7.6 stars.
Emma is an attorney who returns from New York to visit her family over the holidays. Her parents passed away recently and now she must sell the estate with the aid of her older sister and brother. She meets Morgan, an antique store owner, and they have a lot in common. She is currently in an on again off again relationship with a man from the city, but at this point, it's off.
Does she have strong feelings for Morgan? Does he reciprocate? Of course, it's Hallmark. Now we must watch as they work out the kinks in their fledgling relationship and meanwhile her "ex" boyfriend wants her back. She is conflicted, but Morgan is not the type to wholeheartedly commit and pursue her with reckless abandon. He weighs the options and is a perfect gentleman about the ordeal. But then a mystery arises, they find out there was an unknown man from her mother's past. They embark on a hunt to uncover the identity of this figure and along the journey they grow closer. Concurrently, her older sister is having issues with her daughter who is going to college, and they have some disagreements. Her brother is married with two children, and they also contribute some wonderful drama. They are all preparing to celebrate one last Christmas at the Honeysuckle House and many townsfolk, including Morgan, are intertwined into this fun time over the holidays.
The final act is a but rushed and the romance too. Overall, I enjoyed this movie, but it could have been improved with some better time management and more opportunity to marinate in the glee of the happily ever after.
Alicia Witt never fails to entertain. She has a very endearing subtle exuberance, and it always shines through. She can make a film a fun experience just being present in the room. And wouldn't you know, just by coincidence, Colin Ferguson was also cast in the movie. This is certainly a bonus, because he exudes the same kind of mystique. He has a charisma unlike most male actors I've come to like in these romance movies, which explains why he was the lead in his own television show for multiple seasons. Together they are radiant and positive and nothing could possibly go awry. You can feel the magic with the energy they share and it envelops the story with pure joyfulness and maybe a little mischief (even though there is absolutely nothing light or mischievious about this story).
