Cute story but other than the leads; Erin Karpluk & Robin Dunne & their best friends all the other actors were pretty bad. But what really ruined most of this movie was the horrible background music; and because of that I will not be re-watching this like I do 95% of all the holiday movies every year. Hopefully the director on his next project will take the time to watch the movie before releasing it and correct the background music if it's anything like this one.
14 Reviews
Recognize what you're getting...
fleck05IMDB24 July 2020
I watched it because I liked the show, "Being Erica," and I will watch anything with Erin Karpluk. I've seen enough Hallmark Christmas movies to know what I was getting, and there was nothing special here. It was like a low budget Hallmark movie... a very low budget Hallmark movie. Very, very, very low.....
The low budget look - bad lighting, poor green screens, etc... didn't really bother me. What did bother me was the non-stop generic Christmas music playing non-stop through the whole movie. If anyone reading this is involved with making low budget movies, NEVER have a nonstop generic music soundtrack playing the whole time. All other shortcomings can be overlooked, but the music was distracting and terrible.
Anyway, it was about what I expected - pretty cheesy - but I got to see Erin Karpluk so I was happy.
Takes a while to get to the heart of the story
JaynaB6 January 2020
I've enjoyed Erin Karpluk and Robin Dunne in other things so took a chance on this despite the poor reviews. Not sorry I did. This isn't great television by any stretch but it was a pleasant way to pass 1.5 hours on a holiday evening.
The fatal flaws were mostly in the beginning, with uninspired dialogue, one-note secondary characters, and especially a serious lack of deeper motivations for the main characters. If either of them early expressed a dissatisfaction with their career paths, the first half would have had more heart and the shift of direction at the 2/3 mark wouldn't have come as such a surprise.
It's a light, easy tv movie with some food for thought and a cute twist at the end that doesn't have to do with the happy couple.
The fatal flaws were mostly in the beginning, with uninspired dialogue, one-note secondary characters, and especially a serious lack of deeper motivations for the main characters. If either of them early expressed a dissatisfaction with their career paths, the first half would have had more heart and the shift of direction at the 2/3 mark wouldn't have come as such a surprise.
It's a light, easy tv movie with some food for thought and a cute twist at the end that doesn't have to do with the happy couple.
There's almost nothing good about this.
SamoanJoes22 December 2020
Robin Dunne and Erin Karpluk are quite enjoyable and are the only reason why I was able to finish this. That's the positive.
Now for the negatives. The acting from pretty much everyone else was horrible.The production of the film was clearly on an extremely low budget that there are blatant green screen shots while actors walk down the street. The green screen is so bad that it's on almost every closeup of an actor. This was clearly filmed in the summer as you can see the sun shining on fully green grass and no one is dressed even remotely for winter. Quite a few times you can see white cloth used to replicate snow.
The most distracting thing is the constant mediocre score being played throughout. I don't recall a single time where we didn't hear it for more than 15 seconds. It becomes frustrating to the point where you start to believe they're using it to mask the boredom.
Both Dunne and Karpluk have been in better Christmas movies. Check those out instead.
Now for the negatives. The acting from pretty much everyone else was horrible.The production of the film was clearly on an extremely low budget that there are blatant green screen shots while actors walk down the street. The green screen is so bad that it's on almost every closeup of an actor. This was clearly filmed in the summer as you can see the sun shining on fully green grass and no one is dressed even remotely for winter. Quite a few times you can see white cloth used to replicate snow.
The most distracting thing is the constant mediocre score being played throughout. I don't recall a single time where we didn't hear it for more than 15 seconds. It becomes frustrating to the point where you start to believe they're using it to mask the boredom.
Both Dunne and Karpluk have been in better Christmas movies. Check those out instead.
Not worth any time
lilymanning29 December 2020
If I could give this less than 1 star, I would. Besides the acting being absolutely mediocre the worst part is the background music. Not only did the same 3 songs play on repeat throughout the entirety of the movie but if was all surface level. The music had no heart and no real melody. Not to mention that the music NEVER fit whatever was happening within the movie and was completely out of place. Definitely not worth the time to watch the movie.
THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY ME........
linda-plant26 December 2022
That was being driven insane by the DREADFUL background music, it was like a soundtrack to a 70's soap opera. There wasn't a second when it wasn't playing. So when I read the other reviews, I'm clearly not alone.
Like always with Hallmark films, there is dreadful white sheeting to imitate snow (in one film I saw a character actually trip over it), and WHY does nobody in films watch television ??? They live alone, they sit, drink wine, look at their phone, computer, but never watch tv . Its not normal !!!
The two main characters have been in much better films than this. Just hope the Director of this film reads these reviews and maybe learn a lesson that god-awful background music is NOT a necessity.
Like always with Hallmark films, there is dreadful white sheeting to imitate snow (in one film I saw a character actually trip over it), and WHY does nobody in films watch television ??? They live alone, they sit, drink wine, look at their phone, computer, but never watch tv . Its not normal !!!
The two main characters have been in much better films than this. Just hope the Director of this film reads these reviews and maybe learn a lesson that god-awful background music is NOT a necessity.
Quarantine fodder
a-ross1-941-92707828 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Searching for content during the lockdown, I happened upon the "Being Erica" series on amazon, found Erin Karpluk to be a charming romcom lead. Checking what else she might have done, I came across this...on YouTube, ..and found it almost unwatchable. I agree with another reviewer's opinion that the CONSTANT background music was a real distraction, but it was the camera work that was even more annoying. Every head shot in the opening scenes the camera was "in your face" back and forth, and I just got I,patient with how it was going. Getting to the "cute meet" with the accountant evolved into a terrible crowd scene with people coming out of nowhere,, again and again..where I just wanted to stay STOP! This is about as far as I got.
Having just watched the thirty year old Erin in Being Erica, meeting her ten years later was like running into a girl you knew in college and hadn't seen since... who has had a little "work done" and put on a couple of pounds. Yeah, I don't look the same either. We all mature, but trying to play the same girl somehow just didn't fit.
Absolute trash.
Inkfinger21328 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The movie ends on Christmas Day and has nothing to do with New Year's Day. This is the level of incompetence that this movie is made with. The acting, the cinematography, the lighting, the music, writing and acting are all at a zero.
What the?
gradgurl20081 January 2022
Awesome movie minus the background music
juliesmith-3279615 August 2020
This movie is super cute with the exception of the non-stop background music. It was so loud, it was difficult to hear or focus on the what the character's were saying. Everything else was great, there is a lot of chemistry between the two leads.
What the heck did I just watch?
Luvhallmark6 February 2020
This movie was absolutely horrible!! The background music was the WORST I've ever heard, why oh why would you think that "disturbingly awful" music would be pleasing to our ears, my poor ears - OUCH -!!
As far as the leads, I've always enjoyed RD & EK but this movie was unappealing on so many levels. I believe another reviewer stated this movie must've been made on a shoestring budget - I say more like dental floss budget. EK, I just need to say WHY, why on earth did you mess with your gorgeous face?!! I have followed your career and I'm so surprised no one else has noticed but your eyes now look like everyone else's in Hollywood. I was comparing you in Mrs. Miracle and Christmas Lodge and you looked stunning so when I happened to come across New Year's kiss, I thought I'd watch. You look completely different, puffy cheeks, and like I said, you've done something to your eyes. I understand the pressures of Hollywood but Erin, why fix something that wasn't broken. I had to turn the movie off between the over the top music and Erins new face, it was very disappointing. I cannot believe no one else has noticed this. I love her acting but her facial expressions in this movie were so distracting, I'm sorry Erin, I'm a big fan but you had a gorgeous face especially your eyes, I wish you would stop whatever it is you are doing before it's too late and you look nothing like the EK we've all come to know and love.
Irish Love
yvonnenron-410-9952852 February 2021
Awful
lynnedavey-412624 February 2023
I'd gotten so sick of the music and constant near misses that I had to check how much longer the movie had to go. I was only half an hour in and had an hour to go. It never at any time was pleasant to watch.
Both actors were good and I love Robin Dunne. Feel so bad for him in this movie that I checked imb to see if he left this one off out of embarrassment.
I still have another half an hour to watch but I'm not sure I can do this to myself any more. It is just so awful. It is very rare that I never finish watching a movie so I'm torn.
If at all possible, do yourself a favour and give this movie a huge miss. There are plenty of others and any would be better than this one.
Both actors were good and I love Robin Dunne. Feel so bad for him in this movie that I checked imb to see if he left this one off out of embarrassment.
I still have another half an hour to watch but I'm not sure I can do this to myself any more. It is just so awful. It is very rare that I never finish watching a movie so I'm torn.
If at all possible, do yourself a favour and give this movie a huge miss. There are plenty of others and any would be better than this one.
Pretty bad
laurelnscott-2734813 November 2022
This was pretty bad. If you want a movie about New Year's, try "New Year's Eve"...it has Ashton Kutcher, Halle Berry, Robert Dinero, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sarah Jessica Parker, and a lot of other stars...and I liked it alot better. There is romance, drama, stunning scenes of Times Square There are a lot of holiday movies out there and they are easily way better and I don't think you should waste your time. I know that sounds harsh but take it from people who have watched this film that you are not missing out on anything if you decide to just put the remote down before you are disappointed. Phew.
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