User reviews

This movie is MUCH better than the reviews here would have you believe. It's sweet and not boring. The 1965 Buick Riviera is fabulous and should have gotten a billing. The leads are good actors and attractive in a real life way. Even Kathie Lee didn't ruin this for me and I truly don't care for her. This made me wish I were in Paula's place...discovering love in Martha's Vineyard (or B.C.)

I watch it from the beginning every time it comes on. I like the idea that there are no coincidences in the story, that it is based on real people who feel their meeting was meant to be. I also like how it deviates from the usual Hallmark plot device of the lead female character being one of those people who is bragging like "look how busy I am y'all." I don't like that in real life or in the movies. Just once I want to see a Hallmark movie about a slacker. This story has a woman going on vacation and shopping for antiques instead of being busy. The way she talks about antiques is interesting. I can't explain anything rational about why I like this so much. My husband makes fun of me for watching Hallmark all the time. I just enjoy the relentless positivity. I do admit I snicker a little every time they mention that the male lead owns a B&B called The Charlotte Inn because it sounds like "the charlatan."

I liked the main character's spunk and Kathie Lee was surprisingly good (I expected an over the top performance, but she was charmingly low key). A predictable ending but we all know that going in. This movie didn't rock my world or anything but I enjoyed it.

You can say what you want about Hallmark Christmas movies, every movie they make has a positive story, romantic theme and a happy ending. Who wouldn't want a little of this over the holidays?

The producers of this film came up with enough variety and different aspects for a Christmas romance to lift it above the stigma of a formulaic holiday film. The two constant ingredients are there, of course - romance and the Christmas season. But this film avoids the frequent castings of so many modern films of the broken family - a single mom or dad with a child. There are many such families today, so unless a film has something different it just becomes that same story with different people. And, so many modern stories with young adults have one who has been divorced. Many of these seasonal films also have some type of a love triangle - where a new guy comes into the picture and takes a girl away from her boyfriend or fiancé.

Well, "A Godwink Christmas" has a different take on some of those aspects, which makes is somewhat unusual and more interesting. It has a love triangle, of sorts. But here the girl goes off on a visit and meets the second guy. She has just been engaged, but her fiancé is a changed guy from the nice, caring, attentive guy she met and liked for almost two years. Now, he's a self-absorbed workaholic attorney, who ekes out a little time here and there for his girl, Paula Mayer. So, when Paula gets an invite for a weekend visit to her Aunt Jane who lives In Nantucket, off the coast of mainland Massachusetts, she goes.

Aunt Jane lost her husband three years earlier and misses him dearly. She moved away from St. Louis with him many years before. So, Paula leaves St. Louis for a weekend with her aunt, at the start of the Christmas season. But Jane has just finished writing a book and when Paula arrives, she has a call from her publisher to meet with him that day. So, she sends Paula off, handing her the tickets she had bought, for them to visit Martha's Vineyard. It's a short hop flight away, also off the mainland coast. Aunt Jane picked it because it has antique shops and does up the Christmas holidays in old-fashioned traditions. She had planned that because Paula is nuts about antiques. She's actually an expert and works for an antique clearing house as an examiner to determine authentic items from fakes or copies. But her work is not so much for any monetary gain as it is for the history and family connections that go with so many old items.

Paula's interests are tolerated by her boyfriend, Daniel O'Brian. But he had caught her off guard when he proposed to her in a restaurant at dinner with his parents and sister, Jenn, and she said "Yes," hesitatingly. They had been dating for two years, but, as she says later, they hadn't talked about a lot of things. And Daniel had changed from the person she met, and was all consumed now with his legal work. His parents and sister like Paula a great deal, and Jenn is a friend who confides in her and asks for advice.

So, on Martha's vineyard, Paula repeatedly bumps into or comes across Gery Conover. Aunt Jane tells here later that these are Godwinks. Aunt Jane says, "Sometimes, God does not speak to us in a voice that we can hear. Sometimes, God winks." Gery has been a resident for three years and has just finished remodeling the inn he bought - Charlotte's Inn, after moving from Philadelphia. His wife lasted a little over a year but couldn't stand the small town living and divorced him for the big city last January. But Gery has made many friends on the island and has helped with some civic projects, especially a youth center. Well, the conclusion of this film - like all made as Christmas romances, is obvious to everyone. But how it gets to that point is the rest of this film that is more interesting and quite good. That takes a viewing to see it all.

A big plus for this film is the role of Paula as played by Kimberley Sustad. Her conflict and struggle regarding her relationships seems much more realistic than such are usually portrayed. The place of antiques in this film provides some interesting aspects. Aunt Jane, played superbly by Kathie Lee Gifford, adds a nice touch of family and missing a husband of many years and Paula's mother - her sister, who just died a couple years ago. Some of the supporting cast add a nice touch - Ryan McDonald as the Martha's Vineyard taxi driver, Buddy Bambrick, and Dolores Drake as Gery's cook at the inn, Dorothy Keller.

Most of these holiday films have settings that are scenic or particularly attractive for the Christmas season. When they include more than the usual scenery and location scenes, they score a notch higher. This film does superbly well showing scenes of St. Louis with the Gateway Arch, and then harbors on Paula's visit to Aunt Jane. I've traveled all of the 50 states of the U. S., much of it on vacations. While I've been to Cape Cod, I've not been to Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard. But, I have been to Vancouver, British Columbia, and many other places in BC several times. So, the harbor and bay scenes filmed there aptly fill in and resemble the scenes one would see at Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

This is a fine film with a good plot that's quite believable as a romance and start of a love story. At the end, a still photo shows the Charlotte Inn of today, with the real Paula and Gery Conover, a little advanced in age but smiling and looking very happy.

So wonderful to see a TRUE movie of how Love can happen anytime anywhere. Especially encouraging to see a movie that mentions faith in God

Dolores Drake and Paul Campbell are the pillars of this romantic new page of Hallmark Christmas stories. A decent dillema, the quite stranger with not easy past , a painting and the carousel. And that is all and enough for give seductive atmosphere and a fair story about sentimental options and Martha's Vineyard and a wise aunt and a good- good guy and his inn .

The idea sounded cute and it was nice to have an attempt at doing something different by Hallmark Christmas film (which do tend to be very formulaic in their stories) standards. Kimberly Sustad has often struck me as a very watchable actress and easy to be engaged by, though Kathie Lee Gifford is more take or leave elsewhere. Christmas is and always has been my favourite time of year and in my school years the only "looked forward to every year" period and have never had anything against Hallmark, even though their output is hit and miss.

As far as their films go, this one generally leans towards the hit side of the spectrum while in my view not quite being one. Personally don't think it is quite a great film, but as far as Hallmark Christmas films of 2018 and even overall go it fares reasonably favourably (don't think it is quite among the best though from personal opinion). There is a lot to like here and it is an above average film, but there are some things, that are quite major, that could have been done better.

Shall start with what was done well. It has an at least professional look to it, the scenery is very pretty with a cosy look to it and the photography is slick. The music is generally not as constant or as over-scored as Hallmark Christmas films can be, with some nice soundtrack choices throughout. The direction is assured enough. There are enough moments that made me smile and go "awww".

While the story for me was a flawed one, it had a sincere charm often and it did warm the heart enough. Paul Campbell looks more than comfortable here in his role and had charisma and likeability. In a role that is easy to overplay, Gifford manages to be beautifully understated while showing no signs of autopiloting. The film though belongs to Sustad, who is immensely endearing in the rootable lead role. Her chemistry with Campbell was a natural and sweet one. And yes the car is great.

Having said all of this, the film for me had its problems. Too much of the story felt contrived and unrealistic, other than the way of help in the film in determining what direction to take in life angle it is typical Hallmark plot-wise and it could have done with a lighter edge and more subtlety. Found everything to do with that angle too heavily emphasized on and too preachily executed, and what was it with those cheap, cheesy and very gimmicky sound effects and music cues.

No better news with much of the dialogue, which did sound awkward too many times and was heavy on the schmaltzy sentiment. The equivalent of having twelve sugars instead of two in your tea or something like that. While not disliking the characters, they could have done with more development.

Concluding, decent but not great. 6/10

Again this year, my wife has the Hallmark Christmas movies on our TV nonstop. I can always hear them in the background and, once in awhile, one will catch my attention. But, this one premiered on a Sunday night, so I sat down and watched it with her from the beginning. Since some of the other reviews here were so negative, I felt compelled to write this. I remembered Kimberley Sustad from The Nine Lives of Christmas, in which I found Sustad to be very endearing. She is even more so in this film. As Paula, Sustad acts with a sense of forthrightness and honesty that you don't often see in these Christmas movies. The story is well-written and the cinematography, as well as the sets, are much better than the average Hallmark movie. This looks more expensive and realistic. There is the typical break-up scene in character Daniel's office, but Sustad handles it with sophistication and quiet style, thereby making it more realistic and heartfelt. Paul Campbell and Giles Panton are very good in their roles, but the real surprise here is Kathie Lee Gifford. She has a thorough understanding of her character and plays Aunt Jane with quite serious believability - leaving her "Kathie Lee" make-up and persona behind. But, this is Sustad's film. Reminiscent of a dark-haired, young Gena Rowlands, she is not your typical cute, little Hallmark leading lady. Rather, she developes her character with intelligence and a natural charm that makes you truly sympathize and understand her dilemma. As a whole, this is really quite a good production - nice story with excellent acting and attractive scenery.

As the opening credits inform you, a "Godwink" is when God swishes his little finger and helps his master plan along when you really need it. If that sounds too cavity-inducing for you, try one of the more dramatic Hallmarks, like Journey Back to Christmas or Family for Christmas. Fans of the cute and sentimental, check this one out.

The adorable Paul Campbell and the sweetly undecided Kimberley Sustad are paired up in this Hallmark that once again reminds viewers of the charm of small towns and the magic of a Christmas romance. Since I watch Paul every Christmas in Window Wonderland, and Kimberley in The Nine Lives of Christmas, I definitely wanted to check this one out. Kimberley is recently engaged, but not completely anxious to get married, so she visits her aunt Kathy Lee Gifford in Nantucket. While there, she meets Paul and discovers stronger feelings for him than for her own fiancé. As usual, Kimberley gives a very realistic performance and makes you think she's a real person instead of a Hallmark character. Paul is charming and sweet, and with the background of Nantucket, you're in for a lot of Christmas magic.

This is one of the better Christmas movies by Hallmark. I like the characters and plot and the fact it takes place in one of my favorite places, Nantucket. Although, in one of the scenes where she's on Nantucket the are mountains on the background... the aren't any on the island. If they're going to have a movie based in a location with or without certain things, make sure your filming location matches.

Great chemistry between the lead male & female. Enjoyed!

This was a nice, feel good movie.

I liked the story and thought the cast played it well. Yes you could see what was going to happen in the end but that is the same in most.

I picked this movie to add it to my 100 christmas movies before Christmas day challenge which now takes it to 15 out of 100.

I liked it and might watch it again.

This is a television film that makes you hate "Hallmark Movies". This is pure pandering with no great story arc and almost no chemistry with the stars.

The best part of this film was a credit. It was given to someone named "Squirrel". However it was a typo and the font had said "SQuirrel".

In this film As Christmas approaches, Paula reluctantly accepts a marriage proposal from her boyfriend. When her Aunt Jane invites Paula to her Nantucket home, she bonds with a charming inn owner. Oh what is a girl going to do? How will the jilted boyfriend react and will he remain friends with his ex?

Now last year someone bought me a "Godwink" book and I thought that was a bad book. Everything that happens in that book was "Godwinking". You reading my review of this film is a "GodWink"! That book made me wish for a book burning but I sold that book. Trust me if I still had it & heard there was a book burning close by I would have tossed that book in and even bring the gasoline! However I did get $2.00 from it when I sold it on e-bay!



If you are looking for a decent Christmas movie "Keep Looking".

The leading lady in this film is superb, she plays her part so naturally and you can't help but feel as she feels. I do think that she is a bit unfair to her fiancée though, which kind of puts you off of her a little bit. The leading man is not your typical hot guy and not really my type, but there is definitely something charming about him that keeps you interested in his success.

I love the nod to Courier & Ives, which helps to explain the Sleigh Bells song too.

It's a nice film and quite lovely with all the snow and decorations.

Hallmark movie out there. It's cool that is based off real people.

I thought that A Godwink Christmas is a great Hallmark Christmas movie one of the best Hallmark Christmas movies that I have ever seen.

I'm not sure why others felt so unhappy with the film, but it had all of the elements I typically look for in a Hallmark holiday movie.

When I go outside and a dog c does a #2 in front of me while I am eating is that is a "GodwinK.

This romantic drama-comedy swings tor the fences but strikes out and so does the viewer.

In this film a girl ends up falling in love after she gets engaged! The visuals in this "Hallmark Movie" are cheap. It also re-used lots of establishing shots from other films. Low budget film making with bad looking snow and cheap insert shots of Martha's Vineyard.

I wish I could nominate this for the Razzies but, they do not honor television movies! They might want to start thinking about it!

Anyone can give you a synopsis of a movie. I learned about the movie synopsis from my cable menu. What viewers want to know is: Is it worth my two hours out of my life? Will it touch me? Will it evoke that Hallmark emotion? Yep. This one does. It follows the Hallmark script of they find each other and... Kathie Lee was great. I'll watch any movie with her in it. Both leads were believable. It's touching and even thought provoking. Are the actors believable in the parts? Yes. Do I want to turn it off early? No, and don't. Go to the VERY END! No I'm not involved in the movie. No I don't work at Hallmark.

How does films like this get made? I think Hallmark makes some great re-watchable films this however is not. You can see the plot coming and the film does nothing interesting.

If you are a film director you should figure out how to shoot a scene and make it interesting however whoever wrote this should never be able to be near a keyboard again.

The casting is also questionable. Whoever cast Kim Sustad and Paul Campbell should have scene this was not the correct material for them.

This film a woman is engaged then she meets her possible soulmate.

A fine addition to the Halmark Christmas Movie filmography. Well acted, beautiful scenery throughout and a great story. Don't believe the negative reviews.

In the context of made for TV Christmas movies, this was really good. These films are generally formulation and a bit cheesy, and I generally can't sit and watch them end to end. This one caught and kept my attention. The scenery and sets were lovely. It was well written, and well acted. I agree with another reviewer that Kathie Lee Gifford was natural, and I liked her very much as Aunt Jane. And I may or may not have teared up a bit when I discovered at the end of the movie that it's based on a real place and real couple. I really enjoyed this movie, and will watch it again, as it rolls around again in the Hallmark Christmas movie rotation.

Bad dialog and a plot can see coming miles away makes this film not only boring but stupid as well.

All the actors seem to be bored and seem to play the parts the best they can but the seem to know they are making a film nobody will like.

Christmas films are predictable but they should not be this predictable!