MarVista Entertainment is the production company for this film, which primarily makes made-for-television movies for, e.g., Lifetime, UPtv, Hallmark, ION and so on. And this includes a number of Christmas movies. So, my expectations were adjusted accordingly. That said, I enjoyed this Christmas movie. The story was fun and cute. The script/dialogue was good. The acting was strong. And the scenery, props and sets were of the same quality of a typical Hallmark or Lifetime Christmas movie, well-polished and festive. I might have even shed a tear or two at the New Year's Eve party at the Magnolia (near the end of the movie). In short, the movie pulled me in quite quickly; at no point was I, e.g., looking for my iPad. In terms of acting, this is the second Christmas movie that I have seen Natalie Hall in this 2020 Christmas movie season. She was also in A Very Charming Christmas Town (a Lifetime original Christmas movie), which was of the same quality to this one. I think she performs well in this genre of film, so when I saw her at the top of the bill, I was looking forward to seeing this movie. Overall, I thought she had a strong performance as Maggie; it was convincing. Evan Williams (as Jack) was also pretty good in this one, though I thought he was a bit less convincing towards the end, the scene where his future father-in-law (played by Steve Cumyn) gave him the ring. What stands out for me is their dialogue, their interaction, their banter. Unlike some reviewers on here, I thought they had good chemistry. It was one of the elements of the movie I enjoyed most. The supporting cast had a pretty good performance as well. All in all, it is a cute, funny, and entertaining movie, a nice new edition to Netflix's Christmas movie catalogue/lineup.
81 Reviews
Better than Hallmark
ryanpb-5178710 November 2020
I'll keep it very simple. If you are the kind of person who loves Christmas movies and watches a handful of those cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies each year, then this movie is definitely for you because it is absolutely, positively better than about 9 out of 10 of those. If you don't enjoy that genre, then this probably wouldn't be the one to win you over. Personally, I'm always looking for the next Xmas gem as they start to roll out a little after Halloween (sometimes sooner). Most of them are forgettable, but short and sweet. This one snuck up on me and I really enjoyed it. And the two leads (especially the male) were quite good. 87 minutes of a cute and fun, albeit cliched, romance set to a Xmas background....nothing wrong with that in my opinion.
A perfect story with terrible direction and lack of chemistry
ShrutiWayne0075 November 2020
I personally love the trope of best friends falling in love or childhood best friends being in love the whole time and I am always looking out for films and shows with this theme so I was waiting for this to come out eagerly. This film has everything that I want from it but it lacks the main ingredients of chemistry, direction and dialogue delivery which makes a film... A film! I felt like someone just read a book and transferred the great plot of the book onto the screen quiet literally page by page. The male lead did his best but he and his co-star just had no chemistry... I mean for a moment I thought maybe this film is going towards the direction where they both realize that they are better off as best friends. They both looked perfectly happy being best friends if the plot didn't tell me as an audience via every other character that they are meant to be and how much they have always loved each other, I probably would've never known.
Really good movie
jrbusiness-6449910 November 2020
My son told me he was watching this so I decided to watch it too. I'm not sure i would of picked it otherwise but im happy I watched it.
I thought it was a really good movie. Sweet and a nice feel good to it.
The leads and cast were great too. Although it was set after Christmas day, it was still festive enough.
This is number 36 out of 100 for my 100 Christmas movies before Christmas day challenge with 45 days to go. Can I do this challenge?
This is a good movie and I will watch this again.
I thought it was a really good movie. Sweet and a nice feel good to it.
The leads and cast were great too. Although it was set after Christmas day, it was still festive enough.
This is number 36 out of 100 for my 100 Christmas movies before Christmas day challenge with 45 days to go. Can I do this challenge?
This is a good movie and I will watch this again.
Surprisingly not terrible. Not convinced by some things.
GarnetVersus717 November 2020
This one wasn't terrible, but it wasn't the best, either. It has a pet-peeve of mine: forced love story. I was shocked when Quinn admitted she has been in love with Jack for her whole life. (Not a spoiler, it's obvious.) She didn't seem in love with him at all. This movie thought it could use words and that would register in our minds as chemistry. It doesn't work like that. As for this whole radio show thing, what even..? Who on earth would be interested in a meet the parents segment... ON NYE? Not I, said the cat.
The acting coming from the side characters is horrendous. When they made an announcement that was supposedly really big, the wows coming from the family was not convincing at all.
As for the positives, I thought that Jack was a model love interest for these types of films. He wasn't a deplorable male character just there for staring at, I actually thought he was an okay guy. I have more to say on this film, but I believe I don't have much more description for it. I say just watch it for yourself and see If you like it.
The acting coming from the side characters is horrendous. When they made an announcement that was supposedly really big, the wows coming from the family was not convincing at all.
As for the positives, I thought that Jack was a model love interest for these types of films. He wasn't a deplorable male character just there for staring at, I actually thought he was an okay guy. I have more to say on this film, but I believe I don't have much more description for it. I say just watch it for yourself and see If you like it.
Why?
Vassilikii6 November 2020
Cute Christmas aesthetic. The plot was there. The male lead made this movie bearable. If it wasn't for his acting I would have stopped the movie in the first fifteen minutes. Complete lack of chemistry. The dialogue was so bad and I am sure it was hard for the actors to deliver those lines naturally. Which leads me to my last and most important conclusion on movies. If the director doesn't do his job well this is the outcome. This is candy for your eyes and not a single drop of content. This is not art in no way, shape or form. I'm sorry I know this is just a Christmas movie but that doesn't mean it can't be or it doesn't have to be meaningful (ex love actually, the grinch etc).
All the ingredients were there but...
jagfannn24 November 2020
The writing was good, the actors (most of them) are talented, the leads have chemistry but then......it fizzles. Who's fault is it when that happens? Director?
The story is interesting enough to get you through to the cute ending but it leaves you with the feeling it could have been much better.
The story is interesting enough to get you through to the cute ending but it leaves you with the feeling it could have been much better.
Sweet holiday film involving best friends, misunderstandings and a deep and everlasting love.
cgvsluis8 December 2020
Two talk show radio hosts and long time best friends get them selves in to a situation where they have to introduce their significant others to their families live on the radio. Unfortunately both of their significant others break up with them, queue the fake relationship...one for which their families and everyone who knows them is super happy about. Then come the misunderstandings and past mistakes.
I am sure it comes as no surprise to hear that this feel good holiday movie is all wrapped up with a satisfying happy ending.
Ideal for December dates
faer_kr26 November 2020
A romantic Christmas comedy. It's about the best friends who have a radio show and in it they talk about how difficult it is to introduce their partners to their families, so they decide to make it massive because of publicity, but everything goes wrong when they don't accept and decide to pretend they are a couple.
Entertaining
A movie for television.
Performances that are good.
Organic jokes that are more focused on an audience in their thirties, as well as the main characters are seen very everyday.
The leading couple have chemistry on screen.
Talk about expressing how we feel to the person we love.
Nice Sunday.
I Am Speechless
coleco20009 November 2020
I tried to give it at least a 4 but it is so bad that even a 3 is stretching it. The first noticeable thing is how bad the acting is followed closely by how bad the script is and I gave it a half hour thinking it might just get better. Even the 'music', the same ongoing music, is ... well you get it. There is just nothing to compel a person to stick around. Low budget I guess to fill some time during the pandemic. But watching paint dry is more fun.
Adorable!
pdswagner-678307 November 2020
Backward Problem
LukeCustomer27 November 2020
This romantic movie has a bit of a backward problem. It is one of the first *good friends turn into more* movies where I bought the *good friends* way better than the romance. The move has two characters who have been friends forever and happen to have an AM radio show in Chicago. But this doesn't quite work for me. How does that happen? Ie. your best friend from childhood gets a hosting job with you on radio? Seems improbable. Since all their listeners want them together anyway, they get the great idea to pretend to be a couple to boost ratings and get a syndication deal. The only problem is that this movie failed to provide any hint of a romance. The main male character, Jack, is wonderful but he doesn't do any of the particular things men in love do. No long looks at his beautiful best friend. No jealousy at other people looking at his hot BFF. In fact he doesn't seem to be interested in the female lead at all. The female lead is not particularly a great actress but I do buy that she has always had a thing for Jack which is getting in the way of other relationships. It isn't bad, and it is enjoyable. but you won't really get the UST you might be looking for.
Don't bother!
hidingstace9 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is beyond predictable and the acting is atrocious! I know holiday movies (especially of the romantic nature) are supposed to be cheesy and campy, but this one was almost painful to watch, it was that bad! "Gee, we are best friends who do everything and know everything about one another, our families are besties too. Why would they say we should be together?" Clueless moron and I fell for it. Waited for it to get better. But no, It sucked right up to the end. Spoiler alert: they discover they really do have feelings and get together and yadda yadda. There, now you don't have to suffer through wondering "oh please tell me how it will end?" Like I was a fool to do.
Quite predictable but...
jdc-071717 November 2020
Yes, it's quite predictable as a holiday movie, but Evan Williams more than saves the day! Great sense of timing, priceless face expression, very good acting in general and there you go! He really delivers and carries the movie.
Quite good film !!!
chloegalley13 January 2021
Midnight at the Magnolia is a 2020 comedy romance film. Longtime friends and local radio hosts Maggie and Jack fake it as a couple. It's not your normal romance film but it was still good. A lovely light heated comedy romance to watch, little predictable in places but it's still very enjoyable to watch. The acting was good and Evan Williams and Natalie Hall played the characters well and made it believable. I quite enjoyed it I know it's a Christmas film and I'm watching it in January but I fancied watching something light heated and it certainly put a smile on my face. This movie is perfect for a Sunday afternoon in front of the fire with nice cup of hot chocolate. It's currently streaming on Netflix right now so give it a watch.
REALLY bad!
kathrynreneemoses9 November 2020
Let me just say that I absolutely LOVE schmaltzy Christmas movies and am more than willing to ignore plot holes or inconsistencies if the story and the actors draw me in. Unfortunately, that didn't happen here.
The leads were fine - they came across as realistic long-time friends. The rest of the cast, and the casting were huge issues for me. The acting was TERRIBLE...it was very difficult to watch, in my opinion, and just highlighted the issues with the script.
National frenzy to see two local-market MORNING RADIO hosts host a TELEVISED nighttime New Years Eve party? When the duo had been airing in the national MORNING market for less than a week? With the premise for the "sold out" get-together being to watch those radio hosts introduce their families to their significant others? I am not sure what these people think folks do on NYE, but it's not this.
The parents' failing jazz club is selected as the party venue, but somehow the strugglingckub owners are responsible for paying the high dollar entertainment booked by the radio syndicate. Yet somehowthe syndicate handles the ticket sales. The daughter encourages her father to buy a new tux literally seconds after telling him to watch expenses and stay on budget.
I'm sure it all wound up happily ever after...hopefully including payment for the dads and a revival for their club. Unfortunately, I just couldn't make it more than halfway.
The leads were fine - they came across as realistic long-time friends. The rest of the cast, and the casting were huge issues for me. The acting was TERRIBLE...it was very difficult to watch, in my opinion, and just highlighted the issues with the script.
National frenzy to see two local-market MORNING RADIO hosts host a TELEVISED nighttime New Years Eve party? When the duo had been airing in the national MORNING market for less than a week? With the premise for the "sold out" get-together being to watch those radio hosts introduce their families to their significant others? I am not sure what these people think folks do on NYE, but it's not this.
The parents' failing jazz club is selected as the party venue, but somehow the strugglingckub owners are responsible for paying the high dollar entertainment booked by the radio syndicate. Yet somehowthe syndicate handles the ticket sales. The daughter encourages her father to buy a new tux literally seconds after telling him to watch expenses and stay on budget.
I'm sure it all wound up happily ever after...hopefully including payment for the dads and a revival for their club. Unfortunately, I just couldn't make it more than halfway.
Never gets old
linobox30 November 2020
Lukewarm
luzannevantonder17 November 2020
mushy mush. very cute.
ksf-210 February 2021
Very soapy sudsy. radio talk show hosts Jack & Maggie (Evan WIlliams and Natalie Hall) are radio hosts in Chicago. their families have known each other since childhood; their dads even own a jazz club. When they need to bump their ratings, they agree to hold their new years show at the jazz club. except their partners don't want any part of it. so they wing it. lots of soapy kindness. and kisses. silly premise. will they get together after many years? like a good, church approved, hallmark movie. it's okay. very family friendly. currently on netflix. directed by Max McGuire. who seems to make a lot of films with Arnie Zipursky of Neshama Filmco. Story by Carley Smale. who writes a lot of christmas specials. more hallmark. the title is Midnight at the Magnolia...which is remarkably similar to the awesome song "Midnight at the Oasis." probably not by accident.
Silly
mttucker7 November 2020
Ok kinda soapy silly! Tons of goofs, the 1967 bottle of wine was a plastic cork no red wine on it! There is no Cordon Bleu restaurant in Chicago, it was the art school in Ottawa Canada. Tons of snow on the ground in close up scenes with Canadian street names! Chicago backgrounds no snow at all! Just on to watch when netflix had nothing else to watch!
We thought it was a very good movie
stb-0287315 February 2021
Noticed one reviewer said the two main characters didn't seem to have chemistry.
My wife and I couldn't disagree more. Watching you could feel the attraction although it's an on screen illustration. Throughly enjoyed it. Also plausible scenario for a movie.
Predictable but...
Sergiodave13 November 2020
Too cliché to even be cliché.
yusufpiskin25 November 2020
Genuinely original
thomasbgleeson29 November 2020
I wasn't sure how this film would end up. The boy meets girl had a slight twist on the plot and it was a good watch. The two leads were great in the roles and the film did not seem to drag (as many of these types of films do). Give it a go, it's a decent Holiday themed film.
Cute movie
atwood_toni9 November 2020
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