Sound of Christmas (2016 TV Movie) User Reviews

The hills are alive with the sound of Christmas

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 6 July 2021]

'Sound of Christmas' surprised me and in a good, pleasant way. It is one of those films that could have gone either way of charming and light-hearted or cheesy and too schmaltzy, and on the most part it was the former. While the title is a corny one, it is also catchy and while the premise is very typical Hallmark it did intrigue. Both Lindy Booth and Robin Dunne have been good in other things, though the filmographies for both of them are very variable.

The film is no masterpiece or a film that will win any major awards, then again neither of those should be expected watching a Hallmark Christmas film. 'Sound of Christmas' though is still very charming and has plenty to like and be engaged by. Proof that Hallmark should be given a chance without prejudice or scorn, in my mind they are by some, because there have been times where they show they have a good film in them and 'Sound of Christmas' is one of them definitely.

By all means, 'Sound of Christmas' has its issues. It doesn't do much new with a very familiar formula so the final third especially is very predictable. A primary example being the fairly rushed and too neat ending, a common problem with Hallmark and especially their Christmas output.

Actually do think personally that some of the music felt repetitive and could have been used less. Some of the dialogue is pretty corny early on.

However, both Booth and Dunne give very engaging performances, Booth is a ray of sunshine and to me she didn't overdo anything (other female leading ladies for Hallmark have fared far worse than this) and Dunne has a natural charisma and charm. Both characters are easy to get behind, or at least to me they were, with flaws not being overdone and neither character is too perfect either. Their chemistry sparkles and the relationship develops realistically, there is conflict early on instead of the out of the blue contrived misunderstandings that are seen a lot but the conflict doesn't go on for too long. The supporting cast support them very nicely.

Furthermore, 'Sound of Christmas' is a lovely looking film, particularly the photography, and enough of the music is fitting with the atmosphere and more subtle in placement and tone than a lot of Hallmark Christmas films, that are known for intrusive music. The dialogue has some corn early on but takes itself more seriously than most Hallmark films, with some welcome levity here and there, without being overly so and it has flow and heart. The story is somewhat formulaic, but is very heart-warming and sincere.

Concluding, nice film. 7/10.

Likeable Leads

[Lew777 · 6/10 · 15 November 2018]

Robin Dunne & Lindy Booth who play a young widower and a music teacher who tutors his teenage daughter - both do well with the usual HM clichéd script. They give fresh & well-meaning performances into their roles. Robin especially does well as an executive ,whose company has bought the Music School and want to turn it into offices. Do they save the school ? Does the Christmas concert go well ? Does Boy get Girl ? Do we care ? .........well, yes we do. It's an above-average Hallmark Christmas movie - so put your feet up & relax !

Tickle the Ivories

[kz917-1 · 6/10 · 4 June 2017]

Handsome widower hires a music teacher to give his daughter piano lessons and then falls for said music teacher. Widowers place of work wants to purchase the building the music school is in, which would close the music school. Sadness abounds, will there be holiday magic to save the music school? Actors do a good job with this enjoyable flick.

good job

[Kirpianuscus · 14 November 2020]

It is one of Halmark films more than nice or sweet or charming or predictable or boring. First - for the secondary actors. Not less - for the family portrait. And, sure, for a final real seductive, touching in high measure. A Nice film about a father, his daughter, her piano teacher and a victory of a father against the interests of his son. So, just good job, beautiful in details.

Nothing Special

[Christmas-Reviewer · 6/10 · 31 March 2017]

BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVIE. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 200 HOLIDAY FILMS. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I AM HONEST ABOUT THEM.

Not a bad movie but nothing to brag about. There is not a scene in this film that has been done in other films and done better. This film steel from old Hollywood Movies as well as more current films.

In this film: During the Christmas season a high school music teacher is hired by a handsome widower to give music lessons to his teenage daughters. Their lives are turned around for the better as the family grows closer and learns the importance of love, friendship and the meaning of Christmas

There is no major ground breaking moments here. There is also nothing too special. The actors are fine and they do their best with a pedestrian script.

Now this film is worth watching but as soon as its over you will not remember anything about it!

Sorry it's lame.

[Onetrack97 · 7/10 · 8 July 2018]

The acting is OK, Lindy is cute as always. Micah is also good for her first movie, a bright face.

The writing/story is ridiculous.

A private music school leases space, the building is for sale, another company wants to buy it. What's the problem?

A teacher tries to keep the sale from happening or at least tries to get the new owner to let the music school stay. Huh?

What about the school's management? Didn't they know their lease was up and they would have to leave? Happens all the time, you don't have to close a school if you lose your lease, you just have to move.

Why so much negatively

[robert-e-handley · 10/10 · 2 January 2017]

I have read so many of the reviews here, Music used in past films, plot taken from many old films. Ending predictable....and on and on. My God can't you just enjoy the film for what it is. A nice Christmas Story. I enjoyed the Actors, I have seen them in other movies, however that did not distract from this movie. I am able to separate the difference that they are acting a part in a story. And yes it will have a happy ending. Unlike everyday life anymore. I happen to enjoy watching these movies for a couple of hours of happiness. I really enjoyed this film and yes it had similarities of past films I have seen I did not care. I fully enjoyed this one. I even watched it a second time. Thank You Hallmark.

Lovely Christmas Movie

[bookandcandle · 5/10 · 26 June 2019]

Sound of Christmas was a lovely Christmas movie with a heart-felt ending. The movie had a magical ending.

The only problem I have is with Lindy Booth's acting, smiling and laughing all the time. All the actors were enjoyable and real. Lindy was the only actor who over-dramatized and over-smiled in every scene, making the movie seem disingenuous. Love her, but can she just be a real person next time?

Great appealing cast.

[rebekahrox · 8/10 · 3 November 2020]

Full disclosure. I fell asleep in the middle of this movie, but in my defense, I was in bed with this on at the time. Never the less, I wanted to log my review in order to compliment Micah Kalisch as the formidable teen daughter, the cheerful wholesome Lindy Booth, the ruthless boss, Damon Runyan, and even the guy that played the hero. I found him strangely appealing. The acting was outstanding. I'm going to go back and look at the middle. If I change my review, I'll let you know. But great casting and good acting can over-ride a lot of other flaws.

"Do ray me fah soh .....NO!!!!!!"

[Ed-Shullivan · 4/10 · 21 December 2018]

Piano teacher Lizzie Moore (Lindy Booth) has a never ending (and naseaous) smile that brims from ear to ear. The widower father Brad Evans (Robin Dunne) who apparently is a genius in making millions of dollars for his real estate firm also happens to be as dumb as a stump when it comes to romance. Brad's daughter Abigail (Micah Kalisch) starts taking piano lessons from Lizzie and takes up the cause with Lizzie to save the Brooklyn Music Institute school property from the realtor barons who have it tightly in their greedy grasp. Oooooooh sounds ominously familair to the (1951) A Christmas Carol eh?

I will not have to spoil the ending for anyone because the ending occurred when one of the elderly retired gentleman named Earl McKinley who is taking piano lessons continues to appear and re-appear in various scenes throughout the film which tells the audience he probably has something significant to do with the real estate firm that has purchased the music school building. Duhhhhhh!

The finale is a full house attendance for the annual Brooklyn Music Institute's Christmas Music pageant that music director Lizzie's music school is responsible for putting on annually. After a couple of young performers have achieved their two minutes of fame on the stage, on comes the elderly retired Earl McKinley who proceeds to say that his performance will be dedicated to his son who also happens to be in the audience, and who is the current President and CEO of the nasty real estate firm who is taking over the building to turn it into high end condos and commercial space, for that nasty thing called a profit....and at Christmas time. Bah humbug! Of course there are kisses and applause to save the school and to all a GOOD NIGHT!

A Movie Worth Singing About- Well Done

[gehewe · 9/10 · 14 January 2017]

The bubbly fast talking niceness of Lindy Booth made this one very enjoyable. The lead actor Robin Dunne was just perfect in his role. He so reminds me of Alex Kendrick from "Facing the Giants" which I love. The supporting cast was just perfect as well. Especially well placed was Derek McGrath (Dr Hebert from DOC). The assistant's part was excellent and played by Robin Dunne's newlywed wife. The role of Cynthia perfect and Sam as well. The scenes with the daughter were some of the best. Yes we will watch this one again.

Some things I didn't know. This is Lindy Booth's 4th Christmas movie. She played a terrible part for her in Christmas in Boston in 2005 which was a good movie. In 2011 she stars in Christmas Magic and in 2013 in the Twelve Trees of Christmas (both which I have not seen- but will now). The 2013 movie plot is actually similar to this movie and costars Robin Dunne.

Typical Hallmark schmaltz

[caseybones · 4/10 · 5 November 2017]

Hallmark really needs to find a new formula. This same premise has been used in multiple holiday movies. The acting was bland and predictable and if you didn't know the ending in the first 15 minutes then you haven't caught on yet. There was absolutely nothing new or compelling here. And for heaven's sake, if you are going to have actors pretending to play the piano, give them some lessons. You can't play a keyboard with your arms plastered to your sides!

If you want the usual formulaic story with the sappy ending then this is for you.

And stop stealing background music from other films. This one used tunes from While You Were Sleeping over and over.

Here's my two cents worth

[laramia-garcia · 8/10 · 31 July 2019]

I like this movie. Maybe I don't love it, but I like it a lot. You have your opinions, and I respect those opinions. Here are mine:

LINDY BOOTH(Lizzie) and ROBIN DUNNE(Brad) are very believable, even with Mr. Dunne's wife, FARRAH AVIVA, around(she plays Meg).

I like that even if there are lots of bit players like the students, teachers, audiences and others, there are only few characters. When I was still studying I didn't get it when a mentor said I had too many characters for a movie. He doesn't think I am writing an epic so maybe I should lessen the characters or the people watching would lose interest.

No role is too big or small. All these people are worth remembering:

Micah Kalisch as Abigail Evans (Brad's lovely, talented and wise daughter) Kim Roberts as Samantha Washington(the founder/directress of the school and apparently Lizzie's best friend) Jennifer Gibson as Cynthia Brooks (Brad's good friend/colleague...she has a big crush on Brad, but he is too dense to notice) Farrah Aviva as Meg("psychic" personal assistant) Derek McGrath as Earl McKinley (I didn't recognize him here...as usual, he never disappoints...or at the very least, he never disappoints me) Damon Runyan as Travis McKinley (this guy can be evil or a very kind and charismatic man...here, he's a businessman who wants to keep earning big bucks...or a modern day Scrooge) Dale Whibley as Jordan Crawford (one of the scholars of the Music School)

How often have we as viewers or members of the audience relate to someone or some people in a movie, a sitcom, or whatever else? A lot. I am not talking plagiarism or anything similar to that. It's a total stranger or a bunch of strangers writing something like your life like they have a hidden camera or a bug placed in your soon...or someone injected a microchip or something.

I am exaggerating of course.

There were complaints about this being predictable or the same old story. Maybe.

It's just that a lot of people get the same type of problem each day, it's what you do with your problem that makes a world of a difference. It's how you deal with your day to day living.

Yes, this TV movie is formulaic, and from the start you would already guess who is related to a certain character, it doesn't matter. It's a type of movie that you want to be predictable or else you would feel sad in the end. It's a Christmas movie, and it has achieved its goal to make me smile, at the very least.

Merry July Christmas to you all.

Weird

[zaclipman-76203 · 4/10 · 25 November 2021]

I watch a lot of Hallmark Schmaltz with my wife around xmas. This one was just weird. Usually the lead character falls in love over the course of the movie in a more organic way. In this one, the main character is almost a villain, obsessed with saving her music school. It felt clunky and weird throughout.

It's all ... well you'll see

[Jackbv123 · 9/10 · 20 July 2017]

This was a nice enough movie through the first three quarters. We had a love story. We had a villain. We had a rival love interest. We even had a crisis that needed a miracle.

I love Lindy Booth, so I can't be impartial about her. He bright joyful spirit would have made this movie enjoyable if there hadn't been anything else.

Unfortunately, I didn't Robin Dunne did his best work. He connected well enough with Lindy, but otherwise he seemed a little dull. I also loved Micah Kalish. I think her part might have worked better about 3-5 years younger, but Micah did a nice job. The villain was played by Damon Runyan and he was good as the heartless, unreasonable boss (even though from the bosses perspective it wasn't so unreasonable.) Cynthia was a little too forgiving as the rival, but Jennifer Gibson did OK too.

There was a ton of great Christmas music, especially on piano. We also had Christmas tree shopping including a random collision meeting of the future couple. We had bonding over Christmas traditions like baking cookies, and tree decorating.

***Ending SPOILERS from here on*** But this movie was all in the ending. We got several clues about Earl almost from the beginning. Many things about the ending were predictable, but they presented it all very well. More than one aspect of the ending was tear jerking with the last ornament on the tree being Lizzy overcoming her fear and putting on a Julliard worthy performance. I only wish it was longer.

Lovely Christmas movie.

[MIssM19 · 8/10 · 20 February 2017]

This movie is somehow different from all the other typical Hallmark movies. We know the conflict between the main characters from the beginning and not in the last 15 minutes, which is a good change.

The plot is believable. Both main and supporting cast were amazing as well. The dynamic between the leads is nice, no chemistry to die for, but it works. I'm also glad there was no exaggerated drama throughout the whole movie, it makes it more enjoyable.

Before I watched it, I hesitated a lot whether to do it or not. I do not regret it at all. This is indeed a lovely Christmas movie to enjoy during the holidays.