Terrible Casting as the "Mum" is only 45 and the "child" is 30..was she 14 when she got pregnant? The daughter is trying to play a role of a girl that is HALF her actual age..please! It is a good film for family viewing. There is also a good lesson for young kids to learn. Family is very important, if you have good one do not take them for granted.
14 Reviews
Worst Christmas movie ever.
kevinasaurus27 December 2018
This is what's wrong with America
nicolekirk-3288512 December 2021
Not worth visiting this ranch
TheLittleSongbird19 June 2023
Love Christmas with all my heart. Love the fun and nostalgia it brings, and cherish all the time spent with family and friends every year. Decided in 2019 to see some newly released (at that time) Christmas films to broaden my Christmas film horizons (namely those from Hallmark and Lifetime), this turned into a quest that is still ongoing. Feelings have been extremely mixed doing this and even when trying to take them for what they're meant to be some have been lacking (though there have been some surprisingly good ones too).
'Christmas Ranch' really isn't one of the better viewings. If anything, closer to being one of the worst. Or at least of my recent Christmas film viewings. It is not a complete shambles and has redeeming merits (a few though), but those are vastly outweighed by everything that is done wrong. Which is sadly a lot and these are not minor things and also the important things to get right. The premise is quite a cute and sincere one, but is executed badly, really badly.
Am going to begin with mentioning the good things. The scenery is beautiful and is well photographed.
Do agree about the horse being the star of the film, beautifully trained, expressive, adorable and easy to root for. Did like Ken Arnold though as well, he played his role with a good deal of charm and had some nice energy.
That is pretty much it. Taylor Lyons comes over as really irritating, too whiny and bratty while also coming over as overwrought. Found her character really unsympathetic, rather selfish and treats people badly when she doesn't get her way. Stefanie Smith goes through the motions and speaks too slowly. The chemistry between the actors isn't there and neither is the direction, which is particularly sluggish in the first half.
Of the characters, only Arnold's and the horse's had a degree of likeability, but Lyons' completely lack of likeability unbalances the film badly. The dialogue is awkward and goes overboard on the schmaltz, even for a film that one expects to be on the sappy side. Other than Lyons' character, the worst aspects are the story and the pacing. The story is pretty much non-existent for about 45 minutes and even when any signs of plot kicks in it still manages to be thin with no surprises. Everything with the money is beyond ridiculous as well, as was the too pat ending. The pacing is very sluggish throughout, especially in the first half.
In summary, very poorly done. 3/10.
'Christmas Ranch' really isn't one of the better viewings. If anything, closer to being one of the worst. Or at least of my recent Christmas film viewings. It is not a complete shambles and has redeeming merits (a few though), but those are vastly outweighed by everything that is done wrong. Which is sadly a lot and these are not minor things and also the important things to get right. The premise is quite a cute and sincere one, but is executed badly, really badly.
Am going to begin with mentioning the good things. The scenery is beautiful and is well photographed.
Do agree about the horse being the star of the film, beautifully trained, expressive, adorable and easy to root for. Did like Ken Arnold though as well, he played his role with a good deal of charm and had some nice energy.
That is pretty much it. Taylor Lyons comes over as really irritating, too whiny and bratty while also coming over as overwrought. Found her character really unsympathetic, rather selfish and treats people badly when she doesn't get her way. Stefanie Smith goes through the motions and speaks too slowly. The chemistry between the actors isn't there and neither is the direction, which is particularly sluggish in the first half.
Of the characters, only Arnold's and the horse's had a degree of likeability, but Lyons' completely lack of likeability unbalances the film badly. The dialogue is awkward and goes overboard on the schmaltz, even for a film that one expects to be on the sappy side. Other than Lyons' character, the worst aspects are the story and the pacing. The story is pretty much non-existent for about 45 minutes and even when any signs of plot kicks in it still manages to be thin with no surprises. Everything with the money is beyond ridiculous as well, as was the too pat ending. The pacing is very sluggish throughout, especially in the first half.
In summary, very poorly done. 3/10.
Who produced this?
jhofeditz11 December 2018
Horrible.
kathrynfredericks8 December 2018
Such a horrible movie.
Watched it one night because I was bored. Only good thing about it was a cute horse.
At one point the granddaughter asks if Hope is too young to compete and the grandmother says "no he will compete against other ponies his age" ponies are NOT young horses!
I have no idea what kind of horse shows they compete in that a horse who can trot over a crossrail while being led can win thousands of dollars.... but I would like to find out!
A girl that knows nothing amour horses is training a horse
One horse living by itself with no issues ... horses are heard animals.
Over all, incredibly painful to watch. Actually laughed out loud at some points
Nice wholesome story
ruthgaa14 December 2016
Some of the dialogue was a little too slow. Could have been a little more action. But all in all well worth the watch. Right now it's free on Netflix!! So as not to spoil alert anything let's just say if you are a fan of Hallmark movies and Christmas movies I think you will like it. This is a movie to get into your PJs, make yourself a cup of tea or hot chocolate and snuggle under a blanket. I like the "ranch". flare to it. If you like horses you will like this. Beautiful scenery and panoramic views really add to the movie as well. One thing I did miss however was that I wish there were a few more characters in the movie for more character development and interaction. It will be added to the story and perhaps even created a bit of suspense to the development of the plot. Although it was not as predictable as one might think. There were a few twists and turns along the way. Add this movie to your wish list on Netflix. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
As boring as expected
samkoegel5 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
My friend and I love watching these cheesy holiday movies. We stumbled upon this and I cannot believe we actually got through the entire thing! (SPOILERS!!)
The parents were so bad, and the background was the same during their whole drive. The teenager was also terrible, her acting was so unbelievable and inconsistent. The grandmother, she was the worst! It was weird how she would look at her granddaughter and her she was slow with her lines. Even making "one liners" that made no sense, "boils my bones"? The bank troubles made no sense as well. How does a bank let a bill go six months. Also, are we supposed to be on the grandmothers side? If I were a bank I'd taken it a long time ago! The convenient "market" that magically pays for everything? Yeah okay
Honestly, surprised this exists, it was just so bad.
The parents were so bad, and the background was the same during their whole drive. The teenager was also terrible, her acting was so unbelievable and inconsistent. The grandmother, she was the worst! It was weird how she would look at her granddaughter and her she was slow with her lines. Even making "one liners" that made no sense, "boils my bones"? The bank troubles made no sense as well. How does a bank let a bill go six months. Also, are we supposed to be on the grandmothers side? If I were a bank I'd taken it a long time ago! The convenient "market" that magically pays for everything? Yeah okay
Honestly, surprised this exists, it was just so bad.
This is great for it's intended audience...youths!
silverscreenkids9 November 2018
Just looking at the cover you can tell what the company is intending by creating such a movie. It's titled Christmas Ranch with a girl and a horse as the cover. It's not an adult sounding title, it's clearly for kids...of all ages! If that's not your cup of tea, go watch something else; but for our kids and their friends, and the children's grandparents, they didn't miss a beat in understanding and following the beautiful plot line. It made perfect sense to them that a girl can get bratty, and then have a change of heart. Forget about the logistics of saving the farm, the children are never concerned with where the financing comes from, they want to see a happy ending. And we want them to enjoy watching something other than ridiculous loud spastic cartoons for a change, or other movies out there that are too adult and way over their heads with violence, sex, or drudging lecturing dialogue. The scenery, the acting, the character development and the plot line was just perfect for any multi-generational family to agree on and watch with their loved ones. That's what I love about any film that reaches for that. You made something that's not just trying to make a dollar, but instead is providing something that many of us out here enjoy watching!! Kudos to the Christmas Ranch!
Bad!!
Marynewcomb20134 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I love Christmas movies but this was just awful. Watched this on Netflix & it's even worse than what Netflix does for their own movies!! The writing was not that great. The acting was bad. Inaccurate big time when it came to the bank. Banks don't let you fall behind 6 months on a loan. Banks can't show people the property until foreclosure has been started to complete but that's now how it's done in this movie!! Save yourself an hour and a half & skip this one!!
Terrible movie, don't watch it
lisee_lulu30 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I stumbled across it on Prime, I was bored, so I put it on. Sadly I'm a completionist and needed to see how it ended but I wasted an hour and a half of my life.
The biggest issue was the terrible acting. I think they all need to go back to acting school, it was that bad. This was followed closely by a terrible plot that was so completely unbelievable. The movie wasn't even enjoyable. There were no redeeming qualities about the characters. I didn't even feel sorry for the grandmother. The granddaughter was so rude and disrespectful but got away with everything she did. Just bad!
Oh and don't get me started on the father's acting. Could he have been more robotic and monotone? Every single line lacked no emotion. I found myself laughing most of the time because his lines were so ridiculous. "But Santa doesn't have a pony," was certainly one of the cornier ones.
Save yourself some brain cells and don't watch this terrible movie.
The biggest issue was the terrible acting. I think they all need to go back to acting school, it was that bad. This was followed closely by a terrible plot that was so completely unbelievable. The movie wasn't even enjoyable. There were no redeeming qualities about the characters. I didn't even feel sorry for the grandmother. The granddaughter was so rude and disrespectful but got away with everything she did. Just bad!
Oh and don't get me started on the father's acting. Could he have been more robotic and monotone? Every single line lacked no emotion. I found myself laughing most of the time because his lines were so ridiculous. "But Santa doesn't have a pony," was certainly one of the cornier ones.
Save yourself some brain cells and don't watch this terrible movie.
I enjoyed the film but....
stageandscreen11 December 2018
It's true the writing of this story wasn't up to par, and was apparent to me that virtually any and all other problems with the film can be clearly sourced back to the misdirection of its writing.
You can clearly tell that the producer intended this for a select niche. At first I believed it to be the equestrian crowd (of which I'm unfamiliar with, but it was evident enough), but I soon realized that the writer must not have been well versed in marrying this plot with professional horse events. I then gathered that its intended audience went more for ambient feel-good Christmas moments for families. It isn't for everyone. If you don't fit into that category, I would move on, but for those that do, go for it!
Sidenote: I'm not as ignorant as some of the other posters as to immediately bash the actors. As a stage director myself, I've seen that the performances of my actors can be affected by such things as poor direction given to them, hurried rehearsal times, or even poor craft services and meals provided, as I've seen many low budget sets provide nothing but starchy carbs for the poor actors to load up on. Who if anyone is working at their top game in anything under those conditions. Were they given trailers and appropriate working hours? Smaller budgets are harsh conditioned like that. That's why Union involvement exists. Again it's quite ignorant to attack an actor's performance without knowing their working conditions.
As I previously stated, this is for families looking for a feel-good redemptive movie. For those it isn't for - well, the smart ones move on and spend their valuable time watching things that pertain to them, rather than writing a hate review. In summary: Despite its writing, still enjoyable!
You can clearly tell that the producer intended this for a select niche. At first I believed it to be the equestrian crowd (of which I'm unfamiliar with, but it was evident enough), but I soon realized that the writer must not have been well versed in marrying this plot with professional horse events. I then gathered that its intended audience went more for ambient feel-good Christmas moments for families. It isn't for everyone. If you don't fit into that category, I would move on, but for those that do, go for it!
Sidenote: I'm not as ignorant as some of the other posters as to immediately bash the actors. As a stage director myself, I've seen that the performances of my actors can be affected by such things as poor direction given to them, hurried rehearsal times, or even poor craft services and meals provided, as I've seen many low budget sets provide nothing but starchy carbs for the poor actors to load up on. Who if anyone is working at their top game in anything under those conditions. Were they given trailers and appropriate working hours? Smaller budgets are harsh conditioned like that. That's why Union involvement exists. Again it's quite ignorant to attack an actor's performance without knowing their working conditions.
As I previously stated, this is for families looking for a feel-good redemptive movie. For those it isn't for - well, the smart ones move on and spend their valuable time watching things that pertain to them, rather than writing a hate review. In summary: Despite its writing, still enjoyable!
Cute Film
AnnTWillis9 November 2018
Definitely up that Hallmark alley-but certainly for a younger audience. The lack of realistic adult drama and some slow scenes let it down for an adult audience but for younger kids, definitely a win. I watched it with my nieces and they loved it! A good, clean movie.
Wow
cjonesey-269507 December 2018
The story of our lifetime. Some people may call this a standard Hallmark movie, unfortunately they are wrong. When talking to the critics, some believed the horse was the best "actor" in this movie. But the father of the disgruntled troubled girl and her possible "lover" James, absolutely steal the show. The raw emotion and dedication of their craft bring a whole new meaning to the phrase, method acting. The young man was somehow able to bring his IQ down to 27 in a way that has not been seen in cinema since Tom Hanks played Forrest Gump in the movie, "Forrest Gump." And the father brought a passion that critics have not seen since Napoleon Dynamite brought in the early 2000s. If you find yourself bored with this movie, stop, and take an introspective look into how you would react if you were stuck on a horse farm with a tired, nap ridden grandmother, and a "special" friend who has no room for original thought. Let the Christmas spirit run through you as a family with 2 parents in the real estate market in a big city in 2016 aren't able to loan you even a portion on $3,500 for the debt to keep their home. But luckily show ponies are a treasure trove! See this movie, please!!
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