*31 Days of Christmas* A Christmas Melody

Thanksgiving is over and the countdown to Christmas has officially begun (at least in my house). I don't limit myself to just reading cheesy Christmas romances during this time of year. Oh no. I also find myself binge watching Christmas movies on Netflix and the Hallmark Channel. And I thought, why not incorporate that into my blog as well. So I give you the 31 Days of Christmas (which will be much easier to accomplish with movies than books like I've tried to do in past years).

Next up is A Christmas Melody. 

Watched on: Hallmark

Duration: 1 hour, 23 minutes

Originally aired on: 18 December 2015

Directed by: Mariah Carey

Starring: Lacey Chabert, Brennan Elliott, and Kathy Najimy

Please see IMDb for full cast and crew info.

Synopsis

"A Christmas Melody” revolves around Kristin (Lacey Chabert), a beautiful, stylish divorcee who is a talented clothing designer and her young daughter. Kristin has just had to close her small Los Angeles boutique to return to her Ohio home town and live in her parents’ former home. It’s an adjustment for Kristin and Emily – especially when she runs into her former high school rival Melissa (Mariah Carey). Melissa is president of the PTA and tries to make Kristen feel as unwelcome as possible. Kristen and Emily struggle to find their new normal with the help of the music teacher Danny (Brennan Elliott) and Kristin’s Aunt Sarah (Kathy Najimy), the local coffee shop owner. With a little holiday magic and music, Kristin and Emily find that home is where the heart is.

Review

This movie falls into the woman returns to her small town just before Christmas trope. It also has elements of a second-chance romance. What really sets this movie apart from the average Christmas flick is that the fighting doesn't happen between Kristen and Danny. Instead, Mariah Carey cast herself as the villain in this story and that's where all the fighting occurs. And Carey plays a great villain. She's got the intolerable high school rival thing down pat. I pretty much hated her from the get-go. And there isn't really a reconciliation between Melissa and Kristen, although there is a slight thaw.

Watching the romance blossom between Kristen and Danny, and seeing Emily grow to love the new town and new school were definitely the highlights of this story. Emily's attempts to play matchmaker were adorable and obvious. And Danny managed to escape the friend zone relatively unscathed. 

This movie includes dancing in the snow, a Santa-like school custodian, a saved school talent show, and a surprise song for Santa.

While I wouldn't seek this movie out for a future watching, I wouldn't change the channel when it came on either. 

My Rating

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Check Out My Other Christmas Movie Reviews

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Review

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The Holiday Calendar starring Kat Graham, Quincy Brown, and Ethan Peck

The Christmas Switch starring Natasha Henstridge, Brian Kraus, and Cedric Smith

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The Spirit of Christmas starring Thomas Beaudoin, Kati Salowsky, and Steven A. Miller

A Shoe Addict's Christmas starring Candace Cameron Bure, Luke Macfarlane, and Jean Smart

Mingle All the Way starring Jen Lilley, Brant Daugherty, and Lindsay Wagner
A Majestic Christmas starring Jerrika Hinton, Christian Vincent, and Adaya Ariana
Finding Santa starring Eric Winter, Jodie Sweetin, and Jay Brazeau

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