'Miracles of Christmas' movie review: 'A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas'

There are plenty of Hallmark movies that take place over the course of a weekend that have more compelling, dynamic character arcs than the holiday romance “A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas” (premiering Nov. 8 as part of the Hallmark’s Miracles of Christmas).

In short: Hotel manager Willow (Rachael Leigh Cook) returns to her hometown to help her sister plan a Christmas wedding at the inn her family once owned - but she must convince the current owner David (Benjamin Ayres) to host the wedding before he sells the inn.

"Blue Ridge" combines the festive joy of next-level holiday decorating with prepping for a dream wedding. It's kind of the best of both worlds when it comes to fulfilling the fantasy of a picture perfect Christmas wonderland and a rustic, down-home and refined wedding.

While "Blue Ridge" is generous with the Christmas spirit, it's fairly lean in the story and character department. Once the movie gets to the point where Willow convinces David to let her decorate the inn - the plot stalls out. Willow plans and decorates. David is pre-occupied with work, and focuses more on selling the inn. Yes their relationship slowly warms after Willow slowly wins over the reluctant, work-focused David - but their individual characters have little to no development.

"Blue Ridge" constantly reminds the audience that David is about to make partner at his law firm -- but that info has little to no bearing on the story. His workload is vague and without real significance to the story. So when he begins to spend more time embracing holiday festivities, it's not shocking that it's without consequence to David or his alleged workload. For her part, Willow is finally spending more time in her hometown than she's been able to in years -- but it has little to no significant affect on her. She can't be defined as work-obsessed because her career aspirations are hazy. The movie tries to establish that Willow might be getting too attached to the inn where she grew up - but "Blue Ridge" doesn't follow-through on that idea.

Despite selling itself as a romantic drama, "Blue Ridge" unfortunately comes down to ... the sale of the inn. It hints that David is haunted by the memories of his late wife, who used to run the inn -- but the movie misses the opportunity to explore these conflicted, bittersweet memories. And as Willow supposedly grows more attached to the inn her father used to run, "Blue Ridge" doesn't make the effort to show the audience how Willow specifically reconnects with the inn - or how staying in her hometown could clash with her established career.

Final verdict: "Blue Ridge" is at its best as it indulges in Christmas cookies and romantic horse carriage rides - but the story is nearly inert and its characters thin.

Score: 2 turtle doves (out of 5)

"A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas" is rated TV-G and has a running time of 90 minutes. The movie premieres on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries on Nov. 8.