A typical movie for this time of the year. The glad hearted Christmas lover (Wendy), her cute little skater of a daughter (Grace), the man who will become her love interest (Tom, the store owners nephew), and of course there is the bah humbug of a Scrooge. Ashanti plays the Scrooge and does a great job. I loved to hate her in this role!!! She makes cuts in staffing, gets rid of the old fashion Christmas displays and scenes, and generally plays the Grinch. She has a heavy named Bruno who is her assistant. She treats him like dirt and that comes around to bite her in the butt. He is turned into a good guy by Grace and especially Grace. he abandons Ashanti end the end. She screws up though when she fakes a theft by Wendy so she could fire her. Tom and his uncle come around after that and not only return the store to the good old displays but fire Ashanti. Tom decides to open a home made candy department and he wants Wendy to run it. She agrees of course and it is obvious that they will end up together. A good little movie all in all.
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SanteeFats16 December 2013
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ComedyFan20104 December 2017This is the usual Christmas movie. A lot of cheesiness, family friendly, special Christmas miracles, no real things to worry about and a happy ending.
I am not sure why we love this kind of movies for Christmas but many of us do. You start watching the move and know how it will end and yet you still enjoy it with some hot cocoa under a warm blanket.
I was wondering who the target audience is through the movie but couldn't figure it out. I think this is the main issue with the movie and why it isn't my favorite. Kids would be bored and the hot naked guys in the store are not for them, teenagers would hate that much cheesiness and while for the most part it seems top be right for adults Ashley Williams's acting seems to be off. She always has a stupid smile on her face and acts like an awkward 12 years old.
The guy who we know she will end us with from the moment we see him is incredibly boring. One can be a good person and for traditions and all that and yet not make one want to fall asleep! Why they are into each other I will never understand, but then again it is Christmas, weird miracles happen.
The one whom I give credit for giving her character as much personality as it is possible for this kind of movies is Shanola Hampton. Her acting was great, even though it is a TV Christmas movie.
Ashanti was also not bad playing the caricature evil whom we never really worry about because we know she will be defeated even before we meet her. I love though how she was referred to as Cruella because it was the first thing that hit my mind when we first saw her!.
I will probably not remember that I saw this movie in a few days. But if it is on Netflix next year as well I will end up watching it again because it is so right for Christmas. -
WendiDenise11 December 2013Ashley Williams is adorable, BUT that constant huge smile throughout the entire movie was distracting and it took away from the sincerity of the production. I feel that it really watered down the show. It's wonderful to seem happy in a Christmas movie as long as it doesn't come across as cheesy and I believe that it crossed that line.Unfortunately, this movie had a few cheesy scenes. Also, some of the other main characters (and background actors)were very weak and also unbelievable, especially Ashanti. The little girl who plays the daughter was more convincing than the rest of the cast. Overall, I was disappointed because I had such high hopes after seeing the previews and I feel that everyone could have done a better job telling this story. Sorry.
The good news is that I've seen much worse... -
rhoda_s_girl17 October 2019Although there were a few cringe moments overall thought it was pretty good for a Christmas chick flick.;) The main girl is hard not to like to act and it definitely was Christmas spirit plus some nice performances from side characters. It might not be entirely family friendly and a little bit predictable but is perfect if want to chill and relax while watching something feel good and Christmasy. Would say is worth at least 7 stars...
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docm-3230413 December 2020Contrived plot, bad direction and everything is happily ever after in a short minute at the end. Why do they keep making this garbage? The Santa is probably one of the worst and Ashley Williams will smile that goofy toothy grin no matter if something good or sad happens....geesh.
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roniekononova9 December 2016okay now that I have your attention let me elaborate, overall the movie was good the story the setting and even the atmosphere what really got to me was the acting. maybe it was the way the main character Wendy was portrayed or maybe it's the way she chose to act as her, but there was this awkwardness that kept on bugging e the whole time. Sometimes female leads are portrayed in this awkward but at the same time cute way here it was just awkward and grimace- worthy could be just me but that is just my opinion. Finally, some aspects of the movie were really annoying. !!!~~~~~ SPOILER ALERT!!!~~~~~!!! when Tom brought in the Christmas tree for example,even though it was against Wendy rates wishes. then when this Teanna character (whose name I probably misspelled) starts having half naked models walking around Christmas store especially in the children's department. I mean what?! that does not make sense as to how that would have even been seen as appropriate. and then the music and the dancing. *shakes head silently* ~~~~ SPOILER ALERT END!!!~~~~ overall it was just a tad bit annoying in general but as a whole, if one were to disregard the little things that bothered me personally it was a pretty good movie, and I would recommend it for anyone wanting to get into the Christmas spirit.
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statuskuo26 December 2018You know something is wrong when the villain is the main attraction. Though much more well known, Ashanti is a wicked heartless corporate witch in heels that attempts to take over a family...department store.
Wendy Carroll (Ashley Williams) has learned that they are about to foreclose on her dead father's candy store. To put a stop to it, she takes her daughter Grace (Kylie Noelle Price) to the city, as her childhood friend Angie (Shanola Hampton) offers her a job at a department store, or at least the hope of a job. The department store is now run by nephew Harry Wolman (David Ralphe) who is a kind hearted man with very little business sense. Enter Teanna Musk (Ashanti) the above mentioned cackling bad girl who is so money grubbing, she's willing to turn a children's Santa display into Chippendales to "keep up with the modern times." Look, as wild Hallmark stories go...this is convoluted and silly. Wendy dragging her daughter to the city is silly enough, but to get a job the same day as relying on a bonus is already in Far Out Land. But we're not on Earth here. Let's say we live in the snow globe of Hallmark and this is what they say the scary city feels like. A homeless man who dresses like Santa and begs for beer appears to be something out of a Norman Rockwell's version of a hobo. The tough streets of...Los Angeles (?) is sanitized beyond all recognition (I live there). But again...this is what an idealized world of Hallmark would think Los Angeles would look like. So go with it, or don't. The solution to their problem is...well, it's the thing that Christmas miracles rely on. An absolute five minute change of heart that causes everyone to sing at the end. Much like a never ending version of "A Very Brady Christmas" it uplifts everyone within earshot to push a hundred pound cross beam off you. And that's what this movie wants you to do. Everyone is pleasant in this town. So if you're one of those types that refuses to live in the cotton candy greeting card world, you will roll your eyes more than you realize. The rest will find the buoyancy of Ashley Williams' soulless yet perpetually optimistic eyes endearing and warm. To be fair, I'm in a marathon now which causes my own eyes to cross due to the saccharin nature of these movies. I'm sure to over expose myself to a point of being infinitely ill prepared for reality...pretty soon. -
Hollywoodwhore9912 May 2017This film is almost one of those that you will "love it" or "hate it". Now I will admit this television film is not perfect but it reminds me of a tone that the Disney Live Action Films had in the 1960's and 1970's".
What the story is about a woman named Wendy. She is trying to save her family business. It is a candy store that was started by her late father. She runs the shop with her mother. She also has a small child.
Seeing that she needs money fast she goes to stay with her friend Angie and gets a job at a family owned department store and she slowly falls for Tom one of the owners. This also makes her a target of a Teanna who is out for all sorts of blood.
The film is not perfect however if you like "Christmas films" then you will love this. -
henrys-8854818 November 2019I liked this despite it not being realistic. Shirtless hunks in the toy department? Come on. Reminded me of a preschool version of Abercrombie and Fitch. Anyway, the characters were likeable and the overall message "don't take Christmas out of Christmas" is why I'm giving this a 7. And Los Angeles looked a bit too sanitized. Where are all the homeless people pooping in the streets? Oh wait, that's San Fran. Or is it both? Doesn't matter. Sometimes all you want is a movie with a warm fuzzy message.
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Marynewcomb201314 December 2018Half naked men selling toys is NOT kid friendly or family oriented!! That's what Ashanti's character did!! She was no where near right for the part she played!! Yeah, she was the band person in the movie but you wanted to yank her out for bad acting!!! The rest of the cast was good!! If not for the two bad things I mentioned and the fact it was filmed in summer time, that was obvious, this movie would have gotten a higher rating from me!! My reviews are honest reviews unlike the biggest part you see on here. Don't fall for professional reviewers trying to pass off as regular folk like the one that brags about how many Christmas movie reviews they done!! If you are looking for a good family movie to watch with the family, don't watch this one!!
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cherycole12 May 2017Someone else here said you will love this or hate this and I tend to agree with that statement. "Christmas in the City" is not meant to be groundbreaking art. What it is meant to do is to entertain an audience and it does. Maybe a little more effort could have been made in ways of the screenplay and that the final reveal of the department store with its Christmas display could of used a bigger wow factor would of helped the overall experience.
This film is all about love. Love you have with your family traditions and fearing of losing them. Not a perfect film but it is made with joy and the lead has a smile that becomes a star in its own right. I saw this on NETFLIX streaming.
Available now -
thebushwacker4 November 2021"Christmas In The City" 2013. It's very sweet and charming. And while the nice people are trying to enjoy life, along comes the Grinch who stole Christmas, Angie. She is bent on making everyone's lives miserable. It's an old theme, but it's done very nicely. I just found the movie a little tedious, with not enough to keep me interested. Other people may absolutely love the movie! It is very good at what it does. // The Bushwacker 11/3/2021.
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TheLittleSongbird10 March 2020Despite loving Christmas so much, conceptually 'Christmas in the City' didn't sound much different from the stories of some other festive films from the likes of Hallmark and Lifetime, which in this regard tend to be quite standard/formulaic. So hopes weren't high because of this, as well as being a non-fan of Ashanti. Saw it anyway, having seen positive reviews from people whose opinions have always been appreciated by me, liked its intentions and Ashley Williams is quite likeable.
'Christmas in the City' was a little better than expected, but still didn't find myself particularly caring for it. It has its heart in the right place. It had good intentions. It does have appealing moments. 'Christmas in the City' also sadly suffers from too much cheese. Too much schmaltz. And from being over-acted. It is neither one of the best or worst recently seen festive films, instead of of those "not completely sure what my feelings are" sort of film, being not sure at first in what rating to give it.
Of course there are good things with 'Christmas in the City'. The best thing about it is the soundtrack, which really puts one in the Christmas mood. Full of well known carols, a bit of Tchaikovsky and catchy especially written songs, and they didn't feel too much or slowed the film down. "The First Noel" is especially lovely and while not caring at all for Ashanti's acting she does have pipes. It's a good looking film too, that toy store is something to behold and enough to make one go down memory lane in delight if they have fond childhood memories of toy stores at Christmas (raising hand here).
Although her smiling is overdone Williams is an appealing lead. Equally well supported by Shanola Hampton and Kylie Noelle Price. The bond between Wendy and Grace is charming and touching, providing the film's heart. As said too, the film has its heart in the right place and its intentions, not laid on too thick, are laudable.
However, most of the cast resort to shameless over-acting. The worst offender being the cartoonish mugging of Ashanti. Most of the characters are neither interesting or easy to get behind, Wendy and Grace being exceptions and Teanna is pretty much a cartoon. The story is very predictable, where one knows well in advance how it's going to end and even what's coming next throughout the whole duration.
Too much of the dialogue is incredibly cheesy and awkward-sounding and a lot of the film outside of the mother/daughter bond is heavy in schmaltz, well-meaning schmaltz but sickly sweet schmaltz nonetheless. The pace starts quite well but drags the thinner the story gets, which sadly is not too far long in and there are elements that are gratuitous and serve only as strange padding.
Summarising, alright but too lacking in too many areas. 5/10 -
nicsgram5 September 2019It was an ok Christmas movie but Ashley constantly smiling was bothersome! Sorry...! One more minor complaint was she just kept wearing those black tights! I hope she washed them every night or she had lots of them!
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vtruck-1431424 November 2020It was horrible I can't believe Ashley Williams was in this! Everything was so disappointing.
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Christmas-Reviewer23 June 2016BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY REVIEW ONE FILM. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THAT PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 200 Christmas MOVIES. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I AM FARE ABOUT THESE FILMS.
In this film a family owned business is about to go under! So Wendy and her six-year- old daughter Grace move to the big city where an old friend gets her a job in the toy department of Wolmans Department Store . Wendy hopes to make enough money to save her family business. The film is far from perfect but so what. It is enjoyable. It also wears a huge heart on its sleeve. I love the fact the film proudly displays affections people have for traditions and family. Ashley Williams plays Wendy and she plays the part perfectly. Wendy is the type of person you would want in your life. BE it "Friend, Girlfriend, Wife, etc.
Boys of all ages will hate it. So kick them out of the room and snuggle up with the person you love and enjoy the show. Its well worth your time.
Available on Amazon for streaming. This made for Lifetime movie will most likely get repeated during the holiday season. Catch it when it airs! I can't wait to see it again -
callisand165 December 2019I just wanted a sweet (if cookie cutter) movie that wouldn't distract me while I worked at home. I didn't watch for goofs ( except to notice warm weather clothes worn by people outdoors, while actors wore coats). I was amused that Ashanti was no actress, or Ashley Williams no singer. Though tempted a few times just to fast forward to the "good" parts, I kept it on. It didn't disappoint, as it was what I expected.
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You could easily dismiss a film like this. It is easy to do but this film is very "family friendly" and has a sweetness to it that i found comforting.
What this is about is about love and hope. They story is Wendy Carroll (Ashley Williams) and her six-year-old daughter Grace (Kylie Price) live in a small town where Christmas is everywhere, she gets a foreclosure notice three weeks before Christmas for her father's candy store that she has ran for the last five years. To make some extra money and save the candy store Carroll and Grace travel to the big city. She stays with her friend Angie from back home whom just got a major part in a play. Angie works at Wolman's Department store where she takes Carrol to apply for a temp job. On waiting for Angie to check in she meets Tom who manages the store and offers her a job in the toy department of Wolmans, the city's biggest department store, Wendy can't wait! She thinks the store is amazing, with all the Christmas holiday cheer, unfortunately her excitement doesn't last long when the store's manager, Teanna (Ashanti), destroys the Christmas spirit throughout the store and replaces Santa. (Michael Durrell) with a hunky male underwear model surrounded by elfin "babes."
What Teanna is unaware of is that she has in fact sacked the real Santa. Unaware of his real "Santa" status, Wendy reaches out to the old man but it seems even he has given up hope. With her daughter losing faith in the holiday, Wendy realizes she must bring the true meaning of Christmas back to Wolmans before it is too late.
What I like the most about this was that it did capture "That feeling you have at Christmas when your a child". You think everything is possible -
deathcamel5710 December 2016There are so many issues that I have with this movie. My review is going to go through only a few of the many issues I saw on my first (and only) view.
So the place and time are New York City in December. One glaring issue that I saw related to this was all of the grass, trees, and shrubs in every outside scene were green, showing no signs of Winter. Grace Caroll, the child, continuously talks in a child's "OH MY GOSH, I'M GOING TO BE IN A MOVIE" tone. The overacting is terrible. Right before Tom learns about Angie's plans, he walks to Angie's printer and finds her plans. As he walks up, the printer is jammed, and the paper that he pulls out of it is crumpled on the bottom half. However, the jam on the whole bottom half of the page does not even smudge the ink? I sure wish that the director would sell his design for printers like that... What about after Wendy finds out that the store Santa is the real Santa? I'd be surprised for at least a few minutes, yet about 10 seconds after she finds out, she has a dim expression and seems unfazed by this? Wendy said to Tom that her father tried to teach her to skate for years, and that she has two left feet, so she never could. But near the end of the movie, after the years of not even trying to skate (as she said earlier), she doesn't fall, and can even raise on leg in the air as she skates without falling on her face? How about every actor having red eyes throughout the whole film? They all look stoned because of this.
This is just a little description of the issues that were raised in my first and only viewing. I would not recommend this low-budget piece of crap to anyone, even if it would save my life. -
wes-connors14 December 2013When her small-town candy store reaches foreclosure, perky Ashley Williams (as Wendy Carroll) moves to the big city to make her fortune, with cute little daughter Kylie Price (as Grace). You may wonder what girl this age wears lipstick, mascara and earrings to bed. Moving in with actress pal Shanola Hampton (as Angie), Ms. Carroll quickly gets a job at a large department store. Although it's Christmas, businesses are failing all over. Carroll arrives at the same time as tightly-outfitted marketing genius Ashanti (as Teanna Musk), who has been hired to move Wolman's store finances from red to black. Ashanti thinks firing "Santa" (Michael Durrell as Nick) and hiring shirtless young hunks is a good way to get profits up. She also appears to have her hands on handsome Jon Prescott (as Thomas "Tom" Wolman), the son of the store owner. He seems rather slow in asserting himself, but Mr. Prescott could be Carroll's Prince Charming. The Spirit of Christmas might help. Nicely performed, "The First Noel" is a highlight.
**** Christmas in the City (12/7/13) Marita Grabiak ~ Ashley Williams, Jon Prescott, Ashanti, Shanola Hampton -
uberjeanie4 December 2017I know, the title of my review will put me on Santa's naughty list but I had to be honest. I'm all for fluffy Hallmark-type movies but this one has some pretty serious over-acting in it.
If you're looking for a movie with Christmas trees, Santa and a romance, there are plenty to choose from that would be better than this. I certainly wouldn't give it a 10/10 as 17% of reviewers on IMDb have. That's overly generous and reserved for lifetime classics. -
TheMan8963258 May 2017This film is so far fetched that it borders on camp however, Ashley Williams makes the film watchable and believable. This is not easy because this film has things that are crazy.
Example Angie lives in an apartment that she could never afford. Tom is "Good looking" "Nice" and "single"? Then there is Teeana Setting up Wendy and when she is caught she doesn't even go to jail?
Putting all of that aside I still love this film. It all comes down to"Faith" "Hope" "Family" and "Traditions".
The main plot of the film is that Wendy Carroll (Ashley Williams) and her six-year-old daughter Grace (Kylie Price) live in a small town where Christmas is everywhere, she gets a foreclosure notice three weeks before Christmas for her father's candy store that she has ran for the last five years. To make some extra money and save the candy store Carroll and Grace travel to the big city. She stays with her friend Angie from back home whom just got a major part in a play. Angie works at Wolman's Department store where she takes Carrol to apply for a temp job. On waiting for Angie to check in she meets Tom who manages the store and offer's her a job in the toy department of Wolmans, the city's biggest department store, Wendy can't wait! She thinks the store is amazing, with all the Christmas holiday cheer, unfortunately her excitement doesn't last long when the store's manager, Teanna (Ashanti), destroys the Christmas spirit throughout the store and replaces Santa. (Michael Durrell) with a hunky male underwear model surrounded by elfin "babes."
I don't want to give too much away but I love it when it seems the whole world breaks out and sings "Oh Come All Ye Faithful". I am not religious but that moment is magic to me. This film has a vibe that reminds me of the movies "Disney" made in the 1960's and 1970's
Very family safe. Not for everyone. However if you want to watch a film about a woman trying to hang on to family traditions and succeeding then watch this. I wish this was available on DVD however you can stream it on Netflix.
I am looking forward to seeing Ashley Williams on other projects. -
I get that these are formulaic, boilerplate schmalzy Christmas movies but people know this and watch them anyway. This movie, however, is ludicrous. Teanna (Ashanti) is way in the red zone on the scale. and most of the "cuts" that she makes in the store are just for deviousness --they'd have no bearing whatsoever on "saving money", because supposedly, Santa, the carolers, the day care center, would have been figured into the budget. All the decorations she gets rid of were already paid for as they have been used in years past. She is just evil for its own sake. And predictably, the owner and his nephew have no gumption whatsoever and just cave to whatever she says. The whole premise is ridiculous and even had they listened to her at the first, it would never have gone on as long as it did. Wth is wrong with this nephew? Can he not google Teanna and find out HER background? I always like Ashley Williams in these type of movies, but even she is not enough to save this stinker.
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brianclarkdallas16 May 2017Television films are by the number. This is a "GREAT EXAMPLE" of a that. This doesn't mean this is a bad movie its just nothing special.
In this movie a young woman (Wendy) leaves her small town with her daughter to earn money to save her fathers business. She gets a job a department store and she falls in love with the stores owner.
Things get messy when another woman (Teanna) sees Wendy a threat. The actress Ashley Williams smiles in every scene. I fully understand why she took that approach. The reality is that "Wendy" is a nice woman. She is kind and supports her friends. Teanna however never smiles and she is only out for herself.
The climax of the film however needed more work. There is a scene where they "Make-over" the store. I think the whole film would have worked better if they showed more decorations and customers reaction to them. What we get is "Okay" and gets the point across but the film needed a bigger "WOW" then what was presented. Don't get me wrong the scene still works but it should have been better!
Family safe but don't expect too much. It is worth watching! -
dlfasig14 March 2017I'm a fan of Christmas movies and schmaltz doesn't bother me a bit. Spirit of Christmas triumphs over nasty commercialism, fine. Hackneyed predictable story, not a problem.
This movie has all that. Unfortunately it also has a cast that mugs it's way through the entire hour and a half. There isn't one believably delivered line through the whole thing, let alone any kind of emotional connection between the characters.
Santa was very disappointing. He should have been a key element but just didn't get it done. Good voice and chuckle, but that was about it. His beard changed from one scene to the next,and never looked good, they didn't even bother to groom his mustache. And don't get me started about the cheesy, ill-fitting, off the shelf suit.
To top it all off, the gratuitous use of sleazy, shirtless, male models renders the film unsuitable for small children.