictable, defiantly not masterpiece material, but still a cozy romantic movie to watch during the holidays. I'd defiantly recommend it if, you're looking for that kind of warm movie.

Sappy and predictable like Christmas is supposed to be

[Wordsmith · 7/10 · 24 December 2017]

Yes, this movie is sappy as hell and totally predictable, but fir me it captured exactly the Christmas spirit I was looking for in a movie. After reading all the dissing reviews my expectations weren't high, but somehow all of it surprised me. Pretty good acting, great to see Eliza Taylor again, and all the cliché elements were there, including the plot holes. Sure, we've seen this done tons of times before, but doesn't that just make it enjoyable. Well, for me it did!

Lot's of plotholes

[JShaft33 · 5/10 · 18 December 2017]

I don't understand who a town with one taxi and no cell service has a college? Also - a blizzard forces people to evacuate yet a short time later the roads are clear and the weather is calm as if nothing happened?

I'm okay with some imagination but you can't expect me to suspend all of my belief.

This contains spoilers; I want your view

[qmaddie · 6/10 · 22 December 2017]

Why did Ellie still like that small town boy after he was so hateful to her when he learned who she was? I otherwise sheepishly enjoyed this very bad Christmas movie.

NOT a comedy

[the_doofy · 6/10 · 20 April 2019]

It's a drama with a couple of funny elements. The only thing really funny was the bus driver and the luggage.

Acting was fine, despite how some of the reviews have type cast the main actors

I enjoy watching hall mark style movies from time to time. Nice to get away from rancid language, drugs, pot, violence, sex for a change

This movie does one thing that is different, in every Christmas movie I have seen the antagonist character is caucasian male (more acting jobs for that demographic), THIS christmas movie was not on that PC band wagon.

Good Start, Horrible Finish

[iambrittanychristian · 1/10 · 5 January 2018]

I love a good old movie full of cheesy moments, and that's exactly what I was looking for in this.

But, in my opinion, this movie is what is wrong with our society. Let me explain...

*Spoiler Alert*

First off, this woman was willing to vault a toy train in a dress at a freaking gala in order for a guy to quadruple a man's donation. And she's scolded for it and her morals are questioned because of it??? Are you freaking kidding me??? Gtfo. If I vault anything in a dress to quadruple a freaking donation, someone better be THANKING me, if anything. But if that's all there was, there wouldn't have been much of a plot so....

Cue the trip to the small town. She's dating this a**hole of a guy. Extremely gorgeous, but a complete a**. He has to stay home because...reasons. She must go to this small town alone to learn a lesson about appreciating what truly matters in life. She meets an amazing guy who is tremendously sweet and kind-hearted. He shows her around town and treats her wonderfully. She begins to do nice things for him as well and starts to truly warm up to the town. You can tell she's starting to catch feelings, but wants to remain loyal to her fiancée.

She's here under the guise of a different name, (Elle London, instead of Ellen Langford) so that she doesn't get special treatment for being an heiress. Makes sense. Her dad wants her to learn a lesson. But when this so-called knockoff 'prince charming' finds out that she has an extra letter at the end of her first name and is really the daughter of the owner of a huge toy business, he freaks out and throws a b*tch fit. Why?? WHYY???? TELL ME SOMEONE PLZ I DO NOT UNDERSTAND???? He looks her up on the internet and sees the media coverage of her VAULTING A TRAIN AT A FREAKING GALA TO RAISE MONEY FOR CHILDREN and decides she's a liar and not the same person she's been to him--which was, btw, a really nice human being. GTFO.

Here's why this is a societal issue: Think of all of the movies, TV Shows, etc. where a well-to-do or famous guy pretends to be someone he's not and then the girl either finds out he's a superstar or millionaire or whatever else. She's thrilled. Ecstatic. Should consider herself lucky to be around him. But when the genders are reversed it's not the same??? Literally, gtfo. The writer of this garbage film has to have been a guy. Because no self-respecting woman would write this trash.

So he throws his b*tch fit and continues to treat her like garbage, as if nothing had ever happened and she was now dirt beneath her feet for doing something to try to make her father happy. She apologizes a few times, still...nothing. He's mad. Why? I still don't f**king know. And then, after she has her happy moment with her uncle and dad and is elected the new CEO of the company, he comes around wanting to dance. Never even an apology. All is forgiven. And she's expected to be so grateful for him forgiving her (for what, exactly???). Just like that. She moved from one a**hole to the next. How wonderful. What a wonderful little Christmas movie.

Jake seems a bit... aggressive

[cherbear-98244 · 6/10 · 26 August 2018]

I liked the movie, HOWEVER.... did anyone else feel like Jake has violent and abusive tendencies? Kind of weird... Takes away from the movie a bit.

Stereotypical

[merickson-63010 · 2/10 · 24 November 2018]

Yikes! What a mess of a movie. Jake is the most judgmental person, and it's so off-putting, it's hard to believe anyone can fall for him. From their very first meeting at the bus stop, he was aggressive toward her. Also, living in a small town myself, I can guarantee if cell service was as awful as they portray, the town would be so abandoned, even 1 taxi wouldn't get business. Living in a city isn't always a bad thing, living in a small town isn't always preferrable, being rich doesn't always mean you're out of touch and need a lesson, and being from a small town doesn't mean you're all about community, etc. This stereotypical format is ridiculously overdone. Don't be boring as a writer! Be creative! I give it 2 stars because I like Andie McDowell.

Cute

[drjudkinshome · 7/10 · 23 November 2018]

Cute Christmas movie, about a woman who gets "stuck" in a small town but discovers what is really important to her as her dad makes her stay until she delivers a special letter😊

Poor.

[aranormer · 2/10 · 14 November 2019]

I was expecting a cheesy feel-good flick with loads of sugar and kisses. What I got was a script that kept contradicting itself from scene to scene, completely wooden and uninteresting characters and a basic story that conveyed rather strange if not downright disgusting message.

Selfish nitwit heiress wasn't in the movie, her character was little clumsy but good at heart from the start.

Inn keeper was having inapropriate mood swings. I kept waiting for him to confess that he ended his ex with an axe.

"Greedy and selfish" fiancee was actually the voice of reason, yet we're supposed to hate him for reasons.

Clearly unstable inn keeper with equally dubious townsfolk who are all depending on the company (how exactly? Where were the factories/craft shops?) are supposed to be the heroes who teach to heiress... Teach her what?

Killer blizzard consists on few lazily floating specles of snow. We later learn that said storm has truly wrecked havoc and made in to national news. Yet in town life goes on, and amount of snow on-screen is less than what I could scrape off from my freezer. Coldness that's frequently advertized by various characters doesn't show on-screen either.

Did I already mention dangerously unhinged inn keeper, and how we are supposed to root for him instead of surprisingly reasonable fiancee because reasons?

Great CHRISTMAS movie, don't expect an Oscar worthy picture, it's a Christmas movie, with all the cliché's, and it knows that.

[hugomerckx · 8/10 · 1 January 2019]

This is a great Christmas movie to watch with your whole family. It has the cliché's of a Christmas movie, and it' s very cheasy sometimes, like you expect and want from a family Christmas movie.

The story is predictable, but enjoyable, and you can just watch without thinking about anything. The acting is good, nothing outstanding, Eliza Taylor did great in my opinion, it's nice to see her in a whole different genre than the 100. The rest of the cast is good to.

I don't really understand the 5.7 rating here on IMDB. What did everyone expect when they watched this movie? It's exactly what I expected it to be, and that's why I watched it. If this isn't your thing, don't watch it. You know what to expect when you watch a movie like this.

So if you wanted to watch this movie because you wanted a cheasy family Christmas movie, watch it. Don't let the bad reviews stop you from doing so. They're ridiculous in my opinion.

A decent christmas movie

[olimanickam · 7/10 · 15 December 2019]

I actually liked the movie! Sure, there were some parts that were sometimes kind of cringy or weird (for example when she was tidying up that room or when she was supposed to seperate the eggs..) Of course you could tell some happenings ahead but all in all, the story was actually really sweet! Not mad.

Pain

[katshapiro · 1/10 · 21 December 2017]

I went into this hoping for some cotton-candy brain cleanser after a long day at work. Which means my expectations were already nearing rock bottom. And yet still, somehow, I'm disappointed.

First off, actors Eliza Taylor, Neil Crone, and Michael Xavier all did a good job. And that's the only positive thing I can say here.

Because the plot is that a rich girl cheats on her loving fiance with a grown-up toddler in overalls, whose deeply unimpressive hobbies involve drawing 3rd grade level pictures of Santa Claus and punching jukeboxes.

Her fiance, meanwhile, takes this all with a surprisingly level head, even when she unceremoniously dumps him on Christmas eve.

The take-away is that baking cookies is better for the soul than having wealth and being an adult, which is sufficiently Christmas-y, but still a complete dumpster fire of a movie. Enjoy it after a few too many eggnogs, or better yet, don't.

Corny but...

[tonybedford · 6/10 · 13 November 2019]

There are many failings of this move. The character development is shallow, the action is lacklustre, the plot is fairly unbelievable, and yet this movie has a certain charm to it. I think the heroine is quite charming, and one can not help but notice her "voluptuous curves" which are front and centre in many scenes. If you've got it flaunt it I say...

So with so many failings what gives this movie its charm? I think it is the sets and the lighting which I thought were very atmospheric. The charming Cafe, the wonderful guest house, the snowy streets were all very evocative of Christmas time.

It was a pleasure to see Andie MacDowell - I'd not seen her in anything since Four Weddings and a Funeral and that was a looonngg time ago. Yes she has aged but then haven't we all!

If you are wondering whether to watch this or not - go for it - just for the heartwarming Christmas atmosphere.

A Christmas Movie That Caves At the Very End Thanks To Gutless Writers!

[spasek · 6/10 · 19 August 2021]

As many reviewers have already stated, this film has a lot of cliches; plot devices that Hallmark has used relentlessly for many years now. Someone must have snuck into the Hallmark offices and stolen the template.

All in all, despite the cliches and rather predictable story, it works...until the very end, that is. I'd hoped that the writers might have had some guts; might have chosen the road less traveled, but alas, it wasn't to be.

Ellen Langford, the heiress of a multi-million dollar company is sent to the small town of Snow Falls incognito where her parents are from with the hopes that she might learn some things and glean some values that the blue collar folks sometimes have. Using a fake name, she's sent with only $100 and no credit cards. She quickly learns that most people have to actually earn their way in life rather than have things given to them.

Of course, Ellen meets the strapping, handsome Jake Collins. Of course, as you can easily predict, their intial meetings are tenuous at best. Jake is a helpful guy who's pretty much beloved around town. And Ellen begins to notice and finds herself attracted to him. However, after being dropped by his ex-wife--a high-finance executive--Jake has little reason to go through a repeat.

Another "of course" is that Ellen has a fiance who's just like she was: money talks, and she soon finds that she no longer has anything in common with him. Predictably, she breaks it off with him.

Yet another "of course," Jake inevitably finds out the truth about Ellen and who she is, which understandably upsets him, which brings to the 11th hour of the film (the last ten minutes) where everything is magically resolved. Ellen finds out that her father and uncle concocted the "trial" and she inherits the company after all with Jake jumping on board without even the smallest of objections. Does this sound like something Jake would do? Or even Ellen?

Had the writers had any guts, and really known their characters, they would've realized that Jake would never have given over so easily. Perhaps not even at all. Do you see Jake packing up and heading off to New York again? I don't. And given what she found in Snow Falls, I just don't see her accepting the CEO job. If she'd really changed, she would have stepped down and realized that she'd never been so happy in her life until she went to Snow Falls. She'd scarcely decide to return to a life that had only made her miserable.

What is sad is that this movie is actually very enjoyable--despite its cliches and predictability--and has solid performances throughout. But a movie built on toothpicks cannot stand. And this one crumbles badly because of that. There's nothing so sad as wasted potential.

Good acting but bad choice of actors.

[jimmyorlando-68027 · 4/10 · 24 December 2017]

The whole idea of sending a bitch who only cares about money and parties to a small town to learn about the true values of Christmas and being a nice person is great.

1. But the lead female character is not a bitch, doesn't look like a bitch. 2. The lead male character is a bit too goofy and dorky. 3. The pace of the movie is way too fast to make the script believable. The "brat" turns into a good girl WAY TOO FAST. It only takes 2 days......REALLY???!?!?

A lot of plot holes. 1. cellphones don't work because it is supposed to be a small town..... but that have an Apple Store...... 2. Lead female character is stuck in the town because of winter storm......no storm do we see..... Only a couple of centimeters snow. If that is supposed to be a major snowstorm.... 3. Main characters are about to kiss......Does the lead female character hates her fiancee so much? It didn't look like it at the beginning of the movie though. In other words, unbelievable romance between bitch and goofy guy 4. Fiancee is supposed to be a jerk.....He is not. He drives through a " snow storm" to this small town to pick her up to go on a well deserved vacation. How can this guy be an asshole. He should be the one dumping HER IN THE END. 5. Snow all around but lead female character keeps walking on very high heels all the time. No one does that. 6. Goofy male main character reacts too angry when he finds out who the new girl really is. No one does that. And if you do, you will definitely stay single.

I can go on for hours this way. To many plot holes. Too bad. But since I wanted to watch a Christmas movie and this is a Christmas movie in the end, I grand this movie a 4

Never too late to learn about your past

[bettycjung · 11 June 2018]

6/6/18. A light romance movie in which a rich woman learns what it's like to be in love with what really counts. Her father sends her back to the town he grew up in so she can learn more about her roots. She develops an appreciation for people who are not as blessed as she is and an awareness of just how superficial her fiance really is. Good thing, right?

Does what's expected

[burkesavannah · 6/10 · 25 November 2018]

Average made-for-tv holiday movie. Charming, cheesy, cliche, and the acting wasn't the worst ever. It gets the job done for what's expected of the genre.

People have insisted this was good...

[LukeCustomer2 · 3/10 · 1 December 2019]

It was not. This is basic moviemaking at its worst. I think someone in their basement could have made this movie. It is very basic. It starts with a very questionable premise... that it is a disaster that the daughter of a CEO should do some cartwheels at an event to raise money for charity. She wasn't drunk, she wasn't, needlessly showing of racy underwear. But this puts her in hot water. To get her out of it her dad tasks her with going to a small town to deliver letters to this person that was 1/2 responsible for the business. Huh? Honestly I have no idea what this is about. To do this she must change her name so no one knows who she is and she must only do it on $100. This woman is apparently so daft she thinks the will have a flight attendant on a bus. When she arrives in the town the person she is there to see isn't there... so she must stay a few days. This is where things get weird for me. She runs into Jake Lacy who is... of course, the only male in the down under 40 and instantly this movie starts shipping them hard without a bit of chemistry. In fact Jake's character comes off a bit abusive because all he does the entire time is try to make her actions out to be a problem. Jake is everyplace like a creepy grumpy stalker. She screams in her room, he is there... she needs food, he is there to tell her they don't have room service. Every single person in town assumes they are dating though, she has only been there 1 day and has a fiancé. Jake talks down to her at every turn. You have met this guy in real life.. he is attracted to you but has to treat you bad so he can save his ego. Here, her being from New York (the place that ruined him) is a threat to his ego but Eliza Taylor is such a babe he wants to be with her anyway, though he doesn't like anything about her. When it all comes out that she has money everyone is mad at her. Blurg... really? Whoever wrote this really needs to seek therapy for their mixed up view of the world. But you don't have to watch fever dream.

A fair Christmas film but nothing that makes it stand out

[AdamJACox · 6/10 · 21 November 2021]

There is nothing new about the idea of women (in this case the daughter of a gift company CEO) travelling to a new town where nobody knows her and falling in love with some guy, despite the fact that she is already in a committed relationship back home (in this case engaged).

This film does a nice job of developing the main character throughout the story as she learns what it means to help others, Eliza Taylor and Jake Lacy are perfectly good as the main actors and obviously the Christmas setting gives the film a warm and comforting vibe throughout.

In my opinion the characters lack a little depth, for example Jake's (Jake Lacy) backstory is sort of half assed, they make it clear he once left this small town for love and had his heart broken but nothing else and Debbie (Andie MacDowell) the all knowing café owner is just sort of there. Ultimately there is nothing that makes this film stand out from any other 'romantic' film, it's best described as a nice film (it's not particularly funny or original).

My main reason for writing this review though is to note that I think they over exaggerated the part of the film where Ellen (Eliza Taylor) realises her fiancé isn't the right person for her. About 2/3 of the way in to the film Ellen's fiancé Gray (Michael Xavier) shows up unexpectedly to take her back to the big city so they can go on their planned Christmas holiday to Maui but he acts like such a tool it's a wonder that she ever fell for him in the first place. He is notably rude to everyone, shows no respect to Ellen's opinions or character and seems far too self-obsessed.

More dubious morality

[alanfisher2001 · 4/10 · 30 December 2020]

As part of our lockdown binge watch. Typical story, city girl with fiance goes to country town for Christmas, learns the value of community, leaves the current fiance and runs off with local boy. who is damaged by the fact that his own fiance did exactly the same thing to him. Despite this, tries to kiss an engaged woman. Trouble is she is already engaged and dumps him for some guy she has known for 2 days, the new relationship is doomed, she CEO in the city, he will never leave his town again. Not a nice tale I am afraid.

Exactly what I expected

[matra-murena · 10/10 · 21 December 2017]

This definately is what a christmas movie should be. The story is simple, a rich young engaged woman who has it all in her life and is about to inherrit her fathers company has to deliver christmas letters to her dad's old businesspartner in the small town she was born and her dad started his company. However, she can't say who whe really is and only gets 100 dollar to use. Soon she learns that richness isn't to take for granted and of course she meets a super nice guy and falls for him.

The characters are easy to like and the story has a nice pace to it. The small town is very christmas-like and it just is the sort of film you can watch with the whole family. Ultimate family movie.

Really enjoyed it.

[jrbusiness-64499 · 7/10 · 30 September 2020]

I Watched this movie on Netflix, part of my 100 Christmas movies before Christmas challenge.

I haven't seen it before or even heard of it and I was tempted to pick a christmas movie that I knew, but I picked this anyway.

I was hoping for a good, feel good christmas movie and I was given that.

This movie was nice, it was sweet and it gave me that warm happy feeling I wanted from a christmas movie.

I really enjoyed it and glad I picked it.

No Charm, Forgettable

[koltonbrett · 5/10 · 25 December 2021]

Here we have a formula that we're all very familiar with. Big city girl with a jerk fiancé goes to small town and falls in love with the kind and caring local boy. It's a romantic storyline that typically gives us the warm and fuzzies no matter how many times we see it. The problem with this movie is the lack of charm and chemistry between the two leads. There are a few different sub storylines going on along the way but not enough time or development is given to any one of them to get us very invested in what is going on.

Bad Writing...Good Scenery

[scottsanguinito · 6/10 · 7 December 2020]

I watched Christmas Inheritance last year. It had Plop from the Office I enjoy a hallmark movie ever now and then...But...There was one scene where a huge freeze storm was coming and the bed and breakfast took in a bunch of straded tourists and such...So Plop goes out to get firewood from the porch....the main chick remembers a homeless man she saw in town, so she sneaks out to go get him...walking past Plop without him seeing...The next scene he comes in with like 4 logs of wood and asks where she is....everyone looks around and can't fine her Then she walks in with the homeless guy This mother f ing chick braved a God damn winter storm to walk miles into town and back...all in the same amount if time it took to get 4 logs from a porch