Christmas Under Wraps (2014 TV Movie) User Reviews (71)

"You've just dismissed my entire life's philosophy five minutes after meeting me."

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 8 December 2014]

San Francisco doctor Candace Cameron Bure reluctantly takes a job in a small town in Alaska as she waits to hear about the fellowship in Boston she wants. This is a woman with her life all planned out. She doesn't want to stray from that plan but, of course, she finds that she has to in order to truly be happy. That's the moral of this story and, yes, it seems awfully familiar if you've seen other made-for-TV romantic comedies and dramas Candace has done. The big city doctor who learns life lessons working in a small town (Finding Normal). The guy she falls for doesn't want to take over the family business (Let It Snow). There are other similarities to movies she's done (particularly Finding Normal) but, you know, it really doesn't hurt anything. It's a fun, sentimental movie. It doesn't challenge you but that's okay. I enjoyed watching it and that's all that really matters.

As with all of her TV movies, Candace's likability and personality is the primary selling point. She's also very pretty, which doesn't hurt. I don't think the red hair is the right fit for her but it wasn't too distracting. At first glance, I wasn't sold on David O'Donnell. So often in these TV movies the male lead is weak compared to the female lead. But he's actually charming and appealing. For the most part the characters are all nice and pleasant but a couple of them did annoy me. Candace's mom is well-intentioned but pushy and the lady who runs the coffee shop is kind of obnoxious. The subplot romance between the nurse and the florist's son is very cute and adorable. The standout in the supporting cast is the great Brian Doyle-Murray. I won't spoil his character's twist but let's just say if you're a cynic, you'll projectile vomit all over the screen. I got a kick out of it though. Corny as all-get-out but I had a big stupid grin on my face so it worked on me. If you like Candace Cameron Bure, you'll surely like this. It's one of her best movies yet. That it's a Christmas movie just makes it that much more enjoyable.

Strange Movie

[cammietime · 5/10 · 27 December 2016]

This movie is very frustrating. It teases you about all kinds of plot points, but never really sees them to fruition or explains them. The ending is dramatically insufficient for the amount of time dedicated to the subject matter. This movie is a always looking for a plot and refuses to engage the most interesting thing about the town where everything happens. When the ending finally does come, it leaves you with many more questions than answers. Garland, the main town, is supposed to be 300 miles north of Anchorage Alaska, and only reachable by bush plane. Yet the town is quite diverse and large, with a coffee shop, general store, fancy cabins for people to live in and a major shipping company based there, anything but what would be found in a small town in central Alaska. They also complain about the cold, yet spend most of the movie walking around without hats or mittens, implying it is not as cold as they said it is. The random extras walking around downtown Garland would look right at home in a British Columbia tourist ski resort town and completely out of their element in a real Alaskan bush town. This movie promised so much frustrating doesn't deliver.

Love conquers all

[Ed-Shullivan · 6/10 · 30 December 2020]

Candace Cameron Bure is perfectly cast as an up and coming surgeon to be as she works so hard to earn a fellowship to one of the most prestigious hospitals in Boston where her father's own career flourished. As with all of us, life gets in the way with some of our best laid plans and the young and attractive Lauren Brunell (Candace Cameron Bure) finds her plans falling totally apart both in her career and relationship plans.

Begrudgingly (at first) Lauren accepts a an offer to work in a small remote town in of all places Alaska where the first person she meets is her cab driver Andy Holliday (David O'Donnell) who is going to take her into town not by car but by a single engine plane as the town is that remote.

As each day passes Lauren becomes more attached to the town, it's people and of course that first connection she had with her pilot/chauffer Andy. This is a simple Hallmark romantic Christmas themed made for TV movie that will warm your heart if you are a romantic, and get you to roll your eyes more than once if you are a realist. So which are you?

I give it a 6 out of 10 IMDB rating. It's good for the heart and is the soul of Christmas.

Worth unwrapping

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 10 January 2020]

Candace Cameron Bure in the right roles comes over to me as a likeable actress, with an easy-going screen presence and doesn't resort to over-compensating or looking bored. That may not be the case with others, but that's my stance. Have not liked everything she's done, and it has nearly always been to do with the writing and her characters rather than her when she isn't so good, but her best work is nice and undemanding that nobody should expect too much from.

That is the case with 'Christmas Under Wraps'. Am not going to say that it is a great film or a masterpiece because it isn't and its flaws are not small. Have also seen better Christmas films. 'Christmas Under Wraps' is though sweet, amiable entertainment, that did make me smile and feel warm inside, and a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours or so, succeeding in not trying to do more than it needed to do while always showing signs of trying. Of my recent Hallmark/Lifetime etc. festive quest, this has been towards the better end.

Of course 'Christmas Under Wraps' is not perfect by any stretch. One of its biggest problems being that it is goof and continuity-ridden (am not trying to nit-pick), and unfortunately too many of them are very distracting and badly affect any authenticity. It is one of those films, not unexpectedly though, that one knows how everything is going to map out much of the time with it being pretty formulaic.

Some of the dialogue is pretty cheesy, laying it on somewhat too thick on the corn, and there is a twist that is made out to be big but isn't really at the end of the day, not surprising or earth-shattering in the least.

However, both Bure and David O'Donnell are charming and likeable leads, especially Bure, with an easy-going chemistry that never came over as stiff. Brian Doyle-Murray and Kendra Mylnechuk are standouts of the solid supporting cast, very lively and full of charisma. None of the characters bored or annoyed me, even the standard somewhat over-bearing mother trope. Anybody that wants their hearts warmed and wants to be charmed for a couple of hours, while seeing something inoffensive and something different on the television are likely though to find much to like about 'Christmas Under Wraps'. The film looks quite good with a picturesque and at its best stunning setting that makes one want to be there, complemented nicely by the photography. The soundtrack when used creates nostalgia and puts a smile on the face.

While the story may be formulaic, it is also immensely charming and heart-warming that never tries to be too complicated while not being too cardboard-thin. There is nothing mean-spirited about it, very feel-good actually, and it is genuinely moving without going overboard on the sentimentality, other than the continuity nothing else really insults the intelligence.

Altogether, nice film. 7/10

It's a hallmark movie!!

[Marynewcomb2013 · 7/10 · 7 November 2018]

DON'T FALL FOR FALSE REVIEWS AND DON'T BELIEVE ONES THAT BRAG ABOUT REVIEWING OVER "200" CHRISTMAS MOVIES!! Now for honesty!!Hallmark doesn't make blockbusters!! They don't aim for their movies to be award winning!! They make movies to feel good & watchable from the FAMILY!! Does this movie have flaws, of course it does. They film most of these movies in warm weather, but don't miss the meaning of the movie. It's about learning to let lose and take the unexpected!! Just watch it & try to enjoy the meaning!! This is a good family Christmas movie!!

Wardrobe issues

[LovesMyGarden · 7/10 · 28 May 2019]

No doctor, EVER, would go to work in a hospital wearing stilettos or wear them to walk in the snow. In this movie Candace does it every day. The nurse doesn't. It's ridiculous. She should have on a nice pair of flats. (I worked in a hospital for 20 years. I know what I'm talking about.) Someone really missed the mark.

Checks All the Boxes

[boblipton · 3/10 · 30 November 2014]

Candace Cameron Bure is a doctor who wants the same fellowship in Boston that her father had. When she doesn't get it, she needs a job and winds up in Alaska running through the standard Hallmark Christmas Romantic comedy tropes.

If what you're looking for is those standard tropes played engagingly, you'll find them here. Miss Bure is pretty and speaks her lines well; David O'Donnell is a competent juvenile; Brian Doyle-Murray is a fine Santa-like supporting player; Kendra Mylnechuk has the best performance as a hyper-competent nurse.

However, there's nothing in the script that isn't interchangeable with most of Hallmark's rote romcoms. It's so unengaging -- because you know exactly what is going to happen next -- that you have time to contemplate the production errors that make it clear that this wasn't shot in Alaska, once you get past the beautiful setting shots. Every morning Miss Bure awakens at 6:30 to a sun high in the sky in an Alaska December. The grass is bright green and you can see some weedy young maples wearing their summer leaves in town. Finally, in a town so remote that Amazon.com won't ship there, there is no trouble for the local florist (?!) to come up with a dozen perfect roses for the leading man to give to the leading lady on the spur of the moment.

I begin watching these Hallmark seasonal romantic comedies intending to give them easy marks. They seem pitched at a very undemanding audience and the actors invariably try their best. However, if the people in charge can't be bothered, then why should the audience?

Another Magical Hallmark Christmas Movie

[bookandcandle · 10/10 · 7 December 2014]

I really enjoy watching all the new Hallmark movies that come out each Christmas season and I never tire of the happy endings that bring joy and hope to all of us. Thank you, Hallmark, for doing that. This movie was especially enjoyable because there was no music during the talking, unless it was a climatic scene, so you could hear each word clearly. Appreciate that very much.

I loved the story about a young city doctor getting used to a small town in Alaska, knowing all her patients personally and finding true love with views of the Northern Lights. Nothing could be better than that. The acting was professional, yet charismatic. They were all charming and fun to watch. This added to this memorable holiday movie. I would watch this over and over and so would my family. The ending has a magical surprise.

Holy white blankets

[mikeandjenna2013 · 6/10 · 12 December 2014]

If you watch the first 5 minutes of this you will get the feel of the rest of the movie. The actors did a good job, but as the other reviews stated, the script and plot are a little flat. Frankly, what do you expect from the Halmark channel? It was a happy seasonal flick, but is unlikely to become a classic.

Also, I would just like to point out those were all white blankets...not snow. Snow crunches when it is stepped on. Oh, and I would also like to point out that the Cessna had one landing light when taxiing out, but two, rather bright lights once airborne (when the landing light would have been off).

It will surely encourage a little bit of Christmas spirit, and perhaps even some winter fashion tips. -Just look past the sub-par CGI and that it was clearly filmed in a warmer climate.

poor entertainment

[chodorov · 2/10 · 12 December 2014]

Well, it is harmless, sort of. I haven't even watched it to the end yet, but can't seem to get interested. First of all, the mistakes are so glaring that it hurts. There's snow everywhere, and people talk about it being cold - it is Alaska after all, and December. But it is always sunny, even at 6:30 in the morning, when the rest of the northern hemisphere is still dark, and they talk a lot about the need for warm clothes, but people walk around with their jackets open and no hats on their heads. There is nothing realistic here. Even the daddy doctor trying to arrange for his daughter's fellowship. There are so many good applicants for those things, daddy pulling strings just doesn't do it these days. And let's not forget the "hospital fellowship" that she thinks she's getting. in order for a fantasy to seem possible, the basics need to be believable in order for the rest to seem fantastic. Here, the lack of realism in the daily details is just so blatant, that it takes the fun out if it.

Romance with a little surprise

[stefbuik · 9/10 · 21 December 2014]

Really nice and unpretentious Christmas romance. No convoluted "problems" with the love interests, for a change.

I like the fact that they made a movie that's just cheerful fun. It's a made-for-TV movie, and as such the little niggles like sunny dawns in wintery Alaska, snow that's not entirely convincing here&there (but thankfully none of that horrible "foam snow" they often use) didn't bother me to much.

The actors are adequate, but sometimes too sitcom-ish. Though, it has to be said that theater veteran Kendra Mylnechuk as the busy, joyous nurse Billie really jumps out.

The Utah locations are nice, but to me don't look a whole lot like Alaska. Still, as a background it was good enough for me.

It's just, basically, a movie with a wholesome, upbeat and positive vibe. Fitting for Christmas.

Some stuff is out of place

[MickyG333 · 7/10 · 20 November 2023]

7.1 stars.

Candace is usually good for generic Christmas ambience and good old fashioned family values for the holidays. This film showcases that very thing. With a bit of fantasy mixed in, 'Christmas Under Wraps' becomes slightly more interesting and less formulaic in nature, but not by much.

As we are shown throughout the film, this odd bunch of people live and work in this podunk town in the middle of nowhere Alaska. They say it's about 300 miles north of Anchorage. I can nitpick many aspects of the movie, but I'll refrain, except for two glaring ones that can't be ignored. Their clothes are always too perfectly neat, clean, and wrinkle free, whether in scrubs or normal attire. Also, if the town is 300 miles north of Anchorage, they would have flown into Fairbanks instead, whatever.

Stale - lacks plot - not believable - lacks merit

[knofaith · 2/10 · 28 December 2014]

Let it Snow re-packaged where where flawless makeup, hair-perfect and pasted-on-smile Candace Cameron Bure plods in with high-heels and designer clothes (if she's really a smart doctor, you think she'd know the weather in Alaska in December?). Within days of her arrival, she is willing to give up the career she's worked hard for (well, in truth, it's implied that Daddy pulled the strings) to pine for a somewhat good looking character who has little definition or motivation, and live in a syrupy small town called "Garland" in Alaska. The ridiculous is implied in that Garland is really the North Pole and Mr Holliday (a character who reminds me of a greasy spoon with a bad attitude) is really Santa Claus (who is apparently headed towards heart disease), is ridiculous and over the top. Scenery very poor. Hallmark has put out more films each Christmas season, but it's quality not quantity that keeps me glued to the screen.

Cute...

[RosanaBotafogo · 7/10 · 1 November 2022]

When a driven doctor doesn't get the prestigious position she planned for, she unexpectedly finds herself moving to a remote Alaskan town. While she meets the locals and even starts a new romance, she has to learn to let the life she planned for give way to a love she could never have imagined, and finds this festive small town is hiding one big holiday secret.

A cute Christmas movie trying to give that moral lesson to those who don't appreciate the simple things in life, and that excessive ambition can blind us to the truly important things... Those low-budget Christmas-themed movies that are worth it and leave a warm heart, I've watched some movies directed and scripted by Peter Sullivan, cute...

Good Movie!

[rajahkossuth · 7/10 · 20 March 2015]

Welcome back Candace!!

I loved this movie!! It was a nice sappy romantic movie. I Actually believed Candace was a DOCTOR!! Unlike that atrocious movie called "Finding Normal" (Click on my review of that movie if you wanna laugh)

Dr. Burnell actually saw more patients than her "Other" character. Her romance with David O'Donnell's "Andy" and her relationship with Andy's dad, "Frank Holiday" was funny, believable but predictable.

Thanks for the Goofs page of IMDb. I did not know that in December it would be dark at 6:30 am. Being that I am in Missouri and the cast wasn't. But it made a good movie anyway.

7 out of 10 Well worth the time to watch!

Plesant

[limmet-75043 · 7/10 · 14 December 2020]

I really enjoyed this. A doctor in a small remote town in Alaska. It was a bit funny, snowy Christmas, it a bit of magic as well. Cozy movie

Good intentions

[vickylehmeier · 4/10 · 4 November 2020]

I guess, the fake snow and the fact, that no one was dressed properly (although everyone talked about how cold it's in Alaska), threw me off a lot, so I didn't quite enjoy this movie.

The intentions were good, the story is a typical romantic and sweet one, as all Hallmark stories are. But I missed something all the time. Maybe some real snow ;-)

It wasn't a total waste of time but I wouldn't watch that again.

Comfortable Christmas Movie

[rizdek · 8/10 · 5 December 2017]

I enjoyed this movie for the interspersed humor, beautiful scenery, interaction of the main actors and mostly because it was relaxing to watch. I watch movies like this to relax and NOT be jarred out of a calm mood and this one succeeded. The overall concept wasn't original, and for the most part the end was predictable, so if you want surprises, this probably isn't for you. But for me, overall, the movie worked.

Too much like Doc Hollywood

[amscott13 · 6/10 · 26 October 2019]

Love the cast but isn't this a christmas twist of Doc Hollywood just located in Alaska?

The worst Christmas movie ever!!!

[Deathracer · 2/10 · 23 December 2014]

My god I have no idea how people rated this as an average 7!..It was so painful to watch as the acting was very very bad. From the start all the actors were like reading sentences from the script!!so unnatural and annoying..

Trust me, I'm not writing this review by comparing to award wining movies out there. Just that they lacked the basics of acting directing and pretty much everything else!! Disney movies are sooo good compared to this movie.

The story was sooo boring and badly written. The reason I watched it because of the "hope" in this Christmas season hoping it would get better!!..but it never did!!.. I'm sure we all watch remakes, cheesy love stories and Christmas stories which has very familiar endings.In those we know whats coming but we don't expect much, although we still enjoys a lot. This movie is NOT one of them! and it just happen to destroy my Christmas spirit.

Beautiful Christmas movie

[rc19900 · 10/10 · 2 December 2019]

This is one of my favorite Christmas movies. I watch it at least twice every year and never get tired of it. Candace Cameron Bure is perfect as the ambitious young doctor who mistakenly takes a job running a storefront hospital in a tiny town in rural Alaska, and comes to love it. There are no surprises, and the plot (like most Hallmark movies) is pretty predictable. But it has a very comfortable, satisfying feeling. It manages to convey the Christmas spirit without getting too gooey. The characters are all likable and believable. The story delves a bit into fantasy without being stupid. It is just one of those movies that makes me smile beginning to end.

Not terrible

[wifeymoof · 6/10 · 30 December 2021]

For a Hallmark Christmas film, it's not awful. I did enjoy watching it. It has lots of errors, for example, it'd be freezing in Alaska in December and the townpeople walk around with just a thin coat on. There's also too much daylight for December too. But if you ignore all the goofs, it's a pretty wholesome film. Don't take it to seriously.

One of the worst Hallmark holiday movies ever

[redskinrex · 1/10 · 2 November 2018]

Good lord, did NO ONE in the crew know that it's almost always dark and very, very cold in Alaska at Christmas??? My 9 year old kid knows that. Could they have put and LESS effort into making this lousy movie? (Weak plot, bad acting, even worse writing and directing.) Oye.

There's definitely something beautiful and wholesome...

[backup-50362 · 7/10 · 23 November 2021]

...about this movie. It romanticizes small-town life and has this super pleasant, warm atmosphere, nice characters (which you hardly ever see in movies and shows) and just... made me feel nice. And Christmasy.

I can't say I liked the main character much, but the supporting characters were mostly brilliant.

It's definitely a nice feel-good movie to watch around Christmas if you want to detox from the toxic, average Netflix-produced or pushed content.

The only thing that truly bothered me is that this is one of those low-budget movies where they take a huge MacBook and lazily tape over the Apple logo with a huge black tape. Just like in A Talking Cat! This was a major off-putter. But hey...

A fair tale setting for this Christmas romance

[SimonJack · 6/10 · 26 November 2022]

"Christmas Under Wraps" has a very different plot from the usual cookie-cutter Christmas romance films. And, the story is just far-fetched enough to be a fairy tale. There are signs and implications of Santa Claus at work here, which Dr. Brunell can't help but notice. Something like an elf flashes by then disappears. Some of the names are obvious plays on words -- the Holliday company... in Garland, Alaska. And, this remote small town or village in the wilds of Alaska all of a sudden taking on a huge work force for the holidays -- that come from where?

That's the last fairy tale implication. There's no commercial air service, and no trains of major highways to deliver the materials and haul out the goods. It's clearly not a FedEx or Amazon hub. Yet when Lauren Brunell gets to see the huge plant there's no sign of workshops or manufacturing, but a typical shipping distribution center.

It could have been more fun if developed for the fairy tale angle, rather than the middle of the road the plot takes. Is it Santa's headquarters, aka, the North Pole? Or isn't it? Then again, it's a story of young Dr. Lauren Brunell flying off to a rural area in Alaska to practice medicine. Does she use the vast Internet and available resources to check out the hospital where she's going to work? No, she would rather be surprised, along with the film audience, at her destination. Everything about the plot seems forced. Even with the characters that give some humor and a little interest, this movie lacks oomph. And, nothing is more fairy tale than Andy Holliday, whose dad owns the big Holliday Shipping Co. After two years working as an architect in Seattle, he moved back to Garland, 300 miles north Anchorage, to work as the town handyman.

That Andy and Lauren would wind up with romance isn't as far-fetched as the overall plot is, and the implied never-spoken-secret of the town. The characters of Birdie, Dr. Brunell's head nurse (played by Kendra Mylenchuk) and Wyatt, the town delivery boy (played by Jams Gaisford), are the best part of the film. Their obvious romance provides the best humor.

And, wherever the scenery was shot for this Canadian-made TV movie that was supposed to take place in Alaska, it looks like what I have seen in Alaska. I do wonder about the scene of the aurora borealis, or northern lights. The figure of the green light etched in the sky seems manufactured. It doesn't resemble the borealis I have seen a few times in my life. I can remember my first time quite vividly. It was a late fall night in 1960 with college friends from atop a hill in northeastern Nebraska. We watched in awe for the longest time as wafting waves of blue, green, and red lit up and filled the sky.

Here are a couple lines from this film.

Andy Holliday, "You sure? You look cold." Dr. Lauren Brunell, "It's Alaska. Are there any other options?"

Andy, "If it'll make you feel any better, everybody's glad you're here, doc."