Truly Dreadful Film

From my favorite movies..

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

This movie is quite enjoyable due to the fact that the story is so delightfully different then most christmas movies. Sure, thereæs the hot girl who can't find the lov of her live, there's the handsome fellow she falls in love with and of course the setting is in a peacefull beautiful inn on the countryside covered in snow but the story itself is now and then even spooky and grim. I will not blow it by adding spoilers, but if you're in to a christmas movie that is differnet and surprising with good acting of almost all the players, here's the one to watch.

When I began watching this movie I expected it to be the typical ghost story type movie where woman falls for man then man vanishes and never returns plot but no, not the case. I also will say the scenery/filming location was simply magnificent, so beautiful. The acting was far better than I'd expected and the ending was a total surprise. This movie reminded me of movies way back in the 1970's/'80's when movies taught/reminded us of our values, taught us forgiveness and much more. Well done, I simply loved every minute of it. I'd encourage anyone to watch this movie, you won't be disappointed no matter your age. I usually pass on these lifetime or network Christmas movies but am glad I chose this one to begin the Christmas season with.

This is a unique take on TV Christmas movies. I enjoy watching most TV Christmas movies but so many are pretty predictable kind of like they are out of a box and just fill in the blanks and have an unnaturalness in the acting. But this movie is different and has a great plot and very good acting and very good sets. I challenge anyone to find a Christmas TV movie like this one. Fun to watch and very different from the Christmas TV movie standard formula. During the whole movie I was interested and not sure of how things were going to turn out, which is something I like in a movie. The lead female was very good and very believable and just a natural for the part. And the lead male was equally as good and well suited to the part. And the supporting cast fit very well. I never once lost interest or was able to jump to the ending in my mind.

This Lifetime Christmas 2015 movie has everything, perhaps too much of everything: an attractive cast, love, romance, nostalgia, mystery, beautiful winter settings and a splendid, Victorian haunted house "Hollygrove Inn". It's the former home of the Forsythes,(not the same as in the "Forsythe Saga"), who have died without heirs. Ambitious,single and thoroughly modern attorney Kate (Jen Lilley)is sent from Boston to Vermont 12 days before Christmas to broker the sale of the inconveniently haunted mansion. She's promised a promotion if she can deal with the ghosts and the real estate before the year's end. Problems start to mount as soon as Kate gets there. The appraiser leaves in panic, his job undone, after having encountered a ghost. Plus, the innkeeper Warren (excellent actor Robert Walsh)is closing the Inn for the holidays.But spunky Kate tells him she will stay in spite of Warren's objections. Kate stays, meets the resident hunky ghost,impressive Daniel Forsythe (Thomas Beaudoin), who died by an unknown killer on Christmas Eve 95 years ago, as he approached "Hollygrove". The supernatural walks into our story right then in the unusual form of Daniel The Ghost, who likes to eat pancakes, imbibe drinks, and of course, likes women like Kate, in more than a spiritual way. At first, Kate and Daniel quarrel, but soon she succumbs to his manly ghost charms.Kate's love is also fueled by her empathy with Daniel's very sad, errant ghost story. Daniel is doomed to return to the house every Christmas and not to resolve his other-worldly status until he can solve the mysteries of his life, love and his death. Eventually, Kate will help him to solve the puzzle of his inconclusive ghost existence. This TV movie looks expensive, its production values are high, as we travel back to Hollygrove 1919,in stylish flashbacks. We learn Daniel thinks his wife Lilly (Katy Salowsky) was unfaithful with his brother, whom she married and had a daughter with, after Daniel died. We also find out, with curious Kate's help,that not one, but two ghosts inhabit Hollygrove, and the other one is Daniel's mysterious killer. Is it his bro, his wife, or someone else? Stay tuned to the end and find out. Another suspense element in this very complicated story, is his wife Lilly's love for Daniel. Did she or did she not betray him with his bro? Another subplot to solve is the future of Hollygrove. How can Kate sell the property and have her favorite ghost be homeless? Who will buy Haunted Hollygrove with the murder curse and the unwelcome ghosts? Finally and most importantly, will Kate and Daniel find a way to join flesh and spirit,to bridge the chasm between life and death, and fulfill their love? In many ways the unusual human-loves-ghost story gives origin to interesting, suspenseful and cute humorous situations. The lovely Hollygrove mansion and setting, plus the period flashbacks gives it romance and nostalgic texture. There's also several charming subplots like the romance between Molly(Joanna Herrington) a local pub owner, and Innkeeper Warren, who is also the ghost's best friend."The Spirit of Christmas" requires that we forsake our logic and stretch our imagination into the realm of the supernatural. But think of Dicken's "A Christmas Carol"or of some Nicholas Spark's romantic stories,like "Safe Haven". Think of so many Christmas films in which Santa, elves, or angels do magical mysterious favors for humans. Christmas is that time when we are most willing to suspend logic and believe in spirits, the promise of an afterlife, and all things magical. The problem with "The Spirit of Christmas" is not that we can't accept its supernatural premises. It's that the crafted storyline doesn't work logically. At the end, the puzzle pieces don't fall neatly into place.Thus, it doesn't produce a fully pleasing feeling, a sense of artful satisfaction. It has too many loose ends and unexplained issues. I'll mention just one, not to produce important spoilers. How can Daniel be allowed to choose between staying on Earth or move to another life, once his curse is lifted? Analyze what the script says happened in 1919t; it's full of holes. The plot is too complicated and ambitious. Especially when it flashes back,the treatment of past events is shoddy, perfunctory and unreal. The film does much better when it covers the present, with more reality, wit, and humor. The cinematography is beautiful, with great winter landscapes and interiors. The acting is competent, especially by Ms. Lilley(Kate), Ms. Herrington (Molly), and Mr. Walsh (Warren). I also liked Mr. Beaudoin as Daniel whose impressive presence and light humorous touch seems just right for Daniel. That said, his lines fall flat in dialogue requiring more depth. "Spirit of Christmas"has many interesting parts, but the whole doesn't quite come together. Still,it's a film worth watching; but don't expect full satisfaction.