Like some of the other reviewers on here, I struggled to get thru this Lifetime Christmas movie, especially the first 30 minutes or so. The story centers around Erin (played by Stephanie Bennett), a widowed mother of two daughters, who (thru some encouragement from a friend/family) decides to spend Christmas with her estranged father on his Texas ranch. In addition to working thru her troubles and issues with her father, Erin meets Mateo (our other protagonist in this story, played by Marco Grazzini), a local Mexican restaurant owner. Are forgiveness and love on the cards for Erin this Christmas? The premise of the story is a warm and heartfelt one. Unfortunately, the script is rather weak at times. The sub-plot set around Erin and her father (played by Brent Stait) is the weak link in this story. The script/dialogue here is not very convincing, and the writers don't spend enough time setting up the difficulties between the two for the viewer. As a result, this sub-plot is quite dull and difficult to believe overall. Granted, it is challenging to do everything in a TV movie of only 85 minutes. What makes this sub-plot even more problematic is the quality of the acting (which I discuss below). That said, the story does start to improve about 40 minutes into the film, beginning with the scene immediately after the fruitcake at Erin's parents' place (the one where the two have dialogue in front of the house). In the second half of the film, the dialogue between the two, Erin and Mateo, and the development of their relationship is what keeps this movie afloat, I felt. More specifically, it was the performance of Grazzini (as Mateo) that shines thru in this movie. He had a strong performance, I thought. He had a warm and gentle vibe to his performance, which made for good chemistry. The chemistry between him and Bennett (as Erin) was pretty good, quite believable, I felt. The strongest scenes in the film were the dialogue and exchanges between the two and the ones with the kids as well. However, Bennett had a mixed performance, as her dialogue with her father was often awkward and not very convincing on screen, unfortunately. Stait too was quite weak/awkward in these scenes. They should have given more lines to BJ Harrison; she was quite good. Finally, the movie does provide some holiday cheer and Christmas spirit in the latter half of the film. The music is also quite good, with some nice country (or country like) music. All in all, it is not a very good Christmas movie. However, if you can get thru the first 40 minutes or so, the second half is decent.
23 Reviews
Not perfect, but watchable.
adamjohns-425754 January 2022
Christmas Forgiveness/Lonestar Christmas (2020)-
It's a very simple story and that's not a bad thing. It's done well although there are a few too many "Y'all's" and "Howdy's" trying too hard to let you know that they're cowboys and therefore they all sound a bit forced.
Marco Grazzini has got such an easy smile that shines from his eyes and a lovely face to back it up, which makes him easy to watch, but he just seems a bit out of place. With that said, I've never been to the lone-star state to know who belongs there. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't like me.
I have my own daddy issues, so I can connect with the character of Erin, I've always felt that my Dad was absent even before he died and I'd like to be able to talk to him now for some closure. At least she can still confront hers about the way she feels and she should definitely appreciate that, however, she is an arsey cow who enjoys wallowing in her misery.
She doesn't actually have an issue, it's all on her. She's the one that can't move on and is holding herself and, as a result, her kids back, where the Dad is keen to build bridges and do whatever he can, so I didn't like her or think her good enough for Marco's character Mateo.
I didn't need the singing and the young girls are not brilliant actors either.
Basically she's got issues and he's cute. And at least it's a slightly different tale and not badly produced.
6.30ish/10.
It's a very simple story and that's not a bad thing. It's done well although there are a few too many "Y'all's" and "Howdy's" trying too hard to let you know that they're cowboys and therefore they all sound a bit forced.
Marco Grazzini has got such an easy smile that shines from his eyes and a lovely face to back it up, which makes him easy to watch, but he just seems a bit out of place. With that said, I've never been to the lone-star state to know who belongs there. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't like me.
I have my own daddy issues, so I can connect with the character of Erin, I've always felt that my Dad was absent even before he died and I'd like to be able to talk to him now for some closure. At least she can still confront hers about the way she feels and she should definitely appreciate that, however, she is an arsey cow who enjoys wallowing in her misery.
She doesn't actually have an issue, it's all on her. She's the one that can't move on and is holding herself and, as a result, her kids back, where the Dad is keen to build bridges and do whatever he can, so I didn't like her or think her good enough for Marco's character Mateo.
I didn't need the singing and the young girls are not brilliant actors either.
Basically she's got issues and he's cute. And at least it's a slightly different tale and not badly produced.
6.30ish/10.
if you can get thru the first half of this movie
taylornan27 December 2020
I found the first half of this movie to be slow and boring. The female lead's story was that of a spoiled brat. I had a hard time dealing with her whining and pity party. The lead actor pretty much carried the movie for me and the ending was good.
Maybe change the name of this one
LigeiaCorpse6 January 2021
I dont know much about Texas so I will take the Texan's words on it that this is not representing Texas correctly. I really think thats why this got such a bad score. I personally didnt find the first half bad. The acting is fine for a made for tv movie. It's not the best of this years christmas films but not awful or the worst. Its really upbeat and cutesy so if you dont mind that then this is worth a watch. Maybe rename this " Deck the halls with boughs of tamales" lol
Some awkward acting and dialogue...
xmasmoviefreak21 December 2020
WTF? Is it me or was the first half of this movie really bad? The acting by the lead was terrible, especially the scenes with her father. Did they practice their lines together? What did the director think? Or was he/she rushing to get this one done. The second half is okay and it is a bit Christmassy. The male lead was good, as another reviewer here pointed out. I feel sorry for Marco Grazzini; he was an island of good acting in this Xmas movie.
Painful to watch
bynser8 December 2021
I taped this movie to watch later. Having a hard time watching even fast forwarding through a lot of it. Mateo always grins like a silly school boy from the start. No chemistry between the actors. It's just plain painful to watch.
Typical Christmas movie
bgwpwhct5 December 2021
These Lifetime and Hallmarks are all have same premise; which is single mom who goes back to hometown because she haven't been there in long time. Then, of course, the mom happens to meet like the only good looking guy in town who is single and does like everything. We all in the end of the movie, there going to fall in love in the end of movie. This movie is predictable.
All the drama
garzamom18 December 2020
Lonestar dullness
TheLittleSongbird19 April 2022
2020 was very variable to unimpressive when it came to Lifetime's Christmas films, and there was definitely the sense that the films were made in a rush with not a lot of preparation time. Yet enough of them were far from amateur-hour efforts and were still watchable all things considered. Lifetime just have done a lot better in previous years, although their festive output is very hit and miss it should not be dismissed outright as enough have left me pleasantly surprised.
'Lonestar Christmas' sad to say was not one of the 2020 Lifetime Christmas films that left me pleasantly surprised. It is not one of their all time worst but of their 2020 Christmas output it is down there with the worst in my view. Good things can be seen here, but they are too far and between in a film that had a lot of major issues. Instead of the potentially above average it could have been, it ended up being one of the mediocrities of the 2020 Lifetime Christmas films.
There are a few good things. The best thing about 'Lonestar Christmas' by far is Marco Grazzini, just loved his gentle warmth and charm. BJ Harrison is another saving grace, making much of little.
Furthermore, 'Lonestar Christmas' also looks pretty decent all things considered and has some professionalism at least in its look. Especially the scenery. The music didn't sound too intrusive.
However, there is a good deal wrong. Stephanie Bennett is an incredibly bland female lead and a very awkward presence. She has very little spark or chemistry with Grazzini, it's very disconnected and the relationship itself is underused and underwritten. Brent Stait is also very mechanical, particularly in his scenes with Bennett. The father and daughter subplot is quite painful and is one of the worst written and acted subplots of the 2020 Lifetime Christmas films, and unfortunately there is too much of it. The first half is pretty hard to sit through and while the second half is a little better it never rises above average.
Did feel on the whole that the story was very dull and thin, as well as excessively predictable and lacking in charm or warmth (Grazzini's performance is the only thing where either are obvious). The direction is very routine. Furthermore, the script on the most part is too verbose and the flow is very stilted, had a feeling of it being written in haste and that it had not been proof read. The conflict completely lacks tension and it didn't actually feel like there was much at stake with the indifferent and too hasty way it's written in. A lot of ingredients in the story that are done very little with.
Mediocre overall. 4/10.
'Lonestar Christmas' sad to say was not one of the 2020 Lifetime Christmas films that left me pleasantly surprised. It is not one of their all time worst but of their 2020 Christmas output it is down there with the worst in my view. Good things can be seen here, but they are too far and between in a film that had a lot of major issues. Instead of the potentially above average it could have been, it ended up being one of the mediocrities of the 2020 Lifetime Christmas films.
There are a few good things. The best thing about 'Lonestar Christmas' by far is Marco Grazzini, just loved his gentle warmth and charm. BJ Harrison is another saving grace, making much of little.
Furthermore, 'Lonestar Christmas' also looks pretty decent all things considered and has some professionalism at least in its look. Especially the scenery. The music didn't sound too intrusive.
However, there is a good deal wrong. Stephanie Bennett is an incredibly bland female lead and a very awkward presence. She has very little spark or chemistry with Grazzini, it's very disconnected and the relationship itself is underused and underwritten. Brent Stait is also very mechanical, particularly in his scenes with Bennett. The father and daughter subplot is quite painful and is one of the worst written and acted subplots of the 2020 Lifetime Christmas films, and unfortunately there is too much of it. The first half is pretty hard to sit through and while the second half is a little better it never rises above average.
Did feel on the whole that the story was very dull and thin, as well as excessively predictable and lacking in charm or warmth (Grazzini's performance is the only thing where either are obvious). The direction is very routine. Furthermore, the script on the most part is too verbose and the flow is very stilted, had a feeling of it being written in haste and that it had not been proof read. The conflict completely lacks tension and it didn't actually feel like there was much at stake with the indifferent and too hasty way it's written in. A lot of ingredients in the story that are done very little with.
Mediocre overall. 4/10.
Not Good Enough
PennyReviews27 December 2021
Lonestar Christmas has a cliche christmas romance story. But that's not what's bad about this movie. The main plot with the father-daughter drama was really the main culprit, as well as the pace of the love story (so, basically, everything that included the main lead). Erin's (the leading lady) problem with her dad is portrayed to be something bigger than it actually is, and she holds that against him even now that he is trying to help her and be there for his grandkids.
She also gets mad at her love interest for not wanting to have a family in the past, even though they only knew each other for like five days and most of that time they were only friends. Not to mention that they were too lovey dovey in front of everyone and too quickly, just like Erin's mood swings.
So, yes, the plot is idiotic, the location is not believable and the performances are bad. Really disappointing.
She also gets mad at her love interest for not wanting to have a family in the past, even though they only knew each other for like five days and most of that time they were only friends. Not to mention that they were too lovey dovey in front of everyone and too quickly, just like Erin's mood swings.
So, yes, the plot is idiotic, the location is not believable and the performances are bad. Really disappointing.
This is a pass
KehDBug1 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I record and watch every Christmas/Holiday movie that airs free with my cable service. There's a lot of mediocrity out there, which I find forgettable but passable. This one, however, is so bad--all because of the lead actress and the story. I thought everyone else did a great job, especially the kind-hearted Mateo, but why did the writers insist on such a whiny, spoiled female protagonist? The writers dictated that she was always leaving her children, and the actress brought no redeeming warmth to the character. Makes you wonder if Stephanie Bennett has any kids of her own because she certainly didn't act like a mom. And boo-hoo, your daddy wasn't around much growing up. So what! That doesn't excuse your behavior. My dad wasn't either, but I've never kept my kids from him, and I certainly don't refuse to visit him. And he doesn't possess even a fingerful of the caring that the on-screen dad did. And for those who think I scored low because the location looked nothing like Texas, you'd be wrong. All the cable channels film 99% of their movies in Canada. Of course the locations don't look like the U.S. If you haven't gotten over it by now, that's your fault. On a hilarious side note, the closed captioning couldn't figure out "adobo." Come on--it's pretty standard. I'm sure there's Hispanic/Latino residents in Canada. Anyway, this was a pretty painful movie to watch.
Please, Stop Embarrassing Texas.
emortland27 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I live in Austin, and this is exactly the kind of cinematic tripe that gives Texas a bad name. Banjos twanging Christmas carols can quickly become annoying, and if you seriously believe single mothers are easy if you feed them fruitcake and tamales, then you're kind of stupid. Okay, I may be hanging out with an entirely different crowd.
I have no idea who Ms Bennett is, but in this role she has great hair and gums, and spends most of this film whining about daddy issues. Jeez, we get it. But the good news is she meets this restaurant guy and will live happily ever after. Cool. What I actually found more interesting was Mr Grazzini, apparently I had just seen him the day before in "Christmas Unwrapped." At least he's getting steady work.
If nothing else, "Lonestar Christmas" helps validate my theory the 2020 crop of Lifestyle/Hallmark Christmas fare is really mediocre this year: Why? Covid production hassles? Creative exodus from Canada? No one cares about Christmas movies anymore? We can only hope it gets better in 2021.
I have no idea who Ms Bennett is, but in this role she has great hair and gums, and spends most of this film whining about daddy issues. Jeez, we get it. But the good news is she meets this restaurant guy and will live happily ever after. Cool. What I actually found more interesting was Mr Grazzini, apparently I had just seen him the day before in "Christmas Unwrapped." At least he's getting steady work.
If nothing else, "Lonestar Christmas" helps validate my theory the 2020 crop of Lifestyle/Hallmark Christmas fare is really mediocre this year: Why? Covid production hassles? Creative exodus from Canada? No one cares about Christmas movies anymore? We can only hope it gets better in 2021.
Ratings
kejjr-2708027 December 2020
Zzzz
Jackbv12316 December 2020
The story is thin. It is about a single mom angry with her dad because he wasn't around when she was young. Erin holds onto this hurt much harder than the movie ever explains adequately. She does say something about looking at her dad having a good time with her daughters and it makes her jealous, but that doesn't come until after she has chilled her dad out to about negative 10,000 degrees for much of the movie. This woman is bitter. It's even stranger because Stephanie Bennett is upbeat with everyone else and seems pleasant most of the rest of the time.
The movie attempts to use the two cute little girls and a whole lot of fun activities to pull the audience in and fill the allotted time. But it feels like a formula or crammed in.
Bennett and Marco Grazzini have no chemistry that I can see. Erin seems like she is constantly escaping the rest of the family to spend time with Mateo. A lot of the situations seemed forced rather than natural. For example,, the restaurant assistant is on a mission to put the two together, even before she knows Erin.
The Christmas setting makes it easy to allow some talk about God and the real reason for the season without pushing it too much. Forgiveness is an obvious theme for the movie.
A couple of things happen abruptly at the end, almost out of nowhere.
OK, so the movie wasn't filmed in Texas. Many movies film on a lot rather than location.
The movie attempts to use the two cute little girls and a whole lot of fun activities to pull the audience in and fill the allotted time. But it feels like a formula or crammed in.
Bennett and Marco Grazzini have no chemistry that I can see. Erin seems like she is constantly escaping the rest of the family to spend time with Mateo. A lot of the situations seemed forced rather than natural. For example,, the restaurant assistant is on a mission to put the two together, even before she knows Erin.
The Christmas setting makes it easy to allow some talk about God and the real reason for the season without pushing it too much. Forgiveness is an obvious theme for the movie.
A couple of things happen abruptly at the end, almost out of nowhere.
OK, so the movie wasn't filmed in Texas. Many movies film on a lot rather than location.
What Canadians think Texas is
xixhlxix19 December 2020
This movie was the worst out of all the Lifetime holiday movies(and there are some really bad ones). The main character was a brat(not the actors fault) and the conflict was tepid at best. The acting was very mechanical and although I don't have a lot of expectations from lifetime when it comes to acting it is usually a little better than this. Now the biggest thing that got to me is this wasnt made in Texas and it appears they did ZERO research about Texas. I mean you could film it in many other places as there are many places that look like Texas but alas they didn't come anywhere close. I am actually shocked the producers didn't have everyone riding horses considering there was nothing really Texas related in this movie(don't get me started on the two stepping scene). Great job on making more money Lifetime but bad job on this movie.
One awkward scene after another
jagfannn17 December 2020
This movie was painful to watch. The actors have a forced, fake, awkward smiles on their faces in nearly every scene they do, making the whole movie a cringe-fest. Clearly they were "directed" to do this because even the young girls do it. When every person in the room is smiling ear to ear with no clear reason why, it's just creepy.
The title is a Pig in a Poke, as a real oldtimer Texan might say.
ron_smith-8913415 December 2020
My mama always said. "Ronnie, if you can't say something good about something, don't say anything at all."
I'm sorry Mama, but the setting for Lonestar Christmas is so ignorantly chosen that I was appalled from the get-go.
This movie was filmed in Vancouver! That is roughly 1,700 miles north of our far north Texas city of Amarillo! Check it out.
I have lived for 71 years in Texas, born in West Texas, educated in Houston and Austin. Nothing about the setting in this Lifetime movie looked or felt like Texas to me. Too wet. Too green. Heck, even the tamale restaurant was named Verdosa, "really green."
Even though the male love interest was Mexican ("half Filipino") and called the Tamale King, that character did not make this British Columbia filming location remotely resemble any part of the Texas I know.
I just can't believe that anybody with common sense would try to pawn this movie off as having anything to do with Texas just by tagging it with Lonestar in the title.
The title is fraudulent.
That said, I give kudos to the script elements in the last two scenes.
The Food Beat the Movie
chiltonsjillfreeport15 December 2020
Cons:
-CGI that made people muppetish
-Many snoozy activities
-Hyper little girls
-Aerial shots so green we knew it was nowhere near TX
-Mommy needs a grow-up pill. Or a cocktail!
Pros -Yoda stepmom -Baby goats! -Italian Keanu -Sassy gal Friday
It's hard to say which was worse here: a movie with little plot to speak of, or one starring such a generic, dull lead. At least I snapped to when she took bratty and immature to another level.
Given a redo-hard pass. Love interest Marco Grazzini is the only highlight. I'd love to try Mateo's restaurant/tamales!
Pros -Yoda stepmom -Baby goats! -Italian Keanu -Sassy gal Friday
It's hard to say which was worse here: a movie with little plot to speak of, or one starring such a generic, dull lead. At least I snapped to when she took bratty and immature to another level.
Given a redo-hard pass. Love interest Marco Grazzini is the only highlight. I'd love to try Mateo's restaurant/tamales!
WHERE TO START !
linda-plant229 December 2022
Hallmark do really good, or really bad. This is really bad.
The acting was abysmal, Erin and Mateo spent a number of scenes acting shyly, grinning and saying nothing, - for far too long, before they spoke. A directorial mistake. I have seen more life and personality in a broom handle than the father had. He was asked a question and just had a blank look on his face, as though he'd forgotten his lines. Bad casting there. The kids were grinning - like, all the time, er not realistic. Then there was the non-existent chemistry between Erin and Mateo, and lots of dialogue with the start of one word, like " I'm..........." followed by a pregnant pause before the mandatory jumping in with a sentence by the opposite player.
I'm getting fed up with whiney female leads who take umbrage with the smallest 'slight'. Erin is permanently angry with her father just because he worked all hours when she was little ! Dear God haven't the scriptwriters got half a brain to know that most working fathers spend most of the day at work ? And rarely see their kids grow up ???
Finally, how many blokes actually propose to a woman after knowing them for only a week and have never kissed ? None I suspect. Hallmark, you need to get real.
The acting was abysmal, Erin and Mateo spent a number of scenes acting shyly, grinning and saying nothing, - for far too long, before they spoke. A directorial mistake. I have seen more life and personality in a broom handle than the father had. He was asked a question and just had a blank look on his face, as though he'd forgotten his lines. Bad casting there. The kids were grinning - like, all the time, er not realistic. Then there was the non-existent chemistry between Erin and Mateo, and lots of dialogue with the start of one word, like " I'm..........." followed by a pregnant pause before the mandatory jumping in with a sentence by the opposite player.
I'm getting fed up with whiney female leads who take umbrage with the smallest 'slight'. Erin is permanently angry with her father just because he worked all hours when she was little ! Dear God haven't the scriptwriters got half a brain to know that most working fathers spend most of the day at work ? And rarely see their kids grow up ???
Finally, how many blokes actually propose to a woman after knowing them for only a week and have never kissed ? None I suspect. Hallmark, you need to get real.
Hard pass don't watch
shorvath418-946-49391810 December 2022
Please save your time and don't watch this subpar movie. The mom needs to grow up and stop being a whiny little child about her "rough" childhood. It was too annoying to watch her childlike behavior, not being able to handle her dad working to provide for them. To me that was enough to make the movie unenjoyable. Yes movies are filmed it other regions but if you are going to try an represent an area make it believable. There is nothing about this movie that says Texas, except for the flag and tamales. There are much better movies out there to watch and I highly recommend not watching this one.
The sound is the worst no idea what anyone is saying
mschelley-339068 January 2023
I should never have spent 4 bucks on this. The audio alone is so fuzzy I have no idea what's going on and while i ADORE cheezy hallmark movies the storyline is possibly the worst I've watched. Its super boring, no one is believable. It's just so blah and half the time the music (which was poorly chosen) is louder than the talking. I wish I could give it a higher rating because I wouldn't want the actors to see this and feel terrible about the movie they played in but it truly is that bad. I am sad I picked this as my last Christmas movie of the season...guess I'll have to watch another to get the bad taste of this out of my head.
nice intentions
Kirpianuscus25 October 2022
It is a Christmas film sustained by good intentions and by Marco Grazzini. And, in some measure, it is enough for a Hallmark movie . The try of supporting actors is not so bad, the steps of reconciliation father - daughter remains a sketch with unrealistic result but the film is real good intentioned and this saves some of it.
The problem is the hole between first and second part and the improvised solutions for final.
But, sure, it is only/ just Hallmark. Easy, nice intentioned and around romance. So, difficult ( and unfair ) to be very critic about it when the expectations, before the start credits.
The problem is the hole between first and second part and the improvised solutions for final.
But, sure, it is only/ just Hallmark. Easy, nice intentioned and around romance. So, difficult ( and unfair ) to be very critic about it when the expectations, before the start credits.
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