Every Time a Bell Rings (2021 TV Movie) User Reviews

I want to ring the Christmas Bell...

[toddsgraham · 6/10 · 27 December 2021]

The opening of the movie is quite lovely to watch, three girls on a Christmas scavenger hunt that their dad created for them, very cute. After this, I was hooked. Although 'Every Time a Bell Rings' has its flaws, it still is a lovely story with some quality acting. Sure, it is not one of Hallmark's best, but it is entertaining and engaging nonetheless. The movie is about three adopted sisters - Charlotte (played by Erin Cahill), Emily (played by Brittany Ishibashi), and Nora (played by Ali Liebert) - who return home to Mississippi for Christmas after some years apart. They soon discover that their late father has arranged one final Christmas scavenger hunt for them to complete. Will the search for the Christmas Bell bring the sisters back together after years of drifting apart? At the heart of the story is the bond between sisters, and even though they have drifted apart over the years, all they need is a bit of reminding of that bond (via another one of dad's scavenger hunts) for them to work things out. Taking the (time) constraints of an 84-minute movie into account, I thought the writers did a good job of weaving together the sisters' individual struggles and storylines (especially their own perceptions of success and failure) in a way that worked through their feelings and concerns together as sisters. However, because the writers try to do a lot in the movie, we lose some depth to the story, which other reviewers have pointed out. The acting, overall, was very strong, I felt. Cahill, Ishibashi, and Liebert all have very good performances. That is, all three engaged me, pulled me in from the start. Though the romance in the movie is secondary, there still is some great chemistry. Both Cahill and Brown and Liebert and Greenwood were very convincing and appealing to watch on-screen, I felt. Finally, there is the scavenger hunt and the Christmas Bell. In some ways, I wish the writers would have cut back on the sub-plots and focused their energy on the scavenger hunt as this was fun to watch. Plus, it had a bit of mystery, which I enjoyed. All in all, 'Every Time a Bell Rings' is a charming Christmas story about the love and bond of three sisters. It is a warm, sweet, and engaging story (even with its shortcomings), a nice new edition to Hallmark's Christmas movie line-up this season.

Scavenger hunt, sisters, and adoption

[Jackbv123 · 7/10 · 11 December 2021]

I loved the opening scene with the little girls on the last step of their scavenger hunt. Because of previews, I knew this was a setup to elicit nostalgia for the grown up sisters for their late father. I thought it worked.

I love Erin Cahil and Ali Liebert. Actually, with her hairstyle in the early scenes, it took me a while to be sure it was Liebert.

The primary story is the sisters and reconciliation after some years of friction. The two romances, one boy-girl and the other girl-girl, are definitely secondary. In fact, even the adopted daughter seeking her biological mother seemed more significant than any romance. Neither romance got a lot of screen time. One other thread which was down there on the list of priorities, was the plan for the married couple to try to have a child. There are a lot of threads so none of them totally dominate but it flows OK.

Any tension in the story is not overwhelming. It is spread among the different plot threads.

Christmas bells

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 18 March 2023]

There were two main reasons for seeing 'Every Time a Bell Rings'. One was for the cast, which is a very talented one indeed. Actually have liked Erin Cahill in some of her other films, have always liked Wes Brown and Ali Liebert is watchable more often than she isn't. The other was the premise, which was a very cute one, one of the most mature ones of the 2021 Hallmark films and had real potential to be very heartfelt. As said in some other recent reviews, 2021 was a variable year for Hallmark and their Chrustmas output but some of their films were good and more.

'Every Time a Bell Rings' had potential to be one of those films, but ended up being something of a missed opportunity. It is not terrible and does a good number of things very well, but it would have been a much better film and executed its premise to full potential if it tried to do less and focused more on a few of the subplots. All the subplots featured in 'Every Time a Bell Rings' had a lot of potential, but too many don't quite come off. As far as 2021's Hallmark films go, this is middling.

Am going to begin with the good things. Cahill, Liebert and Brittany Ishibashi are very good, particularly radiant and quite moving Libert. The chemistry between the three is strong too. Almost all the performances in fact are well above average, though their material did vary. Did like the idea of the story structure, it was interesting to not have just one big plot and another subplot but to have other ones.

Some come off well, especially the scavenger hunt (wish there was more of it) and the biological parent story did start off well and had some heart. It is attractively made, beautiful scenery, and the soundtrack isn't too constant or melodramatic. Had no problem with the diversity or the same sex couple, and really fail to understand why it has been such an issue for some regular Hallmark viewers as of late.

Do wish that the story was more focused and more fleshed out. It tried to cram in far too much, and a few of the subplots are given short shrift. Especially the incredibly underwritten and practically sidelined romances. Also didn't find some of the attitudes and reactions, like how indifferent the biological mother was which was a waste of a subplot that started with such promise and the sisters' over the top reaction to what was considered a betrayal. As a consequence, the structure felt rushed but because too much of the content was underdeveloped the film felt bland and uneventful.

Furthermore, a lot of the dialogue is cheesy and overwrought and the characters could have been fleshed out more, they sounded like real people on paper but some behaviours didn't ring true for them to be relatable. The ending is very anti-climactic, needed more time to unfold and the too little that is resolved is done so too quickly and too easily. The complete waste of Brown was unforgivable, have always liked him but here he is very bland in a role that gives him absolutely nothing to work with and came over as pointless.

Overall, watchable but it was good potential not fully lived up to. 5/10.

Every Time a Bell Rings

[allmoviesfan · 7/10 · 14 December 2022]

A distinct lack of Christmastime snow and a very diverse and engaging cast highlight 'Every Time a Bell Rings', which tells the story of three adopted sisters who were close as kids but have drifted apart in the intervening years reconnecting over Christmas in Natchez, Mississippi the year after their dad died.

One of their childhood Christmas highlights was a Christmas scavenger hunt organised by their dad, and a final one is set up for the three sisters, which they must solve whilst dealing with relationship and familial issues. Erin Cahill, Ali Leibert and Brittany Ishibashi are well cast as the sisters, with Hallmark favourite Wes Brown also on board.

A heartfelt and touching story about family reconnecting for the holidays. What more could you want at this time of year?

Sisterhood.

[MIssM19 · 7/10 · 1 December 2021]

What sets this movie apart is that is not about a couple, but about 3 sisters. Charlotte, Emily and Nora grew apart after their dad passed, each one in different parts of the world doing their own thing. This Christmas they get together for the first time in years, and they find that their dad left a scavenger hunt just like they used to. The grand price? A bell.

It was cute. There is love as well for those who want it. But there is also women discussing motherhood, finding a new path, discovering where they come from. These are women with real life stories and I liked that very much.

There is a LGTB+ character/couple and I couldn't be happier. There is good chemistry between the actresses. And honestly I couldn't care less about Liam and Charlotte. The main focus is on the family.

Different that usual.

First lesbian kiss I have seen on Hallmark.

[cgvsluis · 7/10 · 19 December 2021]

Charlotte, Nora and Emily are three girls who get adopted by a sweet Mississippi couple and grow up as sisters. Life has taken the three sisters in different directions...Charlotte travels the world project managing the building of medical centers around the world, Emily is living in San Francisco with her baker husband with whom she eloped and is working hard at a start up, and Nora has moved back home and is helping their mother after the failure of her business. This will be the first time that all three sisters are home together for Christmas since their father passed away. The father had a tradition of setting up a scavenger hunt for the girls to do together...and mysteriously someone had done it again this year. At the end of the scavenger hunt is a bell that was made by their grandfather and the belief is that if you ring the bell on Christmas and you have won thing that you really, really want...and you wish for it while ringing the bell, it will come true.

The reunion of the sister and a story about adoption was very sweet.

This was the first lesbian kiss that I have seen on hallmark...if you are interested this movie might be for you.

"The truth is hard, but always feels better after."-quote from the girl's deceased dad.

What a waste of Wes Brown

[spikeluvr · 2/10 · 9 December 2021]

The entire movie was a downer. Nothing but stress, tension, complaints and negativity. The very last two minutes of fake happiness can't make up for the rest. Why they even had Wes Brown as a "love interest" is a mystery because he was barely on screen and the relationship made no sense and seemed doomed, anyway. Hallmark is losing viewers left and right and yet another poorly written script isn't going to change that downward momentum.

More Wes Brown

[thave-31768 · 8/10 · 11 December 2021]

I liked that they filmed in Natchez, Mississippi. I wanted more Wes Brown because he's great. The sisters singing was not well done. So tired of what seems to be "token" gay couples.

Didn't expect much and I was rewarded.

[rebekahrox · 6/10 · 8 December 2021]

While I appreciate the diversity, it was kind of boring. I did not like that the Asian daughter Betrayed her husband by "temporarily " denying him a family when she agreed to a family when they were married. She will never be "ready" and will continue to be a workaholic. Sad. Erin Cahill is not for me. So far she has never been appealing to me in her roles. Ali Liebert's charmingly expressive face wasn't. Enough said. I liked the idea of 3 sisters' stories instead of concentrating on one couple but two of the three had problematic messages (her sisters feel like Erin seeking out her biological parent was a betrayal.) and the other one was empty and boring. Dee Wallace has aged very gracefully.

Just ok

[LtlHippo · 1/10 · 7 December 2021]

I found myself not caring about any of those characters. And the bio mom, sheesh. Always saying HEY YOU to a daughter she just met. Tacky. And the ending was so anti climactic. Isn't it warm in Mississippi around Christmas time?

One of the most real Hallmark movies out there

[dja-11 · 8/10 · 17 December 2021]

Adopted kids dealing with their past, interracial and a same sex couples, couples struggling with kids vs careers.... If that's too "woke" for you then you don't realize that this is real life.

Immediate indifference

[MickyG333 · 6/10 · 8 December 2023]

6.2 stars.

At the beginning we see three little girls, sisters evidently, trying to find a bell on a scavenger hunt. A little boy is also in the picture, it's obvious he was a friend of the sisters. The girls' father talks to them of ringing this bell to make Christmas wishes come true.

Next scene we skip ahead 25 years, one of the sisters (Cahill) is estranged from the others. One (Liebert) is having difficulties with finances, lost her job, had a breakup from her girlfriend...the third girl (Ishibashi) is some medical tech genius, or a scientist, or something...Dad has died, they miss him, it's a sore subject...Mom is still working in the woodshop.

This film was an immediate turnoff for me. It appears all the girls were adopted, which was not obvious when they were young. The blond (Liebert) sister is gay, which for me is a downer, I was anticipating a hetero romance for her, because I really enjoy her acting, she has a lot of charisma, but this wasn't what I expected.

So many good actors with so much potential...such a slap in the face. I didn't finish this film. Got through 29 minutes and then deleted. I have bigger and better Hallmark to watch this season, and 'Every Time a Bell Rings' is not.

Meh

[ruiz_bowie · 2/10 · 12 December 2021]

Although it had a cute premise, the whole idea of reuniting three sisters who have been apart for various reasons, the movie went nowhere and missed the charm. Hallmark usually has some adorable and even cheesy films, but this movie was none of those. Opening with the sisters and their story of the scavenger hunt had potential. We did not see what separated them or how actually "separated" they were, but it seemed like it was not that big of a deal - not enough for how much they mentioned it. Seemed imbalanced and lacked care and emotion. It seemed too much of a Lifetime movie and not enough of a Hallmark movie, not what I expect from a Hallmark movie.

Erin Cahill

[judyharl · 7/10 · 29 November 2021]

Wish Hallmark would not cast her she ruins every movie.

Ali Leibert and other sister were great.

Paul and the mom great. Nit a fan of Wes Brown either.

I stopped watching Hallmark for a long time .

Mississippi is beautiful people .

One Word Says It All ...

[howdy2 · 3/10 · 11 December 2021]

... and, that word is OVERACTED!

The idea of this movie is cute, but the reality is not so cute and the acting is way over the top. It definitely needed to be dialed back from about 15 to 2. Too much storyline for this ensemble to handle - it just doesn't work.

Loved it

[vrucasalt · 10/10 · 6 December 2021]

Sad to see so many closed minds and closed hearts. Intolerance is a terrible thing.

I love that Hallmark is at last reflecting what society actually looks like and not what people living in a bubble world think it should be.

It's nice when they break a bit from the formula and concentrate on more than just one central couple, where everyone is trying to push them together.

I like the direction Hallmark is headed!

Mostly misses the bell.

[gfrasmd · 3/10 · 7 December 2021]

The official description and, probably, the intent sound marvelous, and, in reality, this movie offers a couple of moving moments. Unfortunately, it's how you develop the intent that makes a movie. Many threads, none handled in depth. Wanting to be many things, yet creating little, indeed. Have you ever heard the harmonization of a musical composition without the main melody? This production has no real drama, no real conflicts, no real story. Three adopted sisters reunite with the pretext of doing a Holiday scavenger hunt, a family tradition. Yet, the hunt soon becomes casually followed, like running an errand. The deepest drama comes from a very happily married sister who feels uncertain she is ready to commit to a baby and another sister feeling guilty for desiring to know her biological mother. Wow! The acme of the excitement comes when she confesses to have kissed the man she has been flirting with. Why this simple act should cause three thirty-something women to giggle and jump almost to the point of tearing down the house, it makes one wonder about the psychological development of the characters and the insight of the script writers. Essentially, the movie runs like an episodes of a soap opera, without the benefit of knowing the characters from prior episodes. Personally, I feel a movie should have enough content and depth to stand on its own. Probably, this one may appeal to viewers who love soap or reality shows. At risk of being called heartless and narrow minded, I confess I cannot stand either one of them. Therefore, I believe this movie is another "miss" among the increasingly fewer "hits" that the reforming Hallmark is delivering, of late. Sorry, here I must side with the reviewers who feel that Hallmark, in the effort to please the loud voices of few wokesters, is betraying the core of its faithful viewers, by creating poorly inspired and little entertaining pulp. Plenty of "politically correct" choices are insufficient to make a good show. After all, there are tons of Hollywood movies, out there, and there is no need for more Lifetime channels!

Sweet Christmas fluff

[erjones2010 · 10/10 · 19 November 2021]

I ever go in with high expectations for Hallmark movies. They're just fun to have on in the background. It was everything I needed in a movie while folding my laundry today.

Sibling story

[jmgimbel · 3/10 · 30 December 2021]

The homophobia in some comments is sickening. Why do you care how others live their lives, and who gives you the right to judge it? This movie is different but uneven. ET actress always fun. Too many threads that don't tie together. Meeting adoptive moms was the opposite of endearing due to poor acting/writing. The birth mom acted very oddly and as if gave away a puppy, not a daughter meeting for first time.

Would be nice to see more of these about siblings, but with more heart and better writing.

Tacking on love interests isn't necessary in every single movie.

Boring ...

[toncincin · 2/10 · 17 December 2021]

Wasted Wes Brown. Erin Cahill in another movie where her acting is sub-par. Ali Liebert playing another gay part (shocking ... NOT). Boring movie. It could have been good. It was a cute premise. Bad writing.

The meeting between birth mother and daughter was lackluster and unrealistic. The sister who didn't really want kids was handled poorly. AND then the token gays (IN EVERY MOVIE NOW!).

Hallmark is beginning to suck big time. There have been about three hood movies this year. Better pull their heads out before it's too late...

Charming

[EPMD57 · 8/10 · 31 December 2021]

They can only do so much in 80 minutes of screen time. Some of the topics were pretty heavy, but they dealt with them well considering the time constraints. They could have made this a miniseries, and I would have enjoyed it.

I think this is one of the better Hallmark movies out there this year.

Too WOKE

[drbeeson · 1/10 · 7 December 2021]

Unfortunately, Hallmark has now succumbed to the WOKE crowd. Not sure why. Cancel culture advocates still won't watch Hallmark movies, regardless of how much the network tries to placate them. (Thanks for the memories.)

One of the best movies I've seen

[sirdonato2000 · 9/10 · 11 July 2022]

This film more than most Hallmark movies shows how complicated families can be and focuses on the power of forgiveness and redemption. I LOVED this movie.

Charlie's Angels celebrate Christmas in Natchez

[Kpeters214 · 2/10 · 7 December 2021]

My title pretty much sums up the story plot line. Most Hallmark movies are made in Canada (British Columbia), but this one wound up in Natchez, MS; supposedly set in December, but full-leaf green was present on all the trees and shrubbery. Wandering around in the background (movable scenery) are extra actors in WINTER coats; only thing missing was the fake snow. Normal temps in Natchez in December are upper 50s to low 70s. Believability is non-existent. But "political correctness" statements abound; and that is why Hallmark is in a TV ratings decline, and why the Great American Channel (GAC) is now in ascension, with Hallmark stars jumping ship.

What's happen with Hallmark?

[waterskicindy · 1/10 · 12 December 2021]

Hallmark was better when it was lighthearted, stress free and didn't care about PC. I'm finding the new Hallmark movies too over the top. Everything has changed in the last 2 years, why does Hallmark have to go 180 degrees too. Good actors, but story line lost me at the dinner table.