We Wish You a Married Christmas (2022 TV Movie) User Reviews

Low reviews for good reason

[MickyG333 · 6/10 · 18 November 2023]

6.3 stars.

A rare low rating for me especially since we have one of my favorite leading guys Polaha, who can really steal a scene when he feels up to it. There is little to zero chemistry between the leads and I think they try to make it seem like that is the case, but it's too convincing and it bleeds off the screen like a sliced femoral artery in a B grade movie. Only problem is, this is what I would consider a B graded Hallmark film, which almost puts it into the D graded category of all films. Why is this so bad? It's all about the lack of spark between the leads, there is nothing else amiss with 'We Wish You a Married Christmas'. If we were to improve the chemistry, I think the storyline, acting, sweetness, humor and theme would elevate this film to something in the range of 7.6 stars.

The ending was great, but I felt the overall story was a bit morose for my taste.

[cgvsluis · 6/10 · 29 March 2023]

I love both Kristoffer Polaha and Marisol Nichols, which is why it pains me to say that this was not my favorite Hallmark Holiday film. The juxtaposition of a couple on the verge of divorce and the overly cheery backdrop of a Christmas inn in a small town who goes over the top in their Christmas decorations, lead to some awkward if not painful moments.

The decorations where great, the holiday festivities were great...the alpacas (or llamas) where great. I just had difficulty dealing with the real down topic of this divorcing couple. I am not divorced myself, but I can't imagine if I was, that I would want to watch a struggling couple during the holidays.

I was really looking forward to this film as it did have two great leads...and I think the advertisements falsely played up the humor in the film. It's possible that the film was more of a let down because of that.

Good holiday fix and if you don't mind the sad storyline, this could be for you.

Cute and Funny

[HallmarkJenny · 5/10 · 26 October 2022]

Becca and Robby are in marriage counseling, on complete opposite ends of a long couch, detailing their personal jobs and frustrations of the renovation of their apartment. After 13 years of marriage, they feel they have grown apart, so their marriage coach advises them to reconnect in Gracious, Vermont.

***In the end, Becca tells Robby that they are only getting along because they're on vacation and they both agree to leave the inn. Becca surprises Robby with a portrait of Jerry dressed as a reindeer. Robby says that vacation is not why they're getting along, it's because they make the time for each other and truly appreciate one another. They confess their feelings for each other and kiss in front of the inn.

I thought it was really good

[mbiv777 · 7/10 · 9 November 2023]

I didn't watch this when it came out in '22 because of all the reviews, so this year I decided to give it a chance.

I guess it just goes to show how different peoples' tastes are, because I thought it was great.

Marisol Nichols has never been one of my favorites, but she and Kris Polaha were both great. This took a lot of range to pull this off, but they did: funny, sweet, sad, bitter, all the emotions you go through in life except grief.

Maybe it's just because I'm a grumpy, snarky divorced guy, but I laughed a lot, recognizing my own life and having the same reactions as they did.

There is a homosexual couple in the movie, mostly for comic relief, but they did have a big smooch. That turns a lot of people off. Amy Groening, one of my favorites, as a quirky animal painter was good .

All in all, I'm sure I'll watch it again. To each his own.

Love the leads, but this was a downer

[MichaelByTheSea · 6/10 · 19 December 2022]

Amy Groening, who played Kayla, a divorced pet portrait artist, was the best thing about this movie. She's such a bright, bubbly, attractive actress. I wish they'd put her in a lead role. I didn't really buy her friends to lover storyline (they didn't really seem like a match) but I suppose when you live in a town with only 513 people (per the Welcome to Gracious sign) there aren't a lot of options. That same limited population would seem to be challenging for her business model but hey, it's Hallmark.

I wanted to start with something positive because I really like Kristoffer Polaha and Marisol Nichols. I can't remember seeing a bad Polaha starring movie (Dickens of a Christmas was great) and Nichols was effective in the Holly and Ivy tearjerker (although I hated Christmas CEO). But this movie was a bit of a downer for me and not really that enjoyable to watch. And there were a number of things that were just off about it.

For example, the therapist played by Hallmark vet Pascale Hutton, really didn't give this couple any good advice. She cleverly noticed that they weren't "connecting" (great insight) but the best she could do to help them out was to tell them to go out of town on a vacation? They need a new therapist.

There were also quite a few extreme close ups that seemed awkward.

Separate bedrooms? Ugh. Why bother leaving town? It's bad enough that unmarried Hallmark couples never have sex but this married couple really needed to share a bed.

Why didn't they call a company like Safelight? They had nearby branches and could have had that windshield fixed in one day. They fixed mine in a couple of hours.

There's evidence that suggests the dangerous outside ornament was being purposefully dropped on cars. If so, that's messed up.

Why yell and whistle at your dog on a parade float? Do you want him to jump off?

Polaha's character really seemed like a guy willing to try and make the marriage work, but Nichol's character seemed Hell bent for divorce (blame the writer and director, not Nichols). It was all tied up neatly but, like I said earlier, these guys really need a new therapist.

There was one beautiful scene though- the one where they're in town in a large gazebo like structure that was all lit up with no one in there but them. That was lovely.

Meh

[pattersonjamie-12079 · 6/10 · 27 October 2022]

I absolutely love Kristoffer Polaha. I really liked Marisol Nichols in Holly and Ivy. Both Kristoffer Polaha and Marisol Nichols did an excellent job. All the actors did a good job. The dogs and alpacas were cute and entertaining. The overall movie was soooooooo boring. I only finished it because of Kristoffer Polaha.

The main problem with this movie was the script. It started out interesting and promising, but quickly turned to a snooze-fest. The best part of the movie was the commercials. I gave this movie a six only because it had Kristoffer Polaha, otherwise I would have given it a two. Won't be watching again.

Lacklustre Christmas marriage

[TheLittleSongbird · 4/10 · 19 January 2024]

'We Wish You a Married Christmas' (2022)

Opening thoughts: My frequent Christmas film viewings (or at least those from Hallmark and Lifetime) have been something of a mixed bag over the past four or five years, with plenty of good films, many average ones and many bad ones. The premise was one of those could have gone either way ones, but still watched 'We Wish You a Married Christmas' anyway because of liking Kristoffer Polaha.

While he doesn't come over shabbily at all, 'We Wish You a Married Christmas' didn't work for me. The 2022 Countdown to Christmas batcb actually did start off promisingly, but with this film comes the first misfire of the batch. It is not terrible or one of the worst Countdown to Christmas films from 2022, but pretty lacklustre.

Good things: Of course there are a few good things. Marisol Nicholls and especially Polaha give very game and committed performances.

Also found the dog absolutely adorable and the decor and scenery are colourful and nostalgic.

Bad things: Sadly there are a number of drawbacks. Would not have minded the excessive predictability, as a result of exexuting the premise too conventionally, if the film was still at least interesting and had some charm. The story however was very thin with a very dull and over-stretched middle act. Too much of the conflict felt forced. The script is too often stilted and has toi much emphasis on the hostility and everybody being annoyed with each other and it came over as mean spirited and took away any possible charm. Meaning that the film felt pedestrian, too heavy and with very little emotion.

Didn't care for any of the characters. None of the supporting cast stand out and inject very little passion or enthusiasm, a big part of why the humour fell flat. The characters are too much like typical Hallmark cliches with nothing new and there is nothing really likeable or rootable. The two leads did lack chemistry and the constant getting annoyed and hostily meant that the love never convinced. The music is forgettable at best and there is an over reliance on unfocused close ups that cheapens the film's look.

Closing thoughts: Overall, didn't do much for me.

4/10.

Nice to see an already married couple

[haa4 · 8/10 · 2 November 2022]

This was really good. Combining a troubled married couple with existing Christmas movie tropes is exactly how you change up your movies while leaving the audience satisfied at the end. This was totally predictable but the journey was a lot of fun. Kris and Marisol had great chemistry and the supporting cast was awesome. It starts off a bit slow but if you stick with it past the first 15 min, it's a great movie.

There were some weird directing choices though. We don't need to see constant close-ups of one person when two people are having a conversation. It got to the point where it was a bit distracting but I still enjoyed the movie.

Goodness Gracious!

[rebekahrox · 7/10 · 27 October 2022]

I absolutely love Kristoffer Polaha (like everyone) and so I was really looking forward to this movie. I wasn't sure about his pairing with Marisol Nichols but I haven't seen her in anything before and I was willing to give her a chance. I must say though that her eyebrows did give me pause. They were very scary and actually looked navy blue in certain lights.

It started off very promisingly and unusually for Hallmark. Not the usual sweeping city or country scene but extreme closeups of a couple in a marriage therapist's office talking directly to the camera. The therapist is played by Pascale Hutton, a Hallmark leading lady herself. I don't care for her in starring roles but she made a great therapist in this little cameo. So calm, gentle, and pleasant. She sends them off for a Christmas getaway in Gracious, Vermont to spend some time together and make an attempt to repair their faltering marriage.

Gracious is a quirky little town filled with alpacas and really really nice friendly people who welcome the couple into all of their holiday activities. This includes Amy Groening once again charming and funny in a supporting role as a pet portrait painter. Time for a promotion, Hallmark! She really has a certain something. Marisol was ok but I wish Kristoffer would have been paired with someone with a little more spark.

All proceeds predictably, repetitively, and boringly as the troubled couple starts to reconnect as they spend more and more time together. The tale of their marriage troubles and the steps forward to eventual reconciliation needed a lot of bolstering and luckily it got quite a bit. Their dog, Jerry was, adorable and a real scene-stealer. The couple, Vince and Brian, who own the inn, had a sweet relationship and put a smile on my face whenever they came on the scene. Amy played her funny quirky character to perfection and her tentative romance with the awkward infatuated waiter was lovely.

Kristoffer and Marisol's characters actually turned out to be quite likable even if their journey was not. Isolated parts of the script and plot were well-written and entertaining. The ending had a cute little surprise at the end which hints that their therapist, the inn owners, and the town might have a little Christmas conspiracy going on with more than a hint of Christmas magic. All in all, it's a 7: nothing really special but little to no eye rolling or remote throwing involved.

The stars are for the dogs, cat, and alpacas

[jkrizm6760 · 2/10 · 25 July 2023]

The movie was needlessly depressing.

I understand setting the stage with the problems of a married couple that stopped making time for one another, but it got tiring repeatedly watching them get in their own way and make mountains out of molehills.

Regardless, the leads lacked chemistry, which made it difficult to believe they were ever a couple.

Everyone else was very quirky, which was cute in the beginning but became grating over time.

All of the animals were very cute and made the movie palatable.

Like all Hallmark Christmas movies, it was clearly not filmed in winter.

The opening was chaotic and confusing, which didn't help to set up the story.

Hallmark change of direction movie

[bmiller59 · 10/10 · 13 November 2022]

We are BIG fans of Kristopher Polaha. We were excited to see it when we knew he was in it, and we did not want to be disappointed...we weren't.

It started off slow, and we were worried that it was going to be a dud, but being the fans that we are, and unless the movie is a real snoozer, we don't give up. Glad we stuck out the first 15-20 minutes.

What I liked about this movie is that they were married. First time for this, instead of being single and discovering/rediscovering each other, that was cool. In all the movies I've seen with Kristopher, I've never seen him in a "romantic" role like this. He was so subdued, and I liked it.

As We Wish You A Married Christmas got better and better, and I didn't want it to end. I thought the chemistry was excellent. Predictable? Of course, what HM movies aren't.

We really enjoyed this.

Within expectations

[dontakeitpersonal · 6/10 · 26 October 2022]

For me this was well within expectations. Fixing a couples marriage problems, using Christmas to help them out by giving them things to do. It's a hallmark Christmas movie, so bad acting is to be expected. However she didn't annoy me that much as other hallmark actresses do by either overperforming or just having an irritating character. Location was great with Christmas overload, also within expectations.

As for the storyline, yes well, no real value in the side stories such as parents or the romance between artist lady and waiter. Nothing to get really excited about and of course very predictable. No expectations needed for me. On a last note, this one was less annoying than some other hallmark's.

Niche appeal

[Jackbv123 · 4/10 · 23 October 2022]

I can't think of a movie with Kristoffer Polaha that was a dud until now. I loved Holly and Ivy which was the first time I saw Marisol Nichols so I wanted her to do well.

The story is extremely simple and basically a vehicle for a lot of humorous gags. I didn't find enough of them funny so I think this will be a movie that appeals to people who like that style of humor and leave other people like me wanting more. The story is totally predictable. Once you know the setup, it's easy to lay out what the outline for the rest of the movie is going to be. One slight exception is a side romance that totally lacked development and then bingo at the end, it's there. There are a lot of the usual Christmas activities that are so often crammed into these movies.

As for romance there's no chemistry. It was like two actors doing their parts alone or to a blank wall. The plot points were there for restoring the romance, but they made no sense because of the missing connection. It didn't help that Robby had a 180 degree personality change which wasn't really developed. It just happened. And Marisol Nichols, as Becca, lacked any emotional response to those efforts.

There are a couple of scenes which involve alcohol in ways that I think detracts from this being a family movie, but then I also think the subject and humor were probably above the level of children.

Worth a watch, but not a repeat.

[famielovez · 6/10 · 23 October 2022]

I love the actors and the acting was good. However, the storyline was a little boring at times. The main characters, Robbie and Becca, have been married for 13 years and are on the brink of separating. They both are in their own worlds and not together.

Their marriage counselor recommends this small town, Gracious, to get away for Christmas. And it starts off really good at the inn and the town. They meet lots of fun characters. However, it starts to stall. Each activity they do always ends melancholy and sad. The only thing that kept me interested was Jerry. Robbie and Becca have their adorable dog, Jerry, (No kids) and he steals every scene.

And of course, they end up rekindling their marriage in the end, but it was just missing that spark. The movie was trying to be dramatic at times and at other times cute and funny. It just never really let me get emotionally attached to the characters and I really love the actor that plays Robbie. I enjoy all his movies a lot. So a little sad this one will not be a top pick for me. But still worth one watch.

Countdown to Christmas...sadness

[RenT-83065 · 4/10 · 31 October 2022]

The countdown to Christmas 2022 is off to a sad, sad start. If this is what Hallmark has in store for us we are in big trouble.

Why has Hallmark started out Countdown to Christmas with such sad and depressing movies? They should have their strongest, funniest, best movies to start... instead they are giving us broken marriages, slow storylines, and characters who don't connect on any level. I found myself not even rooting for this couple to succeed by the end.

Admittedly, I fell asleep twice the first time I attempted to watch this movie. I chalked it up to being sleepy, but upon second viewing, I simply found this to be a sad and boring movie. I think I'm more disappointed with Hallmark at the low quality movies they're cranking out. Please listen to the viewers you have left. Focus on quality not quantity.

Hallmark meets Twin Peaks

[centrd · 9/10 · 2 December 2022]

Not sure why so many people are hating on this. I loved that it was different in so many ways from the usual throwaway Hallnark Christmas fare. I enjoyed the quirkiness of the town and its patrons without any real explanation for their quirkiness other than being the basis of the town's magical atmosphere. An atmosphere that was enhanced by a number of funny yet subtle visuals as well, also unexplained. While I enjoyed seeing Chris Polaha portray a more serious side, I was a bit disappointed in the leading lady, --she was a tad too morose for me, but Chris still managed to bring enough optimism for the both of them. All in all, I enjoyed this one for its offbeat and refreshing approach and will watch it again next year if they show it. That's something I almost never do (unless Tyler Hynes is involved lol), so high praise from me.

So-so romance

[herrcarter-92161 · 5/10 · 29 January 2024]

I wasn't that impressed with this movie, and I'm not exactly sure why. The premise seemed full of promise. A couple on the edge of divorce finds themselves in a quaint Vermont town at Christmas and end up reconnecting with each other. Somehow, the execution of the story fell a little flat, though.

I think there needed to be a little more animosity between the couple initially. There were a couple of moments, but mostly, they just felt like they wanted to reconnect, but didn't know how. The author of the screenplay was going for lack of passion and excitement, leading to a marriage destined to just fizzle out instead of breaking apart in anger. It just wasn't that engaging, somehow. We needed to feel the pain and the hurt in their relationship more, but we mostly just got boredom.

We also needed activities that would really bring them together and help them remember the love they once had. Things like them driving all over to get the requisite ingredients for pies just didn't cut it. Of course, you knew they would reconcile in the end, but it never seemed that believable to me. Also, he was the only one who seemed a bit sorry for his actions that had led them to where they were. He was the only one who expressed remorse. I didn't see a lot of contrition from her. They both needed to own up to their crap and sincerely commit to do better in the future.

The Vermont town was supposed to be fun and quirky and, assumedly funny, but it really wasn't. The Town That Christmas Forgot did the amusing, quirky town much better. All the attempts at humor from the odd denizens of the town and otherwise kind of fell flat. The innkeeper couple was a miss for me too. They were over-the-top, stereotype caricatures and just plain annoying. Every scene they were in was pure cringe.

So, as much as I believe in marriage and love, and as much as I believe that married couples in trouble should do everything possible to save their marriages, this movie just didn't do it for me somehow. Sorry I can't give it a higher recommendation.

so charming Kris and Nichols

[estherllull · 9/10 · 25 November 2022]

I don't understand the people that rating so down this movie, the script has points very good, Kristoffer is very good actor and so charming in some moments and other so genuine in his way, but also she is, the bright of her eyes is the same bright in her eyes than the terrier's eyes, that steal the screen, she has also beauty in her eyes, Nichols, and Amy as supporting actress is also good.

So there are really many points, like the couple owner of the Inn that is so nice, all is nice also the alpacas, but there are good points in the dialogue, you cannot ask for not to be boring in some moments, because is sad what happened between them.

It's not because the man doesn't talk about his feelings it's not either because she is provoking this like someone says it's not as easy : "probably should have said something" about noticing her: she said to him.

Script moments: let's see you laugh like that a long time yeah i don't think i have laughs like that in a long time.

I'm sorry Becca after all this time i am taking you for granted and i love you and i promise that i have never stopped noticing you and never will.

Now i know that we have tried everything, remodel, try to stay busy that we have just forgotten how to look at each other and how to listen to each other i spend time together i miss you already maybe i have missed you for years, but how do you say that to someone when you're standing right in front of you the whole time it just dead we don't get along on vacation because we're on vacation we get along because we make time for each other we did forget to make time for each other really why do you think that's going to change?

We change our priorities i'm going to make you my priority i love you i will always love you.

Not horrible, not great, as always these days for Hallmark, missed potential.

[Lily-32 · 5/10 · 10 December 2023]

Some great actors, some not so great. Some great moments, some not so great. And far too many "trying too hard" cringe moments. Trying too hard to be modern. Trying too hard to be quirky. The real gems of the show often were over shadowed by the less than genuine attempts in other moments. Almost like those in those moments didn't buy it anymore than than the audience.

Amazingly the biggest pet peeves were the contrived problems like the car repair (no it does not take days to replace a standard windshield especially for a shop that advertises glass repair) and getting locked in the room just felt too dumb in the initial execution. Even Kristoffer Polaha who does incredible work in my opinion couldn't make the getting locked in moment not weird.

Sadly I'm constantly reminded these days of why after decades of wishing to get and having Hallmark Channel access, I don't really miss it now.

I've got half a movie to go but I've already fast forwarded through several too cringe moments. Who knows. I've long believed a great ending can save even a bad movie. Maybe this will be one of those.

Edit: okay finished. I'm not changing my rating though it had more sweet moments and a good ending except for the ornament. I'm now convinced the couple who owns the inn and the car shop lady are scamming people in cahoots with the marriage counselor by intentionally dropping a giant ornament on their cars. That's a way to get repeat business but I wonder what kind of kickback the therapist is getting. Another reviewer called it "cute Christmas magic." No it's vandalism and fraud, both severe crimes.

I liked that they had Pascale Hutton as the therapist but I kinda expected a simple tie to her other movie. No such luck.

I may watch it again since I bought it off Amazon digital but I'll skip to just the good parts.

Wow, just Wow

[lll-05500 · 2/10 · 11 November 2022]

Note to Hallmark, Christmas should not be so damn depressing. 4 minutes left of the movie and it is still a downer. These movies are supposed to be fun, uplifting, make you smile as it is Christmas. We are not tuning in to watch two hours of a sad depressing marriage. These two do need to move on from each other. The movie would have been cuter if it had been about the dog painter and the waiter. I give this one a two as the Christmas decorations were awful sweet and pretty and Kristoffer P is always great. In this one he was not given a good script. To recap, a very depressing Christmas movie.

We Wish You A Married Christmas

[aab874 · 10/10 · 12 November 2022]

Favorite scene with

Rebecca "Becca" Gray (Marisol Nichols) - Getting on the Floor to Sleep with Jerry. Such a Very Sweet Scene. BTW #1, So Dang Cool that Pascale Hutton Played Lauren the Therapist in this Movie! Love her! BTW #2, I Loved this Movie! I Loved that Becca and Robbie (Kristoffer Polaha) were a Married Couple with Issues Deciding if they wanted to Divorce or make their Marriage Work. I Loved the Chemistry between them - So Romantic! BTW #3, Jerry the Dog (Nippy the Dog) was So Dang Adorable! BTW #4, I Loved the Supporting Characters! BTW #5, The Alpacas were So Dang Adorable!

Set in New York and Vermont.

So depressing and heavy

[dahlialovesemperor · 3/10 · 20 November 2022]

This is not why we watch Hallmark movies. Every scene had sadness in it. I understand that maybe this is realistic but...again, we aren't watching Hallmark movies for depressing storylines and heartache in every interaction.

We are watching to laugh and have lighthearted sweetness with an occasional dip into something sad.

I did appreciate it being a married couple. I was excited for that because it was a fresh take on the romantic comedy Christmas genre. But sheesh. This movie was sad until the last three minutes. It felt more like a Lifetime movie...and there's a reason I don't watch those movies.

An Instant Favorite

[robshaw-551-733744 · 10/10 · 30 October 2022]

"We Wish You A Married Christmas" easily makes my top ten for Hallmark Christmas movies.

I was moved and entertained by this wonderful, adult, thoughtful movie. The whole cast was great, with Kristoffer Polaha and his dry delivery standing out. He often had me laughing out loud.

This movie in some ways subverts the most common tropes of Hallmark movies (i.e.: small-town magic transforms a jaded couple), but in the end succeeds in delivering a deeper, more meaningful ending than the typical, superficial happy ending. The romance in the end was genuinely moving because it was portrayed in an authentic, adult manner.

I hope Hallmark makes more movies in this adult vein. I love a light rom-com, but it's also nice to have something with a bit of substance once in a while. Well done!

Awful

[LordOfLotion · 1/10 · 25 October 2022]

Kristoffer Polaha is in a Hallmark Christmas movie but once a year, and I am sad to report that this is the biggest dud he's ever been in. Usually his on-screen charm is enough to win me over in anything he does, but even he can't save Christmas from this depressing subject matter. I don't want to see people's marital issues for two hours during the holiday season and all the petty bickering and whining that goes with it. Plus the people around them who don't know them are giving them "sage" advice while they're having all these awkward interactions. And not to put too fine a point on it, but whoever is doing the makeup for Marisol Nichols needs to stop using plasticized paint on her eyebrows because it's distracting. Give Polaha better scripts.

A Hallmark dud

[tooterbears · 1/10 · 25 October 2022]

I had high hopes for the concept of this movie. The previews looked promising. As the movie began, we are whiplashed between a conversation with the leads taking us through their experiences---quite confusing. Then we finally see they are speaking with a marriage counselor. I thoroughly enjoyed Kristoffer Polaha in the Mystery 101 series but this movie fell flat. As another reviewer stated this movie was a dud! The dog was probably the best part of the movie. Christmas is not the time to see all the marriage problems people have including the stupid bickering and "advice" from total strangers. For those who care or for parents, the innkeeper introduces his husband.