Emma Caufield, four years after Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, has a lead in her own romance comedy and holds her own even in light of a promising but flaw script that has her portraying a well-known local radio talk-show host on love along with Barbara Niven, an established, experienced character actress, as her former mentor and now ghost in a romantic version of A Christmas Carol. The problem with this movie is its efforts to follow the Christmas Carol tradition in both a dramatic and comedic fashion with a script that even incorporates a sloppy version at times of Samantha's Bewitched (1964-1972) behavior from the television series along with poor magical over-the-top special effects as well as introducing two former beaus in the script as past lives with high hopes for a better movie but collapse into underdeveloped subplots with a simplistic, clumsy ending. At the beginning, the character that Caufield plays is too harsh and cold, not having the Devil Wears Prada (2006) finesse of Meryl Streep that it needed. There are moments when this movie rises above the mundane rom coms with several of its tender moments and suggestions of more complex relational scenarios and twists. The final scene with the holy light was a nice touch, but the ending scenes only manage to overly simplify a tossed together conclusion that the movie's evolving and potentially promising plot did not deserve.

For most of "A Valentine Carol," it appears as though the film's theme is going to be: LOVE STINKS!!! Then, in the same spirit as Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" Jackie Marley successfully guides Miss Allison "Ally" Simms through the ghosts of Valentine's days past to discover a warm and endearing conclusion.

In Ally's life, she has had three male suitors, who all seem to be worthy of her heart. At one juncture, she is faced with three marriage proposals simultaneously. Ally could be tempted to marry all three of the men (Matt, Ben, and Paul), then deal with any complications as they arise.

Instead, Ally is given a glimpse of the future to recognize that Matt's true calling is not as a legal partner in a high-profile firm, but rather a piano player in a jazz combo. It was the ability to get out of her persona as a radio host giving superficial advice in love to truly connect with Matt's soul, in order navigate their future together.

The film was cleverly constructed with engaging performances all around. Some of the secondary roles, including Joe Biggs and his ol' buddy Tim; Ally's hopelessly romantic assistant, Gillian; and the indomitable presence of Jacklyn "Jackie" Marley that made for an outstanding ensemble.

The name of Ally's popular radio program is "Love Speaks." In the form of a fable, "A Valentine Carol" speaks all right notes in a genuinely heartwarming film experience.

Highly enjoyable movie following Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol" only Valentine's Day is coming not Christmas. Love John Reardon. I follow his movies and he is great! A woman who has become shallow and only interested in money, fancy cars and her boyfriend MUST have a great paying job.....finds out what love is all about with a little help from her deceased boss. Great job! James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 2/18/2021