I think it's important to start a review for this kind of Hallmark style Christmas movie with the disclaimer that I'm not expecting it to be good. I'm not here for the quality, I'm here for something cozy and predictable to watch (and cringe at occasionally) while I drink hot cocoa.

There were definitely a couple awkward scenes and transitions, but the thing that really bothered me was Joy...I'm not sure if it's the way her character was written, if it's just how to actress chose to play her, or if this is how the actress always is, but it felt so forced to me. She was smiling and giggling almost every single scene, and that in and of itself doesn't bother me (I'm a huge smiler myself so I'm not knocking it), but it felt really noticeably fake, if that makes sense? It seemed like the director was like, "Okay, her name is Joy, so let's make that her whole personality" and then she put on this weird Disney Princess level persona. That's the best way I can describe it, is I felt like I was watching an adult woman trying to act the way a ten year old girl would if she was trying to be cast as a princess in a Disney park. Forced smiling and giggling, so much that it was distracting for me.

Very surprising... firstly, surprised myself to actually watch it since I expect most non-classic movies to be sappy and predictable. This one was sappy-- but because of the maple syrup! It was a believable story and did lead the viewer to a satisfying ending.

The setting of the majority of the story takes place on the snowy, gorgeous grounds of a maple farm that has been in the family for generations. It gave a cozy but not schmaltzy feeling.

I find movie productions out of Canada lack a predictable and annoying tendency for the actors to overact and overREact, as is too common in the sort of made for TV genre.

Bravo!