Romantic comedy set at Christmas time. Overworked Baker dumped by boyfriend..(while he is dressed like Santa).
She Meets a real life nutcracker soldier.
Love Melissa Joan Hart in anything anyway..but the chemistry between her and The handsome Barry Watson was great.
One if my favorite Christmas movies this year. And I'm pretty jaded to the usual formula.
Make some time during the holiday to check this gem out.
Conchetta Farrell in a fun supporting role.looks the same from her Two and half men days.
37 Reviews
Fun, gentle, Christmas story
frukuk16 November 2019
A remarkably believable performance from Barry Watson as Chip, the Nutcracker. A beautifully restrained script means this comedy-romance is -- pleasantly -- higher on the (gentle) comedy than on the romance. Definitely in the top tier of Christmas TV movies.
Sweet
WhoMadeYouGod21 November 2019
There's nothing like sitting down and watching a cheesy Christmas movie on a cold afternoon, and that's exactly what I am doing!
Melissa Joan Hart has always been a favourite of mine ever since her Clarissa days, love her.
This movie isn't going to win any awards but it's easy watching and smile enducing.
Melissa Joan Hart has always been a favourite of mine ever since her Clarissa days, love her.
This movie isn't going to win any awards but it's easy watching and smile enducing.
Fun Christmas movie for the whole family
jppanther125 December 2018
Silly Christmas Fun
sutj52615 November 2020
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I was delighted by just how much Barry Watson leaned into the ridiculous. In fact I spent most of the movie focusing on his antics. There really isn't anything else surprising here, it's pretty much by the numbers of a standard Hallmark, Lifetime or Netflix holiday flick. But really nobody watches these type of films looking for new ground. However, it was fun watching the writers rework the Nutcracker.
Not one I'd personally recommend, though you could do worse
r96sk6 December 2022
It's not good, fact. It is kinda likeable though.
I didn't really enjoy 'A Very Nutty Christmas' but it has its heart in the right place and I came away from viewing it feeling alright about it. Melissa Joan Hart and Barry Watson, despite iffy chemistry, are probably the main reasons for that, Watson in particular. The supports are OK too.
The film does drag in patches and the whole vibe of it feels too clean and too acted out, which is a weird thing to say, granted, but it's just not a film that comes across as natural - every inch of it feels overtly constructed.
Not one I'd personally recommend, though you could do worse.
I didn't really enjoy 'A Very Nutty Christmas' but it has its heart in the right place and I came away from viewing it feeling alright about it. Melissa Joan Hart and Barry Watson, despite iffy chemistry, are probably the main reasons for that, Watson in particular. The supports are OK too.
The film does drag in patches and the whole vibe of it feels too clean and too acted out, which is a weird thing to say, granted, but it's just not a film that comes across as natural - every inch of it feels overtly constructed.
Not one I'd personally recommend, though you could do worse.
Family fun
Jackbv1239 January 2021
What can you say about a magical twist on a popular Christmas legend - the Nutcracker. Lots of silliness. A plot that obviously juggles around a lot of contrived circumstances to fit into a TV version of the famous story.
The acting is exaggerated at times and other times a little serious or a little romantic. There's a hero and villains and a fairy princess to win all in a setting resembling anyone's modern day home town. I'm sure the actors had fun doing it.
It fell a little flat for me but it's creative and with the right expectations will be very enjoyable for many.
The acting is exaggerated at times and other times a little serious or a little romantic. There's a hero and villains and a fairy princess to win all in a setting resembling anyone's modern day home town. I'm sure the actors had fun doing it.
It fell a little flat for me but it's creative and with the right expectations will be very enjoyable for many.
It may not be cookie cutter, but..
janmanuel26 December 2018
I can't believe the 10s. This movie is so boring. Melissa Joan Hart is a wooden actress with one facial expression throughout. Who told her she could act? She doesn't even look appealing in the ballroom scene. There is absolutely no chemistry between her and the leading man. He's not all that great either. The first five minutes drew me in with the Nutcracker music and baking of beautiful cookies. That was it. I stuck with it through 2/3 and had to turn it off. Even my husband came in and watched a bit and had the same opinion of it. There are Hallmark Christmas movies I like ( this is Lifetime I believe) and I'll take some of their cookie cutter movies to this piece of junk. Anything this dull deserves a rating of 1.
very cute
AdrienneGrayceMusic5 December 2018
It was a cute movie. A little funny too. It's nice to see Barry Watson again in a different role. Christmas movies are usually corny but this one wasn't. Melissa Joan Hart was great as always. It definitely put me in the christmas mood when watching. Good enough for me to write about.
The writers mut have been strung out on something . Cheap and weird film
iranu-7419522 December 2019
Teenage Witch tries to do a professional job, She's obviously accomplished. Trouble is, most of the cast are funadamentally incompetent.
The story here: Sabrina gets involved with a Christmas Toy Viennese Soldier. Nearly all of the action takes part in what looks like an actual Christmas "Village" - that is in a car park
There's some great stuff at a "Christmas Ball" listen to the sound track. They've recorded general mumbling from an airport lounge and added some lift music, it's weird. Set dressing took a day off - it's just some empty brown tables. Very strange.
As the film continues "soldier boy" gets weirder, as he struggles with Christmas celebrations and decorations and "real life". By the time Soldier and Sabrina hit the Christmas market this has all turned into a bad Acid trip.
Sabrina comes to a realisation that the Soldier she's been hanging out with, is not out of rehab...but is a magical broken wooden soldier that she rescued. This happens while attending a show called The Nutcracker Suite .. where the audience number maybe 23 people. This film swings between a christmas romance and LSD. In a nod to realism the actor playing the enlivened Wooden Soldier, is entirely wooden in their performance.Everything gets resolved on Eve night...it was all a dream after all. Great moments: Sabrina carries in a 2 foot long cooked Turkey... which obviously weighs 4 ounces of polystyrene. End credits track is a punk version of Deck the Halls (punk finished in 1980)
Sabrina comes to a realisation that the Soldier she's been hanging out with, is not out of rehab...but is a magical broken wooden soldier that she rescued. This happens while attending a show called The Nutcracker Suite .. where the audience number maybe 23 people. This film swings between a christmas romance and LSD. In a nod to realism the actor playing the enlivened Wooden Soldier, is entirely wooden in their performance.Everything gets resolved on Eve night...it was all a dream after all. Great moments: Sabrina carries in a 2 foot long cooked Turkey... which obviously weighs 4 ounces of polystyrene. End credits track is a punk version of Deck the Halls (punk finished in 1980)
My favorite new Christmas movie
rightisright8 December 2018
Suspend your disbelief, sit back and enjoy.
Yes the story is wacky. But Barry Watson is absolutely terrific selling his character. And he has great chemistry with Melissa Joan Hart
Did I say that Barry Watson is great in this movie?
Don't waste your time!
doglover-4416331 October 2020
Nutty
blackpearl3916 December 2019
Finally - a really cute Christmas movie
Luvhallmark17 December 2018
I mean no disrespect but I say "ba humbug" to any of the other reviewers here who didn't like this movie! I thought it was fun, different, adorable... I loved everything about it, yes, it was corny but corny in a cute way. It was unique and something all the Hallmark movies are missing! I'm not sure if Hallmark put this movie out but their Christmas flicks this season were all the same! How many princes need a commoner as their wife? How many lodges need to be saved? Snooze fest Hallmark! This movie was so adorable, I loved the supporting actors as well. Melissa Joan Hart was really good in this role. I enjoyed watching her so much more than the same Christmas actresses every season! The male lead was charming! Yes, some of the scenes were not all that believable, especially the ice skating but I was able to over look it. Great job to everyone associated with this movie!! I needed a little bit of whimsical instead of the typical "save the lodge", "Prince needs a wife", "rich parents die and we have to sell the estate".... this was such a lovely break to the mundane and boring movies I've watched this season!! Great job to all involved.
Why-kovsky ?
southdavid10 March 2023
Another lifetime movie that I've watched for the "How Did This Get Made" podcast "A Very Nutty Christmas" is another addition to the 'dull but harmless' subset of these films.
Having separated from her boyfriend in the run up to Christmas, professional baker Kate (Melissa Joan Hart) is presented with a nutcracker doll, by a mysterious toymaker at the Christmas fair. When he comes to life, Kate, despite being an actual educated adult, confuses him (Barry Watson) for the lodger she is expecting, and welcomes him into her home. As she tries desperately to make enough cupcakes for the implausibly large Christmas orders, she and the Nutcracker fall in love.
I mean, it's not good is it. Admittedly, it's not meant to be high art, it's a cheap and corny TV movie, designed to be uncomplicated and none-threatening in the run up to Christmas. That said, I didn't hate it, I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it either. The performances from the actors are fine, if uninspired - though the was some chemistry between Hart and Watson. The two sets and one outside location are OK. The story is dull but acceptable, and it's reasonably clever how it works the resolution of the Nutcracker story back into it.
It's got this ridiculous idea where her three-person team have something like 5 days to produced 16,000 cupcakes, which I was bored enough to do the maths on and works out at something like four cupcakes a minute for 12 hours a day.
I don't ever want to watch it again, but I didn't hate it. That's about as effusive as my praise is going to get.
Having separated from her boyfriend in the run up to Christmas, professional baker Kate (Melissa Joan Hart) is presented with a nutcracker doll, by a mysterious toymaker at the Christmas fair. When he comes to life, Kate, despite being an actual educated adult, confuses him (Barry Watson) for the lodger she is expecting, and welcomes him into her home. As she tries desperately to make enough cupcakes for the implausibly large Christmas orders, she and the Nutcracker fall in love.
I mean, it's not good is it. Admittedly, it's not meant to be high art, it's a cheap and corny TV movie, designed to be uncomplicated and none-threatening in the run up to Christmas. That said, I didn't hate it, I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it either. The performances from the actors are fine, if uninspired - though the was some chemistry between Hart and Watson. The two sets and one outside location are OK. The story is dull but acceptable, and it's reasonably clever how it works the resolution of the Nutcracker story back into it.
It's got this ridiculous idea where her three-person team have something like 5 days to produced 16,000 cupcakes, which I was bored enough to do the maths on and works out at something like four cupcakes a minute for 12 hours a day.
I don't ever want to watch it again, but I didn't hate it. That's about as effusive as my praise is going to get.
A Christmas Must
westiedancer3 December 2018
Capture the Christmas Spirit
jdkillough3 December 2018
This movie is incredibly relatable. Christmas time can be stressful for everyone but it is still important to take time to slow down.
This movie has humor, emotion, and great acting. Definitely worth watching as the Christmas season roles around.
This movie has humor, emotion, and great acting. Definitely worth watching as the Christmas season roles around.
Lifesize: Christmas Nutcracker Edition
LeoMarvin887 December 2018
Nutcracker Lifetime
TheLittleSongbird9 March 2021
Lifetime Christmas films are a mixed bag, some are good, some are bad, some are somewhere in between. Few from what has been seen are unwatchable though. 'A Very Nutty Christmas' did leap out at me when hearing of it as something that had a lot of potential. The idea sounded nice (the Nutcracker influence really did intrigue me) and Melissa Joan Hart is more often than not watchable, despite the somewhat cheesy title that the film has. Then again, there are Lifetime/Hallmark films with cheesy titles and still manage to be surprisingly decent.
Which is the case with 'A Very Nutty Christmas'. Of Lifetime's 2018 Christmas output, it's among the better ones and by quite some way. Of all the recently seen Christmas films, being somebody who loves Christmas and who has needed a lot of distractions recently doing things that make me at least mildly happy, 'A Very Nutty Christmas' is one of the better ones too by default. It's not my definition of great and has its flaws (and it is not going to be for everybody and that is fine), but it did charm me and was an easy watch.
'A Very Nutty Christmas' isn't perfect. Occasionally the set decoration is a touch on the cheap and over-decorated side.
Some of the corn gets a little much at times too.
However, there is a lot to like about 'A Very Nutty Christmas'. On the most part, it looks fine. Most of the scenery is lovely and there is nothing drab or over-saturated about the photography, while the editing is at least coherent. The music is a big star here, Lifetime films (and even more so Hallmark on a side note) have been known to be over-scored but Tchaikovsky's ballet 'The Nutcracker' is a timeless classic and there are some lovely sprinklings of it throughout. The direction is not too routine and is never less than competent, it allows the actors to have fun while just about reigning them in.
Personally thought that Hart was fine here, she is very charming and fun to watch and Marissa Jaret Winokur and Rizwan Manji are fun support. Best of all is Barry Watson, who is amusing and endearing as Chip. He and Hart have a natural and genuine chemistry together, which adds a lot to the film's appeal. The dialogue does improve later and the cheese and sentiment on the whole don't get too much. There is some lovely whimsy and smile-worthy humour, while the film is suitably light-hearted and warmed and charmed the heart.
Overall, surprisingly liked this a good deal. 8/10
Which is the case with 'A Very Nutty Christmas'. Of Lifetime's 2018 Christmas output, it's among the better ones and by quite some way. Of all the recently seen Christmas films, being somebody who loves Christmas and who has needed a lot of distractions recently doing things that make me at least mildly happy, 'A Very Nutty Christmas' is one of the better ones too by default. It's not my definition of great and has its flaws (and it is not going to be for everybody and that is fine), but it did charm me and was an easy watch.
'A Very Nutty Christmas' isn't perfect. Occasionally the set decoration is a touch on the cheap and over-decorated side.
Some of the corn gets a little much at times too.
However, there is a lot to like about 'A Very Nutty Christmas'. On the most part, it looks fine. Most of the scenery is lovely and there is nothing drab or over-saturated about the photography, while the editing is at least coherent. The music is a big star here, Lifetime films (and even more so Hallmark on a side note) have been known to be over-scored but Tchaikovsky's ballet 'The Nutcracker' is a timeless classic and there are some lovely sprinklings of it throughout. The direction is not too routine and is never less than competent, it allows the actors to have fun while just about reigning them in.
Personally thought that Hart was fine here, she is very charming and fun to watch and Marissa Jaret Winokur and Rizwan Manji are fun support. Best of all is Barry Watson, who is amusing and endearing as Chip. He and Hart have a natural and genuine chemistry together, which adds a lot to the film's appeal. The dialogue does improve later and the cheese and sentiment on the whole don't get too much. There is some lovely whimsy and smile-worthy humour, while the film is suitably light-hearted and warmed and charmed the heart.
Overall, surprisingly liked this a good deal. 8/10
Perfect Movie To Watch With the Whole Family
punkpoemprose4 December 2018
I absolutely loved A Very Nutty Christmas! My family and I spend much of our December watching Christmas movies but this one took the cake as far as our favorite new movie of the season. Quirky and well written, this movie with make you laugh and tear up while smiling from ear to ear! Its whimsical and comedic nature is sure to be a hit with those who need a feel good movie this holiday season! It's an amazing callback to a classic with some added humor and romance and I'm sure this will be a family favorite for years to come!
I'm nuts about it!
filmklassik2 December 2018
This Christmas movie starts with an ingenious premise (one I'm shocked has never been used before): A young woman, Melissa Joan Hart, who's lost the spirit of Christmas, finds it rekindled one year when a Nutcracker ornament hanging on her Christmas tree comes to life in the form of handsome, gallant Barry Watson!
Do romantic sparks fly? Watch and find out!
This is one of the most whimsical and imaginative Christmas movies of the last few years. The two leads are terrific, and so is the supporting cast. And the photography - - and music! - - are tops.
Watch and enjoy!
Do romantic sparks fly? Watch and find out!
This is one of the most whimsical and imaginative Christmas movies of the last few years. The two leads are terrific, and so is the supporting cast. And the photography - - and music! - - are tops.
Watch and enjoy!
Fun, family friendly, and well done
zdarov18 December 2019
As other reviewers said, this movie is not going to win any awards but it is CUTE, warm, well acted, fun theme in the cookie shop, and wraps up really well. Without a cloying romance driving the whole thing. So glad I watched it, and plan to watch it again this year or next!
Gives me the feels good
The_Stray_Nose_Hair7 December 2018
Fairy Tales Can Come True!
lsavedoff4 December 2018
One could imagine the writers scripting this movie to the melody of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker: Waltz of the Flowers. It flows like a masterpiece from beginning to end. The actors and actresses were well suited for their roles.
Kate Holiday (Melissa Joan Hart) transforms from an overwhelmed shopkeeper into a free spirit with the help of the magic of Chip, "The Nutcracker" (Barry Watson).
With Kate's ex-boyfriend as antagonist, Kate frees herself from the bonds of routine drudgery. Her life experience ascends like the dreams of Cinderella. The cinematography, sets, wardrobes and costume designs were faithful to the genre of a new holiday classic "feel good" movie that is delightful for all ages.
After the premiere, my wife simply said, "this movie made me feel happy"!
Kate Holiday (Melissa Joan Hart) transforms from an overwhelmed shopkeeper into a free spirit with the help of the magic of Chip, "The Nutcracker" (Barry Watson).
With Kate's ex-boyfriend as antagonist, Kate frees herself from the bonds of routine drudgery. Her life experience ascends like the dreams of Cinderella. The cinematography, sets, wardrobes and costume designs were faithful to the genre of a new holiday classic "feel good" movie that is delightful for all ages.
After the premiere, my wife simply said, "this movie made me feel happy"!
See also
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