Check Inn to Christmas (2019 TV Movie) User Reviews

Check Inn to Warm Fuzzy Feelings!

[msarajoy · 8/10 · 14 July 2020]

If you generally love Hallmark type movies, then you will generally love this movie. I did.

Don't expect the depth of War and Peace in the presented family feud so if you want something that heavy, then watch War and Peace (lol). But watch this show if you want a warm fuzzy Christmas feeling at any time of the year.

I think most Hallmark fans are not keen on the great big conflicts that exist enough in real life so there is a family feud but it doesn't get too ugly because let's face it, such negativity is not what we want from a Hallmark movie.

It does however, get a bit unbelievable at times and if you want to enjoy the show, just continue to suspend belief. For example, in a real family feud, the children of said feud would not be 'allowed' to get so cosy with each other under their parent's noses without at least one admonishment.

The body language and light banter between Rachel Boston and Wes Brown's characters is a delight to watch. They don't waste time on developing chemistry and pretty much have it off the bat (or train in their case).

I absolutely love some of Wes Brown's lines and the way he delivered it was pure genius. I especially laughed when Rachel Boston's character (Julia) asked him (Ryan) why his family wasn't participating in the bake off and he said with such perfect comedic timing whilst still maintaining the smouldering - "they're afraid of your grandmother".

Ryan comes off as a confident charming young man with a great sense of humour and he seems wasted on small town business.

Julia is sweet and not believable as a career climbing corporate lawyer (more belief being suspended). I liked though that she gave up her promotion because of where she wanted her career to go and not because of her love for Ryan - I don't like shows where either party gives up their career for the other - that is going to come bite them in the **s later in their relationship so it's good that she made her choice for her own goals.

Anyway, my conclusion is that I lived in a small town that had such great camaraderie and sense of Christmas!

Mostly same old stuff

[Jackbv123 · 6/10 · 28 November 2019]

It seems like the writers for this movie took a whole bunch of previous scripts and pulled out all the themes and put them into this one. Some of them are: save-the-family-inn, I'm-up-for-promotion-in-far-away=city, family-feud-keeps-us-apart, and traditional-town-Christmas-celebration, and small-town-values-beats-big-corporation. What was slightly unusual about this movie was combining the family feud with save-the-inns so that it was two inns to save instead of one.

The romance between Ryan and Julia takes a distant back seat to the family competition and business threat. As a result, it was a struggle for the leads to demonstrate chemistry together. Their relationship was more like peacemakers than romantic partners. I think the actors felt this and it showed a little in their performances. I say this with some disappointment because I am a huge fan of Rachel Boston.

I think the ending was pretty obvious and as usual for Hallmark, it tied up to many lose ends too neatly.

Yes, it's typical

[mbiv · 7/10 · 24 December 2020]

We've all seen this a few dozen times under different titles. Sometimes whether we like a Hallmark movie depends more on whether we like the people in the cast than any plot (or lack of plot). This must've caught me in the right mood, cuz I liked it. Wes Brown plays Wes Brown in every movie, so no surprise there, and Rachel Boston brought a bit less sugar than usual, which helped a lot. Supporting cast was mostly good (I did get tired of the mayor making speeches), and in the end, Everybody's happy. If only real life could be a Hallmark movie just once. I gave it a 7.

nice

[Kirpianuscus · 28 December 2020]

Just one of nice Halmark films about rivalries and final alliance against common enemy, all in the frame of love story. Not a version of Romeo and Juliet but a good option for Barta Heiner as the grandmother. So, just nice. And vechicle for a decent, in few scenes charming story.

Check Inn to Christmas

[JoBloTheMovieCritic · 6/10 · 1 December 2019]

6/10 - average family feud Hallmark channel feature makes for a worthwhile hour and a half

One of the better 2019 Hallmark Christmas movies.

[doctorsmoothlove · 7/10 · 1 January 2020]

"Check Inn to Christmas" is one of the few Hallmark Christmas Films that feels like it was written by real people. This is one of the early season films from 2019 Countdown to Christmas that wasn't rebroadcast that often. A real shame too. Here is a movie in which two competing local business owners who have been competing for years come together to combat the intrusion of a big corporate conglomerate. Even if you live in a bigger town, you have probably heard of some version of this story especially in today's world where corporations are getting bigger and bigger.

Like all of these films, there is a love story. The main characters are played by veterans Rachel Boston and Wes Brown who are pretty good here. She is a junior lawyer back in New York and he is helping run his dad's hotel. She works very hard and he wants more responsibility from his father. There is a minor plot point where her firm loses a case due to a local zoning law which recurs later on. I liked the idea of lawyer adapting a winning strategy where she lost to her situation.

The romance has real drama behind it. Her family and his family have been in dispute for nearly a century over some issue between the great-grandfathers neither side completely understands. The couple has to meet in secret due to their fathers' dispute. Her grandmother catches her going out late one night and tells a story of how an ancestor went through a similar situation. Again, this is something many viewers have experienced especially when trying to introduce your new love interest to the family.

Boston and Brown's characters are attracted to each other by their ambition as much as their physical attractiveness. The two of them devise a strategy based on the contract between the corporate conglomerate and a local business it is buying for their families to come together to purchase the estate. This combined with the ordinance law from earlier could cause a conservative corporate monster from wanting to acquire property in the town.

"Check Inn to Christmas" has the community-focused spirit of a Frank Capra film. The film isn't just a fantasy romance where real problems don't exist like many of Hallmark's films. The only other film like this that Hallmark has made this year is "Christmas Under the Stars." I slightly prefer the latter due to its more personal story. This one is still a winner worth watching.

My favorite of Hallmark's Christmas movies this year

[rg79912 · 9/10 · 29 December 2019]

I went into this expecting very little. I thought Rachel Boston would overact and play another overly cutesy quirky character and Wes Brown would underact and be wooden and awkward. I was pleasantly surprised because I actually really loved their chemistry and their characters. They seemed natural together and they balanced each other and played off each other very well. Wes Brown was fun and confident and just seemed comfortable in the role. Sexy even, which although he is a very good looking man, I just didn't find him attractive before this movie. He has never fully won me over in the past. I've found him a bit dull and he has looked a bit uncomfortable in past films, like he didn't want to be there. Which is why I was surprised at how great and appealing he was in this movie. He needs more characters like this where he can show a confident, playful and witty side that comes off much more natural. Rachel Boston played a mature woman finally and came off as appealing, coy and flirty instead of her usual immature-and-trying-hard-to-seem-young-and-adorable choice of acting. Don't get me wrong, I have watched her movies for many years and have liked most of them, but after so long playing the same personality in character after character, it becomes less cute and at some point you've got to grow. This movie gave her a chance to shine and I really enjoyed her in this and look forward to future movies. In case my review didn't express it well, I loved this movie so much that I will watch it again before winter is over.

Likeable stars

[phd_travel · 6/10 · 7 December 2019]

I like the leads together Rachel and Wes smile and act all lovey dovey. A lawyer and an MBA from rival inn keeping families join forces to outbid a big resort threatening their family inns. The solution to their troubles uses both their skills. If not for these likeable stars there might not that much to recommend this movie.

Great Hallmark Movie

[dtassell-27431 · 10/10 · 4 December 2019]

I've watched many Hallmark movies. Sure they all have the same formula but some do better with that formula than others. This is one of those. I'm not sure what one of the reviewers was talking about stating that Rachel Boston and Wes Brown didn't have chemistry. I thought they had great chemistry. Loved the plot line of the feuding families. I loved this one because it made me laugh. So many of the Hallmark ones this season are so serious. I needed to laugh and this one did it for me. I wish they'd do a part 2 to this one.

this one surprised me. Pleasantly.

[JaynaB · 7/10 · 19 December 2021]

I didn't have high hopes for yet another going home to save the family inn movie. But this one surprised me. Pleasantly.

The two leads,Rachel Boston and Wes Brown, are both Christmas rom-com veterans. In this outing they played warm and genuine people. One had been home for a while while the other is a lawyer in New York, returning home reluctantly.

Predictable holiday rom-com trope number whatever: there's a promotion on the table back in New York.

Predictable holiday rom-com trope whatever+1: there's a feud between their two families.

This is a hundred-year-old non-violent scrap renewed with each generation. Its current form is the two dads competing over whose inn is better decorated, whose family can win the bigger-and-better snowball toss, the Xmas trivia contest, and so on in an absolute whirlwind of perfect Christmas town competitions. Pretty town, at least the 2 shots we see of it (repeatedly)

One significant anti-trope: the two leads are never in serious conflict. The movie completely avoids the trope where they compete, get bitter, stab each other in the back and have to make up for it somehow. The conflict in this movie is all outside their obvious attraction to one another.

Another significant anti-trope: the other woman competing for the same promotion... but to say more would be a spoiler.

The movie works as a good fun story where both parties to the romance are respectful and respect worthy, and you believe the attraction is real. It works, that is, if you can ignore some magickal financial thinking and a complete lack of building-permit concern in future planning.

Checking out maybe?!

[BurberryGal · 5/10 · 14 December 2019]

Check Inn to Christmas was a cute title for a movie! Right?! The movie just felt overdone, same old movie just different title. Rachel Boston is adorable in almost everything she is in! I just did not feel the connection or chemistry with Wes Brown, a little forced. It kind of felt a little boring to me! It did not draw me in at all, nothing really to hold my interest.

Great movie!

[dsnyder-72934 · 10/10 · 5 December 2019]

This has got to be my favorite this year. So funny and Rachel and Wes are fantastic together. We have a winner with them together. I really hope for a sequel to this one. If you want to laugh, feel good, and see a great movie. This is the one for you. Enjoy!!

Hallmark surprises with this movie...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 9 December 2021]

Of all the some almost 20 Christmas movies I have sat through up to now on the 9th of December, I have to admit that "Check Inn to Christmas" definitely ranks among the best and most enjoyable.

Sure, when I sat down to watch this 2019 Hallmark Christmas movie titled "Check Inn to Christmas" from writer Anna White and director Sam Irvin, I must admit that I was figuring that I would be in for another archetypical Hallmark sappy romantic Christmas movie. But still, I opted to watch it, as I hadn't already seen it.

And, as I stated earlier, "Check Inn to Christmas" is definitely a great movie. I found the storyline to be rather enjoyable and heartfelt, and it definitely transcended the usual sappy romantic Christmas cheese that tends to make up the Hallmark movies. There was just something about the story of two families coming together and overcoming a long family feud for the good of the community that was so well-written and very entertaining.

I wasn't familiar with the majority of the cast that performed in "Check Inn to Christmas", I will say that much. But lead actress Rachel Boston and lead actor Wes Brown definitely carried the movie quite well together. And it was nice to have the likes of Richard Karn and Tim Reid in the movie as well.

If you enjoy Christmas movies and want something that offers more than the usual girl meets boy and become forced to work together and end up falling in love sap, then "Check Inn to Christmas" is well-worth the time and effort. I have to admit that I was more than genuinely entertained by this movie.

My rating of "Check Inn to Christmas" lands on a most deserving seven out of ten stars. Sure, this is not a Christmas classic for me, nor is it a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time. But believe me when I say that if you get the chance to watch "Check Inn to Christmas", do it.

Richard Karn listed last?

[VetteRanger · 4/10 · 3 December 2019]

How did that happen? He's front and center a lot in this film.

For a story that's supposed to concern rivel/feuding innkeepers, there is virtually no tension whatsoever in this story. The one scene that's "sort of" an argument is trite and forced.

Most of the plot involves the typical "big company takes over small town" cliche. This is expressed mildly in a few scenes with vaguely worried expressions ... one of which occurs just before a commercial break -- soap opera style.

This isn't as insipid as some of the Hallmark movies have been this season, but at the 90 minutes mark my wife was ready to stop watching -- only continuing because there was only 30 minutes left.

Weak Rachel Boston movie

[david-thor · 30 July 2020]

Pretty weak for a Rachel Boston movie, but rarely do I rate any Hallmark movie less than 5. The story line was so thin, the whole cast, but especially the two leads, seemed to be more consumed with explaining the movie and pushing it ahead, rather than actually talking like real people do. Not much in the way of chemistry among anyone; look for just about any other movie she or he have been in and it's a good bet it will be better than this.

A nice little cheerer.

[adamjohns-42575 · 7/10 · 22 December 2021]

Check Inn To Christmas (2019)-

Another film with a Romeo and Juliet "thing" going on, but it's not over the top fortunately.

Rival Inns that have always competed with each other, find that they may have to suck it up and work together as a corporation tries to move in on their territory. The story that follows makes it easier for the "Star Cross'd Lovers" to fall for each other and both of the leads are very pleasant, so that you can get behind them.

Wes Brown like Brendan Penny is effortless in his performance as well as dashingly handsome and I do like Rachel Boston, but she is a bit too nice.

A lot of the other characters are a bit over the top, but not to the detriment of the film.

It's full of the festive things that you'd expect and has the happy ending that you knew would happen.

6.5ish?/10.

Quite an enjoyable movie

[nebula_21 · 6/10 · 19 January 2023]

This a good movie to watch if you are looking for something warm-hearted but predictable. It's pretty much what you would expect from the genre.

There were a few gaping plot holes, especially towards the end but I chose to ignore them and not think about it too much. It's typical of this type of movie anyway.

I felt the family feud dimension made it a bit different from the usual Christmas TV movie plot.

Rachel Boston, though intense, always has a dazzling smile which gives the movie a real feel good factor. There's a lot of emphasis on family and amity which are perfect themes for a Christmas movie.

Decent feel good movie.

Good

[dianamarinelli · 9/10 · 24 December 2020]

It's a good movie considering hallmark standards and the actors were good and the story was decent

Gets you in the Christmas mood

[hallmarkmov · 7/10 · 8 July 2021]

Lots of Christmas scenes and activities centred around a rivalry between two inn owning families. Was a pretty straight forward story, and you can guess the ending before half way through the movie. Enjoyed all of the characters and the main leads had chemistry.

Julia (Rachel Boston)

[aab874 · 10/10 · 11 May 2020]

Favorite scene with

Julia (Rachel Boston) -

Julia wonders why Ryan chose to stay in their small town instead of exploring the world around him. He thinks she doesn't care about it and her Family because she left.

Right smack in the middle

[MickyG333 · 7/10 · 30 November 2022]

6.5 stars.

If there is one Hallmark movie that is absolutely average, right down the middle...

This has every Christmas ingredient of every movie in this genre. The acting is ok, story is fine, ambience is average, writing is mid-line, the theme is decent.

Question: How would you describe a Hallmark Christmas movie in four words? Answer: Check Inn to Christmas. What is the one location, that is central to more than any other film? The Inn. What is the most over-done profession? Inn-keeper.

That is all you need to hear about this movie. It has not one, but two inns. It's got all the contests, traditions, and usual sorts of personalities too. This is the original cookie cutter.

It's not bad, it's not good, it's painfully average.

Weak check in

[TheLittleSongbird · 3/10 · 16 February 2021]

Was not expecting all that much from 'Check Inn to Christmas'. Have always made a big effort to look past the very corny titles that Hallmark's films (not just Christmas but overall) have, but the idea of the story just didn't excite me. It did sound quite mundane and very more of the same, Hallmark Christmas films have always been predictable (excessively so at worst) and 'Check Inn to Christmas' certainly sounded like the same story except for a little more variety in the setting.

'Check Inn to Christmas' didn't really do it for me. There were some mediocre Hallmark Christmas from 2019, but this is one of the offerings from that year that was worse than mediocre. Actually found it very weak, with a few sporadic good things but too many poorly done things as well. Genuinely did want to like the film, hoping that it would be some welcome levity after such a dreadful year, but it just didn't gel on the whole and this is being said with regret.

Best thing about 'Check Inn to Christmas' is most of the acting. Wes Brown is a charming leading man and Rachel Boston despite overdoing it with the smile at times isn't too sugary and doesn't exaggerate any negative traits. Most of the supporting are above average considering what they had to work with. Tim Reid is particularly appealing and has an honest presence about them.

Some of the scenery is quite nice, though mostly the film disappointed visually. As are a few moments in the soundtrack, emphasis on a few.

However, there are a number of poor aspects in 'Check Inn to Christmas'. While liking the cast on the whole, Richard Karn is overused and overdoes it to the point of being annoying. While Brown and Boston are fine individually, together they don't quite connect with each other and a large part of the problem is that the relationship itself is too underdeveloped and plays too second fiddle to the repetitive and juvenile antics with the competition. Did admire that there is more drama than can be found in the usual Hallmark film with the family conflict, but it is drama that is too soapy and lacks excitement and tension.

Most of the time 'Check Inn to Christmas' disappointingly doesn't look too good. It is agreed too over-decorated on the whole and is gaudily shot and sloppily edited. Like most Hallmark films, most of the music is intrusive and doesn't fit. The dialogue has more cheese than the cheesiest of cheeseburgers and even fruit sherberts don't have this amount of cloying sugar. The premise has been done to death countless times every year and has been tired for years, nothing new is done with it here. Just pure Hallmark formula, complete with an over-obvious and far too neat ending.

In conclusion, weak. 3/10

Check Inn to Christmas

[mitchellrharl · 10/10 · 30 October 2020]

Cannot stand Richard Karn he is as bad as Tom Arnold in other Hallmark movies. Why do they use MBA so much need average lay people not elitist college graduates. Hallmark hire a professional hair stylist ditch the ugly wigs. The grown up kids look older than the parents. Love Rachel Boston not much on Wes Brown he is like Jesse Metcalfe Niall Matter no personality

At least something a bit different

[martinacipcic · 7/10 · 31 December 2021]

I watched a lot of christmas movies these days and this one is one of the better ones. Characters are great, script is ok, decorations are great....and the love story, even thougg espected, is nice. I wish they choose better female actress...seems to me like male characters are always better looking then female ..

Predictable

[marissakelly · 1/10 · 15 November 2020]

Just like every other hallmark movie you can predict the ending a mile away