This is my definitive ranking of the 27 Hallmark Channel movies I reviewed in 2023. From the “Holly Hallmark Best Movies” to the “Coal in your Stocking” worst.
This was a great movie to kick off the 2024 Countdown to Christmas, even if it’s mid-October and my house is decorated for Halloween. It’s sweet and funny, but there is one clear reason why: Amy Groening. I’ve seen her in Santa Summit, sharing the female co-starring role with two others and as a secondary character in several other Hallmark movies. But this is the first lead role I’ve seen her in. Forgive me if it’s not the first. She’s excellent. Often we have Hallmark female leads who are a bit—how do I put this nicely—stiff. Groening is anything but stiff. She’s playful and funny, and easy to root for.