everything you have heard about this movie is true.

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Courtesy of the Great Canadian film factory (which, as explained in my other reviews often masquerades as production companies from other parts of the globe), we have this soppy entry, a strange take on the X-mas fantasy classics from the 1940s.The good news? Alicia Witt. Witt is not only a singer but a comedian and actress of special merit. This reviewer first noticed her in a season of Justified where she stole the spotlight from several dramatic actors more seasoned.And speaking of "seasoned," this Xmas effort even with its many flaws could have been a lot better than it was were it not for the criminally inept casting of Donald Faison as the fantasy husband.Folks I understand the benefits of political correctness in the modern age (even though as a youngster I did not go to a "snowflake" university) but there are some things more important than political correctness, such as writing, casting, directing and acting. For starters.Witt is not only competent, she delivers some very awkward dialog like she means it. Not so with Donald Faison. He seems to think he is in a slapstick comedy instead of a romcom and keeps mugging for a laugh. It would help if there was even a smidgen of chemistry between the two. THERE IS NOT. Worse, the writer/director makes a major faux pas and actually takes this lack of chemistry and tries to turn it into a plot arc.Ugh! Other than for Witt fans, not recommended.

This time magic was gone : I was lucky to have 2 Christmas movies with Alicia in one week but this one is really not interesting : Alicia plays a sort of Scrooge who turns from bad to good by Christmas spirit but her transformation happens in a stupid tale : without knowing it, she has a black husband and two teens as child ! The small town is supposed idyllic but we don't see it ; Christmas is supposed to be a family Holiday but here it's rather belonging to a community (remember the Kranks ?) and the big drama is about a play ! So there's nothing to keep you awake and happy, with a crying eye and a moved heart ! The wardrobe and cinematography and the usual dynamism and smile of Alicia are worthy but sadly, this movie won't be a classic !

Though it rings of Family Man as many have pointed out, it bares a stronger resemblance to Nancy McKeon's Comfort and Joy. The film twists and turns in ways that are sometimes more frustrating than entertaining. However, the acting is good and the lighting is good and so is the sound. 2013 has not been a good year for sound and lighting in these types of holiday films. In particular kitchen scenes have been riddled with reverb, but not this film. They came through. The overlap with prior Snowglobe films is apparently coincidental more through casting than the story. There is no connection other than the name and a shared actress. It definitely tightens up at the end and makes for a good watch.

Apparently, the snow globe-alternate-universe-Christmas movie genera is here to stay. Unfortunately, this one is not as good as the 2007, one-word Snowglobe version.In this edition, Meg (Alicia Witt) thinks the shows she produces misleads people into thinking dreams really can come true. After bonking herself on the head with a snow globe, she ends up in it's perfect snow-covered town. She never quite fits into this universe though everyone in town tries to accept her. It all starts to unravel when her negative attitudes impacts the town folks. Just as she starts to realize she likes her snow globe universe better than her real one, she returns to reality with another bonk on the head.While there is a nice, semi-predictable twist at the end of this movie, its your basic Lifetime Channel Christmas movie fare that you will forget minutes after the movie is over.