Put "Christmas" in the title or have a Christmas tree in it and one has a Christmas movie. Anyhow, so the industry seems geared in the 21st century. "An Old-Fashioned Christmas" is a TV movie sequel to "An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving" of 2008. That was set in New England, and this takes place in Ireland. The time is 1912. While billed as a drama, this film might also have been labeled a comedy or comedy-romance. Some might consider the latter a letdown, so just stay with comedy. For "Old-Fashioned Christmas" has some very witty dialog throughout. Several of the cast joust and parry with put-downs, slams and not too-well-hidden insults. It's delicious and adds much to this otherwise formulaic love triangle. Isabella Caldwell squares off repeatedly with Lady Shannon. She seems to be the principal jouster, going at it with a number of the rest of the cast. She and Sean Basset square off, she attacks Cameron Shannon head on, and she and niece Matilda Basset (Tilly) go at it a couple of times. But, Tilly also jousts with Cameron and he with her, and Cameron and his mother, Lady Shannon exchange insults more than once. Most of the cast are very good. Marion O'Dwyer is particularly good as the self-assured, unlikable Lady Shannon. Some of the cast seemed as though they might be having fun making this film. Ian McElhinney as Sean, Leon Ockenden as Cameron and Kristopher Turner as Gad were clearly at ease and enjoying their roles. Jacqueline Bisset is good as Isabella Caldwell. Catherine Steadman is okay as Tilly - not bad but not very good, either. She might have put much more life into her interpretation of her character. At times she seems blasé. The background music was terrible, and at times distracting. But for that, this film might have rated one more star. Here are some sample funny lines from the film. For more, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the movie. Lady Shannon, "As my husband is fond to say, 'The woman rarely gets what she wants, but she always gets what she needs.'"Isabella Caldwell, "Shame on you, Matilda Bassett. Such deception and manipulation." Tilly Basset, "Sorry. Would it help if I grovel?" Isabella, "It might be a beginning."Sean Basset, "Sometimes the best place to be is at a fork in the road." Tilly Basset, "Why?' Sean, "It brings clarity, eventually." Tilly, "Well, I look forward to clarity, thank you."Sean, "Well, you'll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind." Tilly, "Excuse me?" Sean, "Stop all the blabbering and take action." Sean, "Mrs. Caldwell, calling you uppity isn't an insult. It's a fact."

I'll watch any old rubbish with Christmas in the title at this time of year and given that terrestrial TV here in the UK clogs up the afternoon schedules with wall-to-wall Christmas-themed movies, there's no shortage of choice.To be sure, the Christmas connection seemed somewhat contrived in this TV movie, the story could certainly have been played without the Yuletide reference, although other than having the characters sitting down to Christmas dinner singing carols to each other and a snow scene over the end titles, I didn't much get the spirit of the season anyway.The story was really just Mills and Boon set in old Ireland, the contrived plot revolving around a young American would-be writer, chaperoned around Ireland, by her stuffy, moneybags grandmother. The granddaughter wants to get back to her roots and track down her paternal Irish grandfather but along the way has to choose between her staid Stateside fiancé and the drunken but roguish native son pushed forward by the scheming Irish Lady of the manor, with whom they're both staying, the Lady hoping to trade a title for new money.The actors perform adequately as they wade through the schmaltz, but really this was a story better read than watched, if you like that kind of sub-Barbara Cartland thing.

I'm a sucker for these types of movies so I adored this film. It wouldn't win any awards and the acting - particularly from the leading lady - isn't up to the standard of the first film, but, it is a lovely little movie any romantic should enjoy. I have 3 complaints about it however. 1: The storyline involving Tilly finding her father's family didn't seem right. They accepted each other without hesitation. At first I thought Cameron was paying them to lie, but, it wasn't that complicated. Even Isabella didn't question it. 2: It's a shame they changed the lead actress as Tatiana Maslany was great and had so much chemistry with Isabella and Gad. She would have made this much better. 3: There wasn't enough of Kris Turner as Gad. He stole the movie and he didn't even appear until halfway through the movie. I really enjoyed this film and would love the DVD to add to my collection. It was slightly more romantic than the first, Isabella was more likable and I have to admit that I love Gad. He is the perfect romantic hero. There is no real competition between the two suitors as Cameron is a drunken, womanising jerk compared to Gad's patience, understanding and that lovely punch he does in the barn. I would have known right then and there that he was perfect if I was Tilly, but, she was slightly unlikeable. I would love to see more movies made (maybe with a different young actress playing Tilly) about their adventures in Venice or Gad and Tilly's wedding or Tilly finally getting published or seeing Tilly's lovely family again. I loved Gad, Isabella and Sean and this movie.

Okay, I'm generally a sucker for Christmas movies. I also enjoy the Merchant-Ivory style films about the prim and proper Victorian age. This should have both, right? Wrong.The acting from some of the principles is bad. The story is pretty lame. The ending is predictable. Having the Bissett character show affection for a character she loathes (and who despises her) is out of character and doesn't fit in with the movie.The local romantic figure is such a loser that we wonder what Tillie ever saw in him or why she would even question her relationship with Gideon/Gad.Yawn is a good description. "Lame" would work just as well.