Clumsily written, poorly acted and just an overall ill conceived mess. The cast as a whole were the dullest and potentially ugliest bunch ever assembled for a Hallmark movie.o
40 Reviews
Ugh. Ick. Blah.
rightisright22 December 2018
Bland
amanda-l-diamond13 December 2020
There is not much to add that has not already been said by others. This movie is bland and the chemistry is lacking between the two leads. It really wasn't clear who the lead male, Ted, liked. Ted's girlfriend/exgirlfriend was a confusing character because she seemed to vacillate between low-grade evil to manipulative to confused but good-hearted. I would compare this film to flavorless cotton candy, it didn't provide enjoyment but wasn't particularly offensive.
Make it gay, you cowards
jackie3728 December 2018
Not Hallmark quality-flat and lifeless
jk-692-23639424 December 2018
There was zero chemistry between anyone. It felt like a coloring book by the numbers. The lead actress is far too thin, and has obvious lip fillers. I try to avoid commenting on actors looks, unless it is distracting. The pretend boyfriend Ted, felt like a community theater actor at best. He could barely keep eye contact with other actors in their scenes. Oddly enough I found that when the main character was hanging out or seen on screen with the older " entertainment mogul", that was the only guy she actually fit as a couple! Those two were more believable than she was with the other two very half hearted love interests. There was something very unlush about this production.
It felt cheap. I am not sure what exactly caused that, lighting? film quality? This did not feel like a Hallmark movie at all. It felt like something from ION or some off brand production company. I know Hallmark is taking movies from other places to fuflill their huge quota of Holiday movies, but I would rather see less movies of a better quality. Finally, this movie had zero Christmas spirit or heart, it was just flat. I did watch the entire movie. I will not review a movie unless I have seen the entire movie.
Unbelievable
frukuk2 November 2019
I don't know if it was the script or the casting that was at fault, but I just couldn't believe in any of this. I especially couldn't buy Chelsea Kane as "love expert" Joanna Moret. And some of the dialogue (especially George MacAllen's) was ridiculously unnatural.
This feels like something David Lynch was meant to direct -- or is it just that Gary Brennan reminds me of Jack Nance?
This feels like something David Lynch was meant to direct -- or is it just that Gary Brennan reminds me of Jack Nance?
No chemistry
LtlHippo10 November 2019
I seem to be alone, but I liked this movie
jonathanrspalding26 December 2018
At the time of this wrting, all the reivews of this movie are negative. While I think the criticisms were just I would recommend it to you to watch at least once.
I would agree on several things. First, the production values were lacking. Two, the plot was not really Christmas centric (this could have been a winter fest, spring fling, summer of fun, or fall harvest movie by simply mad libbing buzz words.
However, it had one thing most Hallmark Rom-Coms do not have. It had comedy. It was funny, with witty dialogue and situations. That carried the movie and made it stand out for me.
I would agree on several things. First, the production values were lacking. Two, the plot was not really Christmas centric (this could have been a winter fest, spring fling, summer of fun, or fall harvest movie by simply mad libbing buzz words.
However, it had one thing most Hallmark Rom-Coms do not have. It had comedy. It was funny, with witty dialogue and situations. That carried the movie and made it stand out for me.
Could not watch
wlkdg23 December 2018
to close >The Convenient Groom
hall661223 December 2018
Is this satire?
Jackbv12329 December 2018
This expert's advice is ridiculous. That's why I'm guessing this is satire. If you don't laugh at the situation, you have to hate it. There were some funny moments and dialogue.
Ted didn't seem real to me. His girlfriend breaks up with him over the phone over love principles that he obviously considers lame, yet he agrees to let Joanna teach him how to live by those principles. Really?
A fake boyfriend/fiancee is a fairly common premise and the celebrity angle has also been done, but this movie throws in some interesting angles when Ted's girlfriend (ex?) shows up and Joanna and her patron's son become friendly. The results of these developments add some spice to the story. And towards the end, things get messy, even if everything ends up about where you expect it.
Ted didn't seem real to me. His girlfriend breaks up with him over the phone over love principles that he obviously considers lame, yet he agrees to let Joanna teach him how to live by those principles. Really?
A fake boyfriend/fiancee is a fairly common premise and the celebrity angle has also been done, but this movie throws in some interesting angles when Ted's girlfriend (ex?) shows up and Joanna and her patron's son become friendly. The results of these developments add some spice to the story. And towards the end, things get messy, even if everything ends up about where you expect it.
Boring and dull
melinda-3194526 December 2018
Unfortunately not every holiday Hallmark movie is a winner. This one...major miss. The lead actress is too young, too thin, and too unbelievable to be an expert in anything let alone a romantic lead. She's too uptight. The male lead would be okay with a different actress and the protagonist ex-girlfriend is a dud and a bad actress. Really, skip this movie. It's flat, not romantic or Christmassy and not up to our Hallmark standard of rom-com expectations.
Take Your Pick!
adamjohns-4257524 November 2020
This one is lovely. I like the romance and the setting and the very handsome fellas in it.
I would have liked it to be 15 minutes or so longer though to really show the will they/won't they and for the relationships to develop more. I wouldn't have been disappointed if she'd ended up with either of the gents actually.
The general concept to start is a bit silly, but it's got a warm and lovely feel to it, set in a nice big cosy house.
I would have liked it to be 15 minutes or so longer though to really show the will they/won't they and for the relationships to develop more. I wouldn't have been disappointed if she'd ended up with either of the gents actually.
The general concept to start is a bit silly, but it's got a warm and lovely feel to it, set in a nice big cosy house.
Dud in 3D
calaengineering29 December 2018
This movie is so bad, it is hard to know where to begin. The
"stars" are miscast. The lead actress is a walking poster for anorexia, and her recent weight loss distracts from even attempting to take this movie seriously. The leading man seems much more suited for the second leading lady. I love Hallmark movies, but this one is such a misfire, that it is embarrassing.
Bad movie. Extremely thin lead actress.
rgm-5554529 December 2018
The worst!
dowdnl7 July 2019
Worst Movie by Hallmark
cheriha29 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I have seen every movie made by Hallmark and this one rates the worst. The premise is ridiculous. Chelsea Kane's makeup distracted me throughout the movie it was so bad. I watched this movie because I wanted to see Drew Seeley again as I am a fan but I was so disappointed. He seemed to have phoned in his performance. Chelsea Kane was just off somehow. There were no sparks between these two characters so the fact that we are supposed to believe that they ended up together is just wrong.
Did not grab my attention
MickyG33318 November 2023
5.6 stars.
I tried to get through 'Christmas by the Book' without taking into account the reviews I've read so far. As I go through my watching experience, I notice that it's more than the acting, and the sluggish pace that creates a rift between my duty and my desire to continue to the end. I feel it is my duty to complete this film because I've watched so many Hallmark films at this point, well over 400, I'll have to count someday... There's only been three or four i did not watch to the final credits. I have no wish for this to be one of those rare exceptions to the rule.
My desire to continue is waning ever so rapidly, but I have an obligation to provide myself the opportunity to judge the film by the sum of its parts and not solely the entertainment value, or lack thereof. The final product is only a fragment of what any romance should be. There is no theme, there is no lesson learned, there is no story.
I enjoy the lead female's screen presence, but there are few other redeeming qualities to be found. The music is decent I suppose. The dialogue is slightly above average. Otherwise it's a mess.
I tried to get through 'Christmas by the Book' without taking into account the reviews I've read so far. As I go through my watching experience, I notice that it's more than the acting, and the sluggish pace that creates a rift between my duty and my desire to continue to the end. I feel it is my duty to complete this film because I've watched so many Hallmark films at this point, well over 400, I'll have to count someday... There's only been three or four i did not watch to the final credits. I have no wish for this to be one of those rare exceptions to the rule.
My desire to continue is waning ever so rapidly, but I have an obligation to provide myself the opportunity to judge the film by the sum of its parts and not solely the entertainment value, or lack thereof. The final product is only a fragment of what any romance should be. There is no theme, there is no lesson learned, there is no story.
I enjoy the lead female's screen presence, but there are few other redeeming qualities to be found. The music is decent I suppose. The dialogue is slightly above average. Otherwise it's a mess.
Boring! Don't Waste Your Time!
mammamia7019 July 2020
The storyline has been done before....the pretend boyfriend. However, this one clearly lacked the chemistry between the characters and actors. I gave it a 1star for effort...besides....you can't give zero stars, which this movie clearly deserves. This is definitely not up to the quality entertainment and enjoyment of a Hallmark movie. My advice, don't waste your time watching this.
Christmas by the Book
JoBloTheMovieCritic20 July 2019
Possibly the worst Hallmark Christmas movie ever
sorahl3 January 2019
Not a Christmas for the books
TheLittleSongbird24 December 2019
Love Christmas and Christmas films, and there are good festive Hallmark films out there. No, there has never been any personal bias against Hallmark. Having said that, expectations were not high. The premise sounded ridiculous and shallow, it did not look promising and trusted Christmas Hallmark film fans had a very low opinion of it. Decided though to see 'A Christmas for the Books' and was determined to not say anything personal against the lead actress or attack her looks like others have.
'A Christmas for the Books' unfortunately did turn out to be that bad, even when trying to judge it for what it was and not take it too seriously. It was hard to do any of those things with so much done wrong, the worst components done to an insulting degree. It actually was even worse than advertised and made out to be, and of my recent festive film quest 'A Christmas for the Books' by quite some way is down there with the worst. Something that is not being said with any pleasure or intended disrespect.
The best and only really good thing about 'A Christmas for the Books' is the location for the apartment. That was really lovely, an adjective that cannot be used for the rest of the film.
Everything else is a failure. The look of the film in general is drab, failing to capture the magical atmosphere of the holiday and the editing and the flow from frame to frame looked like it was done in a rush. This did not look like a film made by people that loved Christmas. Music is an important thing for talking about when reviewing anything and Christmas has some of the catchiest and most timeless tunes around. Didn't find much special with this component here.
Dialogue is ridden with cheese, soap and contrivance, enough to cause unintentional laughter and groans. Not things you want to feel watching something that should uplift, warm and move you, of which the dialogue for 'A Christmas for the Books' does none of those things. The story is basically the same formula and similar plot-line for most Hallmark festive films, but without any of the heart, charm and warmth of most of them. There is no energy here, it is cold emotionally, the story is even more ridiculous than the premise suggested (nothing rings true) and there is no substance whatsoever.
Not to mention the dubious messaging and a lead character that is impossible to endear to. The acting is weak, particularly from Chelsea Kane, am not going to go on about her looks to the extent that others have done but my brief take on it is that she does look ill. Drew Seeley phones in and the rest of the cast just have nothing to work with. The chemistry throughout is as stiff as one can get.
On the whole, very bad and not one for the books. 2/10
'A Christmas for the Books' unfortunately did turn out to be that bad, even when trying to judge it for what it was and not take it too seriously. It was hard to do any of those things with so much done wrong, the worst components done to an insulting degree. It actually was even worse than advertised and made out to be, and of my recent festive film quest 'A Christmas for the Books' by quite some way is down there with the worst. Something that is not being said with any pleasure or intended disrespect.
The best and only really good thing about 'A Christmas for the Books' is the location for the apartment. That was really lovely, an adjective that cannot be used for the rest of the film.
Everything else is a failure. The look of the film in general is drab, failing to capture the magical atmosphere of the holiday and the editing and the flow from frame to frame looked like it was done in a rush. This did not look like a film made by people that loved Christmas. Music is an important thing for talking about when reviewing anything and Christmas has some of the catchiest and most timeless tunes around. Didn't find much special with this component here.
Dialogue is ridden with cheese, soap and contrivance, enough to cause unintentional laughter and groans. Not things you want to feel watching something that should uplift, warm and move you, of which the dialogue for 'A Christmas for the Books' does none of those things. The story is basically the same formula and similar plot-line for most Hallmark festive films, but without any of the heart, charm and warmth of most of them. There is no energy here, it is cold emotionally, the story is even more ridiculous than the premise suggested (nothing rings true) and there is no substance whatsoever.
Not to mention the dubious messaging and a lead character that is impossible to endear to. The acting is weak, particularly from Chelsea Kane, am not going to go on about her looks to the extent that others have done but my brief take on it is that she does look ill. Drew Seeley phones in and the rest of the cast just have nothing to work with. The chemistry throughout is as stiff as one can get.
On the whole, very bad and not one for the books. 2/10
Couldn't Finish..
retracmj30 December 2018
This may be my least favorite Hallmark movie of all times. At the Starr of the movie Chelsea is overdone. She is a romance expert with tons of bad eye makeup, a pencil thin body in a body hugging low cut dress and a terrible habit of pulling her chin into her neck that makes her a pile of wrinkles. Costars ate fine, story predictable, but her acting is so overdone. It does seem like they try to bring out her worst look, acting, everything. ALMOST finished it but left the last 32 mins and felt I had wasted my time.
Find a different actress. Please.
malachite-7843213 December 2020
I've seen this actress Chelsea Kane in another Christmas movie and I felt the same way about her in each movie. Which is: I don't understand why someone in the make-up department didn't fix her hair.
It looked dirty and dry and in great need of a good conditioner.
She isn't a lovable actress. Or even likable. There is nothing about her that would make me think that she could get any guy.
Hallmark, with so many actresses out there, why choose Chelsea Kane?
I won't be watching this movie or any other movie she's in.
And while they're at it, fix her makeup.
I can't be the only one who feels this way. Her hair is so ugly that it distracted me from paying attention to what the movie was even about.
Turned this one off after 20 minutes.
She isn't a lovable actress. Or even likable. There is nothing about her that would make me think that she could get any guy.
Hallmark, with so many actresses out there, why choose Chelsea Kane?
I won't be watching this movie or any other movie she's in.
And while they're at it, fix her makeup.
I can't be the only one who feels this way. Her hair is so ugly that it distracted me from paying attention to what the movie was even about.
Turned this one off after 20 minutes.
Awful
folsominc27 July 2019
Okay I don't normally critize a person's looks but this female heroine looked terrible. Her hair chopped off like a preschooler, her make up looks clownish, and her dress in the first scene shoeing her boney bare arms made it too painful to watch anymore of it.
I couldn't even give that Hallmark a try.
And the plot was so hashed from other Hallmarks that it was stupid.
Sorry but give it the lowest rating.
Main actress
allisonjoys9 November 2019
I'm less than 5 minutes in and I don't think I can continue much longer. Eating disorders are not to be taken lightly. I wish the African American actress in the blue dress was the main female lead instead. She's gorgeous and looks healthy.
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