No Time Like Christmas (2019 TV Movie) User Reviews

Attractive leads make this almost watchable.

[rebekahrox · 7/10 · 4 November 2019]

I usually don''t write a review of a movie unless I really loved it, really hated it, or have some points or observations to make that I think might be valuable. But I am really disturbed by the number of reviews that fault the bad acting of the principal characters. The acting is no better or worse than any acting in a Hallmark or happy Lifetime movie. In fact, the one thing that kept me semi-watching was the charm and attractiveness of the two leads.

If anything, it was the writing that kept me from rating this higher. What happened to the ingenue actress who had a crush on Fletcher? Maybe I missed it, but all of a sudden she has a boyfriend she was very loyal to (per magic Santa guy) all while she was making a play for our hero? And, yes, the snow storm that kept her away from the theatre, while rich guy and the whole audience managed to show up? For a 2 minute show? The one thing that really bothered me though was that widower Fletcher told Emma he never stopped loving her. Huh? What about dead wife and mother to his daughter whose demise made made him so sad for years? Out with the old, In with the new, I guess. And this is really picky. But shouldn't the daughter have had a bit of a British accent? Considering she was born and raised in England by an English (I presume) mother?

Watchable despite some flaws

[Jackbv123 · 6/10 · 19 November 2019]

I have watched several hundred Christmas movies and reviewed most of them.

I thought it was a nice story. Maybe a little too much time was spent rehearsing songs with singers that were just OK, but not major performance worthy. Likewise the acting was poor, but not horrible. I have watched much worse even in the last week. And I didn't see that much chemistry between the leads. The daughter actually had more chemistry with the female lead, but that's common in Christmas movies.

I said the said the story was nice, but you do have to suspend any demand for reality with the ending. One reviewer mentioned the snowstorm and a packed theater. That and the watch CEO making it from out of town were a little inconsistent.

BTW: has anyone else notice snowstorm Meghan showing up in several Lifetime movies this year?

This movie is not awful! It is cute!

[huggibear · 7/10 · 28 October 2019]

This is a made for TV movie, so it will never be the movie theater quality just based on the 'free' viewing factor as long as you have cable. It had an original story, which I like. Most of the movies like this are so 'cookie cutter' and copycat-ish, so I rather enjoyed the freshness of ideas coming from these new Lifetime Channel movies. Now it is a typical romantic Christmas movie, but that is what is nice about these movies. They kind of get you in the mood for a warm and comfy holiday season. They also depict inter-racial relationships as well, which is nice. Watch it once and see that it isn't as awful as one of the remarks here. The little 'daughter' girl is a pretty good actress and very cute too!

Sweet

[donnaelliott-75845 · 6/10 · 18 October 2020]

Nice feel-good movie. Likeable characters and good acting. Definitely worth a watch with a hot cocoa and a blanket on the sofa. Delightfully and comfortingly predictable.

No Writing Like Bad Writing

[chiltonsjillfreeport · 2/10 · 14 December 2019]

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling couldn't have saved this awful film.

Sure, it's a holiday romance TV movie, but it's still hard to imagine how a whole network production team and a director missed the WTF level logic.

Some of it was just laughable, other plot points stopped me dead.

-Lola was only 10?! Her age should've been stated earlier. I couldn't make the math work, as she looked like a teen. Also, where was her British accent?

-The storm was so bad both leads missed the play. But it was a packed house and Eamon's flight made it? Who has no plans days before Christmas Eve, let alone a company CEO?

-Whose boss hands them a project, them sends them home for days to do the work? What are offices for?

-Who goes to an antique store looking for ad copy inspiration when the product is a new and modern watch?

-What CEO/designer would ever confuse a playbill with ad copy?

-Emma proofed the script. What on earth made Fletcher think (without asking) she had the play memorized?

-Scene after scene focused on the play. Why weren't we shown even 1 minute?

-Which was it-do we believe what she said and did/Sarah was throwing herself at Fletcher? Or she was very loyal to a never-mentioned boyfriend?

-Fletcher announces to all-in front of Lola-that he never stopped loving Emma. So his 7+ years of marriage and baby daughter never got in the way?

-Yes, new/original 1-song (?), 2-person plays performed once by something less than understudies go straight to Broadway all the time. Riiiight!

The question is, does Lifetime think a little logic would sink the film? Or do they assume the audience is just dumb?

Writer Issues...

[denisej-72094 · 4/10 · 30 October 2019]

I won't comment on the acting...enough said already. My issue lies with the writers. Two points I'd like to make....first, on the night of the performance there was a snow storm keeping the actors from getting to the theatre...; and yet the theatre was packed ...I guess the audience came on snow -mobiles!!?? Second point...The story line flowed decently until the "performance" night. ...a live-streamed, packed theatre audience were treated to one song and a declaration of love between the stars? While I wasn't expecting the entire play, I thought there would be more...it was very rushed!!! The fault isn't totally with the stars... but with the writers.

I liked it!

[lsixtossb · 8/10 · 29 October 2019]

I know everyone gave it a bad review for acting but I liked it! Bad acting or not it was a good wholesome romantic Christmas movie!

I disagree.

[sheilastokes · 4/10 · 24 November 2019]

I enjoyed the movie and all of the actors playing in it. Especially Kyla.

I actually enjoyed it...

[casmowill · 8/10 · 12 November 2019]

Reading some of the negative reviews I actually enjoyed it. It was a cute story I LOVED the song Kyla Pratt sang at the end. I'd download the song and add it to my Christmas Playlist if I could find it!

Fantastically bad acting

[Rumenka · 3/10 · 30 October 2019]

Actors seems very nice as people but they really are struggling with acting plus connections between main actors was... 0. I hope they are better in other show

Bad acting singing is worse!!!!!

[lucretia-80315 · 1/10 · 2 November 2019]

Absolutely the worst Lifetime Christmas movie. The acting was awful, forced and contrived. And the singing was worse!!!!! I can watch Lifetime movies over and over, this one never again! I gave it a chance though; I actually finished it.

Bad acting

[kailua79 · 2/10 · 28 October 2019]

Terrible acting to the point I really had a hard time watching the whole movie. I know Lifetime is trying to compete with Hallmark, but they are failing miserably!

Touching and sincere

[sob-94167 · 9/10 · 16 November 2019]

Enjoyed the storyline and roles. Down to earth acting and loved the settings. A great movie.

"Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets. . ."

[adamjohns-42575 · 4/10 · 26 February 2021]

This is a full on corn fest! The two leads played by Kyla Pratt and Edward Ruddles aren't terrible, but they seem to be surrounded by people of the hammiest and cheesiest school of acting. The Mother and The Mayor are just awful!

Although, I don't know who told Kyla that she can sing, but they were so very badly wrong and her speaking voice isn't any less irritating either.

Edward is not quite worthy to make it on to my Daily Crush list, but there is something about him that is appealing. I probably would have turned it off after she got back to Vermont if he hadn't turned up.

The story itself isn't bad, it's just badly made.

I will not be adding this to the regular watching list for every Christmas, but I might chance it again in a few years?

don't understand the rating

[darknngel · 8/10 · 25 December 2020]

Some movie are bad and have a better rating than this one ive watch over 470 christmas movie in 2 months (oct 26th to dec 25th) and this one was clearly not on the bottom of the list... of course the story is easy to know how it's gonna finish but like almost every christmas movie! the story's not bad at all and actor are OK! not sure why some say they are the worst... if you are a christmas movies Munger like me.... well you won't hate it or found it one of the worst you ever seen! this one is not bad at all!

Did anyone check this line - wow

[paulsmith-13397 · 5/10 · 14 December 2019]

I mean really - light hearted - bad acting but bad enough to be enjoyable in a light hearted way

When Emma gets the possibility of a promotion though I couldn't stop laughing - I see a promotion for you said her boss - double the hours but double the pay IS THAT NOT THE SAME PAY SHE'S ON NOW - surely someone picked that up!!!!!

B for effort

[OddlesOfNoodles · 5/10 · 17 November 2020]

They tired but sadly it was a little boring, very predictable. It's an ok background movie.

NO CHEMISTRY AT ALL

[amandaloranegillespie · 2/10 · 9 December 2020]

Fletcher was a dud. He didn't even make eye contact the first half of the movie.

Sweet Christmas Movie

[susiebowman-13860 · 10/10 · 16 November 2019]

For me I thought this was really sweet, I liked it and will continue to rewatch it with each re-Airing. Plus I have made it part of my christmas movie video collection.

Cute movie, but....

[rlilly-96105 · 3/10 · 16 November 2019]

The movie was cute with the typical Lifetime movie story line. However, the acting was horrible! Specifically the main character and the younger girl actress.

Awesome!

[byrdmaurice-34802 · 10/10 · 5 December 2019]

Can't believe someone rated this low! It had a great plot, Much better than typical Lifetime acting and very well done. A must see for the holiday!!

Could have been better. #casting

[crisc-3 · 5/10 · 28 December 2020]

A liked the story line. Weak female lead. Absolutely no charisma.

Not worth the time

[TheLittleSongbird · 2/10 · 27 July 2021]

Just to say now, in my view not all Lifetime's Christmas offerings are bad. Actually was pleasantly surprised by some, which has been true of my film viewings of Hallmark/Lifetime etc Christmas films in general over-time. The concept is not really very exciting and is quite more of the same (if you see one Lifetime Christmas film and then you see 49 more or something it's like seeing one film fifty times), but there have been Lifetime Christmas films that still work in spite of that because of having charm and good enough acting.

Lifetime have sometimes done well with the Christmas offerings centering heavily around music and saving businesses, including in 2019. 'No Time Like Christmas' is not one of those films. Of a very mixed year, 'No Time for Christmas' is by quite some way one of the worst of the 2019 batch for Lifetime. Not completely unwatchable, but nearly everything fails with the acting nearly single-handedly sinking it, which is a real shame.

'No Time Like Christmas' is not devoid of halfway decent things, with the least bad asset being some nice scenery.

Sadly the rest of the production values are not up to par, the editing is sloppy and there is a drab and static look to the photography. The direction is only functional at best and going through the motions-like at its worst, most of it leaning towards the latter. The music is at best forgettable and could have done with being used less.

The script is like a cobbling together of over-familiar cliches, and then there is the overkill cheesiness and schmaltziness of the awkwardly flowing lines. The story is not just a tired variation of a done to death scenario but is also very, very thin, which does affect the pacing. Which tends to be pedestrian. It also has no charm and takes itself too seriously. 'No Time Like Christmas' has some truly cliched character writing, that gives the characters like one or two character traits and not much else.

Worst of all is the acting, which is just dreadful. Especially Kyla Pratt, which is like watching anaemic amateur dramatics complete with moments of over-compensating. Do agree that her singing is not good. Edward Ruttle looks embarrassed and comes over as too introverted. There is absolutely nothing to their chemistry, which is so charmless and distant and if the relationship was developed more, featured more in the story and wasn't dominated too much by the saving the theatre plotting that would have helped things. The supporting cast are no better.

In conclusion, not worth the time. 2/10.

Couldn't finish it

[cjgracey-585-609660 · 2/10 · 10 November 2019]

The premise of this movie had potential. However, the directing and acting were so fake and contrived. The actors sounded like they were just reading the script with no emotion behind it. I tried to watch the whole thing but just couldn't. Very disappointed.

Great holiday classic

[leafs-51692 · 9/10 · 16 November 2019]

If you have a pre conceived notion that this would be anything other than a cheesy romantic Christmas movie, your expectations are miss guided. It is the kind of movie that you just hope the 2 lead characters end up together but are kept on the edge of your seat the whole time while the history translates to the present. The 2 leads and the little girl did an amazing job in portraying the characters they were assigned. I'm a hopeless romantic who dreams of something magical to happen in life and this movie speaks to me!! On a side note I didn't like the security in the bed and breakfast, a little too lackadaisical for my liking.