Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas

Lawyer Sarah Thomas (Lacey Chabert) has been continuing her late mother's work saving her Brooklyn neighbors from evictions. She gets a complimentary invitation to a winter resort run by manager Ben (Stephen Huszar). She's surprised that her office didn't make the reservation. There's a mystery gift giver and there are other recipients.

I like the idea of the mystery gift giver. Once Sarah realizes that, I want her to go full Nancy Drew on the mystery. It's a mystery. It's Christmas. It's romance. It's Hallmark combining all the big hits. I like this concept but I want it to be better. I want it to be more than a Hallmark movie or the best Hallmark movie ever. It should be only about Sarah and Ben joining forces, going around investigating the recipients, alleviating what pains them, and falling in love. At last, it is what it is. There is nothing to hate except maybe the lost opportunity. There is a super sweet reveal. It's a soft gooey Christmas cookie.

Not everyone likes sugary-sweet Hallmark movies that have every end tied up in a bow. Dramas have their time and place, and if you're on the lookout for a serious movie that leaves you more somber than uplifted, check your tv guide for Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas. You'll see Hallmark's darling, Lacey Chabert, but it's quite a drama.

Five people are sent mysterious, anonymous invitations to spend Christmas at a bed & breakfast inn. They each accept, for various reasons. They each carry their own sadness in their hearts, which are revealed throughout the film. Family tensions, loss of loved ones, and loneliness permeate, so that even though there is a bit of romance and some budding friendships, you still feel sad. I'm not criticizing the movie; but if you're expecting Lacey's cheerful smile and giggle throughout the ninety minutes, you'll be extremely disappointed. It's actually a very good drama, but it's not one that will be enjoyed by everyone at Christmastime. For those who do enjoy it, it'll probably be one of your favorites.

This was another romantic mystery movie put together by Hallmark. The snowfall inn was purchased by a former finance guy, Ben, after a bad breakup trying to recreate the happiness he experienced as a child at the inn. Sarah arrives at the end after receiving the stay as a gift...Sarah is a lawyer who lost her mom this last year and somewhere along the way lost the plans that she had made with her mom to share a practice. Sarah soon discovers that there are other guests at the inn who also received gift stays from the same mysterious benefactor. The other beneficiaries are a newly divorced dad with his teen daughter who he is struggling to connect with, a traveling musician who is newly widowed and lost the inspiration to perform, a newly divorced school teacher, and a salesman.

Each of these stories is looking for something this Christmas and they all discover that they all have a link to a single past Christmas at the Snowflake Inn.

The mystery of who brought this cast of characters together was the best part of this movie.

I enjoyed this Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Original Christmas movie. It had a pleasant and gentle rhythm to it, I felt. I enjoyed the mystery in this one; i.e., trying to figure out who brought these strangers together to the Inn, and how thru this process of trying to figure this out, they connected and bonded with each other. The atmosphere at the Inn was quite cosy and festive, which added to the warm and gentle feel of the movie. I agree with other reviewers on here, the ending seemed rushed; unfortunately, it was a bit of a letdown. As another reviewer said, "here is an idea, leave the mystery unresolved". For this one, I agree. It would have worked better to leave it to the imagination. Leaving this aside, what made the movie work, of course, was the acting. Overall, it was very good. Lacey Chabert (playing Sarah), a Hallmark regular, was fantastic in this role. She usually has impressive performances in this genre of film (which of course is why Hallmark keeps renewing her contract). Stephen Huszar (playing Ben) had both a strong and tender presence on screen, I thought, which worked well with Chabert's performance. Indeed, the chemistry between the two was subtle, yet, I felt it worked well in this one. The supporting cast, overall, had a great performance. What stood out to me was the role of Jasper, played by Leon. He had a very convincing performance; too bad we did not get to hear him sing more. The scenery, props, and sets were well-polished and festive (as I noted above about the Inn). Where can I get that Christmas chess set? I want one. No complaints about the music or music editing; the latter has been an issue for some, e.g., Lifetime Christmas movies this season. All in all, this is a lovely Christmas movie (though, a disappointing ending). It is a nice new edition to Hallmark's 2020 Christmas movie lineup.

Although this movie is very slow paced, Lacey Chabert helps keep it interesting and worth watching. She plays Sarah, a lawyer who lost her mother a few months prior. She takes time off from her job in order to take care of her mom's affairs, including her open litigation cases. Sarah receives a gift reservation at an inn and assumes it was sent by her law firm. Once she arrives, she later finds out that no one knows who sent the invitation. And there end up being several other guests who received the exact same invite. With the help of the inn's owner, Ben, Sarah tries to figure out the mystery of who brought them all together. The connection they end up having is heartwarming. I enjoyed watching this one. It brought a smile to my face and warm fuzzies to my heart.