Christmas Homecoming

Julie Benz and Michael Shanks take a well-written script and give nicely memorable performances in this story of two people with personal issues that they strive to resolve during the Christmas season. Benz is particularly believable and interesting as a military widow struggling with the loss of her husband while encountering (by chance) a soldier (played by Shanks) struggling with the loss of his comrades. This is not your cookie-cutter Hallmark Christmas couple, but rather, two intelligent characters whose emotions are sincerely felt and discussed. Nice pairing of these two very good performers. Supporting cast does well, too, particularly Jordana Largy as Lily, the newly widowed wife of a vet who had a connection with the soldier played by Shanks. The "One Year Later" sequence that is tacked on at the end is a little contrived but it doesn't detract from the charm of the story. We watch this one every year.

I am a widow and I know how the characters felt after losing a loved one. If you haven't been through the experience - you can't truly understand. I've watched the movie several times and it still tugs at my heartstrings.

Is it me, or are all the Hallmark movies getting some uplifting, better funding and improvements? The quality of them seem to be improving, which might have something to do with momentum and the crowd that watches these kind of sappy, predictable 'love dramas' is what I call them. But I keep watching them nonetheless because I'm a dreamer and I want to be hopeful that love can come to anyone and everyone at some point. But about the movie, I'm retired US Navy, so I kind of like the 'realistic' kind of military stories of today. It sucks to bring back deployment memories, but it's just a movie and it is enjoyable for a new Hallmark movie this year! I've watched it on 3-4 different occasions, but I seem to get distracted a lot with doing other things, so the last time I watched it was the time I saw it all the way through. I have to watch them at 11 pm to not be distracted that much and I live with my senior citizen mom. That's all. Enjoy your holidays and enjoy this movie!

Somehow this movie is attracting reviews from USA hating, anti military leftists. They seem to be disappointed that it wasn't anti war and anti military. As a veteran I respect and appreciated the way it handled the military service side with dignity befitting of the the sacrifice our veterans give for serving their country.

Also they show they have no concept of the Army rank structure as they think a grizzled Master Sergeant should be in his 20's or 30's. And why exactly should a veterans widow be in her 20's and 30's as well? Very strange. I found the age choice quite appropriate. My only quibble on that front would be how several of the actresses showed signs of plastic surgery to their faces. It is upsetting that these lovely women are in a system that makes them feel it is necessary to do that to remain relevant, and it didn't serve their roles as military spouses in this movie.

I wanted to really like this, but it was just too detached. I really didn't feel it. It felt like he had some problems brewing under the surface that their little play at Christmas spirit did not address or fix. She seemed to be just going through the motions and feeling like she should love him, instead of really loving him.

Anyway. An ok movie, and all the haters of our country and our military can jump in a lake or something.

I hope I never become as cynical as most reviewers on this website. This is a beautiful story of loss and healing. The comments that the actors are too old for their parts are absurd. Not everyone is some shallow twenty-something.