Cara (Ella Cannon) has an embarrassing meeting with reporter Chet (Christopher Russell) while shopping for a Christmas tree with her daughter Megan (Amelia Harrison), her ex-husband and his new fiancée. After Chet interviews her for a news piece about being single at Christmas, Cara’s daughter Megan shares her Christmas wish for her mother to find love in a letter that accidentally goes viral. Reluctantly, Cara agrees to be the subject of a documentary Chet is making as she searches for love but maybe true love is right under her nose…
‘Peppermint and Postcards’ is one of the funnier Christmas movies to come out of Great American Family so far this year, in large part due to a stellar performance from the charming Ella Cannon. As Cara, Cannon really utilises her knack for comedic timing and that really shines through every time the character is filmed and interviewed. At first, Cara is mortified that her single status has been shared with the whole town, especially as her ex-husband is getting married again, but the search for true love proves to be too appealing to pass up.
Taking a classic rom-com formula, Cara and Chet don’t get along to begin with. Cara in particular isn’t keen on Chet’s intrusive reporting style but as the two work side-by-side, she starts to soften towards him. That leads to issues as the network that will be airing the documentary is keen for Cara to find love during one of her filmed dates so they can tell a good story on television but Cara starts to wonder if maybe Chet is the man for her. As she struggles with her burgeoning feelings, Chet has to decide whether to put his career or his heart first.
Alongside Cannon’s winning performance is Christopher Russell, who viewers may remember from Great American Family’s recent film ‘A Dash of Christmas’. Once again he proves to be a suave and charismatic leading man, and his easy screen presence means it’s not hard to root for Chet. There’s a nice chemistry between the two leads that develops and deepens as the film progresses. Russell, like Cannon, is adept at comedy too so both actors get to really lean into the film’s funnier moments.
‘Peppermint and Postcards’ is a peppy festive film with a zippy pace and an enjoyable storyline. Cara and Chet are clearly perfect for one another from the moment they meet but watching them figure that out is a whole lot of fun. Thanks to the performances of the two leads, the film never sags and even in its soppier moments, it will still hold the attention of the viewer. This one caught me by surprise and it’s definitely a film to add to your Christmas movie rotation this year (and beyond).
Cast: Ella Cannon, Christopher Russell, Amelia Harrison Director: Jim Cliffe Writer: Hayley November Certificate: Unrated Duration: 86 mins Released by: Great American Family Release date: 10th December 2023
Find out more about ‘Peppermint and Postcards’ at https://www.greatamericanfamily.com/movie/peppermint-and-postcards/.
