I watched this with my sister, we both grew up in Louisiana and it was fun seeing Lafayette and St Martinville where it was filmed. The actors are not Louisianians but the accents were passable if not authentic. Ed Asner actually did the best job of approximating a Louisiana bayou accent.
Christmas themed TV movies often have this similar theme ... a 30- something workaholic big city lady travels back to her rural home town and meets a nice young man that she resists at first but eventually gives in to. We KNOW from the very beginning this will happen, but we sit back and enjoy the ride getting there.
Hilarie Burton is the divorced, 30-something marketing professional Katherine with a young son of about 8 or 9. They travel to her home town of St Martinville, about 20 miles SE of Lafayette, to visit her mom and spend Christmas along the bayou.
As the movie opens, 20 years earlier, we see the 10-yr-old Katherine about to be kissed by 10-yr-old Caleb, but something happened and they never became an item. But now, back home she meets up with Tyler Hilton as the grown up Caleb who works as a ranger. Caleb hits it off right away with her young son, but Katherine is very gun-shy, her first marriage didn't work and she didn't want to get into another to do the same.
Randy Travis has a good, small role as the local store owner Mr. Greenhall. Markie Post, looking really good in her early 60s, is Katherine's mom Lilly.
But the best character is 80-something Ed Asner as Papa Noel who seems to be the real bayou Santa Claus, and he has a positive impact on the little boy. That little boy is Brody Rose as Zack.
There isn't really anything new here, story-wise, it is just a good family movie with nicely attractive actors.
Christmas themed TV movies often have this similar theme ... a 30- something workaholic big city lady travels back to her rural home town and meets a nice young man that she resists at first but eventually gives in to. We KNOW from the very beginning this will happen, but we sit back and enjoy the ride getting there.
Hilarie Burton is the divorced, 30-something marketing professional Katherine with a young son of about 8 or 9. They travel to her home town of St Martinville, about 20 miles SE of Lafayette, to visit her mom and spend Christmas along the bayou.
As the movie opens, 20 years earlier, we see the 10-yr-old Katherine about to be kissed by 10-yr-old Caleb, but something happened and they never became an item. But now, back home she meets up with Tyler Hilton as the grown up Caleb who works as a ranger. Caleb hits it off right away with her young son, but Katherine is very gun-shy, her first marriage didn't work and she didn't want to get into another to do the same.
Randy Travis has a good, small role as the local store owner Mr. Greenhall. Markie Post, looking really good in her early 60s, is Katherine's mom Lilly.
But the best character is 80-something Ed Asner as Papa Noel who seems to be the real bayou Santa Claus, and he has a positive impact on the little boy. That little boy is Brody Rose as Zack.
There isn't really anything new here, story-wise, it is just a good family movie with nicely attractive actors.