Review: “Christmas with Felicity” (2021)

Fancy banner done in a navy ground. On either side, Hollywood red curtains tied back with pearl-white cords. In the center of the banner are four gold-navy-&-red art deco-styled brackets framing out the words “Books by Alicia Presents” (in gold), an art deco element beneath, then “Christmas Romance Reviews” (in pearl white).

Basic banner of navy ground and very light gold art-deco brackets in the upper left and bottom right corners. In bolded pearl white, a movie title is written. This one says, “Christmas with Felicity.” Beneath it, in gold, is the date (2021) the movie came out sandwiched between two gold art deco elements.

~ When Supporting Cast Steals Christmas ~

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Sarah Brooks as “Felicity Olson”
Herb Porter as “James Anderson”
Saige Chaseley as “Madison”
Khaki Pixley as “Grace”
Location: fictitious Fictitious Aspen Grove, Wisconsin
Platform: Tubi
Date: December 8, 2023

Classic Cinema Scale: Fancy banner with a thick gold border. In the center, in Hollywood red, the words, “Classic Cinema Scale.” Beneath it, three film reels—the top in gold, middle in silver, bottom in bronze. Each has words done in navy. For the gold reel, “Golden Age Worthy: Exceptional performances, chemistry, and production that capture the magic of classic Hollywood.” For the silver, “Matinee Material: Good entertainment with solid elements, though not quite reaching classic status.” And the bronze, “B-Movie Blues: Missing the mark despite potential.”

Matinee Material — Saved by charming supporting characters and a sweet premise, despite some questionable styling choices

Tissue Box Scale: Fancy banner with a thick gold border. In the center, in Hollywood red, the words, “Tissue Box Scale.” Beneath it, a column of tissue boxes, all in red, gold, and navy—the top is a single box, middle is two, bottom is three. Each has words done in navy. For the single box, “One Box: Keep a tissue handy, but your makeup is safe.” For the duo, “Two Boxes: You’ll definitely need those tissues, but you’ll still be presentable after.” And the trio, “Three Boxes: “Is pepperoni okay?” territory — don’t even bother with mascara!”

One Box — Not a tearjerker, but Grace’s matchmaking skills might make you smile enough to need a tissue

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Let’s start with the positives — small-town Wisconsin Christmas charm, an adorable ginger-haired farmer hero, and some genuinely delightful supporting characters. Though I could’ve done without the bubble-gum boy band Christmas music at the start. (Don’t get me wrong — I own Backstreet Boys, et al, albums, but Christmas calls for something… different.)

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Our heroes present an interesting contrast — James is absolutely adorable with his ginger hair and beard, bringing natural charm and Christmas spirit to every scene. Felicity, unfortunately, takes her character’s cynicism a bit too far, making her early Scrooge impression feel more off-putting than endearing.

But the real star here? Grace. Her matchmaking skills deserve their own Hallmark series! That moment at the Christmas Fair when she orchestrates the cookie-and-hot-chocolate exchange between our leads, then turns to her daughter with “And that, my dear, is how it’s done” — pure gold!

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “Behind the Scenes” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

The Christmas decorations throughout Aspen Grove hit just the right festive notes, from shop windows to home interiors. At least someone understood the assignment!

Subsection Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in Hollywood red, are the words, “Wardrobe & Styling” that are sandwiched between gold-&-red art-deco elements.

Oh, my goodness, where do I begin?

The Senior Center dress feels like someone raided Princess Diana’s wedding gown designer’s reject bin, then paired it with Doc Martens!

And don’t get me started on the Snow Ball ensemble. When your dress already features mutton sleeves and a bold floral velvet print, thigh-high boots are not the answer you’re looking for. Talk about holiday fashion emergencies!

Fancy banner with a thick gold border and art deco red-&-navy brackets in the upper corners. In the center, in Hollywood red, the words, “Fashion Pro Tip.” Beneath it, in navy, “Ladies, we need to talk about appropriate winter party wear. When it’s snowing in Wisconsin, open-toed sandal boots are NEVER the answer — not for casual wear, and certainly not for evening events!”

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “The Romance Formula” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

This one flips the script a bit — instead of the typical grumpy hero, we get a cynical heroine who’s lost her Christmas spirit after her bakery closes. Enter our cheerful farmer hero who, along with the whole town, works to restore her holiday joy.

The antagonist role falls to Caitlin, who nearly derails our romance with some misinformation about Felicity’s lawyer ex (but really, aren’t all movie lawyers jerks?).

Fancy banner with a thick gold border and art deco-inspired quote marks in Hollywood red. The opening quote is in the upper left corner. The closing quote is in the bottom right corner. In the center, in navy, the quote, “ ‘Felicity, you’ve always wanted things in the extreme… It’s not a bad thing. But there is so much to be found in the simple things. There is magic everywhere, even in Aspen Grove. You just have to open your eyes to it’ ” — Grace.

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “Christian Corner” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

Clean content throughout, with an emphasis on family values and community spirit. That’s one thing Aspen Grove gets right — as the candy store owner’s parents remind us, “You’re never alone in a town like Aspen Grove.”

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Despite some fashion choices that had me reaching for the aspirin rather than tissues, and a leading lady who could dial back the Grinch factor, the charm of Grace, Madison, and James saves the day.

Sometimes the best Christmas presents come wrapped in unexpected packages (or in this case, questionable outfits).

Subsection Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in Hollywood red, is the words, “Highlights” that’s sandwiched between gold-&-red art-deco elements.

Delightful supporting cast
Grace’s expert matchmaking
Charming small-town setting
Adorable ginger-haired hero
Sweet premise

Subsection Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in Hollywood red, is the word, “Lowlights” that’ sandwiched between gold-&-red art-deco elements.

Overdone cynicism from lead
Fashion disasters galore
Tepid first kiss
Boy band Christmas music
Forgettable meet-cute

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “Personal Notes” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

As a romance writer who appreciates both fashion and authentic performances, this one left me with mixed feelings. But Grace’s character proves that sometimes the best part of a Christmas romance isn’t the main couple — it’s the people around them who make the magic happen.

And speaking of magic, whoever styled this movie needs to believe in it enough to make better wardrobe choices!

We’ve come to the end of my review. What’s your take? Feel free to share your thoughts, favorite moments, or fashion observations in the comments below!

Related topics: Christmas romance, holiday movies, classic Hollywood, fashion in film, romantic comedy, seasonal entertainment

This review is part of “BBA’s 12 Days of Christmas Movie Reviews” series. Check back daily for a new review!

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Color photo of me, Alicia, authoress and writer of this blog. Because these specific posts are all about Christmas romance movies, I enhanced my photo with a Santa hat and with a bough of holly bracketing the bottom right. In the center of the holly bough are two candy canes crossed like lovers in a romantic embrace. (See what I did there? 😊)

Alicia Strickland

As a romance novelist with expertise in fashion, interior design, and a deep love of classic Hollywood, I bring a unique perspective to holiday romance reviews. Join me in exploring the magic (and occasional missteps) of Christmas movies!

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Alicia Strickland

Hi! I write across multiple genres under various pen names. But for nonfiction, I write as myself. As a designer with a love of Old Hollywood and all things creative, I bring diverse perspectives to my storytelling... and to my blog. In the unlikely event that I’m not writing, I enjoy crafting, gardening, or spending time with my flame-point Siamese, Hunter.

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