Juliet (Erin Agostino) has her eye on a promotion at work and she pitches the idea of creating limited edition Christmas candles to her boss. After getting agreement, Juliet tries to convince candle store owner Tom (Harmon Walsh) to help but he’s reluctant as he doesn’t want to get involved with something he feels is gimmicky. Juliet refuses to take no for an answer and she convinces Tom to partner with her. As they begin working together, the two experience plenty of hurdles and their feelings for one another start to get in the way of their work.
‘Christmas By Candlelight’ has a really sweet premise at the centre of it. Tom lost his wife, making him a single parent to their daughter Olivia (Eadie Murphy). Both of them miss her terribly but Juliet’s idea of making scented candles that evoke memories of people who have passed away, could be a perfect solution to bring Olive comfort over the holidays. As well as missing her mother, Olive is also upset when she finds out her grandmother (Debra McGrath) won’t be coming to visit at Christmas as she’s busy trying to find a donor for her foundation.
That part of the story underpins the whole film, with Tom eventually agreeing to partner with Juliet despite his reservations. It soon becomes clear that they both have very different ways of working, so finding a middle ground takes a little time. Juliet is being increasingly pressured by her boss, while Tom is trying to ignore his nagging feelings of doubt as he brings Juliet’s idea to life. Not too much time is spent dwelling on Tom’s late wife, which is a shame as it might have been nice to understand the impact of that loss a little more. That being said, the film has a strong theme of family that runs through it, which will resonate with a lot of viewers.
For the most part ‘Christmas By Candlelight’ works. The story hits plenty of familiar beats but that isn’t too much of an issue. The biggest problem the film has is the lack of chemistry between leads Erin Agostino and Harmon Walsh. Individually their performances are fine but when they come together, that spark that’s so vital in a holiday movie is missing. Maybe it’s because there have been so many strong pairings in other films this festive season, that these two just don’t quite cut the mustard?
‘Christmas By Candlelight’ is a perfectly enjoyable film but it’s not as strong as some of the films in this year’s Great American Christmas line-up. While it does have plenty of heart, the muted chemistry between the leads makes it hard to root for them. The sentimental storyline may be enough to keep most viewers on board until the end, but this film isn’t going to change the world. Enjoy it for what it is and you’ll have a good time.
Cast: Erin Agostino, Harmon Walsh, Anna Douglas, Debra McGrath, Eadie Murphy Director: Brian K. Roberts Writer: Alessandra Brook Certificate: Unrated Duration: 87 mins Released by: Great American Media Release date: 24th November 2024
‘Christmas By Candlelight’ premieres on Great American Family as part of Great American Christmas 2024 on Sunday 24th November 2024 at 8/7c. Find out more at https://www.greatamericanfamily.com/movie/christmas-by-candlelight/
