Take Me Back for Christmas (2023)

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I have been in full Christmas in July mode this month, as far as movies go. I hadn't planned on posting reviews of any of them. In fact, this is the first movie review I'm posting on this blog that isn't a mystery. I watch so many movies, there's not enough time to review as many as I'd love to. However, the latest movie in Hallmark's Christmas in July lineup, Take Me Back for Christmas, is in a class by itself and I feel compelled to write about it.

Renee (Vanessa Lengies) and Aaron (Corey Sevier) are a married couple, but Renee is unhappy with her life. She makes a Christmas wish and suddenly finds herself in an alternate reality, living the life she dreamed of. However, she is no longer married to Aaron and races to win him back by Christmas Eve.

Take Me Back for Christmas has received well-deserved high praise across the board (with a few exceptions, which there will always be). It was worked on by the husband and wife team of Corey Sevier and Kate Pragnell. Sevier directed it and Pragnell wrote it. And we are all the better for it. There are some very memorable lines that will tug at your heartstrings. I'm not going to spoil it and share them with you. I want you to experience them for the first time like I did.

I cannot express to you enough how perfect this movie is. It is, by far, my favorite movie of the year so far, and one of my all-time favorite Hallmark movies. (I'd say it's my all-time favorite movie, but it's tough to beat a movie about nine kittens...) That includes all the cozy mysteries I've watched, which is my favorite genre.

The alternate reality trope has been done many times in different ways (Next Stop, Christmas and Rip in Time are two examples) and it is one of my favorites. That trope alone drew me in. It's never been done quite like this, though. 

The overall plot of Take Me Back for Christmas is predictable. It is, after all, a Hallmark movie. However, that tends to work to its advantage this time. We know what's coming at the end and while we're on this journey with Renee, we feel for her knowing what will need to happen in order for her to win Aaron back. Close to the end of the movie, I was crying a river of tears. (And I later learned I'm not the only one!)

While this is a romantic love story between Renee and Aaron, it's even more so the story of the love between a mother and her daughter. In reality, Renee's mom has passed away and she is struggling to move on from her grief. In the alternate reality, her mom is alive and well. Being a witness to the mother-daughter relationship is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen on television. It is so well-written, well-directed, and well-acted. Even the technical aspects, such as lighting and scenery, are perfection. The movie would not have been this good if all of those elements hadn't come together.

Don't get me wrong, though. This isn't a sad movie. It is very much a rom-com. The tear-jerking moments are so well-balanced with laugh-out-loud scenes and the talented actors who deliver them. Vanessa Lengies especially shines in this respect. It really showcases how well she can act with various emotions.

If you missed Take Me Back for Christmas when it premiered on The Hallmark Channel this month, I'm sure you'll be able to catch it again. I hope it airs again during the Christmas season so that others will be inclined to watch it. Not only will I be watching this movie again, but I'm going to seek out more movies starring Corey Sevier and Vanessa Lengies, together and individually. These are two very talented actors who, when given the right script and plot to work with, truly shine. I will also be watching for movies that involve the writing and directing talents of Corey Sevier and Kate Pragnell. These are all ones to watch!

Have you seen Take Me Back for Christmas? If so, what did you think of it?