In the last couple of years, Witt's Hallmark Christmas movies have been somewhat lackluster with scenes that struck me as unintentionally funny, mostly due to her performances that came across as overwrought or just plain hammy. But here, she is back in fine form with a leading man, Andrew W. Walker, who is quite good. As Meg and Nate, they join forces to prevent Christmas Tree Lane from being demolished in order to make way for modern office buildings. Nate's father is the developer. There are no really big surprises here, but Witt and Walker are very believable as a couple and their scenes together really work. The dialogue is smart and interesting throughout, with a really fine supporting cast, particularly Paul Anthony McLean and Shannon Engemann as Nate's parents. The sets are attractive with lots of Christmas spirit and Witt sings a really endearing Christmas song at the end, which apparently she wrote and it is quite good, as is her singing voice. All in all, this is an enjoyable, realistic holiday film, with Witt's best work since "A Very Merry Mix-Up." She and Walker work nicely together giving sincere performances that serve the story well.
Review of Christmas Tree Lane
