It's rare that I like a TV movie this much, but I've been watching it every year since it first premiered. I used to watch it on the 25 Days of Christmas marathon, but after they started burying it in the wee hours just once a year (usually on Sundays) I taped it and still watch it that way each season (but if the higher ups are reading this I highly urge you to release it on digital download or streaming as I'd love higher rez version, even SD would be better than my warm out VHS). Anyway, what makes the film "perfect"... it's hard to explain without sitting down and showing it to you. Mimi Rodgers is a real person, not some prissy over the top caricature of a woman like most Hallmark or Netflix movies. She's beautiful, yes, but she is also is vulnerable, realistic looking, with reasonable reactions to her life passing her by. The rest of the cast are all over the top, but somehow it works perfectly... from the 1950'd thick framed boss, David, the boy that the story hinges on, the jealous soap opera style jealous other woman, the dippy former boyfriend... they are all able to get you into their vibe with very little on screen work. The concept is magical, but works in a very subtle cause and effect way that is just enough to give it the spark of Christmas spirit. It is FULL of moments that are special, sentimental, small touches; like, for example, the moment when David pulls her arm back to smell his mom's perfume that smells just like her. It takes the time to have moments instead of rushing to the next thing too quickly. Is it cheesy in parts, is it made on a tv studio budget, is some of the acting questionable... sure... but in all the right ways. It knows what it is and succeeds. Nice job! Thanks for adding to our 23 yr Christmas tradition.
Review of The Christmas List
