very weak, unfortunately

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

What A Delight, Heart Warming Christmas Movie by Hallmark. **** May contain spoiler**** The story starts little slow but story DOES BUILD UP and gives you a good smile. It gives a joy to watch family members struggles but unites and discover value of a family. After Sister dies, her daughter was given to the youngest brother, who used to be the favorite, to take care. With mother's tragic death, little girl doesn't talk nor smile. This brother has now given a goal that most priority is his niece and do anything to make her smile and talk again. As story goes on, there's young lady who had bad relationship moves to this town to open a new toy shop. she fumbles into this brother and his niece time to time and eventually the one falls in love and make little girl to talk and put a smile back in her face. Even though it starts bit slow, it wasn't boring but appreciated the value of the story. Couple thing wanted to mention is, like other viewer, this young man does look lot like Tom Cruise and the your lady is more like Michelle Pfeiffer, WOW, REALLY YOU SHOULD WATCH IT^^

I have read other reviews posted, saying it was sappy with uninteresting characters and I say, NOT! If you are the type of person who attends film festivals and thrives on subtitles, maybe so. If you just need a plain old fashioned heart warming tale, this is it! Needless to say, I purchased it for my collection. I am a hopeless romantic and I love Christmas, so this was a given. I think it is a wonderful story of love lost and love found, of family trials and the enduring spirit of a families ties. I say give it a chance and you will not leave without shedding a tear or bursting out in joyous laughter. I have five brothers, so the brother scenes are a hoot! Break out the popcorn and tissues!

First off... best film with a basset hound. Loved Olive.Secondly and more importantly. Great job Eloise! You seem to have great emotional screen presence! Hope you have a great future in film. Will be watching for you. Keep up the good work!Sean Faris - are you a stunt double for Tom Cruise or what? You gotta lose the Tom Cruise look dude! You did a great job... but get a different look please. I think its mostly the hair-do in this flick that does you wrong.Hallmark films are mostly corny to me... but that makes them fun as well. Not a bad movie for family time.

At the start of the movie, Tim and Maggie are getting married. Only Tim never shows up, though Maggie's dress is gorgeous.In Seattle, three months after her mother Victoria died, first-grader Holly hasn't talked yet and she is having trouble in school. Victoria wanted her brother Mark to take Holly if anything happened to her (she didn't tell Mark who the father was), and so far Uncle Mark is doing a good job, but he doesn't want Holly to be held back because of her problems. Shelby is his girlfriend, and while she is nice enough, she won't put Holly's needs above her own.The solution is to move to the charming little island town where he and Cara run T.A.N. Coffee. There is a good school there which should help Holly.The island is reached only by ferry. And it just so happens that on the ferry, Mark and Holly meet Maggie, Maggie's logical sister Kate, and Olive, the dog Kate got stuck with when her roommate moved out. Maggie thinks Holly is just adorable, though Kate thinks she likes Mark too.Mark and Holly move in with Mark's macho construction worker brother Scott. Their science nerd brother Alex, who works when he gets grants and may move to Maine, also lives there, and he can cook. But the house is big and while the older brothers are both macho jerks who still treat Mark like a kid, Holly could be a good influence. With little work to do, Scott is in the process of renovating, and a pretty pink room for Holly becomes part of that process.Former toy company employee Maggie has dreamed of opening a toy store of her own. She has bought Magic Mirror Toys on the island, though she gets in a disagreement with the longtime manager and sends the older woman packing. This means Kate is stuck working for her instead of going back to college, but Maggie needs her intelligence.Thanksgiving is a disaster, but the brothers have not been together since they lost their father and their mother didn't want to celebrate.The day after is the big grand opening for the toy store. Holly and Mark happen to visit and Maggie and Holly have one of several really special moments.Soon, Holly is in school, and starting to improve. She hasn't talked but she really likes that toy store.You don't have to be Alex to know where this is going.Holly is adorable even when she doesn't speak or even smile. There's just something about her.The main characters are appealing enough. Sean Faris and Eloise Mumford (who looks like Katherine Heigl to me) do a good enough job for Lifetime. This is a Hallmark Hall of Fame production, though, but they're okay. Catherine Berube as the voice of reason probably does the best job of anyone.The town is one of those pleasant small towns, but with a little more culture than Mayberry. The people there are nice for the most part.The best moments involve Maggie and Holly and that tiny house where the fairy lives.And Maggie can Riverdance!It's a nice Christmas story, even of it doesn't quite reach the level of a Hallmark production.