Hallmark’s Friends & Family Christmas: Rewatch Or Regift?

While Humberly González and Ali Liebert don’t make much of an impact in Hallmark’s “Friends & Family Christmas,” many of the other characters are thankfully far more entertaining. In fact, González’s Daniella had magnificent chemistry with her friend, Kylie Cook (Samantha Cole). Gabriela Reynoso (“Peacemaker”) and Christopher Shyer (“V”) are also infinitely more interesting, as Raquel and Luke McCallan respectively. Likewise “Final Destination 5” star Barclay Hope does a great job as single dad, John Kasmerac. 

But the film’s snail-like pacing drags it down interminably. The last ten minutes boasts some exciting moments but they’re not enough to save it. At its core, the movie is a cute enough romance, but director Anne Wheeler — who’s been making features since 1978 — seems to have phoned this one in a little bit. Writers Gary Goldstein (“Lights, Camera, Christmas!”) and Tracy Andreen (“A Very Merry Bridesmaid”) are no strangers to making enjoyable TV movies either, but this story could have been served better by picking up the pace and making the protagonists more interesting and relatable.

The themes in “Friends & Family Christmas,” such as getting back into the dating world after a bad breakup, and having confidence in one’s work, are great starting points, but the storylines all ultimately culminate in a predictable final act. And, considering this film is part of Hallmark’s new foray into same-sex-oriented stories, it feels like a completely missed opportunity on top of everything else.