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Hallmark Review: 'A Godwink Christmas: Miracle of Love'

An awkward start makes way to a heartfelt love story about community service and divine coincidence.

By Trevor WellsPublished 2 years ago 7 min read
4

While they live in different states, Joy Fickett (Katherine Barrell) and Eric Fellman (Alberto Frezza) are both at the beginning of their career journeys. In Ohio, Joy is a recent college grad looking to join a nursing abroad program. In Minnesota, Eric struggles to find work as a news writer after his plans to become a pastor fell through. Feeling overwhelmed by their uncertain futures, Joy and Eric both seek out solace in the same place: Advent in Oshkosh, a two-week community service/job mentorship program. While the people in their lives are wary of them leaving town in the days leading up to Christmas, Joy and Eric hope the two weeks will give them the time and space they need to figure out what they want to do with their lives.

After coincidence leads to them taking the same rideshare to the Advent center, Joy and Eric begin spending more time together as the program progresses. In addition to honing their respective professional skills, the two also work alongside their fellow volunteers to help the Romeros, a family that lost everything to a house fire. Over the course of two weeks, Joy and Eric rediscover their passions and learn a lot about themselves--and each other. But with Joy having a boyfriend back in Ohio, will fate be able to keep these lovebirds together when it comes time for them to go home?

The latest entry in Hallmark's Godwink series, A Godwink Christmas: Miracle of Love doesn't make the best first impression. The opening act makes for a slow start, mostly consisting of watching Joy and Eric going about their work at the Advent program. While it's cool that the story puts as much focus on personal growth and helping those in need as it does in finding love, the pedestrian pacing might end up making some viewers antsy. The acting also feels a little rough in the first stretch, as though everyone is rushing to get through their lines so they can move on to the better parts of the script. New-to-Hallmark actor Alberto Frezza is especially guilty of this, with his monotone deliveries taking a bite out of his chemistry with leading lady Katherine Barrell. Then there's the matter of the Advent in Wisconsin program itself, which the cynical/slightly mean part of me couldn't help but read as having some cult vibes. Nelson Wong's wobbly performance as program director Angelo sometimes fuels that interpretation. At times, Angelo sounds less like a motivational leader and more like a smarmy game show host.

Thankfully, things loosen up after the first act. Once Joy and Eric become more involved in the program and find their friendship and individual passions growing stronger, the story in turn grows easier to stay engaged with. While his delivery still doesn't always have much spark to it, Frezza is more energized during scenes where Eric shows off his adorkable side. Barrell proves to be the more consistently emotive lead, making it adorable to see Joy fall in love with both the program and Eric and heartbreaking as she grapples with her conflicted feelings and the fallout from the third-act bombshell. Even with the bumpy first act and Frezza's unsteady acting, you'll feel the burgeoning romantic sparks between Joy and Eric as they quickly hit it off and inspire each other in regards to their professions. By the last act, you'll be invested in seeing Joy and Eric end up together and feel for them when complications drive them apart.

(Admittedly, though, said complications are haphazardly introduced. First off, Frezza's performance is particularly unemotive when SPOILER ALERT Joy finally comes clean about having a boyfriend. Eric's reaction to the news is also jarring in how inconsistent it is. First, he annoyedly tells Joy she needs to figure out her feelings about Danny on her own. While that's understandable, it's after this that Eric start yo-yoing. While they're dancing together on their last night of the program, Eric tells Joy she "deserves someone who makes her happy," as though he forgot that Joy told him she wasn't sure about Danny and felt a connection with Eric. Then he caps off the slow dance conversation by saying he hopes their paths cross again someday. Then, before Joy leaves for home, he says they have to get back to their actual lives now that the program is over, as if he's dismissing what he and Joy shared as a "fantasy." Then Eric gives Joy a compass necklace as a parting gift, wistfully saying it's for if she ever decides to "change direction." It's a confusing sequence that definitely should've been rewritten to where Eric's reaction doesn't arbitrarily zigzag. Spoilers Over)

The supporting cast is an evenly mixed bag of well-utilized performers and those who are saddled with underdeveloped or underused characters. Christine Cattell is positively delightful as Katie Graber, selling her Godwink devotion and maternal care for Joy (whose own mother passed away years prior) with warm gusto. Katie's husband Louis isn't seen as much, but Malcolm Stewart nonetheless brings charm to the role of a doctor whose Godwink skepticism is put to the test in a big way. Linden Banks brings a similarly reserved charisma to Eric's stern but dedicated writing mentor Glenn Adams. While his harshness is pretty subdued for someone built up to be the Simon Cowell of news writing, Banks makes Glenn believable as a man who could guide a struggling writer out of a slump. And of the parent characters, Beverley Elliott gets the most to work with as Jo-Ann Fellman, though Daryl Shuttleworth and William MacDonald are both solid as Joy and Eric's mutually supportive fathers.

A surprise standout of the cast is Blair Penner as Joy's Ohio boyfriend Danny. While he starts out giving an average performance as an average Romantic False Lead, Penner amps it up whenever Danny and Joy's failing relationship becomes evident. He plays Danny in a way that makes it clear he knows he and Joy are drifting apart, but doesn't want to admit it because he still loves her. Even if Miracle of Love leaves you a diehard Eric/Joy fan, you're still bound to feel bad for poor Danny. Also, a fun fact: Danny is the second Romantic False Lead of the Godwink series to have a name that's some variation of Dan. The first one is Daniel from the movie that started the franchise. Of the three current Godwink RFLs (the other one being Scott from Second Chance, First Love), Danny is the one I felt the most pity for.

Most of the other supporting players are left to work with some not-so-roundly-developed characters. Josh Ssettuba and Faith Wright both bring lovable energy to Advent volunteers Adam & Sadie, two moderately flat characters who mostly serve as idea springboards/assistants for Eric & Joy. Lauren Akemi Bradley and Calix Miguel are adorable and sympathetic as Emily Romero and her angsty son Charlie, with the former's best scene being when Emily gets teary-eyed at discovering a sentimental surprise in her new home. That leaves Darien Martin as the weakest link of the Romero pack actors. Martin takes after Frezza when it comes to emotionless acting, but with patriarch Tony's limited screentime, he doesn't get the chance to halfway redeem himself like Frezza does.

To Martin's credit, it's not like the script gives Tony any chance to show emotional depth outside of being overprotective of his expectant wife. There was potential for such depth when Eric's attempt at interviewing Tony reveals he's trying to keep his mind off everything he lost to the fire for his family's sake. In the process of putting together his news article, Eric could've become a confidante for Tony, reminding him that his feelings matter too and that it's OK for the "rock" of a family to be vulnerable. While there is a bit of a friendship between the two, no such character-building arc materializes and the only time we see Tony put his heart on his sleeve is for a brief, generically written, and stalely delivered speech.

Between the sluggish beginning and halfhearted performance of its leading man, Miracle of Love has a lot of drag it down. To counteract that, the film has its more consistently written/acted female lead and a plot that gets interesting the further you get into it. The second act focuses on how Joy and Eric's relationship and time in the Advent program change them for the better while the third puts their bond through a grippingly true-to-life challenge. So if you stick around after the stumbling start and weather through the bouts of bland acting, Miracle of Love has a relatable and touching story with a heartstring-tugging finale to offer as compensation.

Score: 7 out of 10 Peppermint Lane signs.

review
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About the Creator

Trevor Wells

Aspiring writer and film lover: Lifetime, Hallmark, indie, and anything else that strikes my interest. He/him.

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Twitter: @TrevorWells98

Instagram: @trevorwells_16

Email: [email protected]

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