A Song for Christmas

Country pop star gets stuck in the obligatory tiny town, is practically adopted instantly by a local family. Apparently all it takes is asking to borrow a phone for 30 seconds and the next thing you know they’re inviting you over for dinner then insisting you stay overnight, which sounds a little too much like a cult kidnapping to me. There’s a son who plays guitar and a whole bunch of romantic tension and country music. I nearly shut this off seven minutes in when Johnny Joe Jim-Bob starts strumming a hillbilly riff at the local gas station, but it was getting late and I didn’t want to start over with another movie before going to bed, I had work in the morning. I didn’t really care about those two but there’s a more engaging subplot about the teenage daughter’s plans to save the family farm before the bank forecloses (yes, it’s one of those). City life's not immune to criticism, as soon as we meet mom and dad we learn mom's a city transplant who met country dad and fell head over heels, referring to herself as a, "reformed city girl," as if she'd overcome a self-destructive affliction. In a way, this is kind of an unofficial sequel to 90% of the Hallmark Christmas cheddar, so I guess we no longer need to wonder about what actually happens to these couples 20 years down the road. As for the film itself, it's supposed be more dramatic but the persistence of light-hearted quips give this the appearance of a rom-com not funny enough to earn the com. Christmas factor is moderately high but would I watch it again? Probably not. Not MSG approved, but I kind of feel bad about it. Let's say it gets 2 1/2 Christmas Trees, add a half if country music doesn't get on your nerves.