Best Christmas Party Ever (2014 TV Movie) User Reviews (18)

It Works Despite Itself

[Christmas-Reviewer · 7/10 · 28 September 2016]

******Christmas Cliché #1 Main Character Name is Nick****** ******Christmas Cliché #2 Two Leads are Adversary's That Fall In Love****** ******Christmas Cliché #3 A Happy Ending******

However the film is still worth watching

"Best Christmas Party Ever"

With the holiday season at hand, a young party planner Jennie Stanton (Torrey DeVitto) learns that her boss, Petra (Linda Thorson), will be retiring after Christmas and hopes she will be left in charge of Petra's Parties, New York's premiere event planning service. Jennie's hopes fade when Petra's charming and handsome nephew, Nick (Steve Lund), arrives on the scene and Petra announces that he will take over the business. She is none to happy but you can figure out what is going to happen.

My only main complaint about this film was that it is suppose to be Christmas time but every time they have an skyline shot of New York there is no snow and it seems to be Summertime!

The acting in this is fine and the story line works. I give major points to this film because they do not make Nick's girlfriend a jealous woman. This was a major plus in my book.

Family safe but in general kids will be bored but adults will like this one!

Now would I watch this one again? "Yes I will".

Started strong, but really week ending

[MIamiReviewer · 6/10 · 24 November 2015]

As the previous reviewer noted, this is actually pretty good on the scale of Hallmark Christmas movies. Pretty people, cute plot that was slightly more substantial than the average Christmas movie. The leads were good enough, and he was charming and unlike most of the leads in most of these Hallmark romantic comedies, didn't come across as an asexual non-suitor. The leads here actually had a little chemistry, and my cringe moments in the first hour and forty five minutes were few and far between. Then the last 15 minutes came, and ouch. They threw everything together on the backdrop of this manic, low-budget movie Christmas party, which completely distracted from the sweet plot that had otherwise been developing. And managed to put together a get-together final scene that was entirely devoid of chemistry. It felt like the end of Wayne's World where every character popped out in the last thirty seconds and awkwardly and quickly tied up their lose ends.

As an aside, the obsessive emphasis on the value of party planning was a little over the top in this movie. All the poor kids telling the party planner that her previous charitable Christmas parties changed their lives -- all while ignoring the toy store that paid for and provided the gifts for said parties? Really? Of those two people, the party planner was the one responsible for changing your life?

Leopards change their spots

[Jackbv123 · 5/10 · 8 November 2017]

This movie chose to spend a lot of time on adversity as faced by Jennie. That alone makes it a little different from all those other ones that give us 90% cheer and eggnog and adversity is just a very brief pause in the action.

I wish Nick hadn't made me hate him so much in the very early part. I mean, I really hated him, and Aunt Petra too. I think this is a case where the leopard changes his spots a little too unrealistically.

Meanwhile, Jennie, as portrayed by Torrey DeVitto, seems too insecure and too easily shaken to be realistic to think herself as Petra's heir. She also changes her spots, so as to become all courageous.

My biggest problem, though, was that they didn't sell me on the blooming romance. From where I sat, it looked too much like Jennie changed her whole attitude toward Nick based on one tender, caring gesture. She might have begun to respect his imagination prior to that, but that's not romance. They didn't have a lot of positive screen time. Steve Lund, as Nick, at least show signs of being drawn to Jennie a little more gradually.

In broad strokes, the story was entertaining. We can see some of the general things that are coming in the story, but getting there is not as predictable.

Nothing to stand out here

[Moonicas · 15 December 2020]

I'm not a big fan of movies about event planners, and this is one of those trying to tell you that not being able to throw a certain Christmas party seems like the end of the world. However, actors are good and have some chemistry. Both main characters have another love interest, but luckily there's no big drama regarding this issue. It falls between decent Hallmark productions, but you can easily guess that it's been a few years since it came out. Today's holiday movies don't feel so pushy and overall are more entertaining.

It's a Christmas party

[jewelch · 7/10 · 2 December 2020]

This was well worth watching had a very good story. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 12/1/2020

who is paying for the party?

[dmckeracher · 2/10 · 26 November 2021]

Plot defies common sense after the sponser fires the party organizer where is the money coming from ? ( note owner was not of firing and much later informed a potential lawsuit)

One of my favorites!

[outdoorsy_gal · 10/10 · 22 December 2019]

This is one of my favorite Christmas movies! I have actually watched it a few times. Great storyline & all around great movie. I'll probably watch it again.

Skip this movie; there are way better hallmark movies

[thinkingradically · 1/10 · 27 December 2021]

The product placement for Visionworks really exemplified how terrible this movie is. The characters are unlikeable and the premise is quite forced.

The best scene is at the end when the boss is mad and puts her glasses down and the Visionworks logo is completely in your face.

Very unfortunate execution.

As far as Christmas movies go, this is as good as they get.

[tedphx · 10/10 · 13 December 2014]

Here's what I really liked about Best Christmas Party Ever - everybody looked great, and I mean everybody, there were no "bad guy" caricatures, and the plot was coherent, reasonably believable, and the ending made it all a satisfying fairytale.

The only Christmas movie I can recall liking better than this is Crazy For Christmas starring the magnificent Andrea Roth, but I could easily come to regard this one as an equal and Torrey DeVitto as magnificent as well.

If you think It's A Wonderful Life rates a 10, Best Christmas Party Ever is at least a 20.

not enough spice

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 7 July 2022]

Jennie Stanton (Torrey DeVitto) is expecting a big promotion. Her boss Petra is retiring. It's all at risk when Petra's charming nephew Nick (Steve Lund) shows up and muscles in on the work.

This is another Hallmark Christmas. In this one, I'm not feeling any heat from this pairing. They're very nice and very bland. Steve Lund is too nice. He's almost a puppy dog. They need a third for the traditional triangle to spice things up. This is even less spicy than most Hallmark.

Not the best Christmas party ever

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 21 April 2020]

Have been aware for a long time not to expect too much from a Hallmark Christmas film. Some can be very sweet and charming with a good amount of heart. Others can be very cheesy and sentimental with excessive predictability and very variable acting and characters. As well as some that fit in the watchable and in between both extremes category, which is not too bad a position to be in but is fairly unexceptional at the same time.

Found myself somewhat mixed, almost conflicted, on 'Best Christmas Party Ever', which had almost all of the elements for both extremes so both sides are understandable. It is far from a bad film and did like enough elements for it to be watchable, but it never rose above decent for me and had some noticeable flaws. If you liked 'Best Christmas Party Ever' more than that, fair enough, and same for if you liked it less. As far as Hallmark festive films go, this is somewhere around high middle of the pack.

'Best Christmas Party Ever' does have good things and the good things can be found in a number of Hallmark's festive efforts. It is nicely filmed and despite them not being authentic to where the film is meant to be set. There are some nice moments in the soundtrack. A good deal of the middle act is very charming and well meaning.

At least most of the characters didn't irritate me and had personality, though it did take time to warm to Jennie, unlike some other Hallmark Christmas films they have some character growth (especially Nick). The acting is better than average, especially from Steve Lund and supporting cast standout Linda Thorson on witty form. Lund has appealing chemistry with Torrey DeVitto, who gets off to an unsettled start but one warms to her as Jennie grows.

Like a lot of Hallmark's efforts however, 'Best Christmas Party Ever' is very formulaic and what happens can be figured out from miles away. While there is heart and sweetness without being too sugary, there is a lot of cheesiness and parts that make one cringe in the dialogue. While the chemistry is obvious, the relationship starts to move too fast later on and changes of heart come out of nowhere.

The pacing is similarly erratic, occasionally the transitioning scenes from the first act to the middle drags and then the ending tries to cram in too much too quickly. In an attempt to wrap things up hastily after too slow a build up no doubt. Really didn't care for Jennie initially, too stiff and self-absorbed.

On the whole, a bit mixed here. 5/10

Oh So Close

[cammietime · 8/10 · 29 December 2016]

Overall this movie is better than most Hallmark Christmas movies, but it doesn't stick the landing. Jennie is the leading lady, and unlike most Hallmark movie leading ladies, she is rather up tight, stuck up, and dresses like a barbie doll. She is also too pretty for the role with her model looks, a 'girl next door' type of actress would have fit the role better. Jennie was overacted throughout the movie, often defrauding Nick of his scene stealing qualities. Nick was a refreshing take on the leading man, and not only was his personality quite different than the usual wooden acting from leading males we've come to expect, Nick also is the main character that has to give up his acting dream - the total opposite of all other Hallmark Christmas movies where the leading female character has to give up her dreams to be with the guy. This time around the guy gives it up for the girl.

The romance works much better in this movie, but it moves too slowly and then is smashed all together at the end, it's like they go 15mph for the first hour 45minutes, then hit the gas in the last 15 minutes. With only 4 minutes left on the movie, I still had many, many questions and there were many story lines that needed to be resolved.

I liked Nick, I did not like Jennie very much. Jennie was woefully miscast in this movie.

The old grandma lady was nice in that she was witty but also not naive. The Todd character was a bit forced and didn't quite work, but again, Nick made up for these faults.

Not a good movie

[titosalamanca · 4/10 · 29 December 2017]

I expected so much more from this movie. Very predictable. Worst wardrobe ever.

nice

[Kirpianuscus · 13 November 2019]

It is strange to define it as bad Christmas movie. Not exactly for the Hallmark status of story or for not so convincing acting but for a sort of magic. After many variations of Christmas, from different perspectives , a film about maker of parties is not a incorrect idea and it is just nice the ball of events, romance and good intentions, the work of Sean McCann and Linda Thornson and Kathie Imrie, So, just fine.Crowded, off course. But fine.

Best Christmas Party Ever

[alexgibbsa · 10/10 · 31 December 2021]

I love this movie. I love that Jennie and Nick fall in love throughout the movie and it end with them having a kiss at the Christmas party. And this is a great Christmas movie that I think all families should sit down and watch together.

Best part ever movie

[krichter-24724 · 1/10 · 7 November 2018]

Boring, lacks something. Put me to sleep!!! Did not like Devitto's acting. Too superficial.

time donate movie

[webhinditime · 10/10 · 12 December 2022]

I have liked this movie very much, its story is very good, some scenes are very good,

There are very few movies which touch the heart, this movie is one of them.

I think the time I had left to watch this movie is absolutely right.

Some scenes of this movie bahut hi accie hai, I liked the story very much, I went to watch this movie after taking out my precious time and I liked that time very much, the dialogue actors of this movie and some things are wonderful I have got to learn a lot in this post and I want to read more of your articles, the language of your articles is very simple, i movie.

(Christmas) party on!

[allmoviesfan · 8/10 · 17 December 2023]

Really enjoyed this.

Torrey DeVitto is beautiful and she is wonderfully engaging, and plays the role of Jennie Stanton about as well as it could be played. Steve Lund is just as good as Nick, her at-first adversary then ally and finally - naturally, this being Hallmark - partner.

A refreshing take on the boy meets girl, featuring a veteran party planner (DeVitto) and Lund's Nick, an actor who comes in at the last minute, the nephew of the owner of the company Jennie works for, and the heir apparent. Of course, he needs assistance from Jennie to learn the business of party planning, and their relationship progresses well across the ninety minute movie, with the expected ending. The parties provided some great visuals.

Still some of the expected Hallmark cliches (including the love triangle - a quadrangle at one stage), but don't let that deter you. This is one of the better Christmas movies the Crown network has produced.