After viewing several night's worth of Hallmark's offerings, this season, I luckily reviewed the calendar to catch this earlier release. Since I had many films to use, as reference, a 10-star-rating was easy to bestow on this gem. That is because it is multi-faceted - the storyline emphasizes the passage of Christmas traditions - family and community. The acting is top-notch - from Victor Webster👍(David) and Erica Cerra (Heidi), to Wallace (David's dad) and Heidi's two teens. All three generations are pivotal, as the story unfolds. David and Heidi are initially slightly adversarial as she unknowingly took over his position of museum curator. But, the mystery of the manor gives them a common objective, and the writers give ample time (and histories) for our leads to warm up to each other. Their interactions (good chemistry) are relaxed and sensible. You can palpate the emotion of David's dad, Wallace, as he recounts his childhood and you begin to see the mystery solved, with some well-played interaction of Heidi's two teenagers. You never sense that you're being force-fed any Christmas activities or unforeseen romantic moment. These moments flow, seemlessly, here. When the movie draws to its closing, you're left feeling comforted in the human spirit, the joy of community, and the excitement of a much-anticipated budding romance.
Review of Mystery on Mistletoe Lane
