Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses (2019 TV Movie) User Reviews (32)

Charm under the mistletoe

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 23 February 2021]

There has never been any bias for or against Hallmark Christmas films. Actually think there are a mix of good, bad (and worse in some cases) and somewhere between mediocre and decent, so it's a variable output really. One just needs to know what to expect and not to expect too much. Have always appreciated romantic dramas with touches of comedy, so yeah 'Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses' was hardly one of those doomed from the start sort of films. Also Jill Wagner is always watchable

'Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses' mostly lived up to and exceeded mixed expectations, as it could have gone either way of being charming and cute or being sickly sweet and cheesy. And it manages on the most part to be the former. Despite what the corny and somewhat sugary title suggests. A good lesson in not judging a film by its title, advertising or any previous exposure to Hallmark Christmas films whether positive or negative. As far as Hallmark Christmas films go, generally 'Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses' is around solid middle, uneven but decent.

Will start with the not so good. The predictability of the story does get excessive in spots, especially in the final third, and parts early on are on the forced side. Hallmark is no stranger to over-obvious and too hastily and neatly wrapped up endings, and 'Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses' is another one of those films.

Some of the dialogue is not so great early on, could have done with more spark but also more subtlety. It did take me a while to warm to Matthew Davis, his type of character is not an easy one to pull off as there is real potential to be dull and unlikeable in an uptight role and Davis did start out that way. Some of the music is intrusive, though other Hallmark films did this aspect a lot worse.

However, Wagner is a sheer charming delight, she always gives her all while not overacting and she never looks bored. Once Nick softens and becomes easier to warm to, Davis is a lot more relaxed and becomes more appealing. His chemistry with Wagner was unsure to begin with and didn't seem connected, but as the relationship did develop (and realistically) it became more natural and warmer. Donna Mills is an amusing and kindly scene stealer and the child is cute but not too much so.

It looks good, with some never drab or garish photography, editing that doesn't look sloppy and appropriately festive locations. While the music didn't have me completely sold in terms of balance, tonally it fitted at least and doesn't over-emphasise too much the mood. The script did get better later on and was sincere and not cheesy. Despite the story not being perfect, it is light on its feet and has a warm heart without being mawkish or sugary sweet. Tonally it clearly knew what it was trying to be. Nothing charmless about it either. The characters don't bore or annoy generally, with the only reservation being Nick to start with.

To conclude, decent. 6/10

Little more than nice

[Kirpianuscus · 10 November 2020]

You feel it different. Sure, it is pure Halmark but its predactibility is well used, the chemistry between main actors works, the kid is just perfect and Donna Mills gives good portrait of mother anf friend , D. Hinton is the dreamed wise father and Jill Wagner is there in admirable form. So , more than the expected nice.

Liked the cast

[phd_travel · 6/10 · 2 November 2019]

A combination of home renovation and a Christmas movie is a good idea but there isn't much of a decor reveal here. Good to see Matt Davis out of the Vampire Diaries universe. He's convincing as the big CEO. Jill Wagner is a pleasant and an intelligent looking actress. A nice change from the over perkiness of some Hallmark Christmas movies. Donna Mills looks science fiction young. Didn't quite see them falling in love before the end.

Okay watch.

For Hallmark this is better than a 7.

[lydiajp · 7/10 · 28 October 2019]

This Hallmark movie is above average. The ending could have been better considering the whole movie had great momentum. Still worth watching because the two lead characters had chemistry. This movie held my interest. I'm sure they'll be people who won't like this movie but for women who like Hallmark it's a good one.

Corny title, cute movie.

[MIssM19 · 6/10 · 30 October 2019]

Abby is a designer who hasn't designed in a while and Nick is a business man who needs a decorator. His mother suggests Abby for the job, and she gets it. Now, all Abby needs is Nick's help: to know what he likes, what he doesn't, what budget she has to work with, etc. And you know who this thing goes, this ice-cold successful man starts spending time with the cheery female lead and turns his world upside down.

I liked it. Jill Wagner is becoming one of my favorite Hallmark ladies, she shines in every movie. I wasn't sure about watching this at first because the title sounded SO corny but I'm glad I did. The child is adorable. I wasn't convinced at first by Matthew but he grew on me by the end. Chemistry? Yes. Not the best in my opinion, but Jill somehow always makes it work.

The plot made sense. Not major plot holes to complain about. There were cute scenes between the leads, not maybe as much as I'd like it to...

Anyway (I'm writing this in a rush, honestly) watch it. Jill Wagner is great. Maybe not THE Christmas movie of the year, but definitely worth it.

Excellent Christmas Movie

[mammamia701 · 9/10 · 1 November 2019]

This movie wasn't cheesy, and had me engrossed throughout! I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't the typical HM .... The acting was very good, of course Jill Wagner was superb, as was the rest of the cast. The movie about a single mom, trying to balance family, work and a love triangle. I became so engrossed with the story and trying to guess how it would achieve a happy ending, as HM have. I loved the decorations and the storyline, as well as the acting.

Awesome !

[pefiglar · 9/10 · 1 February 2021]

Love this movie and love all the acting - very believable and enjoyable !

Didn't they do this one two years ago?

[Jackbv123 · 7/10 · 14 November 2019]

So many similarities to Coming Home for Christmas except it lacked the great performance by Paula Shaw. Still this movie was OK.

To be honest, I have a lot of mixed feelings about this movie, so I apologize for what will be a jumble.

My first impression was how scattered Abbey seemed through the interview into her early days at the mansion. This is opposite of how I normally visualize Jill Wagner and it distracted me. And it was inherently self-contradictory because Abbey projected an air of complete confidence and yet that was not how she performed at first. After she and Nick went shopping, she seemed to settle down.

I wasn't impressed with the chemistry between Nick and Abbey, but there was obviously a growing attraction. The kid did a very nice job, especially for his age.

As always with Hallmark, you have a pretty good idea about broad strokes of where the story will go and in that regard it has been done before. There were a couple minor surprises. Abbey makes a promise early on that I expected to turn out differently than it did. The competition surprised also, although I'm sure some viewers guessed correctly on this. So while the end of the journey was to be expected, I was pleased that it wasn't all predictable.

Kiss me!

[adamjohns-42575 · 4/10 · 15 December 2020]

Although this isn't a bad film, it's incredibly obvious what's going on right from the start and it's a shame, because I do think that she should have ended up with the other one, which would have been a good twist.

You don't really get to see what she falls for in him, whereas there is a lot for him to find interesting in her. I do think it was unfair of her to lead the other one on too.

Don't expect too much and it's a good watch.

Such predictability

[LtlHippo · 6/10 · 4 November 2019]

Enjoyed it but of course we had: 1) Interrupted kisses 2)precocious kid 3)snow right on cue at the end 4)2 interested guys Enjoyed the leads, need to see more of them and less Lacey, Candace and Danica.

Jill Wagner Did It Again

[agambre · 10/10 · 28 October 2019]

Excellent movie for season opener of HM Countdown to Christmas 10th Anniversary. Once again Jill showed to be the most versatile of all the HM actresses and pretty too. Whomever her lead actor, she makes it work that chemistry between them shows. Matt played the grinch billionaire extremely well but showed his soft side also. Donna played the meddling mother so much fun to watch. The rest of the casts were well-picked. Lesson learned: follow your dream, gut feeling with love of family along the way. I am so proud to say that most of the scenes were taken at the Marietta Square in my hometown of Marietta, Georgia. Thank you HM!

Great chemistry in this holiday romance between two mature working adults.

[cgvsluis · 8/10 · 22 December 2021]

Ok...I have been loving Jill Wagner in the Mystery 101 series and have really grown to appreciate her as an actress. She seems to make everything seem natural. And Matthew Davis was handsome and distinguished in his role...these two had great chemistry as the leads.

Jill plays Abby who is an interior designer who took time off to be with her son (no dad in the picture). Nick (the Matthew Davis character) has a mom (played by the lovely Donna Mills) who recognizes Abby's talent and suggests he hire Abby to decorate his inherited family home that he once called "the palace" as a child. Abby not only decorates his home but decorates it for the holidays including helping for the Christmas Eve charity ball in the ballroom. Abby and Nick smolder as they get to know each other's holiday histories.

Also vying for Abby's affection is a pediatric doctor who recognizes...the smolder for what it is.

This was a great holiday romance, with romance being the key word. If you are a romantic or a fan of Jill Wagner...you should watch this Hallmark holiday offering.

Favorite scene with Abbey (Jill Wagner)

[aab874 · 10/10 · 17 November 2019]

Favorite scene with Abbey (Jill Wagner) - Hurt and furious after her very demeaning job interview, telling Nick and Kate off, and Nick telling her that she has the job.

Much better than Hallmark's usual offerings

[doctorsmoothlove · 7/10 · 8 November 2019]

Hallmark opened the 2019 Christmas movie season with this surprising movie. Apparently, this film unlike many others was actually based on a novel. One can tell from the quality of the script and the nuance of the character motivations. A woman is able to choose her career as a focus while simultaneously falling in love and spending time with her son. For once a man suspends his career goals because he is falling in love.

This inversion of the usual tropes is especially noticeable when marathoning these films. This one is well acted by Jill Wagner and Matthew Davis. They have a nervous interaction at first. She is intimated by his corporate standing and he is too busy to take her seriously. He begins to fall for her by seeing how passionate she is about setting up Christmas decorations. Nothing in his life is passionate. Cold and focused on the deal he is. His father would have wanted it that way. He eventually relaxes some as much as a man who has never relaxed can.

The film demonstrates how closeness with another person brings out our best qualities. It restores our humanity and that of our neighbors. Like the executive's relationship brings out the ambition of his assistant. She is a natural to fill his role when the inevitable ending arrives. That's ok. This film's happy ending is deserved because it feels like a conclusion these two characters are destined for.

Like many Hallmark movies, the movie isn't without some cheese. Why is a the executive setting up shop in a country estate? The plot demands an excuse to decorate. Some characters have no purpose besides padding. A few loose plot threads are acceptable when many other Hallmark films are so emotionless. A corporate machine cannot invoke feelings like a human author can.

Good movie

[dianamarinelli · 8/10 · 5 December 2020]

This was a good movie the two actors were amazing in bringing this hallmark movie to life. A great holiday movie to watch

Drab, and that's too bad

[VetteRanger · 6/10 · 8 December 2019]

Matthew Davis' role calls for a drab, joyless character. Unfortunately, he does too well in meeting this requirement.

Jill Wagner has been popular in a string of these Hallmark Christmas movies, and got her own movie series this year (2019) in Murder 101. We like her better in that series than her Christmas roles. The director only allows her one scene of real life here, where she becomes angry when she thinks her time has been wasted in preparing for a meeting where she felt it was preordained that she be turned down for the job.

Darby Hinton, who played Daniel Boone's son as a child in the 60s, and later played the humorous Cody Abilene in the racy Malibu Express, is present more as a curiosity than a major player, though he has a long career on stage and screen to draw from.

This won't be on our rewatch list.

When ever you have Jill Wagner in a hall mark movie it has to be a ten

[vjf36 · 10/10 · 28 October 2019]

One of the best HM movies and you can miss with Jill Wagner

Christmas Wishes & Mistletoe Kisses

[JoBloTheMovieCritic · 5/10 · 3 November 2019]

5/10 - a bland and overdone start to the 10th season of Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas

I really liked this one.

[brenjjonesfb · 8/10 · 5 November 2019]

This is one of the better Hallmark Christmas movies.

Typical of hallmark but watchable.

[t-mccheyne · 8/10 · 10 December 2019]

Wow...Wish I could look like Donna Mills...cannot believe how great she looks. A lot of actors I like so worth watching.

mature acting always wins !

[linda-plant2 · 8/10 · 8 December 2019]

Jill Wagner knows her craft, and is always a good watch, as so many of Hallmark movies use younger and giggly actresses that have neither the age or experience to 'carry' a film (but maybe they're cheap !!). The storyline is ok, and like all Hallmark films, you don't have to think too much. But in this film she does act 'over the top' every movement is exaggerated. And as for the storyline, as a 'decorator' there wasn't much decorating going on, and going to an antiques market ???? then there was the boy child, who takes a child to work ??

Here in the UK we just see a cutesy American town dressed for Christmas, so the true geographical location is not so important as perhaps an American audience.

Interesting that Donna Mills at 79 is still going strong, and good for her, but like all ladies who have had 'work' done, her voice sounds like she is wearing new dentures and struggling to keep them in !!!! Also like another mentioned, the wig was abominably bad.

Once Again, Hallmark misses the local flavor of the story !

[RichmondBread · 3/10 · 2 December 2019]

This movie takes place in my hometown of Richmond, Virginia. Even the opening shot shows Monument Ave- an unmistakable landmark. They can't get away from that. But we see a snowy Richmond , which I guess they need to make it feel more like "Christmas" , because there isn't much "Christmas" in this movie.

The problem is, Richmond rarely sees a White Christmas and doesn't get much snow at all in December It usually rains here on Christmas. But aside from that, the characters are not local in flavor. They are all Canadians or something. I realize they don't have to be exactly right, but no one even attempted to sound remotely Southern or at least Southern flavored in their mannerisms. I found out this movie is based on the book which was written by an Australian lady who has probably never set foot in Richmond either. As far as the story line- it's highly predictable, but the Actors are good for what material they are given.

This seems to be very similar to the Danica McKeller movie that came out a few years earlier that also takes place in Virginia, which doesn't seem like Virginia. I feel so compelled to direct a Hallmark movie myself if it does takes place in Virginia, so they can at least get it right.

I must of missed something

[BurberryGal · 1/10 · 10 November 2019]

Wanted to love this! but again, I felt very little chemistry between the two leads. there was no emotional connection to the leads or the storyline. It needed more heart to draw me in. Hallmark needs to work on creating/writing more complex storylines for the viewers.

A favorite Christmas movie!

[eltripbb · 10/10 · 4 November 2021]

Jill Wagner and Matthew Davis were a perfect fit for this Christmas love story. Loved the way he looked at her, and her charm and humor made for a wonderful tease as they gradually fell in love. Both of these stars slowly bring the viewer into what they were feeling and thinking but not expressing. I was so wishing that first embrace and kiss would happen sooner rather than later. Also, the fabulous supporting cast was the "icing on the cake" for me. Lost track of number of times I have watched this movie. Jill Wagner is a favorite of mine, and I would love to see Matthew Davis show up in another Hallmark movie.

You might just skip on this particular Hallmark Christmas movie...

[paul_haakonsen · 3/10 · 10 December 2021]

Right, well this 2019 Hallmark Christmas movie was sappy and sort of fell short of what you usually get to see from a Hallmark Christmas movie.

When I sat down to watch "Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses", and seeing it was a Hallmark movie, I must admit that I flat out just expected to be in for another run-of-the-mill romantic cheesy Christmas movie that Hallmark spews out by the dozen each year around Christmas. But still, as I hadn't already seen it, of course I opted to give it a chance. Who knew, maybe writer Liz Sczudlo would surprise here.

But even by Hallmark Christmas movie standards then "Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses" was somewhat of a swing and a miss.

Writer Liz Sczudlo was trying to juggle a bit too many balls simultaneously, but most of them dropped and without much of any impact on the storyline. This movie was essentially just another sappy romantic movie with a Christmas theme draped over it. The aspect of Abbey (played by Jill Wagner) having two potential romantic interests just felt lukewarm and never had any real impact on the storyline. And then there was the story arch of Abbey's son, which just totally fluked and fell to the background becoming nothing more than just bits and pieces shoved into the main storyline.

Nay, "Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses" was a swing and a miss, and this is not a Christmas movie that I would recommend you sit down to watch, even if you are a fan of the Hallmark Christmas movies.

My rating of "Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses" lands on a generous three out of ten stars.