Courtesy of the Great Canadian film factory (which, as explained in my other reviews often masquerades as production companies from other parts of the globe), we have this soppy entry, a strange take on the X-mas fantasy classics from the 1940s.The good news? Alicia Witt. Witt is not only a singer but a comedian and actress of special merit. This reviewer first noticed her in a season of Justified where she stole the spotlight from several dramatic actors more seasoned.And speaking of "seasoned," this Xmas effort even with its many flaws could have been a lot better than it was were it not for the criminally inept casting of Donald Faison as the fantasy husband.Folks I understand the benefits of political correctness in the modern age (even though as a youngster I did not go to a "snowflake" university) but there are some things more important than political correctness, such as writing, casting, directing and acting. For starters.Witt is not only competent, she delivers some very awkward dialog like she means it. Not so with Donald Faison. He seems to think he is in a slapstick comedy instead of a romcom and keeps mugging for a laugh. It would help if there was even a smidgen of chemistry between the two. THERE IS NOT. Worse, the writer/director makes a major faux pas and actually takes this lack of chemistry and tries to turn it into a plot arc.Ugh! Other than for Witt fans, not recommended.

A cynical TV exec looks at the perfect town inside a Christmas globe and rants about how the holiday movies she produces are as fake as the ornament. She throws it against the wall and it bounces back and knocks her out. But when she wakes up in a perfect snow-covered town, married to a local woodsman, she discovers it s not all just a fantasy.The film is really a first class production. The story is a little bit of a retread of better films however its so well made you can't get mad. Alicia Witt seems to be in every other Christmas movie that gets made. It was also so sweet to see Donald Faison be romantic. This film is family safe. It so safe that if your single the film might even change your life. Watch and enjoy.

Alicia Witt is a producer who goes to dream land. There she is married to Donald Faison and she learns they have two kids, a boy and a girl. It is a fantasy but hey it is a Christmas film. Putting on a Christmas play for the town she tries to get the cast together but there is some division among the kids. The mayor, who is a physical copy of her old fiancée, comes on to her even though he is married. Christina Milian plays a spirit who is trying to set Alicia on the right path. As the Christmas play goes on in rehearsal egos come out and some of the kids kind of blow up. Then the mayor serves a notice of eviction on the family home. Seems he has bought the woods from a local man that includes the house. The man has sold because no one seems to be into preserving the past. Alicia now tries to raise the equivalent sum so the woods will stay as they are. Then there is the Christmas play by the kids. The man who sold the woods if also the guy that played Santa. Thinking he is out of the play he shows up as Santa and donates enough money to save the woods. So Witt comes too on the set and having learned the true meaning of giving goes to her boyfriends house. Here she discovers that Faison is not married and has no kids. Chistina Milian turns out to be Faison's passed mother. At the end she is very happy when Alicia and Earl Faison finally hook up.

Though it rings of Family Man as many have pointed out, it bares a stronger resemblance to Nancy McKeon's Comfort and Joy. The film twists and turns in ways that are sometimes more frustrating than entertaining. However, the acting is good and the lighting is good and so is the sound. 2013 has not been a good year for sound and lighting in these types of holiday films. In particular kitchen scenes have been riddled with reverb, but not this film. They came through. The overlap with prior Snowglobe films is apparently coincidental more through casting than the story. There is no connection other than the name and a shared actress. It definitely tightens up at the end and makes for a good watch.