Great American Family's 2022 Christmas Movies in Review--the Hits & the Misses

Great American Family Is the Fastest Growing Network in Cable Television!

Rom-com movies are plentiful on a plethora of networks every season of the year, so what could be contributing to the explosive growth spurt Great American Family is experiencing?

Could viewers be sending a message to the entertainment industry that we are tired of movies that promote a political agenda steeped in wokeness that don't reflect our values?

I think so.

It's nearly impossible to find a channel that offers sweet, escapism entertainment that isn't laced with targeted themes meant to indoctrinate viewers.  You know exactly what I mean.  

What a breath of fresh air Great American Family (GAF) has been!  

GAF is quickly becoming an oasis for scores of viewers who are thirsting for quality entertainment that stands for faith, family, and country and doesn't waver in the face of worldly, anti-God activists who want to poison the well.  

GAF's future as an industry leader looks promising, and the network is rapidly amassing support.  Still, as the network continues to build from the ground up, there will be growing pains.  The 2022 Great American Christmas season had its share of hits, misses, and mediocrity, so let's look where they got it right and where they didn't.

Great American Family Christmas Movie HITS

Great American Family produced 18 original Christmas movies in 2022.  Most fans would agree that we prefer quality over quantity.

These are in no particular order.

A Christmas...Present

Candace Cameron Bure and Marc Blucas headlined this movie that was hyped as the event of the season, so it's no surprise it was voted number one by fans.  

A Christmas...Present contains everything we could want:  scriptures, Jesus, nativity play, church, and the importance of being present for your family. These are values entrenched in the very framework of our society, yet they are under attack today.  It's clear, however, that viewers want more of this!

Destined at Christmas

Starring Shae Robins and Casey Elliott, this movie was not a favorite of mine, but I'm in the minority because most people loved it.

The plot is unique.  When two people connect while Black Friday shopping, a blackout causes them to lose each other.  They are forced to use the clues from their conversation to try to find each other.  Their paths intersect repeatedly, but they are unaware of it.  

Catering Christmas    

Merritt Patterson and Daniel Lissing are experienced rom-com actors, and they brought magic to this movie about a caterer trying to build her business and a photographer pursuing his passion.

The story is well-done from start to finish and has more substance than most.

A Merry Christmas Wish

You know any movie with Jill Wagner and Cameron Mathison is going to be a winner.  This movie is about a marketing executive who returns to her hometown after her great uncle's death to get his affairs in order.  She's shocked to learn he willed her the farm and asked her to host the annual Winter Wonderland event one last time.

Being completely predictable and ordinary is actually what makes A Merry Christmas Wish charming.  It's just cozy to watch.

Christmas at the Drive-In

Danica McKellar reunites with Neal Bledsoe to bring us a story about a property lawyer who tries to convince the historic commission that the local drive-in is an iconic part of the town that should not be turned into a distribution center.

The movie has a nostalgic vibe that is very appealing.

  I'm Glad It's Christmas 

Jessica Lowndes and Paul Greene are not my favorite actors (her mouth bugs me and he seems stuck on himself), but they gave us a fun movie and a bouncy new song.  The movie is about a would-be singer teaming up with a jingle writer to bring back the annual Christmas show to the Holiday Lane neighborhood.

The movie contains several underlying morals that give it depth, like when Gladys Knight speaks of using your talents to glorify God.

Christmas on Candy Cane Lane

Despite Andrea Barber being a frumpy and goofy leading lady in this one, the movie is still festive and sweet thanks to talented co-stars and a solid story based on the novel by Sheila Roberts.

Ivy Donaldson is unable to fill her mother's massive shoes as the "Christmas Maven," and attempting to ultimately leads to her divorce.  With her husband (Dan Payne) back in town, the two forge a fresh start.

The movie also has a little mystery involving a prankster who keeps rearranging a cranky neighbor's candy cane display.

It's an encouraging story about second chances, being your authentic self, and putting family first.

Crown Prince of Christmas

Some viewers love Cindy Busby, and others find her nasally voice annoying and are tired of seeing her saturate so many rom-coms.  Although I agree with the latter perspective, Crown Prince of Christmas is one of my favorites from 2022.

The plot is inventive.  The prince (Jilon VanOver) is hiding in plain sight, and when Madison's family recognizes him, he affirms his identity.  Madison assumes he's kidding, so she goes along with the "charade."  Everything becomes a convoluted mess, but two people who started off as friends and co-workers end up falling in love.  

Christmas at Pine Valley

Kristina Cole and Andrew Biernat generate a lot of chemistry in this movie by intensely locking eyes and standing in close proximity in so many scenes.

The biggest complaint from viewers about this movie is the web of deception it entails, and I concur, which is why this title barely squeaked in on my hits list instead of being relegated to mediocrity.

Despite one lie building on another throughout the movie, it still has a lot of heart.

The Pine Valley Family Tree Farm is counting on two huge orders from a man who only patronizes family owned and operated businesses.  Without the order, the "family" (that isn't really a family) will lose the farm, so they maintain the facade that they are all related.

Meanwhile, a reporter is assigned to do a story on the tree farm and all the products they produce.  His career is on the line.  His last big story had discrepancies, and now he must fact-check every detail to keep his job.

When the truth comes out, the large order is cancelled, the farm is thought to be lost, and Natalie almost loses her chance at love with Josh.  

What's redeeming about this story is that it teaches family is who you let in your heart and that truth is always the most important thing.  Natalie comes clean, prepares to suffer the consequences of her actions, and ultimately receives mercy.  That's a pretty good message!

The ending is over-the-top, however.  There is no way Josh could have set up luminaries down the long sidewalk along with an elaborate light display among the trees so quickly without anyone seeing him.  

MEDIOCRE Great American Family Christmas Movies

 Some of GAF's 2022 Christmas movies aren't good enough to be classified a "hit" or bad enough to be labeled a "miss," so I am designating them as "mediocre."

These are the movies that were mildly pleasant to watch but maybe had repetitive plots, bad actors, unbelievable details, or other flaws.

Love at the Christmas Contest 

The worst part about this movie is the poor acting performances by Samantha Cope and Ross Jirgl.  She mutters quietly in a monotone most of the movie, and he has the charisma of a potato.

The conflict is also stale.  How many movies are going to be about one person getting a promotion in another state but deciding to turn it down for love?

When Angie rushes off in a huff after an easily explainable misunderstanding, David acts like he's been struck mute.  All movies need tension to resolve, but writers need to do this in a way that seems natural, not forced.

Otherwise, the Christmas tree decorating competition and assigning names to all the trees is something new and refreshing.

My Favorite Christmas Tree

There's a reason Emma Johnson and Giles Panton are typically cast in supporting roles--they stink as leads.  She's as bland as plain oatmeal, and he's a walking caricature.

At least the plot is a little different.  Kyla's project is tracing the agricultural history of the state, and she learns Cody's Christmas Tree farm isn't rightfully his.  The property was secured previously through a homesteader's claim, but when it didn't progress to a certificate of ownership, it reverted back the federal government.

Kyla's deep dive into city records completely shakes her relationship with Cody, but she helps him find a solution that will allow the farm to stay in his family.

The concept is interesting, especially the historical research that goes into the family tree, but the movie has no spark.

B&B Merry

Aside from the fact that Jen Lilley talks too fast, everyone loves both her and Jesse Hutch.  With their impressive resumés, I expected a home run on a movie featuring this great couple.

A renowned travel blogger is invited to stay at a struggling B&B in exchange for a review.  She and the owner's son start to fall for each other, but as usual, an unrealistic misunderstanding causes her to rush off in an unwarranted snit before the two sort things out.

We're also supposed to believe Graham is going to immediately be a successful photographer who can earn a living following Tracey around the world even though he's had no training and has had his camera in storage for years.  Right.

Lilley and Hutch are beloved, but the script is weak.

A Brush with Christmas

Jillian Murray plays Charlotte, a chef who has taken over the family restaurant even though her passion is painting.  Her path crosses with Wyatt (Joseph Cannata), a fellow artist, who is weary of doing computer generated architectural art and wants to do more pencil drawings.

Wyatt ultimately convinces Charlotte to pursue her artistic passions, so she passes her chef's hat to her best friend.

The paintings are lovely, and I reached out to GAF to learn the real artist's name, but I did not receive a response.

The plot and the artistic element in this movie are quite nice, and I loved seeing the expressions of gratitude written on ornaments that hung from the town trees.  Again, however, the acting is sub-par.  Michael Strickland plays Wyatt's best friend who sets him up in the garage during his stay in town, and his performance is particularly awful and fake.  Joseph Cannata is stiff.  Jillian Murray is okay, but someone needed to tame her bushy eyebrows.  The camera kept zooming in on the one that was unnaturally fanned out, and it was distracting.

Great American Family Christmas Movie MISSES

You can't win them all, but GAF had a few epic bombs during the 2022 Christmas season.  

When a network is trying to enchant viewers and grow support, airing fatally flawed movies in a primetime slot is damaging to their brand and reputation.

Aisle Be Home for Christmas

This movie is by FAR the worst of all the 18 premieres.  Besides the absolute lack of talent from leads Jennifer Freeman and Garrett Watson, the activities that take place while everyone is stuck in Angela's Supermart are highly implausible and downright ridiculous.

Michelle is close friends with the store owner, Angela, but with friends like her, who needs enemies?  Instead of being content to pass the time talking or walking around, like most people would, Michelle and Drew practically ransack the store for their own personal entertainment and selfish gratification.  

Cart after cart is filled up as they shop for ornaments to decorate a tree, find things to eat, and gather supplies for everyone to construct a gingerbread house, and more.  The most ignorant scene is where the couple thinks it's funny to swipe their arms across and shelf to empty tons of unneeded cookies into their cart.  It looks like looting and is totally childish behavior for adults.

When everyone sees the spark between Drew and Michelle, they create an elaborate and romantic winter wonderland space among boxes of stock for them to have a date.  They manage to stage all of this in mere seconds, which is so fictitious that it's completely stupid.

Drew just so happens to remember how to make his aunt's legendary fruitcake and does so after busting into one of Angela's camp stoves.

At one point, Angela asks who is paying for everything that is being used, and Drew says he will.  Yet, no tally is being kept of all the merchandise flying off the shelves, so how exactly is Angela tracking all of this? 

The ONLY redeeming moment in this movie is the acknowledgement of God when prayers are said over the food.  Otherwise, the movie was a gross waste of 1 1/2 hours of my life.

The Art of Christmas

This movie is about a teacher-turned-painter-turned-teacher-again who learns she can enjoy the best of both worlds--teaching and art.

As with many bombs, the conflict is forced.  Liv breaks up with her rich, art gallery owner boyfriend, but her new love, Jake (Joe Towne), thinks the two have gotten back together.  This confusion could easily be explained in two seconds, but the tension is herniated beyond belief.

Brigitte Kingsley is a terrible, unconvincing actress, and her boobs were on display more than the art.

Christmas Sweethearts

Although Colton Little is a nice guy-next-door leading man in this movie, Breanne Hill is yet another actress with no talent and an airy and sickeningly saccharine voice that makes her hard to watch.

Ashley is an event planner, and Liam is a caterer.  Can we come up with character occupations that haven't already been used one billion times?  They've worked together for years but don't realize that they've fallen in love until Ashley fixates on winning back her high school sweetheart, Grant.

The movie includes the banal trope of Liam being passed off as the "fake" boyfriend until he actually becomes the real boyfriend.

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Bella Vega (portrayed by another amateur actress) is Grant's influencer girlfriend who is initially clueless that Ashley is after her man.  The men who wrote the script clearly don't understand the female psyche.  Any woman would have sensed Ashley's intentions immediately and steered clear.  

It's unbelievable that Liam puts up with all of Ashley's crap.  He could do better, so it's astounding he still wants her.  You can do better, Liam (and you, too, Colton Little!).

A Royal Christmas on Ice

This movie is so bad, it's hard to find a starting point to explain why.  The acting is pathetic.  Anna Marie Dobbins' character, Abby, is grumpy and unhappy most of the movie, yet we're supposed to buy into the notion that a prince would find her captivating.

Prince John's perpetual smirk reminds me of blow-hard Gaston from Beauty & the Beast.  It's like the actor, Jonathan Stoddard, smugly reacts to landing a role for which he's not remotely qualified.

I actually laughed out loud during scenes featuring Christopher Collins, who plays Abby's ex, Chad.  His acting is so unbelievably bad, it feels like he's doing a spoof of B-rated actors.

Even the details are poorly executed.  When Abby picks up a cake for a large gathering, it's far too small to serve a fraction of the guests, and everyone lavishes compliments on its beauty when it's a plain cake with white icing a couple small flowers thrown on.

I felt dumber for having watched this movie.

Christmas Lovers Anonymous

I'm sounding like a broken record here, but the acting in this movie is also disastrous.  Brooke Burfitt, who plays author Katrina Marks, is another actress with a nauseating voice, making her sound like a stereotypical, bleached-blonde airhead.

Her boyfriend breaks up with her at Christmas because she spends too much time doing Christmas-y things.  Who isn't busy at Christmas?  He can't handle one season of the year where she isn't at his beck and call?  Pretty unrealistic.

As a result, Kat writes a rant about Christmas that a publisher turns into a book.  To keep up appearances, she must pretend to be free of the responsibilities of the season and claims not to shop, decorate, or participate in much holiday merriment.  A rival reporter, Hunter (Houston Rhines), exposes her for being a fraud, and it's plastered on the news.

Katrina goes on record to explain, and it lands her a new book deal about the joys of Christmas.  What an outlandish aftermath!  After their author is proven a fraud, the publisher would have a lot to lose on the first book deal and would likely distance itself from her, not contract with her for a new book that proposes the polar opposite of the first one.  This is totally asinine.

  Before being ratted out by Hunter, Kat hides in an online Christmas forum as "Santa's Little Helper" where she meets someone who goes by the name "Jolly Soul." The two share a connection, so she agrees to meet him in person.  At first, neither of them realizes they already know each other.  When Hunter heads to the rendezvous location and sees it's Kat, he leaves because he doesn't think she likes him.

What's pitiful is the way Kat continues to pursue her online friend despite being rebuffed.  They finally meet up, and Kat is quite forward and throws herself at Hunter. Have some respect for yourself, woman!  

Great American Family Has Room for Improvement

Hordes of viewers are flocking to Great American Family.  We are attracted to the network because it's one of the only ones taking a stand for clean entertainment with the morals and values many of us embrace and want represented in the industry.  

We are fed up with movies force-feeding us political correctness and carnality.

However, if GAF wants to keep this wave of success going and offer a true home for those making a mass exodus from other woke networks, they will need to produce movies that are more believable, substantive, and feature qualified professionals rather than amateur actors without talent.

To GAF's credit, they have been seeking sincere input from viewers concerning their movies.  How many networks do that?  If you haven't already, you can leave feedback on GAF's movies here.  If you don't have a movie review but would like to share your thoughts with GAF, you can reach them directly through their online contact page here.  

Rolling out 18 new Christmas movies in one season is impressive, unless they are flops.

This article is an opinion piece, so you may be balking at what movies I consider hits, mediocre, and misses.  You may love the ones I didn't, and that's okay.

As a self-proclaimed rom-com connoisseur, however, let's look how the statistics break down based on my quality assessment of the 2022 season:

• 50% of the movies are hits

• 22% are mediocre

• 28% are misses

I'm optimistic about what Great American Family can accomplish, but those numbers need to improve to engage viewers for the long haul.

Let's stick with them and see if they can pull it off!

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