Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Great Film overall

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Enjoyed this movie, of course typical Hallmark fare. At first, I thought this was Mariah Carey's acting debut, but according to the Comcast program guide, she has done two others. One she flopped,the other did apparently very well. It seemed like she was so intent on directing herself, with the many spotlighted close- ups that her acting fell flat in this movie. The real star of the movie was Fina Strazza who played nine year old Emily Parson.

Lacey Chabert is fine in the lead but Brennan Elliot and the daughter make this film good. He plays a very likable character. It is worth watching. Placing Lacey Chabert with a daughter was helpful to her character and acting.The film is directed by Mariah Carey and she plays a small part in the film. She plays a character you will not like. I didn't notice any of her songs in the movie. The story line listed in IMDb was completely wrong- so I submitted a new one. It is about a widow reluctantly returning to her home town with her daughter and not wanting to leave. The one that was listed says "A gift of music transports people back to another time and place where they find their truest feelings." That is not this movie.Now I have seen all six of Lacey Chabert Christmas movies. This is probably the second best. A Wish for Christmas-2016 was the best.

Don't get me wrong, I love all Christmas shows, Mariah Carey and Lacey Chabert, but the closeups of Mariah were starting to freak me out. Was she pregnant while filming? That might make sense. Aside from the freaky head shots, I enjoyed this show.I've followed Lacey in many, if not all, of the movies she has made for Hallmark and have enjoyed every one of them. Mariah's music worked well in this movie and it didn't disappoint. The young girl who played Emily was a cutie. I can't wait to see more of her on Hallmark in the future.Although, the plots are the same on the Christmas shows, I don't mind and will continue watching the Hallmark channel for years to come.

I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 400 Christmas MOVIES.BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVE NO AGENDA! I AM HONEST! I REVIEW Christmas MOVIES AS A WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN!A single mother moves back to her hometown with her young daughter. Having a hard time adjusting, the daughter seeks help from her music teacher to write a song for the Christmas variety show.Mariah Carey did fine job. The story is cute. For a first time director she knew how to stage a scene and create a mood. Is this a groundbreaking film "NO". Did the film fail? "NO" The film has a few messages here and there but that's fine with me. Its entertaining. I would watch this again "Maybe". I hope this film was a big enough success that Mariah gets another chance to direct another film