Catch a Christmas Star (2013)

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

I enjoy Hallmark Xmas movies. Where an average gal can become a Queen yada yada. Always a stretch but such things happen. As for casting, Nikki and Chris have little on screen chemistry. Daughter Sophie shines and the all time star is Nikki's assistant Jason.Sadly this is a story without an ending. Would be different if it was titled Taylor Swift Becomes A Housewife. Chris and Nikki admit they live in two different worlds that totally clash, super star and ex high school jock who still loves visiting the old burger joint.Knowing the two must, in the end, be together the screenwriters decided to punt on the nearly impossible to wit: an ending that sees both worlds co-existing with one another. Instead, boy kisses super star and fade out with not a glimmer of any hope they can make it work without destroying his life or having her give up a lifetime of achievement and dreams.Could there be a 'happy ending'? Yes, with a decent screenplay. I could do without great thought. My ending: Fade-in to NYC TV morning show. Nikki is introduced as new co-host. Nikki greets audience and sends loving message to Chris and kids who live just across the bridge. Nikki sings the first of her daily songs to millions of fans. fade out.

Yes everything about this movie is predictable, but so is every Hallmark movie. I miss Hallmark's regular scheduled late at night program during the holidays and I don't care for most of the Christmas movies, but this one is one of my favorites. There's just something about it. From the second the movie starts, Chris and his kids are people you want to be happy. You can tell he's a great dad who doesn't have much happiness in his life since his wife died. Even Shannon Elizabeth's character Nikki is someone you want good things for. There's just something about reconnecting with your high school sweetheart. This doesn't have many good reviews on IMDb but I think it's great.

The movie was a warm and heart felt movie. The fact that children of a single parent care enough about their parents happiness in a true statement in day to day living. We may all want to think differently about that but children sense and know when a parent is missing something and they are also missing things during those times.As for the acting when watching Shannon Elizabeth and Steve Byers they both transmitted their feelings and passion across the screen to where my family could actually feel the pain and joy that they shared.Julia Lalonde may have shown characteristics of an older child but again children can amaze you with their inner thinking.As for Zach Werner I remember him from Canadian Idol and his personality then and now came across the same. Not sure if he has a soft side to his personality but in the part he played he did come across hard as some people in the music industry may be.Overall this movie is one that I would watch over and over and the music in this movie was fantastic.

Romantic made-for-TV Christmas movies are a specialty niche that has plenty of fans. I am a man, and both my wife and I enjoy a well-made sentimental Christmas movie; we both often start blubbering when the lead romantic couple finally overcome their obstacles and get together. As of 2013, when A Christmas Star is being "released" on TV, we feel there has been a recent upswing in the quality of Hallmark Christmas movies - better acting, better dialog and better cinematography.Unfortunately, this recent upswing in production values somehow by-passed A Christmas Star. The biggest flaw in this film is its unrealistic plot twists and dialog. It's plot is built on music studio executives behaving like Mafia heavies because their recording star has done something very innocent and ordinary. And, there is a 10-year old daughter who is supernaturally wise and talks eloquently to her Dad as if he is a child and she is the adult. Even the climactic scene, which involves a Christmas Eve concert, progresses along an increasingly illogical and impossible course. In addition,the characters played by Shannon Elizabeth and Steve Byers, seem to have very little romantic chemistry. The combination of dialog and acting performances is such that many of the key actions taken by the main characters seem illogical and unrealistic. If you are an incurable romantic and huge fan of the made-for-TV romantic Christmas movie genre,then you might well enjoy A Christmas Star despite its many problems. But I found that my eyes were rolling frequently and that they never teared up. So, I suggest you might pass on A Christmas Star. There are plenty of better romantic Christmas films this holiday season.