This is indeed a very good effort. The dialogues and the performances were decent and natural, so was the chemistry between the two leading actors. The matter of diversity was handled with dignity and discretion. Well done! A must see for these holidays! Happy new year everyone!

The 2020 Lifetime Christmas efforts did vary and often veered between mediocre and slightly above average and were indicative at times of rushed productions. But there were enough of them that were still watchable and more (was pleasantly surprised by some) and were not amateur efforts. Actually think on reflection that the standard was of better quality than 2019's batch. 'Christmas Ever After' sounded promising and really appreciated its inclusion of diversity by having one of the main characters wheelchair-bound.

'Christmas Ever After' turned out to be very nicely done. Is one of the better ones and has one particularly big surprise that was not expected at all. Is it a great film? No, none of the 2020 Lifetime Christmas films are though in all fairness. Is it worth watching? Absolutely yes (as is enough of this particular batch),and one of the recently seen Christmas films that surprised me a lot. While not everything in 'Christmas Ever After' works, a lot does and very well indeed.

Am going to start with what could have been better. The plot is nothing special formula-wise and in terms of how it maps out. It's another film that is a bit of a slow starter, where it takes time to set up and the dialogue is on the awkward side.

Do agree that Bill Marchant is too over the top in his role and came over as annoying. The ending felt too hasty.

However, a lot is good. Ali Stroker's performance was courageous and heartfelt, as well as easy to endear to. Daniel Di Tomasso matches her in charm and his gentle warmth and sincerity help him come over as very likeable. Their chemistry is beautifully done, tasteful and sympathetic with no judgement and they are very natural together. Melia Charlotte Cressaty is adorable without being too cute. Lifetime have always varied when it comes to having characters that are interesting and worth caring for, 'Christmas Ever After' is a case of both.

Visually, the film is professional looking rather than looking on the cheap, the scenery is lovely. The music is not used too much and has an appropriate sound. The direction shows somebody at ease with the genre and while there is nothing innovative it's not routine or dull either. Furthermore, a great job is done with the Christmas atmosphere, where it does feel like Christmas and in an affectionate way. Some lovely Christmas touches, especially in the second half, and there are some very sweet, but not sickly, scenes. The script did have a nice mix of funny and poignant lines, especially the banter between the leads. The story may be thin but has a warm heart and charm and doesn't take itself too seriously. While the first quarter is not easy to get into at first, a vast majority of the second half is great.

Overall, well done. 7/10.

The story has some familiar themes. A writer, Izzy, needs to clear her head so she can fix the ending to her latest novel so she returns to her favorite B&B for Christmas. The former owner's son, Matt, is taking over and he's fixing things in the inn that Izzy has grown fond of. Initially there's some friction as a result, although it is fairly tame as early story friction goes. The story includes some of the traditional activities like cookie decorating and other holiday festivities and contests.

There is a little mystery with big implications but the reveal of it is well before the climax. The conflict is the usual misunderstanding over something seen from afar. The ending is predictable.

Many reviewers have commented over various holiday networks improvements in diversity of cast. Well this is the first Christmas rom/com I've seen where that diversity includes a female lead in a wheelchair, at least one where the wheelchair is not at all an issue in the story. We don't even get Izzy's backstory. Bravo to Lifetime. And double Bravo to Ali Stroker. Izzy is a very likeable. She is attractive in a not waif-thin sort of way. She sings. She bowls. She's quirky. She's confident. Her acting is upbeat and good. She has chemistry with Daniel di Tomasso although his acting is not quite as good. Same goes for most of the cast with the exception of Matt's sister and daughter, who each do a decent job. The girl with a crush on Matt is distracting because the actor always looks unsure of herself.

BTW: I was taken aback by the way Stroker handles her wheelchair. She whizzes and spins so effortlessly that it doesn't look real, but it is.

Without Stroker, this movie is probably 5 or 6 stars.