IR TV Review: A MERRY SCOTTISH CHRISTMAS [Hallmark]

The element of Hallmark movies, especially Christmas ones, is progression of self but within a normal world without overbearing drama and with a sense of hope, location and maybe a little wistfulness. This is true of the flagship Christmas movie from them for 2023: "A Merry Scottish Christmas" starring their emissary of hope: Lacey Chabert. Chabert knows the context of playing these characters. A nice change up is bringing in her "Party Of Five" co-star Scott Wolff playing her older brother when they find a family lineage from their mother whom they didn't know they had at a Scottish town and castle. Hallmark always tries to shot when they can on location so recent movies shot in Ireland and Malta really add to the feeling of their films.

"A Merry Scottish Christmas" was shot at Duns Castle in Berwickshire (Scotland) and the surrounding area. The film integrates whiskey and the local pubs though keying in if they were real places or not would really help people who, even within the Hallmark universe, might want to explore these places person. It actually might be a nice ancillary revenue stream for Hallmark should they ever decide to do it, especially with their demographic for these movies who have the disposable income for such a trip. But back to story. "Scottish Christmas" works on mutliple fronts because it discussing healing within a marriage, finding new love (and comparing it with what else is important in life -- especially for Chabert's character) and the notion of resolving regret.

The movie makes reference to shortcomings and things that have happened to the family over the years but it doesn't overexplain. These films are meant to be light. They are made with adequate production value and acting and have to be viewed on the merits they possess. These are not award winners but simple human stories with some functioning better than others. The brother/sister story anchors this one with the other aspects nicely manuvering around it. It is a nice throwback to "Party Of Five" because that same dynamic comes through, in a different kind of soap structure. It is great to see actors who have stayed friends. But the characters here don't pretend to be more than they are, living their life as they believe right but always (as is the Hallmark way) coming back to hope. B

By Tim Wassberg