This is possibly the worst casting I've ever seen. Not because the acting was bad, just that the actors didn't appear to look the age they were supposed to look, which made the relationships between the characters in the story very confusing.I have to admit I did not watch the whole movie, but I saw enough to know what I had a problem with.I happened to start watching the movie while the three men of the house were baking cookies. Honestly, it was a little difficult to tell which one was the father and which ones were the sons.But then when I saw Julia Duffy playing Daphne Zuniga's mother, I kind of just gave up at believing this would be a decent movie.Counter to what other reviewers have said, I didn't really notice a big jerkiness on the men's side, but this could be because I only watched a few scenes. What bugged me is that Joy didn't just want the men of her family to pitch in and do their part, she actually wanted them to do their part ONLY in the way that she dictated it should be done. I don't blame them for being annoyed when she criticized the *process* they used making cookies, even when the end result they delivered was exactly what she wanted. I've seen this theme too often.

OK, I get what the movie was trying to do, but in the real world, Joy would have been told to calm down and mellow out. Honestly, before she went on strike, she just seemed a tad too neurotic, so I couldn't even cheer when she did it. Not that I think something like this is that serious, but again, I know what the movie was going for. I get that her hubby and sons were too dependent on her, and that's fine, but she had a few issues as well. I liked Daphne's Hallmark Thanksgiving movie, but this one wasn't as good. David Sutcliffe was funny as always and so were the sons. Oh, and I don't consider myself to be a feminist, but it was not lost on me how Daphne's character was the only woman in her house, and the other wives only mentioned their husbands and male children. Typical We-Have- Issues-With-Men Lifetime.

I wouldn't vote 1 (awful) because it had SOME redeeming qualities. Those being that I DO enjoy the actors who were in it (Zuniga, Duffy and especially David Sutcliffe) but the story was so improbable as to verge on the unbelievable. I actually stopped watching 30 mins before the end.Whoever cast it is not very good at their job. NO WAY would we buy Duffy being Zuniga's MOTHER! Her older sister, sure,,, but MOTHER? Come on! Audiences aren't that stupid.And I agree with the other poster who said that the family is this story was ridiculous. Two of the most self-absorbed and spoiled teenagers with barely ANY manners. It's no wonder she felt the need to strike to begin with.It was a good concept gone bad. Whoever was responsible for the production and execution of it is at fault.

It was difficult to get past the fact that Julia Duffy was too young - or Daphne Z too old - for this role. With only an 11 year age difference they were not a believable mother/daughter casting....Other than that it was typical low-budget holiday fare.All the actors did a fine job. This must have been Christmas in a warm area - because no one ever seemed cold and all the trees were full of leaves! Oh - and the character from Texas (redhead) should have gotten better direction... the scenes she was in did seem a bit annoying. One last comment - the timeline was also a bit contrived.... I guess a 5 rating was my holiday gift to this movie!