Hilarie Burton is a bit of amazing. She played the part of a Louisiana young mom perfectly. The way she talked was perfect. I live in the area and she reminded me of a young mom I know- phrases like "Just Sayin". If this lady got the roles Lacey Chabert got- we'd have better movies. The way she talked with her son in those tender moments was just perfect. I watched "Last Chance for Christmas- 2015" the night before in which she plays a black haired mom/rancher (did not seem like the same person). Good thing I hadn't watched this movie first because in comparison to this movie her role would have seemed such a waste. I see she was in another movie "Surprised by Love" in which she was a blonde.As you gather Hilarie Burton gets an A+, her son, Markie Post (mom), and Tyler Hilton all get A's. Randy Travis played a part that added little to the movie. Ed Asner role was a bit crucial but a Cajun accent did not seem right. He reminded me a little of Spencer Tracy. If the story had some depth this could have been an excellent movie. It is a good movie, well done in acting and is worth watching, you might doze in spots if you're a bit tired.

My wife loves this movie based on the 20 minutes we saw. There is some crazy bayou action going on the screen right now. It makes Louisiana look like Bethlehem during the birth of Christ. My wife is convinced that swamp people are not really this beautiful. Maybe this movie is set in a special members-only section of the bayou.The woman in this movie is clearly in her shell, probably due to her battle with drugs or possibly her son's father walking out on her, so she does not want to accept Tyler Hilton's magic light-up boat ride. But now at the end she is kissing him. Ed Asner plays a very convincing Santa. His monologue about the meaning of Christmas ranks right up there with Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. This movie, in my conclusion, is better than "No Strings Attached", which stars Ashton Kutcher. We watched 10 minutes of that movie, and not even the presence of Ludicrous could get us in the Christmas spirit. Christmas on the Bayou really got us in the holiday spirit by 10%, which is a lot more than I can say about that awful other movie "No Strings Attached". 5 stars because we didn't watch the whole thing.

This was one if the best TV movies I've seen in a LONG time. The production value was much higher than the usual standards, the story was well told, and the performances were genuine and heartfelt...not over-the-top and corny like so many other movies in this category. I especially liked the young boy playing Zach. His storyline was precious and I expect we will see him in many more movies.It was fun to see Ed Asner take on a Santa-like role again, too. Hilarie Burton gives a grand performance in a role that could have easily become melodramatic and she had great chemistry with the boy (Zach) and Tyler Burton and Markie Post. I've always been a fan of Markie's! She looks great and she, too, gives a very heartfelt performance.I highly recommend this holiday movie.

Divorced, busy working woman with young boy goes to visit her mother in her small town for the holidays, meets her old boyfriend, natural resistance against his overwhelming charm ensues, bossy, know-it-all mother gives relentless advice to the point of wanting to smack her, and 'Santa' is an old, crusty guy who hates phones but makes wood toys and rides down the river in a boat or something. Guess what will happen? The child will bond with nature, the mom will learn that her job doesn't matter (who's paying for everything?), love will bloom and Santa will, with a twinkle of 'I told you so' will give you everything you've been missing in your world of reality, which means nothing but eating grits and hanging out at the local hardware store.If you've ever seen this plot before, why on earth would you waste your time ? You will know within the first 15 minutes what will happen and it does.You will never get this time in your life back, so don't waste it on this. There are so many other, worthwhile, heart warming stories out there with interesting plots that this is rendered an insult to any watcher.Instead, read A Christmas Carol, The Gift of the Magi, or, to not insult your intelligence but keep the charm, re-visit the classics, i.e., Shop Around The Corner, It's A Wonderful Life, you know the drill.