Christmas Takes Flight

I only gave this 4 stars because of Evan Williams. Unfortunately I feel like his pigeon holing himself in these Hallmark/Lifetime made for TV movies. He is a good actor and was good in this but it's just not a good movie. There isn't one single thing that would ever make you think they were a couple, just not likely. No way no how. I know they try to make the male character out to be the jerk but She is the one who is the jerk. Has to have her way or throws a fit and acts like a child. This movie just doesn't work. I had a hard time even finishing it. It's boring and nonsensical. They try so hard to make the cast diverse that it seems to take over priority instead of getting the best actors for the parts. Seems to be a running theme lately. I don't care what color, religion or sexuality you are just put the right person in the right role. Not just for the sake of matching some imaginary quota of the people they think they should have.

I am sick of All these movies having empty cups in EVERY dri l scene. A woman always carries in 4 huge cups of "liquid" with one hand. Hands a clearly empty Styrofoam cup to the person, and inevitably, the person tilts the cup halfway back for the first sip. Ludicrous.sometimes the camera shows the new drink from an angle showing halfway down its empty. Sick of this!! If you can't believe that, you can't believe anything.

We know there will be some kind of Christmas miracle before it's all over, but what we don't know is what or how. Or how many people's lives will benefit from what has happened. I will only say there's plenty to make people happy, eventually. Not having seen a lot of these Hallmark-type movies in recent years since I don't pay for the channel, I can't say whether this is better or worse than the others. It's not outstanding. But there are some appealing characters and pleasant experiences in a small town up north. I didn't remember seeing Katie Lowes' name in the credits and wouldn't have known her, but I do know her from 'Scandal" where she was intelligent and tough. Not the typical pretty and perky romantic comedy star, but good enough. Jenny has a nice personality, intelligence, courage and determination and you want her to succeed in getting what she wants. You want this small town to keep its biggest industry. Evan Williams is supposedly good-looking but I didn't find that much appealing about him. He's the typical villain in movies like this, with little sense of humor and the attitude that the bottom line is important and people's happiness is not. But he does occasionally smile before the inevitable change in personality, and he shows signs of becoming more like we would want before what we just know will happen. I won't say he becomes easy to like, and he's not great, but he is typical of what would be expected. Gabriel Jacob-Cross stands out as an enthusiastic kid with a dream of being a pilot. There are a couple of nice scenes with another child who is scared to fly until Jenny talks to her, and then encourages others who are afraid. I like Charlie's band, which is surprising. Jazz is not what one would expect in the tavern where they play, but what they do is mostly my kind of music. Later, there is a Christmas song I consider annoying which is also unfamiliar. People who like Christmas movies will probably like it. Is this family friendly? Like the previous week's movie on CBS, it received a TV-G rating and I couldn't find anything wrong with it. And this movie actually has plenty of kids in a few scenes for kid appeal. Most of the movie is devoted to an event for the children which is threatened in several ways. So kids at least have that. Put this one on your list, if you don't have too many.

This could have been an OK movie if it wasn't for CBS's forced social agenda. CBS is going to loose a lot of viewers is it does not rethink this nonsense.

Generally a pleasant movie. Of course it had the antagonistic leads and the build up to a crisis but the story was enjoyable enough. It was well served by the actors who were very natural esp the wonderful Katie Lowes.