Time For Us To Come Home For Christmas (2020 Hallmark Movie & Mysteries)
Cast: Lacey Chabert, Stephen Huszar, Lini Evans
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Synopsis (via Hallmark)
Five guests are mysteriously invited to an inn to celebrate Christmas. With Ben’s help, Sarah discovers that an event from the past may connect them and change their lives forever.
Thoughts
Sarah is an attorney who has taken over for her mother’s cases and settles affairs because her mother recently passed away close to the holidays. Sarah listens to records and looks at old photos that bring back memories. She receives an anonymous gift for holidays at a Snowfall Inn and is grateful for the getaway. Sarah doesn’t know who sent her the card and assumes it is from work. It isn’t from work; it is a secret Santa.
A hunky inn owner named Ben catches Sarah turning a CucKoo clock forward and gives her a hard time. He also gifts her a copy of “A Christmas Carol” to read while staying at the inn. Ben has been the inn owner for a few years and impulsively bought the inn when it went up for sale. His sister Bess also stays at the inn.
Sarah meets other guests staying at the inn. There is a divorcee with a lot of luggage named Karen. (I’m triggered!) There is also a man across the hall named Jasper, whose wife recently died. Dr. Owen and his teen daughter Cass are starting new traditions. They all received the mystery Santa cards.
Ben and Sarah pick out Christmas trees while talking about family traditions. I’m not sure how old Sarah is, but she talks about decorating a tree with cranberries and popcorn… what she born in the early 1900s? Sarah’s father passed away when she was young, and she needs to keep the tradition alive. Ben used to be engaged, and when she called things off her threw himself into the inn.
Karen sees an old boyfriend as he is checking into the inn named Todd. Owen stresses on how to make the holidays special for his sullen teen daughter. They all start to realize that they were invited her mysteriously and have some previous connection to the inn. Sarah’s mother was there when she was pregnant. Could she be behind the gifts?
While trimming the tree, Owen decides to put on some records. Sarah requests The Blue Note Trio “Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas.” No one has heard of it (Sorry, Blake Shelton!) Sarah starts to sing the tune, and Jasper joins in. He was one of the original members. The inn has the album! Serendipity all over this movie.
Sarah and Ben find an old photo in the basement. It links everyone to one to stay at the inn in 1984. Sarah’s mother even named her after Jasper’s wife, Sarah. Ben and Sarah look through old inn ledgers and find a missing piece of the puzzle. Sarah visits the man alone. (Which seems dangerous. Don’t visit strangers alone!) He will be at the BIG Christmas party.
Things start falling into place: Owen and his daughter bond over music, Karen and Todd start dating again, Jasper considers making music again too. Then a baking montage happens!
Sarah goes to church with Jasper and lights a candle for her mother. She wants to spend one last Christmas with her mother and will never get that chance. She is thankful to get to spend the holiday with the people at the inn. Ben tells Sarah that he doesn’t care what brought her to him, but he is happy she is there. She reminds him that she has a job and can’t stay forever, breaking his hunky heart.
The old inn owner, Frenchie, is the one who sent the invitations. She invited them as a gift for Ben to create the magic of the weekend in 1984. Everyone applauds Frenchie for the thoughtful but manipulative gifts. Frenchie tells Sarah that her mother only wanted her to be happy. It is touching to watch Sarah deal with the loss of her mother during the holidays. I’m sure someone out there needed to see her coping with this loss and figuring out how to move on.
The party continues. Cass and Owen perform together on stage, and Jasper joins them. They sing “It’s Time for You to Come Home For Christmas.” It isn’t any catcher than the other times I’ve heard it. Stop trying to make this song happen. It isn’t going to happen.
Sarah and Ben talk outside in the snow. She realizes that she wants to share her life with him. Home is where the people she loves are and thinks Ben will make her happy. They kiss! The end!
Side Note
Minority Report: Jasper, Owen, Cass, Postman,
This is Lacey’s second Christmas movie in 2020.
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Overall rating
🎄🎄🎄 (3 Christmas Trees)
🍷🍷🍷 (3 glasses of wine required.)
*Photo Credit: © 2020 Hallmark Crown Media
