Ally (Candace Cameron Bure) inherits Timeless Tidings, a gift store, from her grandmother. Engulfed by mixed feelings about the store, and the impact it had on both her and her grandmother Joy’s life, Ally decides to sell it. As she prepares the shop for sale, Ally meets Bennett (Paul Green), a man who wants to preserve Joy’s legacy rather than sell it on. When the pair unexpectedly find themselves travelling back in time, Ally gets to see a different side to Joy (Natasha Bure) and understand why the shop was so important to her.
‘Timeless Tidings of Joy’ is a film that is rich in nostalgia as it explores the often-complicated bonds between family members. Ally has spent her life helping her grandmother run Timeless Tidings, often hiding the resentment and frustration she felt. Never able to grasp why Joy was so keen to hold on to the shop, even in the face of financial difficulties, Ally gets a rare chance to understand when she’s taken back in time. Posing as someone who wants to help Joy out, Ally initially sets out to convince her grandmother to sell the shop but as she learns more about its history, she’s surprised to discover her feelings evolving.
A key part of the journey is Bennett, who Ally takes an instant dislike to as he’s trying to keep the shop she’s so intent on selling. Together the pair has to navigate through their unexpected journey, and they find themselves on a path to romance. What hits home in this film is the disconnect between generations of the same family. Ally can only understand things from her perspective, never able to put herself into Joy’s shoes. When she gets that chance it’s eye-opening for her and an opportunity to reassess her own feelings that she’s carried for so long.
Candace Cameron Bure, who is also Chief Creative Officer at Great American Media, is as reliable as ever in the lead role of Ally. She has the ability to feel relatable to the audience and she is an engaging presence on screen. Her character isn’t as fully developed as Bure deserves, which limits her abilities. There’s a decent enough chemistry with Paul Green as Bennett, but there are other couples in some of the other Great American Christmas films that you’ll root for more.
‘Timeless Tidings of Joy’ is a perfectly solid film but it’s not one of the standouts from this year’s Great American Christmas. Candace Cameron Bure is a safe pair of hands but she doesn’t truly get to shine in this film. There’s a nice message in the story and the film is perfectly pleasant, it just never rises to become truly special. ‘Timeless Tidings of Joy’ is still worth a watch but it’s not quite as good as I’d hoped.
Cast: Candace Cameron Bure, Paul Greene, Natasha Bure Director: Paula Elle Writers: Taylor Kalupa & Masey McLain Certificate: Unrated Duration: 90 mins Released by: Great American Family
‘Timeless Tidings of Joy’ premieres on Great American Family on 15th November 2025 at 8/7c. Find out more at https://www.greatamericanfamily.com/movie/timeless-tidings-of-joy/
