She’s Making a List (2025)
Hallstars not shining so brightly here…
You’d think that with two long-time, seasoned Hallstars in the lead roles this would be decent, but… you’d be wrong.
Sure, it strays a bit from the standard format. And many of the typical tropes come to play - single parents and such. But I just did not find this overly engaging. I can appreciate that it was trying to balance out some more emotional topics, but it fell flat compared to others where Hallmark has taken a bit of a swing.
There was a good message about kids dealing with the loss of a parent and how that makes kids act out. I’ll give it that. Most Hallmark entries look at the emotional side of it but it’s quickly resolved with the arrival of a new parent-type in the form of the romantic lead.
Lacey Chabert and Andrew Walker are typically a better bet, so I’ll chalk this up to an unfortunate contractual obligation. And start counting down to Chabert’s Disney World-shot entry planned for next year.
Falling on Santa’s Naughty or Nice list used to be a call made by Santa and his elves. But with the number of kids worldwide skyrocketing, Santa has outsourced the job to the Naughty or Nice Group, a consulting firm that has cornered the market on determining a child’s niceness thanks to an airtight formula. As a top inspector with the group, it’s Isabel’s (Chabert) job to make the tough calls, by assessing the children on her list and assigning a verdict. When she is tasked with evaluating a mischievous 11-year-old Charlie Duncan, she expects a routine case. But things get complicated when Isabel unexpectedly falls for Charlie’s widowed father, Jason (Walker), and begins to question the rigid rules of her job. As Christmas approaches, Isabel must choose between following the holiday algorithm or following her heart. Starring Lacey Chabert and Andrew Walker.
You’ll like this if…
You like the movies that don’t quite follow the standard format.
