AllMovie

A sugarcoated little Christmas gem, Holiday Affair is a Yuletide treat for those who don't mind if the sentiment is poured on a bit thick. Those who do object to such things might find Holiday a bit sticky for their tastes, as it presents an idealized vision of people and the world and doesn't let crude and crass reality get in the way of ensuring a tender, happy time for its characters. This blatant sentimentality is one of the things that many find appealing about Holiday, and it's easy to see why. Things may not be all rosy at the beginning, and the lives of Janet Leigh's and Robert Mitchum's characters may not be going in the directions they're supposed to be, but it's this sweet little film's mission to ensure that all that changes, and it does so in the tenderest way possible. Don Hartman's screenplay may be manipulative, but it's very well structured and its tugs at the heart strings are quite effective. Mitchum seems an odd choice for this kind of role, but he delivers in spades, and his work is quite good. Leigh is also in very fine form, as is Wendell Corey as the man standing between the two stars. All in all, Holiday is a lovely little way to have one's emotions touched.