All I Want for Christmas

If A Christmas Kiss was the romance movie that started my appreciation of Christmas movies, then All I Want For Christmas is the family movie that really got me hooked.

Contrary to other reviews which described the child as "bratty", I actually found Jesse to be very likable. Roger was an absolute d**** who never quite accepted Sara's life or who she really was and wanted to change her and everything around her. He certainly never accepted her son, who he viewed as an inconvenience, wanting to send him off to boarding school first chance he got.

What child, or adult for that matter, in that situation, wouldn't react angrily and push back every chance they got, especially knowing that he'd unintentionally caused this situation himself by setting the whole contest thing in motion - poor kid must have been cursing himself for that.

I find it difficult to believe it took Roger's boarding school stunt for Sara to finally realise what an d***** he was and how incompatible they were - I guess I just have to accept that she got caught up in the fantasy and the whirlwind of it all and lost her mind for a few weeks.

While this movie isn't without its flaws, there are some wonderfully subtle moments that I've not seen in a Christmas film since, in particular when Sara's setting her parameters and is describing her ideal partner - she's actually describing Ben but doesn't realise it, and this is something the viewer only picks up on during repeat viewings.

Speaking of repeat viewings, this is on the list of movies that got replayed every year (I first saw this in 2014 I think) and then suddenly stopped and disappeared from the rotation. Given some of the, for me, far inferior movies that get heavy airtime, they could do with bringing this one back.

Really bad writing. The 10 year old son's lines were written for a 30 year old.

When little Jimmy 'Jax' Pinchax enters into a department store's "All I Want for Christmas" contest, he has no idea that he's about to completely change his and his single mom's life. All he does is wish for his mom, Gail O'Grady to get remarried so she'll be happier. His entry wins the contest, and Gail is swept up in a whirlwind publicity campaign complete with a makeover, new wardrobe, and camera crew following her private moments. When the suitors don't suit her, she starts to get closer Greg Germann, who is not only in charge of the contest but is the heir to the department store.

Here's my problem with the movie: Robert Mailhouse plays Gail's next door neighbor and friend. He's obviously in love with her, but for some reason has never told her about his feelings. As we see Gail and Greg start dating, we're supposed to think he's a poor substitute for Robert. We're supposed to hope she comes to her senses and sees Greg's flaws. But Greg is extremely wealthy, full of class, romantic, sweet, and very handsome. Robert is poor, has a hardly impressive job, would rather eat at a hot dog stand than a five-star restaurant, and since he's known Gail for years, there's no sweetness or romance present in their rapport. And, although Jimmy gets along better with Robert, he'd never had the opportunity to look upon Robert as a stepfather figure. The first time Robert would scold him, he would get just as upset as he did when Greg scolded him.

I'm not going to spoil the story for anyone who wants to watch it, but I didn't agree with the general tone of the romance. It was clear from the get-go whom the audience was supposed to root for, and I was left on the sidelines. My only consolation: if Gail was stupid enough to choose the inferior candidate (I'm writing 'if' to avoid spoilers) then she didn't deserve him and he'll be better off with someone who can appreciate all he has to offer.

that kid is a freaking jerk! His mom is trying to be nice but then he's like crying and stuff. I wish he was a potato so i could eat him and then he would die and stop whining. i also wish the acting was better and there were more than one actors that i had actually heard of and that the kid was not and that that roger guy was also not there and that who ever that man next door or whatever who is obviously supposed to Mary her actually would say something or maybe the movie just didn't exist, that would be better also i hate this movie i really don't lie this movie, please don't watch it

goodbye now

Forget that she was the murderer on the 2-hour Monk pilot, Gail O'Grady is a beautiful woman and a fine actress, and that's a good reason to watch this movie all by itself.

Here, she's a widow ignoring a possible return to romance while she works at a community center and raises her (now) ten year old son.

She's told right at the beginning that her across-the-hall neighbor has a thing for her, and he already has a great relationship with the son.

Her son enters a contest with the movie's title, and of course he wins, with the wish that his mother find love and get a husband.

The story after that is full of indecisiveness and mixed signals, but it's a nice story and worth a watch.