Strong and Moving!

Powerful

Let's be realistic.

As Good As It Gets

Loved the movie. Story was terrific. Actors were very good. Gwen, the personal shopper was beyond great. I got totally got lost in the story and fell in love with Gwen, too. I feel like she changed me just by my watching the movie. She cares so much for everyone else and tries to please them. Makes me want to do that, too.This is one of those very rare special movies that changes you. I've seen it four times now, and I'll watch it again and again. It's the epitome of why I love Hallmark movies. Just pure clean fun.

Every holiday season brings a new wave of specials for you to to curl up under a warm blanket to watch. Some of these movies and specials are real duds, while some others however, are hidden gems."A Gift Wrapped Christmas" is one of those hidden gems. I came upon this movie on the wee hours of Christmas morning of 2016 and I really felt it was worth staying up to. While the story isn't completetly original, the cast has great chemistry together and a wicked villainess to watch out for, with warm fuzzies abound and some tasty looking cookies! Only thing I wished was for was for us to see that toboggan ride!

I'm a fool for these Lifetime schmaltzy sentimental Christmas movies, and this brand new one is one of the best of the genre. If you're into highbrow TV fare like Downtown Abbey,"A Gift Wrapped Christmas " is not for you. These heartwarming little tales are meant for you to feel good, and believe you me, this one will do that.These Christmas films are built on predictable formulas. There's usually a one-parent lonely child (adorable Owen, played by Anthony Bolognese).There's the single parent (sad, rich and handsome executive & widower Charlie, played by Travis Milne) who is usually involved with the wrong partner (cold, insufferable business-obsessed, social climber Victoria, played by gorgeous Anna Van Hooft). And of course there's the inspiring heroine, Gwen, a professional shopper,(superbly played by sprightly Meredith Hagner) who "changes everything", by the brightness of her personality. Gwen wins Charlie's son Owen first, and eventually wins the dad too! If If after watching Gwen and Charlie's first few scenes you think it's a spoiler that they end up together, I know you still believe in Santa. Kudos! Meredith Hagner is simply delightful playing Gwen. Her special charisma as an actress, sassy and bright, may be the reason Woody Allen chose her to play in one of his films. She owns the film from the first scene, playing a lovable and slightly goofy (but very smart) ingenue, like Audrey Hepburn's character in "Breakfast At Tiffany's." The idea of making Gwen a pro-shopper is a brilliant action mover for a Christmas film since Christmas is so tied in with gift giving. It also gives Gwen a professional excuse to access Charles persona. Although at first Charlie is reluctant to open up to her, eventually, Charlie gives in. Gwen is an absolute marvel as a shopper! She does expert client research and buys exactly what everyone wants on Charlie's long list of business gift recipients. She impresses Charlie by gaining the good will (and business) of his business associates and friends. Gwen's very personal caring and attention to both Charlie and Owen, as she goes about buying for them, also wins Charlie's affection. Charlie realizes what a contrast Gwen's optimistic, generous and loving personality is to cold and ambitious girlfriend Victoria. By the time Gwen gets enough courage to tell Charlie "Victoria's not for you",he has already broken up with Victoria because his heart belongs to Gwen. At the end, Charlie tells Gwen poignantly, in Milne's best delivered line: "You've changed everything". Aww! Travis Milne seems perfectly cast as the reticent and shy Charlie, whom Gwen helps to come out of his shell, partly the result of grief for his deceased wife. Travis/Charlie is the perfect passive medium for the expressive, soulful Gwen/Meredith, good ground to work her magic. Much of the film's success depends between the chemistry between the two main actors, Hagner & Milne, who together make sparks fly. Sweet is also the bond between Charlie and his son. (Milne plays an awesome quiet and caring dad.)Then there's that easy, warm bond between Gwen and Owen. We gobble it all up, hook.line and sinker! We end up caring for all three, and rooting for their eventual union. The whole tale of love romantic and paternal is skillfully told, directed and acted. The supporting roles,like Gwen's affectionate sister and husband;or Charlie's thoughtful secretary; or on the villain side, the cold and calculating Victoria, are all well done. The script is full of details that make the story credible, modern and sweet (but not overly so). The Christmas shopping-related scenery and cinematography is festive and colorful. This is perfect Christmas indulgence film fare, very watchable and enjoyable. "A Gift-Wrapped Christmas" is all you want for Christmas in a Lifetime feel-good movie. Watch it over and over again. I have!

If you are a sucker for sappy movies as many romantics are then this film is right up your alley. The story is based upon a widower dad and business man named Charlie who is played by Travis Milne. Milne previously starred in the TV police drama series Rookie Blue. Charlie is attempting to balance his work and personal life as he runs a busy company and also raise his 7 year old son named Owen. Owen is played by Anthony Bolognese who is starring in his first film but based on his strong and adorable performance in A Gift Wrapped Christmas he will be kept busy for at least the next few years as he grows into a young man.Now Charlie has a girlfriend named Victoria played by Anna Van Hooft who will infuriate the audience with her focus on business and lack of any empathy for the relationship between widower Charlie and his son Owen. All Owen wants for Christmas is to go tobogganing with his dad but Victoria wants to push her own agenda of lying on a sun filled beach with Charlie and just let little Owen go play in the sand to leave the adults alone to discuss her self centered business agenda and her strategy to rule the business world. As for little Owen's dream for a white Christmas and tobogganing on a snow filled hill, Victoria is playing Scrooge and buys airline tickets to the sunny south, so she really comes across as Mrs. Scrooge.The main focus of the film is a professional personal shopper named Gwen played by Meredith Hagner, who has a special knack of picking out just the right gifts for all of her clients. What is missing from Gwen's life though is as she continues to make everyone happy around her she is not focusing on herself and as a result she is planning to be lonely this Christmas holiday.As events would happen the stars align and Gwen sets out on a course to not only make Charlie and his cute little son Owen happy this Christmas but she also intends to try and make her own Christmas special this year. The film is very light viewing and romance abounds as Charlie and his personal shopper get to know each other better as Christmas draws near. It is a sappy film but will help put the viewer in a Christmas and romantic mood.I give the film a 7 out of 10 rating.