Dear Christmas

Natalie Morgan (Hart) hosts a popular podcast about holiday love.  While she literally wrote the book about true love, she has yet to experience it herself.  She heads home for Christmas with her family, with plans to air a live episode on Christmas Eve.

Her parents, Randy (Begley Jr.) and Jenny (Prince), usually go all out for Christmas and host an annual ugly sweater party.  This year, they have been too busy with their new bookstore to decorate.  They are thrilled to have both daughters home for the holidays and eagerly await the birth of their daughter Emma's (Whelan) first child, due on Christmas Eve.

As Natalie prepares for her live show and Christmas, she continually encounters Chris Massey (Priestley).  Chris is a former classmate, who is know around town as Mr. Christmas and always willing to lend a hand.  Every time Chris and Natalie meet, sparks fly.  Will Natalie take a chance at real love?

This is a Lifetime Christmas movie.  Melissa Joan Hart has appeared in a Lifetime Original Christmas Movie every year since 2017 (this is her 7th made-for-TV Christmas film, following Holiday in Handcuffs for ABC Family, Broadcasting Christmas for Hallmark and 4 for Lifetime: The Santa Con, Broadcasting Christmas, A Very Merry Toy Store, A Very Nutty Christmas, and Christmas Reservations).

The Good:

The leads, Hart and Jason Priestley, are likeable and have good chemistry.  The sets are lovely and I enjoyed the humor.

The Bad:

The story isn't great... but it isn't a reason to skip the film.

Other Comments:

-The acting, besides Hart and Priestley, is not great.  I like Ed Begley Jr. and Faith Prince in other things, but not here.  It is a small cast (the actor who plays Emma's husband does not appear on any cast list I could find), and it makes the acting stand out.

-In addition to the main story, there are several video messages from Natalie's audience, explaining how they realized they were in love.  The main stand-out here is the cameo appearances by Hilarie Burton and Antwon Tanner, who previously appeared together in TV's One Tree Hill.

-Ok, but not great.  It gets by on the charms of it's leads.

Dear Christmas (2020) 87 minutes

Director: Emily Moss Wilson

Starring: Melissa Joan Hart as Natalie Morgan

Jason Priestley as Chris Massey

Ed Begley Jr. as Randy Morgan

Faith Prince as Jenny Morgan 

Nicky Whelan as Emma

Robin Givens as Penny