web analytics

Hallmark’s “A Homecoming for the Holidays”

Hallmark’s “A Homecoming for the Holidays”

“A Homecoming for the Holidays” originally aired on December 7 on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel, starring Laura Osnes and Stephen Huszar.  I was glad to finally see Osnes in a movie, given the fact that her summer movie, “In the Key of Love,” got shuttled off the regular Hallmark networks earlier this year and can only be seen on the Hallmark Movies Now app. This movie was set in Montana, but it was actually filmed in Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada.

In a nutshell

While this wasn’t necessarily one I was looking forward to, I did have higher hopes for it considering Laura Osnes was in it.  Sadly, I was VERY disappointed and had some major problems with this movie.

A Homecoming for the Holidays
image: Hallmark Crown Media

Plot (from Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel website)

Country singer Charlotte (Osnes) is home for the holidays and brother Ryan’s fellow ex-soldier Matt (Huszar) is in town. Writing her new album, Charlotte works with Matt to build a house for a friend in town.

That description from the HMM website is pretty terrible.  The better synopsis is that at the beginning of the movie Charlotte is not famous, and happens to meet Matt briefly while attending a military send off for her brother.  Over the course of the next three years, Charlotte becomes a famous country singer.  When her brother is due to come home after 3 years serving abroad, Charlotte goes home to spend the holidays together with her family.  She bumps into Matt, who now lives in town permanently and is a bit of a stalker.  While working on new music and planning for a Christmas concert, Charlotte and Matt spend time together.  Oh, and a house is being built for another vet that lives in town, but that’s just a plot device that is really not necessary and is kind of shoehorned in as an afterthought.  THAT’S the plot of the movie.

Actors

I’ve not seen Osnes in anything, but I love ANYONE that participates in a concert performance of one of my favorite Broadway musicals, “The Scarlet Pimpernel” (which she did in NYC at the beginning of the year).  I loved that musical and saw it three times on Broadway when it originally came out in the late 1990s.  It was nominated for several Tonys after it debuted but had a short run nonetheless.  I would love for a revival of the show to come out – I’d see it again in a heartbeat (but only if they do the original production, not the revised one they did in the hopes of keeping the show running, which I didn’t care for).

In “Homecoming” she was very good, and I liked her a lot.  Her co-star, Stephen Huszar, has been in several Hallmark projects such as the Ruby Herring mystery movies, and last year’s Christmas movie “Return to Christmas Creek.”  He was fine in this movie, although I did not care for the character he played at all.  More on that later.

As for Six Degrees of Kris Polaha, Laura Osnes is three steps away.  She portrayed Shirley Maclaine in this year’s AMAZING miniseries “Fosse/Verdon” on FX, with co-star Michelle Williams.  Back in 2001 Williams had a role in a movie called “Perfume” which also co-starred Morena Baccarin.  Baccarin co-starred with Polaha in 2014’s “Back in the Day.”

Chemistry

Osnes and Huszar had almost no chemistry together.  You know who did have amazing romantic chemistry together?  Laura Osnes and Jesse Irving, who played her BROTHER.  It was very strange watching Osnes and Irving be very close and touchy-feely with each other throughout the movie, when they were supposed to be playing brother and sister.  About 1/3rd of the way into the movie, I felt they should have just cast Irving in Huszar’s spot, and moved Huszar over to the brother role.  The movie was completely miscast, in my opinion.

Tropes

I was so distracted by the weird chemistry and large number of confusing plot points that I barely kept track of the tropes.  I did see a few though, the most obvious being the military connection.  Add in some hot cocoa, the lead character singing, a house with a front porch, Osnes wearing a huge scarf, some CGI snow, a cute dog (I wanted that dog), a short baking montage, and a tree lighting.  If there were more I missed them.

Bingo Card Score for “A Homecoming for the Holidays”

I only covered 8 spots on my bingo card, with no bingo.  I’m afraid at this point I’m just chasing the high from the Evergreen movie.

Did I Hear/See That Right?

So let’s get to the many things that this movie got wrong, then we’ll move on to the feel good moments.

First, Charlotte met Matt and they had a brief 2-minute interaction.  He then shipped out, and she proceeded to go on for the next 3 years to build a wildly successful career.  And yet, three years later, she arrives home for the holiday and upon seeing him again not only remembers meeting him, but remembers his name.  Um.  No.  There are people I met for 2 minutes three years ago and if you had them come up and slap me in the face, I’d still not remember who they were.  It would have been one thing had they played that initial “meet cute” scene as though they were both wildly attracted to each other upon first sight.  But because Osnes and Huszar had zero chemistry, it did not come off that way at all.  If I was Charlotte, that would have been a completely forgettable moment.

Second, during his tour of duty, Matt became friends with Charlotte’s brother and insisted on hearing her new music while out on deployment?  He then moved permanently to her town and became friends with her PARENTS?  Um…stalk her much?  Then later in the movie he is hanging out with her family and says, “Your family is really great,” and all it needed was menacing music underneath to complete the creepy vibe he gave off in that scene.  Seriously, Charlotte – HE IS A STALKER, GET AWAY FROM HIM.

And let’s continue the discussion about Osnes and Jesse Irving (pictured below).  THESE two should have been the lead characters in the movie.  They produced unintentional fireworks whenever they were on the screen together.  I remember when “Vampire Diaries” first came on TV, the big gothic romance was supposed to be between Elena (Nina Dobrev) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) but it was painfully obvious that Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder had MUCH more chemistry, and so eventually the show started storyline in which Damon and Elena came together.  And it was FIRE.  While Hallmark movies can’t reach that level of scorchiness, it was awkward watching two actors who clearly have chemistry be forced to play brother and sister.

A Homecoming for the Holidays
image: Hallmark Crown Media

Now let’s talk about the whole “build a house for a vet” subplot.  Operation Homefront is a very real charity doing very real and valuable work for our veterans.  “A Homecoming for the Holidays” decided to namecheck them and talk about how they help provide homes for vets and military families in need.  In the movie, Charlotte’s dad and his construction team are seen fixing up the place to get it ready for the family moving in.  The family consists of 2 people – a mom and teen daughter.  That house looked like it was 4,000 sq ft.  Are we really supposed to believe that is really the kind of home that Operation Homefront is giving to veteran families that consist of TWO PEOPLE?  But I digress.

At some point Charlotte’s musician friend Taylor comes to town and talks her into performing a televised concert the same night the family receives the keys to the house.  When the concert date finally arrives, 15 seconds into the TV program, the family is given the keys and Charlotte sings her song.  What kind of TV show is that?  Everyone knows that in ANY tv program where there is a big reveal, it’s 50 minutes of filler followed by 10 minutes of reveal and reaction.  And in this instance, the woman that received the house from Operation Homefront didn’t even get to go into the house and look at it.

Feelgoods

Despite the faults of the movie, I did have some moments that got me.  First, the dad feeling back pain.  I watched this movie just after my husband and I finished setting up our outdoor Christmas display and I was in so much pain that evening I could barely move.  Our display is no joke, y’all.  So when Charlotte’s dad felt a twinge in his back while working on the vet’s house, I felt it too.  OUCH!

I really liked the scene where Charlotte’s mom had a quiet talk with Taylor, who had been avoiding his family for the holidays.  I liked how she was very gentle with him but basically said, “Dude, you need to call home.”

The movie also sort of attempted to address the PTSD some veterans can experience, by having Charlotte’s dad have a talk with Jesse (the character, not the actor).  Jesse was the young guy with the dog that worked with Matt.  While that was 100% shoehorned into the movie, it was still a nice moment to show how important dogs and empathy can be in helping vets acclimate to being back home after deployment.

And lastly, I REALLY liked when the reporter took a photo of Charlotte and Taylor as they were saying goodbye, which was later released in the press.  Rather than having some big misunderstanding, Charlotte rushed to see Matt and said, “It’s not what you think,” and he maturely responded, “I know – you told me you were just friends, and I believe you.”  THANK YOU, HALLMARK.

Re-watchability

Because of all the faulty storytelling, I won’t re-watch “A Homecoming for the Holidays.”

The Ranking

“A Homecoming for the Holidays” is unfortunately near the bottom for the entire year.  This is solely due to miscasting and the major stalker vibe to the story that I don’t think would have been there had Osnes and Irving been paired up as the leads.  But even with its low score, it’s not the worst Christmas movie that has come out this year, so there’s that!

  1. Two Turtle Doves (air date: Nov 1) – 742 pts – weighted score: 123.7 (86.8%)
  2. Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses (air date: Oct 26) – 719 pts – weighted score: 121.0 (84.9%)
  3. Love to the Rescue RE-RANKED (air date: March 23) – 708 pts – weighted score: 120.6 (84.6%)
  4. Winter Love Story (air date: January 19) – 685 pts – weighted score: 115.8 (81.2%)
  5. Mystery 101 (air date: January 27 (HMM)) – 454 pts – weighted score: 94.2 (80.5%)
  6. Love on the Menu (air date: February 23) – 642 pts – weighted score: 113.8 (79.9%)
  7. Holiday Hearts (air date: Nov 23) – 663 pts – weighted score: 113.0 (79.3%)
  8. Bottled With Love (air date: April 13) – 649 pts – weighted score: 112.2 (78.7%)
  9. Love Takes Flight (air date: April 27) – 670 pts – weighted score: 111.0 (77.9%)
  10. Love, Romance & Chocolate (air date: February 16) – 627 pts – weighted score: 110.2 (77.3%)
  11. The Last Bridesmaid (air date: June 22) – 643 pts – weighted score: 109.2 (76.6%)
  12. Love, Fall and Order (air date: Oct 12) – 636 pts – weighted score: 109.0 (76.5%)
  13. Paris, Wine & Romance (air date: May 4) – 638 pts – weighted score: 108.3 (76.0%)
  14. My Boyfriend’s Back: Wedding March 5 (air date: June 8) – 635 pts – weighted score: 108.0 (75.8%)
  15. Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy (air date: Nov 29) – 627 pts – weighted score: 107.0 (75.1%)
  16. Over the Moon in Love (air date: Oct 5) – 613 pts – weighted score: 106.3 (74.6%)
  17. Flip That Romance (air date: March 16) – 597 pts – weighted score: 105.8 (74.2%)
  18. Check Inn to Christmas (air date: Nov 26) – 619 pts – weighted score: 105.7 (74.1%)
  19. My One and Only (air date: Aug 31) – 597 pts – weighted score: 105.6 (74.1%)
  20. Mystery 101: Playing Dead (air date: June 23 (HMM)) – 425 pts – weighted score: 86.5 (73.9%)
  21. A Summer Romance (air date: Aug 17) – 577 pts – weighted score: 103.7 (72.7%)
  22. The Christmas Club (air date: Nov 27) – 588 pts – weighted score: 103.5 (72.6%)
  23. True Love Blooms (air date: April 6) – 598 pts – weighted score: 103.1 (72.3%)
  24. Forever in My Heart (air date: Sept 14) – 560 pts – weighted score: 102.4 (71.8%)
  25. The Mistletoe Secret (air date: Nov 11) – 585 pts – weighted score: 102.2 (71.7%)
  26. Christmas Under the Stars (air date: Nov 16) – 576 pts – weighted score: 101.8 (71.4%)
  27. The Story of Us (air date: February 9) – 605 pts – weighted score: 101.3 (71.1%)
  28. Holiday for Heroes (air date: Nov 8) – 566 pts – weighted score: 99.8 (70.0%)
  29. A Brush with Love (air date: March 30) – 563 pts – weighted score: 97.7 (68.6%)
  30. Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays – 558 pts – weighted score: 97.7 (68.6%)
  31. A Godwink Christmas: Meant for Love (air date: Nov 17) – 548 pts – weighted score: 96.9 (68.0%)
  32. Ruby Herring: Silent Witness (air date: January 20 (HMM)) – 357 pts – weighted score: 79.5 (67.9%)
  33. Love, Unleashed (air date: July 6, 2019) – 559 pts – weighted score: 96.2 (67.5%)
  34. Sense Sensibility & Snowmen (air date: Nov 30) – 560 pts – weighted score: 96.1 (67.4%)
  35. Love Under the Rainbow (air date: March 9) – 581 pts – weighted score: 96.0 (67.4%)
  36. One Winter Proposal (air date: January 12) – 535 pts – weighted score: 95.8 (67.2%)
  37. Just Add Romance (air date: March 2) – 548 pts – weighted score: 95.6 (67.1%)
  38. Christmas Scavenger Hunt (air date: Nov 3) – 561 pts – weighted score: 95.4 (66.9%)
  39. From Friend to Fiance (air date: May 25) – 555 pts – weighted score: 94.8% (66.5%)
  40. Picture a Perfect Christmas (air date: Nov 10) – 529 pts – weighted score: 94.6 (66.4%)
  41. A Christmas Duet (air date: Nov 25) – 540 pts – weighted score: 94.1 (66.0%)
  42. Write Before Christmas (air date: Nov 17) – 529 pts – weighted score: 94.1 (66.0%)
  43. Christmas Camp (air date: July 11) – 530 pts – weighted score: 93.9 (65.9%)
  44. Our Christmas Love Song (air date: Nov 24) – 537 pts – weighted score: 93.4 (65.5%)
  45. Love and Sunshine (air date: Aug 3) – 504 pts – weighted score: 91.7 (64.3%)
  46. Crossword Mysteries: A Puzzle to Die For (air date: March 10 (HMM) – 354 pts – weighted score: 74.1 (63.3%)
  47. A Christmas Miracle (air date: Nov 14) – 494 pts – weighted score: 90.1 (63.2%)
  48. Christmas at the Plaza (air date: Nov 28) – 517 pts – weighted score: 90.0 (63.1%)
  49. Sister of the Bride (air date: June 29) – 516 pts – weighted score: 89.8 (63.0%)
  50. Valentine in the Vineyard (air date: February 2) – 503 pts – weighted score: 89.5 (62.8%)
  51. Love, Take Two (air date: June 15) – 507 pts – weighted score: 87.8 (61.6%)
  52. All Summer Long (air date: Aug 24) – 512 pts – weighted score: 87.7 (61.5%)
  53. Snowcoming (air date: January 26) – 485 pts – weighted score: 87.3 (61.2%)
  54. Christmas in Rome (air date: Nov 30) – 494 pts – weighted score: 86.8 (60.9%)
  55. The Winter Castle (air date: January 5) – 475 pts – weighted score: 85.9 (60.2%)
  56. A Christmas Love Story (air date: Dec 7) – 525 pts – weighted score: 85.1 (59.7%)
  57. Merry & Bright (air date: Nov 2) – 483 pts – weighted score: 84.4 (59.2%)
  58. Christmas Town (air date: Dec 7) – 508 pts – weighted score: 83.8 (58.8%)
  59. Cherished Memories: A Gift to Remember 2 (air date: Nov 24) – 465 pts – weighted score: 83.4 (58.5%)
  60. Nostalgic Christmas (air date: Oct 31) – 446 pts – weighted score: 79.2 (55.6%)
  61. A Merry Christmas Match (air date: Oct 25) – 455 pts – weighted score: 78.3 (54.9%)
  62. Sailing Into Love (air date: May 18) – 455 pts – weighted score: 78.0 (54.7%)
  63. Rome in Love (air date: July 27) – 436 pts – weighted score: 76.7 (53.8%)
  64. A Homecoming for the Holidays (air date: Dec 7) – 458 pts – weighted score: 75.9 (53.2%)
  65. A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas (air date: Nov 7) – 398 pts – weighted score: 72.3 (50.7%)
  66. A Taste of Summer (air date: Aug 10) – 403 pts – weighted score: 70.9 (49.7%)
  67. A Winter Princess (air date: January 18) – 380 pts – weighted score: 70.5 (49.5%)
  68. A Feeling of Home (air date: May 11) – 386 pts – weighted score: 69.7% (48.9%)
  69. Love in the Sun (air date: June 1) – 361 pts – weighted score: 62.5 (43.8%)

To see where this movie lands in my overall rankings of Hallmark movies, visit my Hallmark Movie Rankings page!

What did you think of “A Homecoming for the Holidays”?  Comment below and let me know!

Hallmark’s “A Homecoming for the Holidays” Share on X
facebookShare This Post on Facebook
TwitterTweet This Post!

I've been a fan of Hallmark movies for as long as I can remember. In 2018 I decided it was finally time to write about it, and thus this website was born.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hallmark For All Seasons