User reviews

The best part of this was the great chemistry between Kevin and Taylor. They look great together but there was a believable connection, not too overdone or scripted.

Another thing I liked about this one was that it was a hidden identity much like we get with secret royals and heirs in other movies, but this one didn't turn it into the 20 minutes left just before the 2nd to last commercial break conflict. In fact, that didn't really exist and it was so refreshing!

While it was big city vs small town there wasn't a huge issue on who is staying who is going long distance nonsense. It's purely that a small town can brighten the heart of the season.

They didn't do enough to explain really why he had to be the lawyer other than just tax breaks of gifting which he wouldn't need to actually help if that's the case. Also, cardinal rule of lawyers was broken- don't get romantically involved with your clients. I'll forgive it this time.

I thought all of the side characters were great, especially the mom and diner owner. The town is cute and it wasn't too over done town traditions (minus her as the elf but that wasn't too overplayed either).

I thought this was really well done for a hallmark movie. It was just missing a certain pizzazz that kept it from a higher rating that I save for my favorite of the year each year.

I would watch it again and I think the quality of the acting and absence of certain overdone cliches raise it above the average hallmark movie.

Of course I was not familiar with this movie prior to sitting down to watch it here in December, as part of my Christmas movie marathon month.

And without ever having heard about the movie, I didn't know what I was in for, aside from what I assumed would be a standard sappy Christmas movie, based on the movie's cover alone. But I suppose that writer Brook Durham and director Jason Bourque had every opportunity to entertain and bedazzle me with this 2024 movie.

The storyline in the movie, as written by Brook Durham, was actually a good and enjoyable one. There were actually more contents to the storyline than the usual girl slowly falls for boy romance that the Christmas movies tend to use as a base script. I have to admit that I was actually genuinely entertained by the script and was thoroughly enjoying watching the movie.

Of the entire cast ensemble, I was only familiar with Eric Keenleyside. I was not familiar with leading actress Taylor Cole, but she was really well-cast for this movie, and she performed rather well. She has a great on-screen charisma. All of the acting in the movie was great, and they definitely had some good talents on the cast list.

If you enjoy Christmas movies, and want a bit more than the archetypical formulaic Hallmark sappy romance, then you should sit down to watch "A Reason for the Season".

While "A Reason for the Season" is not going to become a reoccurring Christmas classic in my household, it is still a movie that I would recommend you to check out.

My rating of director Jason Bourque's 2024 movie "A Reason for the Season" lands on a six out of ten stars.

A Reason for the Season was such a feel good with all the sentiment of giving back! What a great ensemble cast with individual stories that tied to the mystery. Then comes laid back, eligible bachelor attorney, Kyle Newman who immediately has sparks with Evie but is not his main focus but uses his relationships in the community to help Evie. Both Kevin McGarry and Taylor Cole were magic together with wonderful chemistry and the ability to banter with one another with great sense of humor and care. No angst in this movie but an interesting mystery to solve and relationships to bloom and reconnect. Best of the season thus far!

This was a heartwarming human interest story. I loved all the characters. It's the first of these types of shows I've watched in a while that gave me the warm and fuzzies without the boredom. Kudos to Kevin and Taylor for making their characters feel 'real.' I also loved the character of Jack, who was so sweet. The town felt like a resilient and loving community. II have to say that the premise seemed just novel enough to keep boredom from setting in. In fact, I would love to see a Mystery Movie series built around this town and these two characters. With such a loving community that works for the common good, this could be the next Teagarden series.

If you only have time to watch a couple movies this Christmas, make sure this one is on the list!

In this Hallmark mystery with Kevin McGarry and Taylor Cole, we have a classic city-rich-girl meets nice-small- town-guy love story, Yet there were enough fresh twists to the genre, and spectacular talent from the cast, to keep a captivated audience delighted to the end.

The beginning of the movie was surprising and emotionally impacting with a precipitous birth story in a diner. The scene was visually sanitized -- not a single tear or drop of blood to be scene -- but none the less my heart was caught up in the drama.

Kevin McGarry's character is apparently the perfect man, but turns out he has 16 unpaid parking tickets, so not completely perfect. Who wants a perfect guy, anyhow?

The secret identity drama was resolved without huge fanfare. Holiday cheer was had by all, and everyone wishes the Kevin McGarry could be their own personal leading man. Taylor Quinn is a beauty who brought the vulnerability as well. (And has anyone mentioned yet that Kevin McGarry is a great on-screen kisser -- he's the master -- another reason to watch!)

I just finished watching a Reason for the Season and I have to say I really loved it! It was a cute, heartwarming movie with a plot that was not typical for Hallmark. I liked the storyline and there weren't the typical tropes, for example big city = bad (though the small town was of course good), and the main female character didn't have a finance somewhere else, stuck in traffic or whose flight was delayed, while falling in love with someone else. The main characters in this movie, Kyle and Evie had great chemistry, and the situation they were in was more believable than most Hallmark movies. The supporting characters were great too. A+ and 10 stars from me.

Wow! These movies are obsessed with finding love by 35, which is a laugh when the actors are usually older, as here. Producers don't understand that when we've aged with these stars, it really isn't convincing when they play someone of a different age. Let's have more plots for the over 40s and stop the under 35 subliminal messages ... after all it'll soon make the movies look dated and out of touch, as the average age of marriage, childbirth and buying a house continues to shoot up, even for actors as in Julie's case. We need more shows further along the spectrum eg about juggling middle age love whilst caring for elderly parents - a growing trend as the health and care systems deteriorate further.

This was really solid for HMM and I appreciated the uniqueness of the story. I also thought I had it well predicted until I didn't. Kevin rarely has a bad pairing and Taylor was no exception. These two were great together. It was interesting that Evie's father was never brought up which is a bit different for Hallmark. Also appreciated the older characters and letting us know the lead was turning 35 and all the ramifications of that.

I did want a little bit more from the ending but nothing that takes away from my overall enjoyment of this movie. One of my favorite movies of the season so far.

I really enjoyed this Hallmark holiday romance...starting with its two leads Taylor Cole (Evie Lane) and Kevin McGarry (Kyle Newman). The premise is a wealthy cosmetics mogul puts a whole bunch of stipulations on her daughter's trust fund inheritance. Evie has to find the four strangers in a small town who helped her mother give birth to her and saved her life 35 years ago. The catch...she has to grant their wishes anonymously and all before midnight Christmas Eve.

Evie rolls into town and employs the town lawyer and hockey coach Kyle Newman to help her blend in, identify everyone in the photo and handle the legal around her gifts.

The romance is actually very sweet and I think will appeal to most romantics, but the real reason to watch this Hallmark holiday romance is amazingly selfless towns people...they really are too good to be true. The cast was amazing and I liked the spirit of giving that is highlighted in this film.

This movie has an unusual take on a Christmas pay-it-forward story, or perhaps a charitable Secret Santa. It is an appealing approach to an already appealing premise. The opening scene works right into that.

Then there is the scene with mom's ridiculous do-or-die requirement for Evie/Mary to earn her Trust fund. I wish the writers would have toned the whole thing down a little. It appears to Evie and the viewer to be more of a Hail Mary (no pun intended) effort rather than a fair opportunity to prove herself. The requirement is reinforced a couple of times. Mom even acknowledges at one point that the task is more than difficult and that she has already failed once to make it happen.

I like Kyle's approach moving forward from the beginning. And the story develops very nicely. Meanwhile Taylor Cole and Kevin McGarry build some nice playful chemistry. And the spoiled arrogant rich girl quickly turns into a smart and kind lady. The acts of kindness proceed and in general terms the result is about what you'd expect. Strangely, the story lacked, at least in my view, a key element of all Christmas rom/com stories. To identify it would be a spoiler so I can't say more. The movie managed to succeed without it.

This had the potential to become a classic Hallmark Christmas movie- nice cast, great premise and lovely location. But it's as though someone was bored or rushed and just threw things together.

She's a rich New Yorker? "Well, give her a weird hairstyle and outfit- that screams rich New Yorker!" She's a clueless spoiled brat? "Change hew outfit! Now she's a nice caring person." I mean, seriously? Then completely throw out the basic premise of the story which is secretly finding the perfect gift?

While not unwatchable, it is so aggravating that they blew this chance to make a good Christmas movie. I really hope someone will remake this with more attention to the script and production.

Kevin McGarry and Taylor always do a great job in any movie and this one didn't disappoint. . I loved the fact that the move had no twists or turns in it. It was just a straigh forward holiday movie by Hallmark. Now I'm not a big fan of Hallmark movies anymore, but I did like this.

The movie was about a girl Evie who was asked by her mother to go to this small town and find the people that helped deliver her when she was pregnant.

I do like the fact that Evies' mother taught her how to give to others and not expect everything to be handed to her on a "silver platter". That concept along brings out the best Christmas movies. The mother wants what's best for her daughter, even though she has plenty of money and the daughter is about to get her trust fund, Evie had to learn the hard way what it really means to give and not receive. Along the journey, she finds love with Kyle who she hired as a lawyer.

Evil Lane was born on Christmas Eve in a diner while her mother was on the road. Now, being almost 35 to get access to her trust fund, her mother decides to test her by granting the 5 strangers who helped her a Christmas wish.

Kevin McGarry and Taylor Cole are both Hallmark stars and fan favorites and you can see why. The chemistry was great, yes, but they also charm the viewer on their own. You get to love every character they play and wish you can see them again soon.

The movie was beautiful. I was reminded why I love Christmas movies and enjoy Hallmark movies in general. I liked that even though there was a tiny secret thrown in the mix, no one made assumptions, no one was offended and no one heard conversations they weren't supposed to listen to.

Such a beautiful movie that one must definitely watch. I was reminded on how I felt when I first discovered a Hallmark movie: like nothing was wrong in the world and like I MUST visit a small town during Christmas time.

What a fun happy movie. The acting was so well done. Quite a variety of characters.. I don't know why there aren't more shows with Kevin. He is such a great actor. His expression always makes acting seem so simple for him.

All the other characters seem to blend in and mush together well. I love the scenery.

And the wardrobe is perfect with colors blend and and complement each other.

An excellent job done by all, and I would greatly recommend it for anybody to watch anytime of the year, but especially warm at Christmas.

I hope people get a chance to see it. Maybe it can be repeated as a closer to the holiday..

Every year, Hallmark cranks out a bunch of holiday movies, not all of them are winners. There is quite a few quantity over quality for sure. This one is not one of them. This movie is one of the few that is truly a feel-good holiday movie. It is always refreshing to see a movie that does not follow the typical pattern - boy meets girl and dislike each other at first or one or both already have crappy significant other that doesn't deserve them, etc. This was just a nice, happy, everyone gets along, warm fuzzies Christmas movie. This was an enjoyable movie, not really a romance - the romance was more of an afterthought than a part of the movie - but the storyline really didn't call for it. I can honestly say this was worth a watch and could become an annual favorite if Hallmark airs it.

If you're gonna pick one Hallmark Christmas movie to watch this season, watch The Reason for the Season. It actually felt like the Christmas season after I saw this movie.

I love the main actress in this movie. She was believable as an aimless entitled adult taken care of by her mother, and she was believable as a woman with a giving heart. Her chemistry with every character was genuine and authentic. Including the romantic vibe she has with the handsome town attorney. The towns people were also so likable.

What I like about the story, is the lesson of not just giving, but gratitude. The writing is solid. A definite must watch.

A self-made billionaire mother wants her daughter to move out of her shadow and out of her cocoon and develop empathy with regular people

The mother delivered her daughter prematurely. She went into labor while driving and luckily stopped at a place with people who could help her medically. Now she wants the daughter to prove herself by helping out that group of people. Thirty-five years later. The daughter must find a way to help each of the reach a dream, or she will lose her trust fund and her inheritance.

There is no real crisis anywhere in this movie, just a progression of the daughter understanding the people of the community and growing closer to the local man helping her. Very nice movie.

A "Reason for the Season" follows proven formula for any excellent movie from this genre. IMHO... essential ingredients for a good likeable romance, watchable multiple times... requires good, rather perfect acting, likeable charming and good looking leading cast... synergic supporting cast... acceptable story, and well balanced pace. All these elements are fulfilled in this movie.

This was my first time to see Taylor Cole... and I was just delighted by focusing on hilarious Evie's (Taylor Cole) facial expressions... with which she said far more than thru verbal dialog. She is so alive that made me energized by just watching her facial dynamics. Kevin McGarry was an optimal her "plus one"... as I already saw him in some other movies, where his name is like my watching selection on autopilot.

In short... this movie is perfect for watching it again, as it just lighten the mood

I am saying this as an older novice "Hallmark guy" who lately discovered this genre... and to my surprise I love it. From what I saw until now... it seems to me as "Hallmarks" like this one are quite a rare hits... or it's just me because of my preferences.