Good start, but then it gets ruined

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

One of my top all time favorites from Hallmark!! It's full of humor, family love and romance!

Ralph is a retired police officer who has worked as a New York cop for over 38 years. He plans on visiting his niece Jennifer in Chicago for the holidays. Jennifer is a successful businesswoman and the single mother of her young son Brian. She grew up all her life mostly at Ralph's, as her mother was constantly traveling and her father died when she was very young. Since then, she has lost her Christmas spirit. At the airport, Ralph has no idea where he has to be and he is helped by co-traveler Morgan Derby, a 30-year-old chef who has trouble accepting his age. When it turns out his second flight to Denver is canceled, Ralph offers Morgan to a place to stay at Jennifer's house.Although Jennifer is initially reluctant to take in Morgan, Ralph convinces her to allow him to stay since he is a top chef and she needs someone to make her son a turkey. They soon come to the conclusion that they are two completely different people. Jennifer is irritated by his careless and adventurous behavior and Morgan feels that she is a cynical control freak, which is mostly the result of dating the successful but materialistic businessman Richard Windom. Ralph, however, feels that they are perfect for each other and tries to prevent Jennifer from sending Morgan away.This film is SUPERB entertainment. It very funny. I would of scored it a 10 but the ending delves into a cliché. However the first 80 Minutes are just fantastic.

"The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is one of the better modern Christmas stories put on film. My eight stars may be pushing it a bit because at times the acting seems wooden or hesitant by the two young leads. At other times, especially early on, Brooke Burns as Jennifer Cullen seems to over act, or over react. Maybe it's that so many films focus on the busy-ness of people around the Christmas season that this seems to be wearing thin in the modern run of films. The engagement between Jennifer and Richard, played by Woody Jeffreys, isn't believable. The guy is so intense as a businessman that he doesn't show any affection toward her at all. He doesn't smile one time in this film. Yet she insists several times that "Richard is a good man," etc. It's a real stretch for viewers to think or believe that she could be in love with that guy. The screenplay comes up short in these areas; and the directing should have put some life into Richard. While it may seem a little hokey that Uncle Ralph (played by Henry Winkler) would invite a stranded airline passenger, Morgan Derby (played by Warren Christie) to spend Christmas with his family, it hearkens to a similar situation in the highly popular movie of 1987, "Planes, Trains and Automobiles." Morgan seems a little awkward at first, then uncertain of himself, then a little forward toward Jennifer. Still, this is a good story - and a refreshingly fun film. It owes most of its appeal to Winkler. He is a retired police officer from Brooklyn who is making his annual flight across country to spend the Christmas holidays with his niece and nephew. He meets Morgan in the airport, and Morgan pulls a little caper with Ralph's help to get them checked in at the head of the line, and moved up to first class. On the plane flight out, he tells Morgan that Jennifer is more like a daughter than a niece. And his nephew, Brian, is played beautifully by young Connor Levins. It seems to be a formula for all films in which a single parent child appears, that the child intuits who the right mate should be for his or her mom or dad. Well, it's that way here with Brian taking to Mogan right away and not caring for Richard. But of course, we viewers can see the same thing just in how the characters are presented. The film has some nice touches of humor throughout, especially with a busybody neighbor. Uncle Ralph takes every opportunity to push Morgan toward Jennifer, and to ease her out of her engagement to Richard. Jennifer knows what he's doing, and part of the humor, and warmth, is their interaction. The relationship between Ralph and Jennifer shows a very believable and lovable chemistry between an uncle and a niece. That's one of the strengths of this move. I agree with the reviewer who noted the fight scene with Morgan and the store owner. Playing that for humor detracts from the value of this as a family film. Hallmark tried to make it seem innocuous, but that's sending a message to a child that white lies are OK. Overall, though, this is a Christmas film for adults that one might add to his or her holiday film collection.

A guy's perspective here. Even though I hate almost all chick flicks and Christmas love stories, I absolutely love this movie! My wife was watching it last December and I was immediately hooked. I bought the DVD for her as a Christmas gift and I now find myself watching it over and over again.Jen, a single mom and successful business woman, is stressed out over the Christmas rush, and it doesn't help that her super rich but boring boyfriend, Richard, and his parents are expecting her to prepare an extravagant turkey dinner for all of them. Meanwhile, her uncle Ralph, while flying out to see Jen and her son Brian, meets a stranger, Morgan, and convinces Jen to let him spend the night in her home along with Ralph and Brian.Morgan turns out to be the Jack of all trades--getting Ralph into first class, helping Jen with the Christmas lights, irritating her pesky neighbor, relating wonderfully with Brian, showing Jen how to cook the turkey and at the same time how to enjoy Christmas. He even challenges the grumpy store owner to a duel in the alley in order to get the perfect gift for Brian. Through Ralph's clever manipulating, Morgan ends up staying another night--just long enough to force Jen into having to decide between Morgan and Richard.My only criticism is that they probably overdo the Santa Claus thing with Brian. Not sure why a kid can't enjoy Christmas to its fullest even after knowing Santa isn't real, but other than that, this is a wonderful, delightful Christmas movie.Plenty of humor and definitely a romantic theme, but not so much that guys can't enjoy it. This is more about how to enjoy the holiday season, and it doesn't hurt having Henry Winkler, plus the fact that Brooke Burns is so good looking.