Mary Christmas (2002)

This is another feel-good Christmas movie that is made for TV, where nine year old Felice (Jenna Boyd) writes a letter to Santa Claus asking for a mommy. Her father is widower Joel Wallace (John Schneider) who is a workaholic and lets reporter Mary Maloney (Cynthia Gibb) get the scoop of Felice's story inside their home. She soon learns that miracles can happen.Schneider and Gibb make a great duo and had great on-screen chemistry. Much of the acting was spot-on and the story was mostly entertaining, if a bit too slow at times. But, there is a nice plot twist to the story. It's another nice movie for Christmas time, providing you with some good, clean entertainment and with some heartfelt moments that will make you feel good. Grade B

I am not a Christmas fanatic and one thing I do not do during the holidays is sit in front of the TV and watch all the hype. One thing's for sure, I actually liked this movie. John Schneider's spectacular performance in Smallville has prompted me to watch this and other movies he has starred in. He's great in this movie. I couldn't possibly give this movie anything less than a 10. This movie even made a cold person like me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The story was well written and when the surprise came at the end I felt good about the characters' outcome. I was happy that the end turned out the way it did. Trust me, this was no cliché. I'm happy to discover that Schneieder, starring and directing this movie, has another jewel in his resume!

This is the best Christmas movie I've seen for many years; Best since "The Christmas List".I thought all four of the principal actors demonstrated great personalities consistent with their characters and the storyline. Situational dialog between all character was great; and included many enjoyable scenes of Christmas spirit, sentiment, and humor.I'd strongly recommend viewing of "Mary Christmas" to become an annual holiday season tradition for everyone; especially busy and lonely people, plus families large, small, or fragmented. It will remind them of hopes (past and present), and brighten their spirits (present and future).Toastmaster Joe

Excellent acting by John Schneider (Dukes of Hazard County & Smallville), Cynthia Gibb, and nine year old Jenna Boyd, who played Schneider's nine year old daughter, Felice Wallace, who wrote a letter to Santa Claus asking for a mommy. The letter ended up on the desk of Gibb's Mary Maloney, a TV reporter who was goaded into filming Felice and her family's Christmas. Tom Bosley did an excellent portrayal of a mysterious temporary governor, i.e., a male nanny, for Felice. Renee Ridgeley of "The Young And The Restless," portrayed the woman in Schneider's life whom Felice felt was intrusive in their relationship. My wife and I were spellbound watching this movie with a heart. This movie crosses age groups and I would recommend it to anyone wanting good clean entertainment. This review was of the November 26, 2005 showing recorded from PAX television and viewed several days later.