Hallmark Channel Premiere | November 13, 2021
In this movie, Vanessa takes a DNA test for fun and discovers that she has a biological father who lives nearby. Richard, who never knew he had a daughter, invites her home to spend Christmas with his incredibly understanding and too-good-to-be-true family. (Richard is played by James Tupper, and I cannot picture him as anything other than David Clarke from Revenge.) It's all very awkward, and it becomes even more so when it turns out that the DNA results were mixed up. Vanessa abruptly reveals the mistake on Christmas Eve and heads back home to her empty apartment. The family decides that they like Vanessa even if they are not related, and their Christmas Eve is almost ruined. Thankfully, Richard finds a photo of his old girlfriend, and she looks like Vanessa. The DNA mixup is not mentioned again, as it seems Vanessa is, in fact, family. Oh -and there's a love interest, Kristopher, who is a corporate lawyer (gasp!). Kristopher remains a corporate lawyer for the duration of the movie, which is an odd twist for Hallmark. I was waiting for him to discover the error of his ways and enter family law, but I think they ran out of time.
Hallmark gets an A on: Vanessa has a very nice NYC apartment
Hallmark gets an F on: the Christmas decorations (it's just too much); the DNA mixup that wasn't a mixup; the DNA company (clearly not trustworthy); corny lines like "you're not the only one who was falling in love"; the entire premise
Grade: D
* Note Grading Scale:
A = This is seriously a good movie. It will remain on my DVR for the season.
B = Totally exceeded my expectations. I'm happy to recommend.
C = This is an average Hallmark movie. Good holiday fun.
D = I'm disappointed... but I watched it. Why not?
F = I actually had a hard time getting through this one. And that says a lot.
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