toddsgraham Review of The Christmas Promise

The Christmas Promise (2021 TV Movie)

How about Fluffy Jack Frost...

[7/10 · 14 November 2021]

I must say, I really enjoyed this Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Christmas movie. Hands down, the best one thus far this 2021 season (though we are only 7 movies in). The movie had a warm and gentle feel to it while dealing with the issues of loss and grief. Yet, at the same time, it had a fun and cute side as well. These together made for an engaging and entertaining viewing experience. The storyline centers on Nicole (played by Torrey DeVitto), a toyshop worker/owner with a passion for knitting sweaters, whose fiancé (Henry) is killed a year earlier during the Christmas holiday season. Struggling with her lose this Christmas, she hires Joe (played by Dylan Bruce), a carpenter, to finally finish Henry's renovations, who she soon befriends (and the romance begins). Meanwhile, she receives a text sent from Henry's old number, which develops into a therapeutic and meaningful exchange, relationship. The writers draw their inspiration from a number of classic films such as You've Got Mail. That said, the script is well-written. The writers do a good job of mixing the heartfelt with the cute and fun. I found myself on a couple occasions teary eyed as she read the text messages about grief and loss. I also found myself chuckling here and there in a number of cute scenes between Nicole and Joe (e.g., the Jeannie Jonnie scene) and between Nicole and her friends. The acting was very strong overall, I felt. DeVitto's performance was very convincing. I was able to connect with her performance; i.e., she pulled me in. Dylan too was very good, especially in the cute and fun scenes. The chemistry between the two was pretty good, just enough to make it convincing while keeping in line with the loss and grief element of the story. The supporting cast in this one stands out for me, namely, the performance of Karen Holness as Susan. She was brilliant, quite funny, I thought. The movie had a nice and cheerful Christmas vibe to it. Who doesn't enjoy a Christmas sweater scene? How about Fluffy Jack Frost the cat? And dogs in Christmas sweaters? All in all, this was a very good movie, a wonderful new edition to Hallmark's 2021 Christmas lineup. Well done.