A Dash of Christmas (2023 TV Movie) User Reviews

Laura Osnes & Christopher Russell shine.

[allmoviesfan · 8/10 · 18 November 2023]

Laura Osnes and Christopher Russell are incredibly well-cast on 'A Dash of Christmas' aka 'Christmas Bake-Off'. They can both act, their chemistry is off the charts right from the beginning, and Osnes is very, very easy on the eye.

The 'returning to your small hometown for Christmas' trope has been used many times before, but is only a sliver of the plot here. The baked goods are mouth-watering and the set design was stunning. The secondary cast were all solid actors, with none of the over-acting by those in peripheral roles that sometimes mars these films to be seen.

(This film comes a close second behind 'One RoyalHoliday' as my favourite Laura Osnes film, and given how spectacularly good I thought she was in that one with Aaron Tveit, that is high praise from me!)

Definitely one of GAC Family's best movies. Here's hoping we see Russell and Osnes together in more productions. Like, Christmas 2024 or earlier!

Nice

[mbiv777 · 7/10 · 7 November 2023]

I watched this right after Santa Summit, so it was a little like going off the cliff and then hitting the brakes, but it worked out alright.

From Hallmark to GAC, from zaniness and comedy to a low-key romance. Turns out the movies had one thing in common: sweet Amy Groening ( she'll be doing leads soon, mark my words).

This film is about yet another woman (Laura Osnes) returning to her hometown for some soul-searching who has a meet-cute and develops a relationship with local baker (Christopher Russell). She stays at the home of her sister, the aforesaid Groening, who is raising her exceedingly sweet daughter while her Army husband is stationed afar.

There's lots of bonding, lots of baking, and no agendas within a country mile.

The one thing I didn't care for much was the music getting a little sappy at times.

This is the first GAC movie I've seen this year, but while they're still not up to Hallmark, they're getting there, and with more quality cast members like these they won't be far behind for long.

A Dashing Good Movie

[lorid-73828 · 8/10 · 11 November 2023]

Thank you GAC, I loved this movie!! The actors were very good and everything just seemed so natural. The flow of the movie was also very good.. the supporting cast were also nice to watch. I liked it because A) it centered around food and B) it wasn't a "save the farm" or "save the family inn" Yes it wasn't the most original plot but at least it wasn't one that's been done countless times. I felt the leads had very good chemistry together but natural chemistry not forced and fake. The scenery was beautiful especially the interior of their home with all the Christmas lights - so pretty and festive. Watch out Hallmark... here comes GAC!! Kudos to all involved in this project- keep up the good work!!

Some good, but mainly just ok

[MickyG333 · 7/10 · 15 December 2023]

7.0 stars.

Initial feeling of 'A Dash of Christmas' aka: 'Christmas Bake-Off', it's a generic holiday romance with a few interesting and lovely parts,, which makes it standard, because all of these films have some interesting parts. In this case it rises slightly above formulaic. What makes this movie stand out is...not much, unfortunately. It received fairly high praise from some people, but my gut tells me it's just so-so. I rate based mainly on entertainment, and this was average in that area. There were a few moments of really heartfelt romance, and he's a total dreamboat (which accounts for some higher ratings), but Osnes has a below average track record from what I recall of her films. I can see her in some pictures, just from memory, and none of them stand out. There's that one about Tahoe, and the one where she's a country singer, let's see...I looked up her other films and probably the best one is 'One Royal Holiday', which I gave 7.1 stars, for the same reason as this, both of these are about equal for me. It all points to one person: Osnes. I guess she's not my favorite. I bet if she was, all my ratings would be bumped up a full star.

Unfortunately, 'A Dash of Christmas' is nothing to write home about. I really wanted to like it for the few great scenes. But it only has a few great scenes and a few good moments, but mainly just a whole bunch of ok.

A dash of je nais se quoi ;)

[shannonmykayla · 10/10 · 23 December 2023]

This was such an enjoyable and charming movie! I loved it from beginning to end. The two main characters Aaron (yum!) and Megan's chemistry is off the charts which is probably why it was so easy to fall into!! This wasn't your typical predictable movie, it had its own little twists without the awkward fight that usually happens in these types of films. The plot, the storyline and the pace all fit together beautifully and in no way dragged on for even a moment. Every second was thought out and every line delivered fabulously. The actors were acting comfortably and believably without trying too hard- again as you often see in other movies of this type. That was not the case here. I loved every single thing about this feel good-smile-from-ear-to-ear-eat-your-heart-out-holiday love fest. This absolutely baked up mouth-watering charm and delivered a fresh a warm sweet treat to indulge in. Don't critique it, just enjoy and be deliciously entertained!!

A low-key, easy-to-watch Christmas story!

[TeneshaLCurtis · 10/10 · 23 November 2023]

Within the past year or two, I have watched various other films written by Bob Saenz. I've found that he has a clear artistic talent for (co-)writing movies that are accessible to just about anyone and seem to be tailored specifically to an audience who wants a no-stress / low-stress film with a lot of holiday spirit (though you wouldn't know it from only seeing "Extracurricular Activities," which is my favorite of his films so far!). If you're looking for a wholesome, warm-and-fuzzy movie that's mellow enough that it needs no trigger warnings, "A Dash of Christmas" is a solid addition to your annual holiday movie lineup.

Reviewed for what it is, but some will still love it....

[PerryAtTheMovies · 5/10 · 22 November 2023]

5.2/10

I don't watch these Hallmark style films to purposefully hate on them. I genuinely go into each one hoping that one of them will spark in me a little joy for Christmas love. However, it's really hard to not hate on them when they're all the same, or start off in the most horrendous ways possible.

I would say about ninety percent of this film feels fake. The chemistry isn't totally there, the makeup on the male lead is awful at times, and the prop drinks don't even move. The story is cute, the build-up feels unromantic, and the rest is just awkward googly eyes.

The big butt here is that it slightly saves itself at the end. The chemistry finally kicks in. The love, while seemingly forced, works the way it should. And everybody gets that classic happily ever after.

Overall, there are a group of people who'll love this film, and I don't want to take that away from them. I feel like this a film my mom and sister would watch on one of their Hallmark Saturdays. Unfortunately, I get nothing out of it, and if you're not a fan of the cheese then best to stay away from the nachos.

That's all for now. Thank you for taking the time to read my review. Until next time.... Enjoy the show!

Cute Christmas movie

[lucylouise-23546 · 9/10 · 9 November 2023]

"A Dash of Christmas" is a cute movie. I knew that it would be a good movie because Christopher Russell and Laura Osnes are in it. They are both excellent actors. The beginning of the movie was funny.

It is a baking movie. I love baking movies, Royal movies, and fashion movies. Especially if they are Christmas movies.

The scenery in "A Dash of Christmas" is pretty. The house with the Christmas lights and snow is just beautiful. It must have been filmed in Canada. I've never been to Canada, but a lot of Hallmark movies are filmed there, and Canada is just beautiful. I had no idea that Canada was so beautiful before I watched Hallmark.

I recommend watching this movie.

This Movie Town Has a Ridiculous Amount of Snow

[fishfryluv2 · 8/10 · 28 December 2023]

I am currently in the middle of this movie with my wife. We are watching it on demand. We thought this was a Hallmark movie, but it is actually a Great American Family movie, which means that Candace Cameron Bure is not the reason there are no gay people in this movie. They just aren't. I missed the beginning of this movie, but my wife filled me in: marketing executive who lost her job and is being considered for a job in California if she makes a movie about food. She visits her sister, a military wife who lives in a $10 million dollar Connecticut mansion with a giant kitchen island. She is learning to bake thanks to Chin-Implant Guy, who is a staple of Hallmark Christmas movies and who has "symmetrical highlights" according to my wife, and they are falling in love. Yeesh. What more could you want?

We are about halfway through this movie, and they are already clearly in love. Not sure what the conflict will be. But I think it will involve her turning down her big job in California to be with Chin Implant. I don't know exactly what this California job entails, but this woman seems less and less concerned about it because she now wants to win the "Connecticut Charity" Baking Contest - for charity! The main character's sister definitely keeps a tidy house in that huge mansion. So.....Merry Christmas to all, and let's get some gay people in your movies, Great American Family!