7.8 stars.
This is a tale of Russell and Caroline searching for a man who was missing in action in WWII. Russell owns a second hand (antique) shop and was given some random belongings by a friend to sell. One such keepsake is a WWII veteran's uniform, and he is curious to discover the identity of the owner. His search leads him to a retired major named Caroline who has a vast array of resources at her disposal to aid with the search. They share an instant attraction (Hallmark style).
'Bringing Home Christmas' is warm and endearing, and Wagner and Greene have good chemistry. There is much more to this story than what I've described above, so I highly recommend you give it a view, you won't be disappointed. It's an intriguing mystery search for a veteran whose duties and position in the military were beyond what we are led to believe. The conclusion is satisfying, and lends itself to a sequel.
It's obvious Jill Wagner had some cosmetic work to her face, but I can't pinpoint it, which is a good thing. Anyways, the primary theme of this movie goes beyond the search for a mystery soldier. I believe it is to clarify for civilians some of the pains that military veterans endure. Particularly, we witness Caroline has a reaction to certain sounds which induce a startle response, likely related to PTSD. Along those lines, she has difficult memories that affect her moods. This is why my first impression of the title 'Bringing Christmas Home', is a play on words. Maybe it implies that she brought the war home, the trauma of it. We later discover that during Christmas while deployed, she experienced a significant trauma. The theme could be about "bringing" the happiness of Christmas back to her, rescuing her from the horrific images that haunt her in relation to the holidays.
This would be a 8.1 rating but for my feeling that the chemistry between them is good but not great, and I attribute this to Greene's somewhat nonplus acting style (on occasion).
