User reviews

It's just your typical lifetime movie you have the romance,drama and the cliches but I enjoyed the film

This was a good movie. I saw Bethany Joy Lenz in SNOWED INN CHRISTMAS (2017) and that role suited her much better. Marcus Rosner as the guy just didn't seem quite right, but he was very lively. John Schneider as her dad was a bit of an overkill. He starred in one of my favorite Christmas movies MARY CHRISTMAS (2002) and is a great actor (I didn't realize he was on the Dukes of Hazard- the things you learn watching Christmas movies). The mom was played by a great actress as well. The part that was memorable was the one of Patty played by Lauren London. A cameo of the soldier didn't quite work. The sister and niece didn't quite work either. The movie was good but it may have been a bit of a missed opportunity to be great. Nice try. We hope Bethany Joy Lenz keeps making them.

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. 'Poinsettias for Christmas' did leap out at me when hearing of it as something that had a lot of potential. The idea sounded nice and ever since being blown away by her guest performance in the Season 4 premiere of 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' Sharon Lawrence has always been a good reason to watch anything with her in.

'Poinsettias for Christmas' was to me a quite pleasant and not too bad a film. It didn't bowl me over and it could have done more with the concept, so it doesn't quite bloom in the way that it could have done. 'Poinsettias for Christmas' doesn't wither either, with a lot of things that work well. It is neither one of Lifetime's best or worst Christmas offerings and somewhere in the middle of those of 2018, instead around solid middle on both counts.

As said, a lot is good here. The film is not lavish, but it doesn't try to do too much stylistically while not being static. The scenery is very pretty to look at. The music doesn't drown out anything, nor does it feel like it's too low key. While the script is not exceptional, it does have some bright spots. Namely the verbal jabs between Ellie and Patty.

The story also has a good deal to like about it, despite it being very typical Lifetime in terms of what goes on. It is charming and light-hearted, complete with a warm heart and a good deal of smile-worthy moments, like with the Vlog Channel. Ellie's conflict is done well and refreshingly, even if it is not out of the ordinary. The characters may not be three-dimensional but they are generally likeable. Bethany Joy Lenz is a spirited lead and Lawrence also stands out. As does Lauren London enjoying herself as the most interesting character. John Schneider is a lively presence.

Marcus Rosner not quite so much. He has charm but he was a little bland at times and didn't seem as comfortable as the other actors. He and Lenz work well together and they are not disconnected, but the relationship could have been developed more and had more freshness.

One doesn't expect great dialogue from a Lifetime film, and other than the verbal jabs we get a lot of cheesy and saccharine lines instead that don't always flow. A few of the characters seemed extraneous to the story, with the film not doing much with them. The sister and niece particularly.

In conclusion, another Christmas offering that's decent but not great. 6/10

A story with poinsettias, John Schneider family spirit, some romance, some good taste of cliches can not be wrong or bad or unreasonable. A film seductive for tension, for colors, mountains, confessions, team spirit, solution and a botanist not very convincing but Marcus Rosner is always a reasonable option for Hallmark Christmas films. So, not high expectation and a fair portion of fun in different nuances.

Nothing to see here really except for the above average cast. Plot is stale. Bethany does a great job as usual and square-jawed Marcus Rosner is adequate. Sharon Lawrence is wasted And the Dukes of Hazard guy is charismatic. But if there's anything more boring than watching Poinsettia leaves turn red, it's watching them not turn red.

I watch almost every Christmas movie every December and this one goes on my favorites list. Fresh subject, good actors. I really enjoyed it.

Poinsettia blooms aren't the only thing not blooming here. Romantic chemistry between the leads was nowhere until the reveal just before the closing credits.

And was the TV show host supposed to be the romantic rival??

One of the goofs comments that the geography is off because the mountains shown are the Rockies but the movie like many Hallmark films was shot in the Vancouver area and the Rockies are east of Vancouver while the mountain range in the Vancouver area are the Cascades.

As for the movie itself it's pretty standard Hallmark stuff but another reviewer was right that whether the story is set in Maryland or western Canada the climate would not be ideal for poinsettias. Also they would need to have been ready for sale long before Christmas- it would make more sense if the events were happening around American thanksgiving than just before Christmas.

If you watched Tulips In Spring, you have seen this movie already. Hallmark has too many recycled plot lines. Time to hire new writers with fresh ideas.