Big names in the Hallmark Holiday romance...Joan Cusack, Dermot Mulroney, and Danny Glover star in this uplifting story about a cynical journalist, Tom, who takes the train from Washington, D. C. to Los Angeles for Christmas. It is a four day train ride and his goal is to write a story...so he starts talking to the passengers. There is an eavesdropping busy body named Agnes, a film director Max Powers who is their with a writer trying to write a script, an elder gentleman John who is reading A Christmas Carol because he promised his wife he would read more classics, Missy an intuitive passing out advice, a young couple who are going to be married on the train, an older gentleman Higgins who used to work on the train, and a bartender Kenny who serves hot cocoa with candy canes and a drink called The Grinch. As it turns out Tom knows the script writer, Elenor and they have a romantic past that didn't end well. Will Elenor be inspired to write a script and will Tom write his article? Will they heal the wounds from their old romance?

This is a second chance romance, with a great cast, a beautiful Christmas train backdrop and some fun supporting characters. Not your usual Hallmark holiday fare...maybe a little higher quality. I highly recommend that you see this at least once.

"Chugging down the tracks in two thousand tons of pure steel, I always hoped I'd see her again."-Tom

"Trapped in a tin can with the one person I never wanted to see. I need to get off this train."-Elenor.

Small things start to go missing on the train and the couple's minister has an accident and doesn't make his connection to the train...

"No secrets on a train, especially the Christmas train."-Agnes.

Tom's long distance girlfriend shows up, boards the train and says she wants to get married...Tom wanted to tell her he wanted to breakup! What could go wrong?

Wonderful music and a fun plot...the best part is the side characters, and Joan Cusack really steals the show (as she often does!).

"Happy endings are for movies, Max."-Elenor.

The Christmas Train although not a true Christmas classic, is more a drama/romance film that is still decent enough to hold most filmgoers attention for the films 99 minute duration. There is something about a bunch of strangers who meet on a train that captures one's imagination and I was asking myself (and asking Mrs. Shullivan too) wouldn't that be nice to be on that Christmas train?

Of course a 4 day, 3,000 mile trip aboard the Christmas train that the published author Tom Langdon (Dermot Mulroney) was taking, with his seperate cabin that included a full desk and bed is not something most of us could ever afford, but eh' it's a movie so keep dreaming right?

I digress. Tom meets quite a few eclectic characters aboard the Christmas train including a Hollywood director named Max Powers (Danny Glover) who happened to bring along his next films screen writer a woman named Eleanor Carter (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) . From this point on a story unfolds about many of the characters aboard the Christmas train including the background stories of Tom and Eleanor.

I wouldn't say this is one of my top ten films, nor is it one of my top 100 Christmas films, because other than the train itself being called the Christmas train because it reaches its 4 day destination for Tom and Eleanor on Christmas Day, there is more a dramatic and romantic storyline than a Christmas story. Throwing in a bit of snow also doesn't make it a Christmas story. It is a decent enough film and I will rate it 6 out of 10, but I think there should be an alternate title than the Christmas Train. The title is deceiving.

The film is full of some great actors, most of whom usually play a supporting part and in an ensemble piece like this they are perfect.

It has everything you could need, romance, comedy, mystery and twists as well as snow and Christmas Carol's. It's well put together and a very interesting story that is really quite different from most films with the word Christmas in their title.

It's perfect for watching on a Sunday afternoon during the festive season, with a hot chocolate and a blanket and someone you love. It has an appeal that isn't necessarily restricted to the usual follower of the Christmas film. Heck even my Gruncle liked it.

A Christmas story on a train!