The coolest thing about this movie is The Wonder Years Kevin Arnold's grumpy dad (Dan Lauria), here playing the cheerful father of The Wonder Years ' Winnie (Danica McKeller).
Other than that, there really isn't much here....
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mbiv25 November 2019
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Luvhallmark7 January 2019I would have to agree with most of the other reviewers here. This movie was just plain ole boring. The leads had ZERO chemistry together. I always enjoy BE but whose idea was it to cut his hair that way?.... No, no, no... he's so handsome but wow, that hair cut was the worst. While I like DM, I just find her acting to be the same... same sad faces, same bewildered look.... idk... but this movie had no zest, no zeal.. no spark! Sorry :-(
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mitchellrharl3 November 2019Danica McKellar and Brendan Elliott are so miscast and dull.Grand Valley town is beautiful story just blah.best person is Vera the dad and the kids . Danica McKellar and Brennan Elliott so plastic looking not like real people . Danica always overacts like a drama queen she was good as a child actress but should stick to math skills.those awful fake eyelashes.Brennan doesn't fit in Hallmark too Hollywoodish
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librau227 December 2018Typical Hallmark; plots are similar. Chemistry between the stars wasn't the best but the trees weren't wilted and the snow looked real.
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JoBloTheMovieCritic20 July 20196/10 - Danica McKellar is great, but this one is not going to be a classic
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Moonicas11 December 2020Christmas at Grand Valley is full of overused tropes like a homecoming to a charming small town, an estate in jeopardy, and a big city workaholic guy coming to seal its fate. He's also a widowed father, and the heroine is a struggling artist. A lot of dialogue is forced, especially the way the children speak is unrealistic. Yet the movie is heartwarming and exactly what you'd expect to get from Hallmark.
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catesg17 April 2022I purposefully seek out movies with Brennan Elliott in them. His characters are always kind and loving - and he's not too hard on the eyes either 😉😉. But I didn't like the character he played in this movie. It was hard to watch as he teetered between being a Grinch and a Cindy Lou Who. He turned out fine, but it was hard going getting there.
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rightisright24 December 2018I always look forward to a Christmas movie with Danica McKellar. This one is so poorly written that even Danica can't do much with it. I did enjoy most of the supporting cast, but this is not a movie I'll ever need to watch again.
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kahast6 December 2019I have always enjoyed her Christmas movies, and this one does not disappoint. Excepting the way to easy resolution of the ledger's fate, it was a very good story and well acted.
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"Christmas at Grand Valley" is set in a fictitious town in Wyoming, but was filmed mostly at Killarney Mountain Lodge in Killarney, Ontario, Canada. The aerial scenes of the small town nestled in the mountains resembles a number of places in the Rocky Mountains from New Mexico to Canada. That scene wouldn't have been of Killarney itself, because it sits along the north shore of Georgian Bay off Lake Huron. One can find pictures of the lodge with the teepee-shaped and light-topped building to the left, online.
This is the usual Christmas romance film, with just enough variation and cast to make it watchable. While there isn't great chemistry in romance at the end, there is more than the usual witty and funny dialog in places. And, some of the supporting characters add nicely to the film. Among those are Dan Lauria as Frank. He is Kelly's dad. And the two children of Leo, who will be Kelly's romantic partner by the end, are very good in their roles, with some good lines in their performances. Gage Graham-Arbuthnot plays Max and Hattie Kragten plays Emma.
Danica McKellar is fair as Kelly, and Brennan Elliott's Leo is just far too aloof for most of the film. Even though he has a wittiness to his nature, he seems too wooden far too long into the film. Chad Connell is okay as Mike, and the rest of the cast are okay. The plot is a good enough one, but the screenplay just doesn't have the life that this story should have.
When aspiring artist Kelly has painters block and fails to get her own show in Chicago, she decides to go home for Christmas to Grand Valley, Wyoming. Her dad owns Frank's Diner, and her cousin, Mike, has just been promoted to manager of the lodge. But there's concern that the lodge may be closed and sold by the big corporation that owns it. And, for a small town of this size, the lodge is everything. So, while she's home, Kelly agrees to help Mike by running a Christmas camp for kids at the lodge, which includes teaching art.
On the other end of the story, Leo is a top staff member of a large resort and property investment firm. It owns the Grand Valley lodge and is considering dumping it because it hasn't done well of late. But the head of the company wants one of the top staff to go and check it out. Leo volunteers because he is familiar with the place, having gone there with his parents as a child. And, he plans to make a real vacation out of it as well by taking his children, Max and Emma.
All movie fans who watch these films know how they will end from the romance and love angle. This one has a couple of twists at the end that are nice but not hard to figure out after a while. It's a bit annoying when the all too obvious for the audience doesn't seem to dawn on Kelly or Leo about changes in their lives besides their romance.
Some people may find this film too slow and the weak screenplay a turnoff. I think the wittiness and the inclusion of some of the characters give it enough spark to make it fair entertainment. It's not a holiday keeper or repeat, but a good enough film to watch once. Here are some favorite lines from this film.
Sylvia, Kelly's agent, "When inspiration strikes, I know, you'll be ready."
Leo, to his son, Max, "It's gonna be a real vacation, not a virtual one."
Kelly, "Here's an idea. Pretend you're having as much fun as your kids." Leo, "I don't need to pretend."
Leo, on their dinner date, "Okay, you know, let's take the pressure off and think of each other as friends." Kelly, "I spent half an hour on my hair. Friends get five minutes."
Leo, "Grand Valley's like a time out from the rest of the world." Kelly, 'Yeah. That's why I like it. That's the magical part."
Frank, "I never wear a tie. It clashes with the apron." -
nyz_snuggle_bunny27 December 2018This year of holiday moves on Hallmark have been a real hit or miss for the 2018 season. This isn't one of their worst but it's not one of their better either. I happen to love Brennon Elliot and I enjoy quite a bit of Danica McKellar movies. I was expecting so much. Danica has been in so many Christmas Hallmark movies that I enjoyed except this movie. This movie just fell short. The supporting cast was great. I found myself more intrigue by the supporting cast story than the actually main story. I can't say if Brennon and Danica just didn't have good chemistry or if this was just a poorly written movie. I usually rematch the Christmas Movies as much as I can before hallmark goes back to their regular programming, it's safe to say I saw this once and won't be watching it again. I hope Hallmarks 2019 Christmas countdown line up has better movies than the 2018 line up.
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SunnyDaise28 November 2019Nothing particularly special about the first half, but the ironies that occur later are very relatable. It's not quite as fluffy as most Hallmark movies, but that's a good thing in some ways.
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TheLittleSongbird13 October 2020The reviews here for 'Christmas at Grand Valley' are mixed to negative, so admittedly expectations were not sky high. As usual when watching Hallmark Christmas films, there was a real effort to take 'Christmas at Grand Valley' for what it was trying to be, appreciate its good intentions and not expect any more than necessary. Hallmark Christmas films are very hit and miss in quality and their 2018 output agreed is one of the years to show this the most, none of them are masterpieces but not many actually are not abominations.
'Christmas at Grand Valley' is neither a masterpiece, too many major flaws to consider it that remotely, or an abomination, as it did have its moments and good things. It is not one of Hallmark's worst, from that year or overall. It is also not one of their best on both of those counts either, as it did lack spark and chemistry and never did anything fresh ideas-wise or in their execution. So not so grand as a film even when trying to not expect anything more than necessary.
Shall start with the good. It looks pleasant and professional enough visually. The scenery is particularly lovely. Did like some of the more ironic moments later on and there are some pleasant moments in the soundtrack.
Brennan Elliott is an amiable male lead and most of the supporting cast are better than average and make the most of the beneath them material they're given.
Not all the cast are great though. The worst performance coming from Angela Asher, instead of being warm or inviting her unintentionally creepy voice that she has here really distracts from her character and puts one right off. Danica McKellar does try hard and has some likeability, but it is a typecast role for her and the performance felt on the predictable and one-dimensional side. She ad Elliott don't have anywhere near enough chemistry together, or certainly one with any kind of warmth or charm. They aren't disconnected as such but the relationship felt very underdeveloped, doesn't really progress believably or grow and never feels genuine. All the characters are rather sketchy, and too many are either grating, are bland or too perfect.
Do agree with those that say that the script is very forced and too saccharine throughout, not to mention heavy in cheese. Not unusual for Hallmark but still. And with those that find the story being very derivative and pretty bland, with a rather slow and uneventful first half. More happens in the second half, but with not an awful lot of spark and can feel very contrived. Most of the soundtrack is intrusive and in need of more subtlety.
In conclusion, pretty lacklustre. 4/10 -
Northener27 December 2019As with other movies, I give this one two points for actually filming a winter story in a wintery location (though I don't believe it was wintertime during filming - no one cleared the snow off the sidewalk, but the street was clean?). I agree with the other reviewers who called this one boring. I just saw it over Christmas and was very disappointed, considering the two leads.
I did get one big laugh out if it - when the art agent is gushing over the amateurish, Christmas card-like paintings. LOL. No one would show these at an upscale city gallery. These are something you might be able to sell online or at a craft market; I know as an artist myself. Get it together Hallmark. Your movies are supposed to be fluffy, not boring and just plain stupid. -
Kirpianuscus4 May 2020To critic a Hallmark Christmas film seems, for many reasons, a fundamental mistake. Because the recipe is so clear, precise and superficial than the high expectations are bizarre. In this case, the recipe gives the consolation. Entire one. The story is poor and good intentioned, the performances are not surprising and the predictability is the expected one. And the twist... . So, nice.
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Hallmarklover24729 January 2019I am STUNNED at all the negative reviews on this movie. It was SO good!!! People who are negative about it expect WAY too much from movies. I'm obsessed with Danica Mckellar the lead actress. She always acts with her emotions and you can feel everyone. This isnt meant to be an action packed movie. It's a Christmas hallmark movie for goodness sakes. The kids are SO adorable and their relationship with Danicka in the movie just makes your heart melt. The dad in the movie the main character and Danicka have really good chemistry and yes it's a storyline that has been done before, the lodge is gonna close if they dont figure it out kind of like the movie Christmas at holly lodge but this one is amazing. And not because I love Danica Mckeller. It's a feel good movie. Shes an artist and they way she brings that out with the kids and her love life is just flawless. Dont listen to all the negative reviews. This is a classic Hallmark feel good Christmas movies and its 100% one of the better ones. And will have your heart flutter. The only thing negative and heartbreaking is that its not on DVD yet for me to buy because the second it is I'm gonna buy like 2 copies I love it that much
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andreawells-994875 February 2019I think Hallmark should be more careful when casting actors with deep, throaty voices. What works in dramas where the husky voice can be useful, just does not work for Hallmark. At :38 minutes, when Angela's character invites the children to her shop across the street, I was cringing.
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8.0 stars.
Here is one of those very rare outliers I like to call a hidden gem of Hallmark Christmas archives. 'Christmas at Grand Valley' is a dark horse that I curiously feel is a bundle of entertainment, the total package of wonderment overflowing with children's dreams and adults' hopeful wishes.
There is an obvious disconnect for many Hallmark frequenters here, and I see no cause for it. This is why I call this an outlier, and rightly so.
Staying at Grand Valley is one of the delightful experiences I've had with a Christmas town, the ambience, the nice people, the Christmas cheer. We are swept into a story about an influential man (Elliot) from Chicago and his two endearing children and how they fall in love with an artist (McKellar) who is currently having "painter's block", and is in need of a muse. Their fates converge in her hometown of Grand Valley at a Christmas lodge. He has been assigned to review the lodge's finances to see if it should remain or be acquired and possibly dismantled and turned into something else. She is dead set against any changes to this magical lodge, because to her it is irreplaceable. The drama escalates, but they have an intense affinity for one another that cannot be repressed. He will find a way to save the lodge because of his deep affection for her and likewise she will find a way to forgive him if he can't.
Is the dialogue rudimentary? I suppose in many parts it is, however McKellar and Elliot have one of the best chemistries I've seen to date. For their performances alone this gets a high rating. Now let's not forget all of the supporting cast and the children. This is truly one of the greats. You'd have to really dislike McKellar to dislike this movie, there can be no other explanation. -
jk-692-23639429 December 2018I have watched all the Hallmark, Lifetime, ION and Freeform Holiday movies this season. I usually really like Danica McKeller, and Dan Laura in most things they do. This movie actually bored me. I have a high tolerance for these movies, so I was caught off guard at how dull it was. There was zero chemistry with Brennan Elliott and he had a strange haircut. He plays a villain much better. I just do not think he is leading man material. The kids who played his kids were cute and good. Someone else said Hallmark has been hit and miss this season, and I agree. The other networks have upped their game and I saw some of my favorite new Holiday movies on Lifetime and other networks. This movie was a disappointment. The story just did not work.
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kz917-17 October 2019Bless their hearts they tried.
Both main characters border on scrooge like behavior. But what really grates and I mean literally grates is the voice of one of the minor characters. I practically jumped out of my skin. What's worse was the dialogue. Come visit my shop some time children... Ick Worthy!
Don't waste your time with this one. -
Hallmark-movies6 January 2019One of the best christmas movies we have seen from Hallmark...
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ssteiger-629625 January 2019Most all of the Hallmark Christmas movies are delightful but this one was quite a disappointment. The movie was a real snoozer. Very dull and boring with very little chemistry between the characters.
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mckinlayjazz14 January 2024I am honesty stunned by all the hatred felt towards this movie. If you're rating it ONE star, you're expecting too much. This is no Avengers Endgame- it's a Hallmark Christmas movie- and it has a fairly generic plot, but I honestly don't care. This movie was a treat, where Brennan Elliot/Leo is forced to make a tough decision, with both Danica/Kelly & his boss breathing down his neck. Meanwhile, his perfect children enjoy a cookie cutter christmas with lots of art. Meanwhile, Frank, Vera, and the crew are hanging out at Frank's Diner. Near the end, things heat up as Kelly gets an offer for an art shoe, and the lodge is being sold. First, the hate toward Vera is unjust. Second, I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!
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barnsleylad494910 December 2020This is one huge snooze fest. The dialogue is repetitive (the main character says "I'm just doing my job" about 38 times. The shopkeeper sounds like Harvey Fierstein. She must have smoked 5 packs a day in her youth. The entire plot drags and drags and drags. It truly is about a 20 minute story stretched out to an hour and a half. I feel bad for the actors with this lousy dialogue. The only saving grace is Dan Lauria and Danica. I kept watching only in the hopes of seeing Danica in a bikini....alas that didn't happen. It appears this was just a vehicle to get Dan and Danica back together on screen. Of course, it is the typical recycled Hallmark plot with the inevitable ending. Be sure to watch it after some strong coffee to stay awake.
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sadiemarie-6259816 November 2019Hallmark made some great Christmas movies this year, but unfortunately this wasn't one of them. The dialogue was too saccharin and forced. The children acted unrealistically perfect and sweet. The storyline was unoriginal and the dialogue wasn't clever or witty at all. Turned it off after 30 minutes. I would recommend "Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses" and "Holiday for Heroes" instead of this dull film.