A_Different_Drummer Courtesy of the Great Canadian film factory (which, as explained in my other reviews often masquerades as production companies from other parts of the globe), we have this soppy entry, a strange take on the X-mas fantasy classics from the 1940s.The good news? Alicia Witt. Witt is not only a singer but a comedian and actress of special merit. This reviewer first noticed her in a season of Justified where she stole the spotlight from several dramatic actors more seasoned.And speaking of "seasoned," this Xmas effort even with its many flaws could have been a lot better than it was were it not for the criminally inept casting of Donald Faison as the fantasy husband.Folks I understand the benefits of political correctness in the modern age (even though as a youngster I did not go to a "snowflake" university) but there are some things more important than political correctness, such as writing, casting, directing and acting. For starters.Witt is not only competent, she delivers some very awkward dialog like she means it. Not so with Donald Faison. He seems to think he is in a slapstick comedy instead of a romcom and keeps mugging for a laugh. It would help if there was even a smidgen of chemistry between the two. THERE IS NOT. Worse, the writer/director makes a major faux pas and actually takes this lack of chemistry and tries to turn it into a plot arc.Ugh! Other than for Witt fans, not recommended.

geobear75 This movie doesn't really have any flow and is hard to follow. Rather than feeling like its own show, it feels more like a bad editing job of splicing together every other Christmas movie you've ever seen. Considering that the main character is trying to make the perfect Christmas movie when she passes out, I'm sure this is probably on purpose, but unfortunately the end result isn't good. It feels more like we were dropped into a fun house than a snow globe. Also, the male and female leads didn't demonstrate any believable chemistry, or at least not for more than a second or two at a time. Both actors are terrific, and I've loved them in other shows, but it just didn't work here. It might not be their fault, though. It could be because the movie kept jumping around and never held still long enough to maintain emotion. In any case, your time would probably be better spent watching one or more of the other Christmas movies instead of this trippy imitation.

SanteeFats Alicia Witt is a producer who goes to dream land. There she is married to Donald Faison and she learns they have two kids, a boy and a girl. It is a fantasy but hey it is a Christmas film. Putting on a Christmas play for the town she tries to get the cast together but there is some division among the kids. The mayor, who is a physical copy of her old fiancée, comes on to her even though he is married. Christina Milian plays a spirit who is trying to set Alicia on the right path. As the Christmas play goes on in rehearsal egos come out and some of the kids kind of blow up. Then the mayor serves a notice of eviction on the family home. Seems he has bought the woods from a local man that includes the house. The man has sold because no one seems to be into preserving the past. Alicia now tries to raise the equivalent sum so the woods will stay as they are. Then there is the Christmas play by the kids. The man who sold the woods if also the guy that played Santa. Thinking he is out of the play he shows up as Santa and donates enough money to save the woods. So Witt comes too on the set and having learned the true meaning of giving goes to her boyfriends house. Here she discovers that Faison is not married and has no kids. Chistina Milian turns out to be Faison's passed mother. At the end she is very happy when Alicia and Earl Faison finally hook up.

R B Though it rings of Family Man as many have pointed out, it bares a stronger resemblance to Nancy McKeon's Comfort and Joy. The film twists and turns in ways that are sometimes more frustrating than entertaining. However, the acting is good and the lighting is good and so is the sound. 2013 has not been a good year for sound and lighting in these types of holiday films. In particular kitchen scenes have been riddled with reverb, but not this film. They came through. The overlap with prior Snowglobe films is apparently coincidental more through casting than the story. There is no connection other than the name and a shared actress. It definitely tightens up at the end and makes for a good watch.