Sophie Marlow (Candace Cameron Bure) is on the track to make partner at the mergers and acquisitions firm she works for. After the passing of her great uncle, Sophie is called home to Waynesbridge, Washington where she discovers that she’s been left 60% of Marlow Maple Meadows, a sugar maple forest. Sophie’s childhood friend Sam (Cameron Mathison), who she hasn’t seen in years, has been left the remaining 40% and they decide to sell it. As they prepare for the sale, old memories resurface and they realise they might not be ready to let go after all.
‘Home Sweet Christmas’ is Great American Family as its absolute finest, delivering a heartfelt and sentimental story that will warm the cockles of even the coldest of hearts. What this film does so well is explore the impact that childhood experiences have on us. For Sophie, she spent many a happy Christmas at her uncle’s property but having not visited for decades, she’s forgotten that part of who she was. Returning to Waynesbridge proves to be an eye-opening and transformative experience for her, and she’s caught off-guard by how being back, and seeing Sam again, makes her feel.
Sophie wrestles over what to do with the property, given she’s the majority stakeholder. Her professional brain tells her that doing the place up and selling it would be financially lucrative, but her heart says that she’d be waving goodbye to an important part of her past. Sam has a similar war of head and heart going on, and as he spends more time with Sophie it becomes clear that they have unfinished business. There are some lovely moments where Sophie and Sam rewatch old videos of themselves as kids, and the audience can get on board with love giving the characters a second chance.
This film is yet another home-run for Candace Cameron Bure, who honestly is always a sign of quality. Following on from ‘A Christmas Less Traveled’, Bure brings her warmth and heart to ‘Home Sweet Christmas’, making Sophie a character that the audience is on side with from the beginning. She has a way about her that makes you feel like you’ve known the characters she plays for years, and she always keeps them relatable. Her co-lead, Cameron Mathison, is excellent here too. A lesser actor would have played Sam far too earnest but Mathison gives him more gravitas. Together the two actors are simply magical and their chemistry drives the film.
‘Home Sweet Christmas’ is simply put a wonderful and heart-warming film. The story is bursting with hope and possibility, and its ability to touch on nostalgia makes it a real must-watch. With two strong leads and a story that hits satisfying beats, this is one of the strongest movies to come from Great American Family yet. Honestly, I’d love to see Bure and Mathison headlining more holiday movies over the years as they are truly special together.
Cast: Candace Cameron Bure, Cameron Mathison, David Kaye, Hilary Jardine, Alison Wandzura Director: Paula Elle Writers: Kevin Commins, Robin Dunne Certificate: Unrated Duration: 90 mins Released by: Great American Media Release date: 1st December 2024
‘Home Sweet Christmas’ premieres on Sunday 1st December 2024 at 8/7c on Great American Family as part of Great American Christmas 2024. Find out more at https://www.greatamericanfamily.com/movie/jingle-bells-wedding-bells/
