I liked this movie. Yes, it is formulaic. There is no doubt in your mind this is going to be a boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl. It is simply this: a feel good movie. And if you don't mind seeing a movie that has "been done before", slightly different plots, different actors, cute kids, at Christmas, and you love the moment the boy and girl realize they love each other, then get your mug of hot cocoa, grab some holiday presents you need to wrap, and watch something that doesn't require your rapt attention. I personally am a sucker for romance: corny, Disney, Classics, Jane Austen, Bronte, TV shows/ movies, etc, etc. As long as boy gets girl, happy ending, I'm in! It's okay to like movies like this: fluff entertainment. Every movie doesn't need to be deep.

I first saw this movie in a re-run, and only saw the last half. After seeing the last half, I just couldn't wait to watch it from beginning to end. This is the kind of movie that after you start watching it you just can't leave it for any reason until it's over. All of the actors and actresses just made it so believable that you felt like you were friends with the characters at the end. I didn't even realize that Roma Downey was playing Kathleen until I'd been watching it for a few minutes. You wouldn't expect her to be good at the part of a struggling single mother, but she really was. It had the perfect casting combination, and the writers also knew what they were doing. It had a great plot, and is a movie that people would enjoy at just about any age. It's rare that you see a movie like this on television today.

I am an old fashioned piano teacher and value watching a movie like this. It has a happy ending and promotes honesty and moral decisions. My heart feels happy after watching this movie, and I can recommend to my students.