User Reviews

Certainly one for having a tissue handy ! A lovely warming film based on a true story. Aimee Teegarden played the anxious and insecure girl in need of a transplant operation perfectly. Her smile lit up the screen and Brett Dalton was a good choice as the guy who was the perfect match . One of the best !

A young woman (Aimee Teegarden) needs a liver transplant. Along comes an ex marine (Brett Dalton from Shield) who altruistically decides to donate to her. Is it just gratitude or is it love?

It's a nice change of pace from the usual Hallmark fluff. If it was a feature film there wouldn't be a happy ending. So it's nice this organ transplant theme has a Hallmark treatment.

His saintliness is pure Hallmark but surprisingly not implausible in the context.

If you choose one Christmas movie at least this is a little different.

The first virtue - it is a profound different Christmas film. Not only as real case but for a happy new perspective about romance. A film about donation and about its procese în decent manner. A wise crafted film about deep significance of Christmas. And just good performances.

Loved the story, but it failed in the execution. Lead actress was charming, and I thought she carried her part very well. The male lead never left the met cute phase of his character. Always with a glib quip or joke, trying so hard to be funny and cute at all times. He never became real. I have no idea what he did in the Marines, or what life events have shaped him. He just lived to serve other apparently, which is good, but there has to be a person in there somewhere, with real passions and feelings. What was worse is that the girl didn't even bother to be curious about his life beyond the glib non detailed things he told her. We did find out one Christmas his favorite ornament went missing. That is it. It just went missing.

Also if you are going to have the family receive a fund raising, maybe don't have them living in a million dollar Chicago home, with a 500k cabin. It really rubbed me the wrong way that people much less fortunate than them in life had to pay for them. How family that well off did not have medical insurance is beyond me. Maybe have the 50 something parents come out of retirement and get some jobs at least, before letting a guy living with his mom pay their bill with his motorcycle club buddies, and charitable strangers.

After watching so many Hallmark and Lifetime movies so far this season, I FINALLY found a great one. I absolutely loved it and at the end found out it was based on a true story which makes it even better. I also loved all of the actors - casting was great. That's the problem with most of these movies - there's no chemistry between the lead actors so the story isn't even believable. Not the case with this one. Highly recommend it.

Based on a true life story of a woman needing an emergency liver transplant. Good story & good actors!

This story is exactly what you'd expect if you read the synopsis and even more so if you've read anything about the true-life couple.

Aimee Teegarden and Brett Dalton do a great job bringing Heather and Christ to life and the supporting cast is good too. Both Heather and Chris appear to be unselfish people who spend their lives making other peoples' lives better.

I read an anecdote about Chris that I wish the movie had tried to capture because it is just one more thing that shows the kind of person he is. His real job is as a code inspector and he once found the house of a 90 year old woman to have problems which I assume would have put the woman into an untenable situation. Apparently instead of writing her up and walking away, he organized a project to help her fix it up.

The movie story is a tiny bit thin, but the underlying story makes the movie worth watching.

PS. Still watching this movie probably about once every season it plays (it shows on Hallmark also in July) and I'm getting more tears now than the first time in December 2018.

For the most part this was a very good movie. A little bit different than the average Hallmark Christmas flick since it was more about the health issue than the typical career woman blah blah. I really liked the actress and the main actor was also likable..I do feel like they had some chemistry which was nice. However as someone else mentioned I feel like the surgery and Recovery part of the story was almost romanticized. I know this story is based on true Vance and I'm sure it wasn't like the movie and I understand it's a movie but a little bit more reality with that would have been nice.

After binge watching Hallmark Christmas movies the past several years, and catching all the Hallmark Hall of Fame films, it's great to see a Hallmark film worthy of the name. They haven't been making them as worthy as they used to. This is one that honestly has the eyes watering fifteen minutes into the picture, and really never stops. The fact it's based on actual events makes it all the more sweeter. It's a Christmas movie, yes, but it's a love story, which makes it even better. Sit back, enjoy, and let Hallmark know you want more films such as this.

This film is not your traditional low budget Christmas film, as it benefits from being based on a very true story.

There is no high powered lawyer clad in a pencil skirt reluctantly returning to her small home town to help save her grandfather's gingerbread shop. There is no city-based marketing executive (again, almost certainly wearing a pencil skirt) being forced to return to her small home town to stop some evil corporation from bulldozing her family's Cnrisrmas Tree farm whilst simultaneously falling in love with one of the evil corporation's executives.

Instead what there is is a couple of characters who manage to be thoroughly likeable without ever being cloying or twee, supported by a small ensemble of minor characters who tread that particular fine line equally well.

The film lacks the cliché jeopardy inherent in 99% of Christmas movies. There are no arguments between the love interests brought about by a misunderstanding. There is no real degree of "will they, won't they" either, as the two main characters (Heather and Chris) are so well suited to one another that the outcome is never in doubt.

The story tells of a liver donor recipient who ends up falling in live with, and eventually marrying, the man who provided the donation. As I say, this is based on a true story and it is as heartwarming a tale as you could ever want at Christmas.

It could be argued, because the film lacks the things I have listed above, that not a lot happens, and on essence that is correct. The film uses the "one week later" and "one year later" technique to effectively remove the need for what would essentially be drama free filler. I would say the film benefits from this.

Yes, not much happens (even the liver transplant goes ahead without the slightest hint of jeopardy) but the characters are so thoroughly likeable that you fond yourself not minding.

This film is definitely one I will want to watch next Christmas. A true feel good tale which I recommend.

WOW!!! This is not a cookie cutter Hallmark movie. It is based on the real lives of Heather and Chris Dempsey. A very engaging film which shows how an organ donation by Chris turns into a love story. Aimee Teegarden is a natural in this movie. Her performance is moving. Get out your Kleenex at the 12 minute mark through the rest of the movie, especially when the doctors (their voices become distant) tell Heather of her liver disease.

6/10 - heartfelt true story sadly doesn't translate into something more than an average Hallmark feature

I know it is based on a real life story but I found this extremely boring!!

Set in Chicago and with some establishing shots but filmed in Canada. It is based on a true story of real people and we see them at the end.

She is in nursing school, has been feeling somewhat puny and tests show she has a liver disease that is at stage four. She needs to find a donor and doesn't have lots of time.

He is just out of the Marines and back home working for a tree nursery. It is nearing Christmas so mainly they are selling Christmas trees. He is naturally a generous person, when he finds out she (a stranger) needs a transplant he gets tested and finds out he is a suitable fit.

So the movie is about their meeting under these difficult circumstances and gradually forming a bond. Being a Hallmark movie something comes in the way, a big issue they have to overcome, but as usual, two minutes before the movie ends, we witness the "Hallmark Kiss."

Good movie, my wife and I both enjoyed it a lot, at home on DVD from our public library. It has been an unusually hot month of May here in Texas, 96 today, so watching a winter movie was a good break.

Review Date 7/10/2019

I have Reviewed OVER 500 "Christmas Films Christmas Television show episodes and Television Specials". Please BEWARE Of films and specials with just one review! For instance When "It's a POSITIVE" chances are that the reviewer was involved with the production. "If its Negative" then they may have a grudge against the film for whatever reason. I am fare about these films. I am on a mission to watch every Christmas Movie ever made. Since 2014 I average 100 a year.

After receiving a medical diagnosis before the holidays, Heather Krueger discovers she is in urgent need of a life-saving liver transplant. Facing incredible odds against finding a donor, she's shocked when a stranger, Chris Dempsey, volunteers to donate half his liver to her. As Heather and Chris get to know one another and their families before and after the transplant, they form a deep connection and begin to wonder if the closeness they feel goes beyond the special connection between organ donor and recipient. The two must decide if Chris's selfless act is the beginning of a beautiful, true love story.

There is a scene in this where you fully understand where "Aimee" is coming from. I also love the fact these 2 adults are not sure how they feel and I don't want to embrace themselves if the other person doesn't feel the same.

TheSTORY-1.5

The best thing this story has going for it is that it's based on a true story. This would have made it doubly hard for the writers, Erinne Dobson and Shannon Fopeano. Not only do they have to write a good story they also have to take into account the people who were affected. Dobson and Fopeano should be proud of this story.

The whole "True Story" adds a deeper psychological hook as you are already thinking, hey, this has actually happened to somebody. And that helps sells the stories second ethic that everything will work out, everything will be well.

This feeling runs throughout the story and strengthens the heartwarming sentiment. The characters are a little week at times though, this is especially evident in Chris Dempsey. I'm not saying this is a bad thing it's just strange. Most of the time the characters are relatable and believable, but in a few scenes they come across as wishy-washy. Luckily it's too few to hurt the story.

theDIRECTION-1

To say Gary Yates is average would be the perfect statement. You won't find anything new or different in the direction of this film. However, this isn't too detrimental to the telling of the story through a few inventive camera techniques and lighting would have only helped to strengthen the movie and build a better romantic atmosphere.

theTEMPO-1

The pace, for me, was a tad too slow. I find a nice cantor works best for this style of movie. The slower pace did help with the more romantic scenes, however. Except for the hospital sequence which flys by; but if this is how it happened then let's stay truthful.

theACTING-1.25

The actors are perfect in their roles. However, I didn't feel the spark between Heather (Aimee Teagarden) and Chris (Brett Dalton). Unfortunately, since this is the main element to the story it's the biggest flaw and does injure the film, though not enough to make it unwatchable.

theGRATIFICATION-1.25

If you love true romantic stories then this film is certainly for you. Since it's not a true Christmas film it can be easily watched any time of the year... wrapped up in a duvet with your beloved.

This is an entertaining, enlightening, and heartwarming film I would recommend to everyone. I left this film with a melancholy smile on my face and a wish for the real Heather and Chris to have a joyous and love-filled long life.

theSCORE-6

Come on over and check out my Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas Belles and Dramatisation Of Life lists to see where this film ranked and to find something new to watch.

By far the best Hallmark Christmas movie of the decade. Fantastic characters and actors who portray them. Great story. Heart warming. Asks so many questions of yourself as a viewer and those questions are consistent with the questions the characters were asking themselves. I have already watched it multiple times and I will watch it again.

Heather Krueger (Aimee Teegarden) needs a liver transplant. Her miracle comes in the form of Chris Dempsey (Brett Dalton). They did meet before as the only good part of their separate bad Christmas dates. He's a match.

The Hallmark Christmas movie is based on a real couple. It is the most Christmas of Christmas movies. It's about giving and a miracle of humanity. As a romance, it does suffer for being inevitable. The plot is as straight as an arrow. Any turns come from the construction of these characters and they're not even turns. I do like that they don't want to impose on the other but that's not a real hurdle. They are like funnels. The water goes around and around but going down is inevitable.

I loved everything about this movie. Every Marine I have ever met is so selfless, as was mine. He let duke University take core samples of muscle tissue from all over his body to study the effects of heart disease on muscle tissue.. I asked him why he put himself thru these test. He said that he knew it would not save him but it may someday save our girls. So Mr. Dempsy semper fidelis I am so glad god put you in heather's path and good luck in all your life choices.

Okay, we've seen all the Hallmark 2018 Christmas movies, and there were a lot of clunkers. This however, is a wonderful movie. You wouldn't believe that someone could be so selfless, except it's based on real people. The lead actress, Aimee Teegarden, has a fragile beauty and an amazingly expressive face. Sign her up for a movie every Christmas.

I have never given a Hallmark movie a 10 before but this one deserves it. It got me on the verge of tears twice and maybe one or two tears escaped at the very end.

This is the best HM of the year. There were a few this year that I really liked but this was taken to a whole different level. The casting was great, the chemistry between the leads, and even the chemistry between the supporting cast.. It's not the same plot we all know, and the fact that this is based on a real story makes it 100 times better.

Will definitely rewatch again in the future.