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. 'A Very Nutty Christmas' did leap out at me when hearing of it as something that had a lot of potential. The idea sounded nice (the Nutcracker influence really did intrigue me) and Melissa Joan Hart is more often than not watchable, despite the somewhat cheesy title that the film has. Then again, there are Lifetime/Hallmark films with cheesy titles and still manage to be surprisingly decent.
Which is the case with 'A Very Nutty Christmas'. Of Lifetime's 2018 Christmas output, it's among the better ones and by quite some way. Of all the recently seen Christmas films, being somebody who loves Christmas and who has needed a lot of distractions recently doing things that make me at least mildly happy, 'A Very Nutty Christmas' is one of the better ones too by default. It's not my definition of great and has its flaws (and it is not going to be for everybody and that is fine), but it did charm me and was an easy watch.
'A Very Nutty Christmas' isn't perfect. Occasionally the set decoration is a touch on the cheap and over-decorated side.
Some of the corn gets a little much at times too.
However, there is a lot to like about 'A Very Nutty Christmas'. On the most part, it looks fine. Most of the scenery is lovely and there is nothing drab or over-saturated about the photography, while the editing is at least coherent. The music is a big star here, Lifetime films (and even more so Hallmark on a side note) have been known to be over-scored but Tchaikovsky's ballet 'The Nutcracker' is a timeless classic and there are some lovely sprinklings of it throughout. The direction is not too routine and is never less than competent, it allows the actors to have fun while just about reigning them in.
Personally thought that Hart was fine here, she is very charming and fun to watch and Marissa Jaret Winokur and Rizwan Manji are fun support. Best of all is Barry Watson, who is amusing and endearing as Chip. He and Hart have a natural and genuine chemistry together, which adds a lot to the film's appeal. The dialogue does improve later and the cheese and sentiment on the whole don't get too much. There is some lovely whimsy and smile-worthy humour, while the film is suitably light-hearted and warmed and charmed the heart.
Overall, surprisingly liked this a good deal. 8/10
