Trois Noëls à la maison

I really enjoyed this movie and appreciate how Hallmark upped its game in terms of telling the stories of different families who share something special in common. Basically, things center around 7 Cherry Lane, a house called home to three different families spanning over five decades. Though each family's storyline is separate from the others, there are people and details of each storyline that are interwoven with the others, creating a vibe that's similar to This Is Us.

The families are young marrieds Lizzie and John, who are awaiting the birth of their first child; this takes place in the '70s. Then there's Regina, a forties-ish widow with two young-adult children, who's ready to move on with her life in the 90s era. Lastly, there's Mike and Zain, ready and hoping to welcome a child into their family in the present day. I don't want to give any more details because this movie is best enjoyed by discovering who's tied to who, how and when by the viewer. Wonderful cast of actors who had excellent chemistry with each other! Highly recommended watch.

There's so much in here about families and how Christmas brings out the best and worst in them, that it almost feels like the writer is presenting a theory and philosophy of family Christmas.

It's one of the most interesting and innovative of the "family Christmas" sub-genre of Christmas movies that I've seen.

That said, there is an awful lot going on here and I got a little lost as I wasn't paying full attention. Not least because the description I read didn't make it clear that events are happening at different times in the same location. So I was struggling, at times, to work out precisely how the various characters spanned the 3 time periods.

This is another great movie and Hallmark is really hitting home with some of their recent releases.

The only thing is you really have to be paying attention or re-watch the movie.

There are three families across three different time periods (the 70's the late 90's and current time 2023). The time periods and families are not shown sequentially (since their connection is more than sequential).

The connections to the other families and time periods is more than just the home, it's in the people themselves and their connection to each other, but that's not the focus of the story. Even though these people's lives have some connection or overlap, they each independently have life changing events occurring and the struggles that go with dealing with these events. As they overcome or accept these life changes they find strength in the people around them and the viewer sees connections that are hinted at but slowly revealed as the story progresses.

I wish the changes between the time/families had been a little more clear, but do like the way it was showing the families and the overlapping storyline.

I didn't pay enough attention to the trailer that preceded this film's release during the week. This is one Hallmark film where the ending doesn't matter as much as what happens in each of the three stories. This film has sweet and relatable stories, and as is the way with Hallmark, love still takes center stage. Note: If you're a bit drowsy or are overly distracted, perhaps wait till you're not to watch, otherwise you'll likely miss the smattering of clues to help you understand what's going on with each of the three stories. With a large stellar cast, this film is not your typical Hallmark movie. Love that Hallmark is working hard to ensure ensure representation in story lines as well in casting.

I am not sure what it is about this wonderful addition to the Hallmark Christmas movies that encouraged me for the first time to write a review but it really touched me. The ties that bind this movie is truly in the spirit of the holidays. I was transported into the heart of each character and felt invested in their journey. Must admit I will love a follow up next year. (As I know Hallmark is want to do). Unlike most reviews, I am not going to give you a play by play as I feel the magic of this movie is to be experienced without any preconceived notions. But I will say that you can tell that each of the actors felt invested in their journey and give us their vision of what family really means and the various ways to show it. Kudos to the writer and the actors for the fun journey they took us on. As an aside, Catherine Bell you have never looked more beautiful.