What A Delight, Heart Warming Christmas Movie by Hallmark. **** May contain spoiler**** The story starts little slow but story DOES BUILD UP and gives you a good smile. It gives a joy to watch family members struggles but unites and discover value of a family. After Sister dies, her daughter was given to the youngest brother, who used to be the favorite, to take care. With mother's tragic death, little girl doesn't talk nor smile. This brother has now given a goal that most priority is his niece and do anything to make her smile and talk again. As story goes on, there's young lady who had bad relationship moves to this town to open a new toy shop. she fumbles into this brother and his niece time to time and eventually the one falls in love and make little girl to talk and put a smile back in her face. Even though it starts bit slow, it wasn't boring but appreciated the value of the story. Couple thing wanted to mention is, like other viewer, this young man does look lot like Tom Cruise and the your lady is more like Michelle Pfeiffer, WOW, REALLY YOU SHOULD WATCH IT^^

I watched this movie on TV when it came out, and came away with rather mixed feelings. On the plus side, most of the characters are likable, and the message about the importance of family is good. On the other hand, there isn't much of a plot, and except for a few moments the movie isn't very interesting. Hallmark has produced excellent movies in the past, such as the year-round "Front of the Class," but "Christmas with Holly" isn't one of them.There are three characters - Mark, Holly, and Maggie - Who are facing different challenges. Mark has suddenly become the guardian of the young Holly, who lost her mom three months ago. Holly is so upset about the loss of her mom that she won't speak, causing additional trouble for Mark. Maggie was planning on getting married, but her fiancé never showed up at the wedding. All these characters move to the small town of Friday Harbor, WA to start new lives. Maggie opens a new toy store, which is discovered by Holly right away. Mark starts to slowly build a connection with Maggie, but is still in a relationship with someone else - This relationship goes downhill because his girlfriend doesn't like the fact that Holly is now in the picture, and is not happy when she finds out that Mark has made a new friend in town. All three main characters come together at the end of the story, but the ending is not certain (Holly is speaking again, but you can make up your own story as to what eventually happens with Mark and Maggie).

I enjoyed the movie. Though the cynical might call it "cheesy," and all-too-predictable in its plot line, it's a heartwarming holiday story and a lesson in what it means to be a truly good, caring person, even during hurtful times, and when being good and caring means shouldering a heavy responsibility. I have a MAJOR BEEF with the listing of the actors in the movie's credits, however! The actors who played Mark, Maggie, and EVEN Holly (the TITLE CHARACTER, remember?) are listed at almost the bottom of the credits, while actors who played supporting - and even bit - parts are given TOP billing, or are, at least, ahead of the three main characters! What's up with that, dummies?

For those who don't know, "Christmas With Holly" is based on the novel "Christmas Eve At Friday Harbor" by romance author Lisa Kleypas.Although she's not widely known outside of romance novel fandom, insiders acclaim Kleypas as the Babe Ruth, the Dale Earnhardt Sr. or even the Michael Jordan of historical romance. She's a superstar with a huge following. While her greatest novels tend to be historicals -- LADY SOPHIA'S LOVER, WORTH ANY PRICE, SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME -- this television movie gives a fair example of her storytelling magic.After her fiancée dumps her, gorgeous, innocent Maggie travels to Friday Harbor, a remote island off the coast of Washington, to open her own toy store. She soon meets Mark Nagle, a befuddled bachelor, and his niece Holly, an adorable first grader who stopped talking after the tragic death of her mother. All ends happily in time for Christmas.While the gorgeous cast really nails Lisa Kleypas' mixture of gentle childlike wonder and heartwarming romance (watch the scene where Maggie shows Holly the inside of her magic dollhouse) it's sort of frustrating that the darker, steamier side of Lisa Kleypas' artistry will probably never make it to the big screen. Every time I watch MAD MEN I picture Jon Hamm as Nick Gentry and Christina Hendricks as Charlotte Worth in a HARD R version of WORTH ANY PRICE. But they'll never make that movie! The problem with Lisa Kleypas is that in her really great novels, all of the action happens when the lights are out.