great american family movie reviews

• Arts & Lifestyle
• Competitions
• Games & Tech

Reviews of all Great American Family’s Christmas 2023 movies

Great American Family is known for its uplifting and family-oriented content and this year, its really out-doing itself in terms of the number, and quality, of its Christmas output .

We’ve been putting out reviews of the films as we work our way through the slate. From small town stories involving discovered time capsules through to romantic adventures in Paris, Great American Family has delivered a fantastic array of movies. Whether it’s romance you’re looking for or just good old-fashioned nostalgia, there really is something for everyone among this year’s crop of movies.

There are plenty of stars you’ll recognise too including Matthew Morrison, Danica McKellar, Candace Cameron Bure and many more. There’s also faces you’ll recognise from past holiday movies and plenty of leading men to swoon over. Keep your eyes peeled for a couple of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ stars too.

Beyond November, there’s another slate of original movies coming in December so we hope to bring you reviews for all of those too. As we get them, we’ll keep adding them onto this page so you can see what we thought.

So you don’t have to trawl the site finding the reviews, we’ve collated everything right here. You can read the following film reviews right now:

• A Dash Of Christmas
• Our Christmas Wedding
• Christmas Keepsake
• A Christmas Blessing
• Santa, Maybe
• A Paris Christmas Waltz
• My Christmas Hero
• A Royal Date for Christmas
• A Christmas for the Ages
• Christmas On Windmill Way
• The Jingle Bell Jubilee
• Meet Me Under the Mistletoe
• Peppermint and Postcards
• Designing Christmas With You
• 12 Games of Christmas
• A Royal Christmas Holiday

We’d love to hear what you thought of the films so find us on X @ent_focus and on Facebook and Instagram @entertainmentfocus to let us know which films you’ve been loving this year, and which ones you’re looking forward to.

• Great American Family

EF newsletter sign-up

Join our mailing list to get the latest entertainment news to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.

You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter.

RELATED ARTICLES

Mario lopez and courtney lopez to star in great american family christmas movie, ‘county rescue’ coming to great american family this month, mario lopez signs great american media deal, ‘a royal christmas holiday’ review, ‘speak no evil’: watch the trailer for james mcavoy thriller, interview: tyler hubbard talks new album ‘strong’, starting over solo and what’s up next.

UK-based entertainment site offering news, reviews, interviews, features and much more!

[email protected]

Latest articles, nielsen figures: original shows make up half of the most-streamed shows, but tv reruns still dominate, popular categories.

• Music 10031
• EF Country 4538
• Games & Tech 4341
• Arts & Lifestyle 3473

© 2024 Entertainment Focus | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy

If "A Christmas … Present" shows what Candace Cameron Bure means by tradition, she can keep it

Her first new gaf holiday movie may be as corny as her hallmark fare, but it has 500% more scripture references, by melanie mcfarland.

Candace Cameron Bure truly believes that we need Christmas now more than ever, with all of its, ahem, "tradition."  

By golly, does she ever give it to us with a supersized serving of God-stuff, as promised, in her Great American Family film debut " Candace Cameron Bure Presents: A Christmas . . . Present ."

The message is so simple that it's in the title: All anyone should want for Christmas is their loved ones around them. But the great present is our presence with one another. If this sounds like New Agey spirituality, aka the Devil's jargon, that is because it is. Being present is central to meditation and mindfulness, and the power of Candace compels me to get back to the core premise.

See, in "A Christmas . . . Present," being present largely means staying at home instead going out to do stuff, and singing hymns around your backyard firepit which, like, everybody has, right? These are the lessons Bure's very busy Chicago real estate agent and supermom Maggie learns when she drags her husband Eric (Marc Blucas) and two children to the small Ohio town where she grew up to hang out with her recently widowed brother Paul and his daughter.

To Maggie, coping with the great big downer of his wife dying of some illness takes a back seat to the importance of Paul celebrating the first Christmas without his wife "the right way."

Therefore, despite Paul's insistence that he and his kid are fine baking cookies and sitting by the fire together, Maggie, Eric, and the kids invade their space, and Maggie's pathologically over-packed schedule conquers theirs.

In her new capacity as star, producer and chief creative officer at Great American Family, Bure recently assured the Wall Street Journal that her holiday film factory would not feature any LGBTQ couples, explaining, "I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core."

This confirms what many suspected of Hallmark's erstwhile Queen of Christmas when she chose to follow that network's former boss Bill Abbott out the door and over to GAF.

We could all use a little holiday. But "A Christmas …Present" is not the sleigh for that job.

Once Hallmark shook off its blanket of pure white heteronormativity and branched out to produce holiday movies featuring LGBTQ+ characters in major roles, Bure obviously did not want her face to continue to represent the network. Receiving a executive salary bump likely influenced her decision as well.

But her coded language about prioritizing "traditional marriage" in its movies sparked outrage among many noble heathens. Former  "One Tree Hill"  and current Hallmark Channel star Hilarie Burton Morgan called Bure a bigot, and JoJo Siwa characterized her stance as "sh***y."

Bure responded to all of this with a non-apology in which she states, "It absolutely breaks my heart that anyone would ever think I intentionally would want to offend and hurt anyone. It saddens me that the media is often seeking to divide us, even around a subject as comforting and merry as Christmas movies. But, given the toxic climate in our culture right now, I shouldn't be surprised. We need Christmas more than ever."

On that last part, we can agree. We could all use a little holiday. But "A Christmas  . . . Present" is not the sleigh for that job.

Full disclosure: I was never a Hallmark holiday movie fan, but I have seen enough to understand and respect why people incorporate them into their holiday celebrations.

And in the spirit of goodwill, let us for a moment take Bure at her word that she has "great love and affection for all people" and that her heart "yearns to build bridges and bring people one step closer to God, to love others well, and to simply be a reflection of God's huge love for all of us."

With all of that in mind, one would think that the best way for Bure to vindicate herself and (to co-opt the parlance created by the folks she's intent on excluding) make her haters gag would be to make a Christmas movie that's undeniably good.

Believe it or not, I unwrapped "A Christmas . . . Present" with an open mind and heart, fully ready to concede that it might have a few aspects worth recommending. But even by retrograde Hallmark holiday movie standards, it's a blizzard of poor writing and empty schmaltz devoid of propulsive tension or profound resolution, but with 500 percent more scripture references. The church-going Christian people I know wouldn't waste their precious Earthly moments on this spiritless mess. You'd find more depth in two hours of white noise.

And yet, cosmetically, it is a kind of Christmas movie, one whose target audience seems to be the hypnotized. Nary a scene passes without a sprig of pine or a light. Everybody smiles, and almost constantly. Nobody profusely weeps – not even Paul, the man who, remember, is experiencing his first Christmas without his wife.

That's the second-weirdest part about this. None of Maggie's overbearing infliction of needless running around or boundary-breaching bothers her brother. Not even her obliteration of such sacred territory as replacing Paul's traditional family tree with a bigger one flusters him, even though he didn't ask. His faith in God is so rock-solid that he doesn't need to experience natural human reactions to minor irritations or massive loss.

Now, if this were a Nicholas Sparks joint or some descendent of the Frank Capra school of sentimentality, we'd reach a point of epiphany where Paul and Maggie and the rest lower the dam that's been holding back their feelings, wade through their mess and come out on the opposite side feeling better about each other. But that would generate empathy in the audience, which is antithetical to "A Christmas . . . Present" and its apparent aim of numbing your thought processes for around 90 minutes.

Pre-inclusion era Hallmark Christmas scenery is abundant in this movie.

What about its depiction of "traditional marriage"? Strangely, "A Christmas . . . Present" doesn't make the most compelling case for it. Granted, that is not a Christmas movie's role. Holiday movies typically remind us that love, platonic or romantic, is the blanket keeping the world warm in the darkest months. Weddings might be a part of that, but the chill midwinter of marriage is its own bag, and Santa would rather jingle around other problems.

Anyway, replacing the omnipresent romance we're accustomed to seeing in Hallmark's films is a cheerful, sexless collegiality between husband and wife, a product of Maggie's anal retentiveness and Eric's workaholism. Regardless of your level of religious enthusiasm, this situation is universally relatable. Entire industries are built around helping people in long-term relationships of all types rekindle whatever spark that day-to-day living douses.

But Maggie and Eric make very little progress toward restoring intimacy. The couple makes time to walk in the snow, and that is not a euphemism – they're getting their steps in while gently arguing until they realize that maybe, just maybe, the solution to their problems is . . . more walking. Also, church.

Otherwise, pre-inclusion era Hallmark Christmas scenery is abundant in this movie. Mary has a Black best friend who isn't around long enough for us to even remember her name. Paul has an Asian neighbor who has taken over carpool duties so he can work on his book; ditto for her on the memorability factor. An Asian actor plays an elf in the Christmas escape room that Maggie drags everyone to, and merrily, they go along here, there, and into the pews at Paul's house of worship, where more Black and brown folks cavort in the background.

Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter , Crash Course.

Three Wars on Christmases ago, Salon's Senior Humbug Amanda Marcotte pointed out the fascist underpinnings in the way Hallmark packaged "tradition." By associating the term with whiteness and straight relationships, they tacitly but purposefully froze out everyone who doesn't fit that image:

"Instead of characters driven by real feelings, therefore, the guiding hand of 'normalcy' pulls the characters along through narratives — and unsurprisingly, that idea of 'normalcy' doesn't have a lot of room for the true diversity of American experiences," she writes, adding that "the rule of 'normalcy' reorients everything towards a very narrow, sentimentalized version of Christmas."

Hallmark was the target of many critiques of its white, heterosexual Christian homogenous presentation of Christmas over the years, although my colleague's was pointed enough to draw fire from Fox News along with the Least Superman, Dean Cain.

In any case, in the following July, Hallmark Media named Wonya Lucas as its new president and CEO after Abbott stepped down, which happened shortly after Hallmark  pulled ads for the wedding company Zola  that featured a just-married lesbian couple kissing. Over at GAF, Abbott and Bure are creating a nationalist view of Christmas that they could not longer fully realize at Hallmark. As for how much true competition these movies will present, that remains to be seen.

Under Lucas' leadership Hallmark Channel has expanded its range of holiday film leads to include more non-white actors and families, and as of Holiday 2022 the channel will feature its first Christmas movie centered on a gay romance : "The Holiday Sitter" premieres Dec. 11.

Even if that ends up being as corny as a tree garland – most likely, given the channel's track record – it will surely be a more entertaining gift than "A Christmas . . . Present," and a better fit for any family whose holiday tradition includes welcoming a good time.

"Candace Cameron Bure Presents: A Christmas . . . Present" premieres at 8 p.m.. ET Sunday, Nov. 27 on Great American Family.

about holiday movies

• Hallmark Christmas: Horror in disguise
• Hallmark's Holiday Whiteout
• Sympathy for Todd and Margo: Clark Griswold's childless yuppie scum neighbors are holiday heroes

Melanie McFarland is Salon's award-winning senior culture critic. Follow her on Twitter: @McTelevision

Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Related articles.

Great American Family Movies

This blog reviews original movies produced by Great American Family that celebrate faith, family, and country.

Search This Blog

Review: "journey to christmas" from great american family may be the worst new movie of the season.

While on a charity press tour, a model ends up stranded by the weather at the family home of the driver she hired to assist her for the week.

Starring:  Ash Tsai and Joey Heyworth 

Image:  Great American Media

My Movie Grade:  D-

What Is  Journey to Christmas About?

There is nothing redeemable about journey to christmas, you win some, you lose some  .

When does it start showing on GAF?

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog, is cindy busby actually the one singing in gafamily's "crown prince of christmas", great american community program descriptions & schedule at a glance, great american family's "the art of christmas" wardrobe malfunction, review: "fall into winter" from great american family plus fans react to lori loughlin's return, review: great american family's "b&b merry", review: great american family's "a prince in paradise", 5 ways "a christmas...present" teaches wonderful lessons on faith, get your printable movie checklist for all the new great american autumn 2023 premieres, "great american valentines:" here are the three movies premiering on great american family in february, review: candace cameron bure podcast (spoiler alert--it's amazing).

Candace Cameron Bure's Great American Family Movies: A Complete Guide

Candace Cameron Bure was dubbed the queen of Hallmark before she exited the network and signed an exclusive deal with Great American Media.

Cameron Bure was part of the Hallmark family for 13 years before she announced in April 2022 that she was leaving to join former CEO Bill Abbott at Great American Media. The actress raised eyebrows in November 2022 when she alleged to WSJ. Magazine that the new network would focus on "traditional marriage" stories. She later apologized, saying she would never "intentionally" want to " offend or hurt anyone ."

That same month, Cameron Bure made her onscreen debut for Great American Family's holiday film A Christmas … Present . The film was also produced by her production company, Candy Rock Entertainment , which has since worked on multiple projects for Great American Family.

Candace Cameron Bure Talks Leaving Hallmark for Great American Media

The network announced in February 2024 the launch of Great American Mysteries , with Cameron Bure headlining the first film for the channel. She previously had success with Hallmark Mysteries Aurora Teagarden films.

Scroll do for a complete guide to every Great American Media movie starring Cameron Bure:

‘A Christmas … Present'

Costar : Marc Blucas

Premiere Date : November 2022

Logline : "Maggie (Cameron Bure) and Eric (Blucas) are busy parents of teenagers who embark on a trip to the home of Maggie's widowed brother to celebrate Christmas. Everyone has different expectations of the perfect holiday. Through a series of transformative events, Maggie learns to embrace the season."

Channel : Great American Family

‘My Christmas Hero'

Costar : Gabriel Hogan

Premiere Date : November 2023

Logline : "An army reserve doctor (Cameron Bure) tracks down her family's military history with the help of a new romance (Hogan)."

‘The Ainsley McGregor Mysteries: A Case for the Winemaker'

Costar : Aaron Ashmore

Premiere Date : Sometime in 2024

Logline : Former Chicago criminologist Ainsley McGregor (Cameron Bure) returns to her hometown of Sweet River, Texas, to open Bless Your Arts, but continues to teach criminology at the local community college. "Her skills quickly become a major asset to the quaint town, when a murder occurs at a winery owned by her friend, who now stands accused of the crime. The Sweet River Sheriff, who just happens to be Ainsley's brother, Ryan (Ashmore), wants her to stay out of the investigation. But Ainsley knows the pieces of this puzzle do not fit."

Channel : Great American Mysteries

A Christmas… Present

A merry christmas wish, a prince for the holidays, aisle be home for christmas, b&b merry, catering christmas, christmas at the drive-in, christmas on candy cane lane, harmony from the heart, the winter palace, much ado about christmas, the great christmas switch, christmas time is here, a kindhearted christmas, angel falls christmas, royally wrapped for christmas, christmas is you, jingle bell princess, a lot like christmas, a christmas miracle for daisy, a christmas star, when hope calls christmas, joy for christmas.

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

© 2021 GAC Family, LLC

Official Great American Christmas

Jingle bell bracket leaderboard.

1. presley23

2. leelee2727

3. trivetttmt

4. uncledonny

7. americangirl74

8. debby077

9. tazlover

10. minime10

12. thatswhatxmasisallaboutc

13. arliebrown

14. carolevt

15. chelse0124

17. andreak

20. kentuckygirl87

22. pinkval

23. kgpartridge

24. buckidi

25. misschristmas2023

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

Great American Family to unleash 18 new Christmas movies — see the schedule

Full House vets Candace Cameron Bure and Andrea Barber are among the stars on the network's Yuletide slide, plus the gift of Gladys Knight.

Dan is a Senior Writer for EW

Great American Family isn't taking very long to transform itself into a Christmas-movie factory. The cable network (which happens to be run by former Hallmark Channel chief Bill Abbott) announced on Thursday that it is churning out 18 Yuletide films in just the second year of its rebrand, trailing only holly jolly giants Hallmark and Lifetime in terms of holiday-flick volume.

The onslaught of fresh merriment will commence on Oct. 22 with the Black Friday-themed Destined at Christmas and feature at least one new movie per weekend through Dec. 18. Danica McKellar , Merritt Patterson, Jill Wagner, Daniel Lissing, and Cameron Mathison are among the stars returning from last year's slate (which consisted of 12 Yuletide films, or 13, if you count the two episodes of When Hope Calls that played as a movie).

Among the recognizable faces from Hallmark that Great American Family has recently lured away is Candace Cameron Bure . The actress headlines one film ( Candace Cameron Bure Presents: A Christmas… Present ) and serves as an executive producer of another ( Christmas on Candy Cane Lane , which stars... her former Full House castmate Andrea Barber .) Meanwhile, Gladys Knight is one of the stars of I'm Glad It's Christmas , which is somehow not titled I'm Glad(ys) It's Christmas. Elsewhere, there are fake boyfriends, a drive-in in jeopardy, and exes reconnecting while stranded during a snowstorm. Here's the full schedule for Great American Family's Yuletide slate:

Destined at Christmas Premieres: Oct. 22, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Shae Robins, Casey Elliott Official description: " Kim and Theo meet amid Black Friday shopping madness but there's a definite spark between them. When a power outage causes some panic at a store, the couple gets separated. With Christmas coming, there should be plenty of distractions, but neither Kim nor Theo can forget the other. Both yearn to find each other but how with so little information to go on? It'll take a little Christmas magic and destiny to bring them back together."

Catering Christmas Premieres: Oct. 29, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Merritt Patterson, Daniel Lissing Official description: "A fledgling caterer, Molly Frost, is hired by Jean Harrison, the perfectionistic director of the renowned Harrison Foundation, to cater this year's annual Christmas Gala dinner. Things get complicated when Molly falls for Jean's nephew, Carson, 30s, a photographer with no desire to take over the family's foundation — until his aunt assigns him to the task of making sure the catered dinner goes perfectly."

A Royal Christmas on Ice Premieres: Nov. 5, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Anna Marie Dobbins, Jonathan Stoddard Official description: "Looking to escape his royal life, a dashing prince comes to the United States to start a business in a small town in upstate New York and winds up falling for a former Olympic ice skater."

Love at the Christmas Contest (working title) Premieres: Nov. 6, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Samantha Cope, Ross Jirgl Official description : "For as long as she can remember, Angie's favorite part of Christmas has been the Christmas Eve tree lighting in town square. But this Christmas, her first without her mom, Angie doesn't feel much like celebrating... until she learns her mom had always dreamed of winning the annual tree decorating contest and seeing her tree lit up in town square. Angie realizes winning the contest and decorating the town's tree is the perfect way to honor her mom. What Angie isn't expecting is her high school sweetheart David and his adorable daughter Gabby to enter the contest, too."

A Merry Christmas Wish Premieres: Nov. 12, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Jill Wagner, Cameron Mathison Official description: "An NYC advertising executive returns to her hometown to sell the family farm, but instead reconnects with her childhood friend and gets involved with organizing the yearly Winter Wonderland, which takes place on the property."

Christmas Sweethearts Premieres: Nov. 13, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Breanne Hill, Colton Little Official description: "When a woman returns home to find her ex in a relationship, she enlists her best friend to act as her fake boyfriend for the holidays."

Christmas At Pine Valley Premieres: Nov. 19, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Kristina Cole, Andrew Biernat Official description: "Natalie writes a blog that leads people to accidentally believe that her farm is family-owned and run when it is in fact a collection of friends who are chosen family. Reporter, Josh, is intrigued by the family's story, traveling to the farm to write an article. When Josh begins interviewing 'the family,' they maintain the story fearing the truth will cause them to lose everything during the busiest time of the year."

My Favorite Christmas Tree Premieres: Nov. 20, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Emma Johnson, Giles Panton Official description: "Kyla is a skilled genealogy researcher who's made a thriving business of putting together family trees. When she comes across new information regarding her mother's mysterious extended family, Kyla and her sister travel to the charming town of Conifer, hoping to piece together their ancestry. The search leads Kyla to a generations-old Christmas tree farm, its stubborn, handsome owner – and potentially, love."

Christmas at the Drive-In Premieres: Nov. 25, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Danica McKellar, Neal Bledsoe Official description: "A property lawyer works to prove that her town's drive-in theater, a local institution is not closed down at the holidays, finding romance with the very person who is trying to sell the property."

I'm Glad It's Christmas Premieres: Nov. 26, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Jessica Lowndes, Paul Greene, Gladys Knight Official description: "An aspiring Broadway singer is convinced to participate in a small-scale production for her local Christmas celebration. Along the way, she finds hope and unexpected mentorship towards her dream career. But will her professional success come at the cost of her chance at love?"

Candace Cameron Bure Presents: A Christmas…Present Premieres: Nov. 27, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Candace Cameron Bure, Marc Blucas Official description: "Maggie and Eric are busy parents of teenagers who embark on a trip to the home of Maggie's widowed brother to celebrate Christmas. Everyone has different expectations of the perfect holiday. Through a series of transformative events, Maggie learns to embrace the season."

Christmas on Candy Cane Lane Premieres: Dec. 3, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Andrea Barber, Dan Payne Official description: "Ivy struggles with the long shadow cast by her late mother, Muriel, the darling of Icicle Falls; head of the Candy Cane Lane Lights Extravaganza, owner of The Christmas Haus, and a former TV star known adoringly as the 'Christmas Maven.' This Christmas, a series of comical and mysterious events bring the town together in a masterstroke of perfection only the 'Christmas Maven' herself could appreciate."

B&B Merry Premieres: Dec 4, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Jen Lilley, Jesse Hutch Official description: "Renowned luxury travel blogger, Tracey Moore, is invited to a Christmastime getaway in exchange for a review of a small-town B&B. Despite her initial reservations, she finds herself wanting to help the property… and falling for the owner's handsome son, Graham, who helps her to learn that every experience can be five-star when shared with kindred spirits."

Aisle Be Home for Christmas Premieres: Dec 9, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Jennifer Freeman, Garrett Watson Official description: " Two exes finally reconnect when a snowstorm leaves them stranded in a superstore (without cell service or Wi-Fi) just before Christmas."

A Prince for the Holidays (working title) Premieres: Dec. 10, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Cindy Busby, Jilon VanOver Official description: "Madison, an aspiring musician, jokingly tells her overbearing family that she is dating the prince of a small European nation. The joke goes too far as her friend and co-worker Sebastian is roped into impersonating the prince while visiting her family in New Jersey. Little does Madison know that Sebastian happens to be hiding a royal secret."

A Belgian Chocolate Christmas Premieres: Dec. 11, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Jaclyn Hales, Zane Stephens Official description: "A photographer takes her best friend's place at a Belgian culinary school at the holidays and connects with the chocolatier leading the class. As romance begins to bloom, the only problem is a case of mistaken identity."

Crafting Christmas Premieres: Dec. 17, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Jillian Murray, Joseph Cannata Official description: "Over the week leading up to Christmas, Charlotte tries to capture her own unique style in the local art scene while also helping her mother run the family restaurant. Disheartened and struggling to find time for her art, Charlotte throws out her latest painting, only to discover that it has been anonymously submitted to the Christmas art festival. It turns out that Wyatt, a visiting artist, stumbled upon her discarded work and is now using the festival's exposure to find its mysterious creator who has stolen his heart with her craft."

The Art of Christmas Premieres: Dec. 18, 8 p.m. ET Cast: Brigitte Kingsley, Joe Towne Official description: "After her latest gallery exhibition literally goes up in flames, struggling artist Liv James accepts a teaching job at a local elementary school to make ends meet. Through this reluctant career move she discovers her true self, a new sense of purpose and a surprising romance."

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly 's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• Here's when all 40 new Hallmark Christmas movies will premiere
• Full House cast to reunite at '90s Con
• Gladys Knight is still buzzing after almost winning The Masked Singer

Related Articles

Review This Reviews!

Contributors Names

• CONTRIBUTORS
• Sylvestermouse
• Wednesday Elf
• Brite-Ideas
• Olivia Morris
• Treasures by Brenda
• Renaissance Woman
• The Savvy Age
• Margaret Schindel
• Raintree Annie
• Tracey Boyer
• Articles Separated By Contributor
• COMPLETE LIST OF BOOK REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF MOVIE REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF MUSIC REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF DECOR REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF GARDENING REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF GIFT REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF RECIPES REVIEWED
• COMPLETE LIST OF TRAVEL REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHY REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF BEAUTY REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF PRODUCT REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF TOY REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF CRAFT & DIY REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF HOLIDAY REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF PARTIES REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF PET REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF SPORTS REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF HEALTH REVIEWS
• COMPLETE LIST OF TIPS FOR WRITERS
• COMPLETE LIST OF FROM THE HEART ARTICLES

Friday, November 17, 2023

A dash of christmas (2023) - great american family movie review.

With Laura Osnes and Christoper Russell starring as the main characters, I expected it to be a great, relaxing Christmas movie.  I was not disappointed!  As a matter of fact, this movie definitely got me in the mood to cook.  The opening scenes alone made me want to pull out my pans and start baking. 

The Great American Family channel has become my favorite movie channel.  They offer heartwarming, clean and wholesome movies, which can be somewhat predictable. Since most movies are predictable, that doesn't really bother me. It actually makes them easier to watch, especially if I am cleaning or cooking.

Streaming movies also makes watching easier.  If I miss part of the dialog, or an important scene, I can easily go back immediately and pick up where I left off.

GAF (also known as GAC Family) is available on several streaming services including Frndly TV , which is my preferred streaming service on the list.  That channel alone makes subscribing to Frndly TV worth the cost, but they are also home to television classics and more than a dozen other popular TV channels.

This is the first Christmas movie I have watched this year and it was a great place to start.  I look forward to seeing more of the Christmas movies presented this season by the Great American Family channel.

A Dash of Christmas Movie Synopsis

Megan's trip home starts with a bit of a snag when her ride doesn't show up before the train station closes.  She walks to a lighted area to wait for the car and ends up standing in front of Hometown Bakery where her "good deed" causes a problem for the owner.  He has left his delivery truck door open while he runs inside to grab the boxes to deliver.  When Megan sees the truck door standing open, but no one around, she decides to close and lock the door.  When the owner comes out with his hands full of boxes, it all becomes clear, but now he needs help getting back into his truck.

Aaron McBay owns Hometown Bakery where he bakes, offers baking classes, and makes his own deliveries.  However, trying to carry too many boxes to his delivery truck at once, can be dangerous for the baked goods, especially if his truck door is locked. 

As in many great romance movies, there is an instant attraction between two strangers.  The opportunity for further acquaintance is clearly essential and what better than one of them needing help from the other.  Needing each other's help actually happens a few times in this movie and makes for a very enjoyable show. While their final "decisions" may be expected, it is still a heartwarming and delightful movie to watch.

Check Out More Movie Reviews at ReviewThisMovies.com

About This Contributor

Cynthia Sylvestermouse enjoys sharing her movie and book reviews, as well as her photos , recipes, craft tutorials, fun facts and personal stories on multiple sites. You can follow Cynthia on Twitter , Pinterest , Facebook , or Instagram . Her namesake website is House of Sylvestermouse , but you can see a complete list of her sites on About Me .

8 comments:

A Dash of Christmas sounds delightful. Thanks so much for recommending this movie, Sylvestermouse. Just the thing to get you in the holiday -- and baking - mood.

This sounds like a delightful movie to kick off the holiday season, Ms. Mouse! Thank you so much for the recommendation. I’ll have to see whether we have access to the Great American Family channel!

Thanks for another Christmas movie recommendation - I'm in the mood for light, fun, and detressing and this time of year, these movies do just that!

Oh this is a movie I could get into without any problems. I also like "predictable" when I',m looking for something easy to watch. With my mother now living with us, she would be able to follow an easier story line. Thanks for this recommendation!

A Dash of Christmas sounds like a relaxing and delightful movie to get into the Christmas spirit. Lovely combination of romance and baking :) Thank you for the recommendation

It was definitely a welcome, relaxing break for me!

I’d like to know if a recipe was actually used for the Victorian Fruitcake torte?

They did not share it and I had the exact same reaction, I wish they had! I think some of the fiction books that I read that include recipes in the back of the book have me spoiled. I like trying to recipes of interest.

Most Recent Reviews on Review This Reviews

Search for Reviews by Subject, Author or Title

• Main Site Directory
• Quick View Home Page
• Articles Separated by Contributors
• Complete Index - Includes Subcategories

The Review This Reviews Contributors

We may be apart, but You Are Not Forgotten

“As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and or Etsy (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from purchases.” Disclosure Statement

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes
• Entertainment

Great American Family Reveals Full 2023 Holiday Slate of Stars Appearing Across 20 Christmas Movies (Exclusive)

Danica McKellar, Chad Michael Murray, Candace Cameron Bure, Trevor Donovan and Jen Lilley are among the favorites appearing in the network's 20 new movies

The most wonderful time of the year — holiday movie season, of course — is almost here, and it's looking to be just as jam-packed as ever.

PEOPLE can exclusively reveal that Great American Family will be releasing 20 new original Christmas movies in the 2023 season, up two from last year . And they'll filled with all the merriment, twinkle lights, and stars fans have come to enjoy.

Danica McKellar , Chad Michael Murray , Candace Cameron Bure , Trevor Donovan , and Jen Lilley are among the favorites returning for the festivities, which includes round-the-clock holiday-themed entertainment and will kick off on the network on Oct. 20, The first new movie debuting on Oct. 21.

See the full lineup — along with the network's descriptions — below.

12 Games of Christmas , starring Johnny Ramey and Felisha Cooper: A group of old friends and neighbors are transported into a Christmas-themed board game during a Christmas party.

A Christmas Blessing , starring Lori Loughlin, James Tupper, and Jesse Hutch: A TV chef (Loughlin) is divinely inspired to take over her late aunt’s charity with help from a new friend (Hutch) and handsome business associate next door (Tupper).

A Christmas Commission , starring Sarah Fisher and Simon Arblaster: Two rival realtors (Fisher and Arblaster) are forced to work together to sell one special house before Christmas.

Great American Media

A Christmas for the Ages , starring Natasha Bure and Cheryl Ladd: Prompted by their youngest granddaughter (Bure), four generations celebrate family and what Christmas was like in the '40s, '60s, '90s, and present day.

A Dash of Christmas , starring Broadway’s Laura Osnes and Christopher Russell: A marketing exec (Osnes) must learn a recipe to get her dream job and ends up entering a holiday bakeoff with a dream baker (Russell).

A Model Christmas ( working title ), starring Ash Tsai and Joey Heyworth: While on a charity press tour, a model (Tsai) ends up stranded by the weather at the family home of the driver (Heyworth) she hired to assist her for the week.

A Paris Christmas Waltz , starring Jen Lilley and Matthew Morrison: A novice dancer (Lilley) pairs with a professional (Morrison) to enter a renowned dance competition…in Paris! The next story in The Christmas Waltz universe, the highest-rated Christmas rom-com of 2020 (which starred Lacey Chabert and Will Kemp and aired on Hallmark Channel ).

A Royal Christmas Holiday , starring Brittany Underwood and Jonathan Stoddard: In search of her big break, a reporter (Underwood) arranges a Christmas interview with a European Prince (Stoddard) visiting the States. Will the reporter’s big story become her love story?

A Royal Christmas Romance ( working title ), starring Danica McKellar and Damon Runyan: When a European Duke (Runyon) arrives in the U.S., he realizes that his bags have been lost in transit. He has no choice but to be styled, and ultimately inspired, by Bella (McKellar), the owner of a local boutique.

A Time Capsule Christmas ( working title ), starring Jillian Murray and Daniel Lissing: A father (Lissing) bonds with his daughter and stumbles upon an unexpected romance (Murray) while tracking down the original owner of a Christmas time capsule.

Bringing Christmas Home ( working title ), starring Jill Wagner and Paul Greene: A professor of military history (Wagner) teams with an antique store owner (Greene) to track down the original owner of a historic WWII uniform and the love letters left in its pockets.

Christmas on Windmill Way , starring Christa Taylor Brown and Chad Michael Murray: To save her family's legacy windmill, a woman (Taylor Brown) must remind her ex-boyfriend (Michael Murray) of the best of their hometown.

Destined 2: Christmas Once More , starring Shae Robbins and Casey Elliott: In this sequel, Theo (Elliott) continues to miss connecting with his girlfriend, Kim (Robbins) as he attempts to propose at Christmas.

Mistletoe Moments , starring Susie Abromeit and Liam McIntyre: With her career on the line, a decorator (Abromeit) must work with an unexpected partner (McIntyre) to showcase a house for an upcoming Christmas gala.

My Christmas Hero , starring Candace Cameron Bure and Gabriel Hogan: An army reserve doctor (Bure) tracks down her family's military history with the help of a new romance (Hogan).

Our Christmas Wedding , starring Holly Deveaux and Drew Seeley: In the sequel, roles reverse as Nicole’s boss plans newly engaged Nicole (Deveaux) and Michael’s (Seeley) wedding in two weeks at Christmas.

Peppermint & Postcards , starring Ella Cannon and Christopher Russell: When a Christmas letter concerning her love life goes viral, one mom discovers that romance might be right at her door.

Santa, Maybe ( working title ), starring Aubrey Reynolds: Can theater director Lila (Reynolds) rise to the challenge of putting on the perfect Christmas ballet, while also discovering her office Secret Santa in the process?

The Christmas Regift ( working title ), starring Erin Agostino and Marshall Williams: A city manager (Williams) recruits the help of a childhood friend (Agostino) in setting right his town's Christmas Charity event, while she sets to work setting him up with her close friend.

‘Twas the Text Before Christmas , starring Merritt Patterson and Trevor Donovan: An unexpected text message sent to the wrong number (Patterson) sets into motion a Christmas tradition with a new family (Donovan) over three separate years.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Great American Christmas begins Oct. 20 on Great American Family. Fans can track the movies they want to see using the Christmas Movie Checklist App.

Related Articles

site categories

Kiefer sutherland says no bullying on set of ‘stand by me’, mario lopez & courtney lopez to make christmas movie for great american family.

By Lynette Rice

Lynette Rice

Senior TV Writer

More Stories By Lynette

• Great American Media Signs Jillian Murray To Multi-Picture Deal
• ‘Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters’ Renewed For Second Season By Apple TV+; Multiple Spinoffs Planned
• ‘Ms. Pat Settles It’ Courtroom Series Renewed For Second Season On BET; Return Date For ‘The Ms. Pat Show’ Set For May

EXCLUSIVE: Access Hollywood ‘s Mario Lopez , together with his wife/Broadway star Courtney Lopez ( A Chorus Line ) are the latest actors to join Great American Family ‘s lineup of holiday movies.

Related Stories

Candace Cameron Bure Drops Next Movie In Her Eponymous Series on Great American Family; 'Just In Time' To Premiere This Month

Lauren holly & bruce boxleitner join great american family holiday movie opposite jill wagner, jesse hutch.

Joining his famous parents in the film is Dominic Lopez, who will play Brian — his dad’s character — as a young boy.

“We could not imagine better creative partners to join our Great American team than Mario and Courtney Lopez,” said Bill Abbott, President & CEO, Great American Media. “Mario and Courtney and the team around them are creative collaborators and absolutely devoted to telling stories that bring families together. The partnership is a Christmas wish come true for our company.”

The Lopez family joins an all-star Great American Christmas lineup for 2024 that includes Candace Cameron Bure, Danica McKellar, Cameron Mathison, Jill Wagner, Lauren Holly, and Bruce Boxleitner, with more stars and Christmas movies to be announced.

My Grown Up Christmas Wish is executive produced by Mark Roberts, Jeff Stearns, and Jemma Jones and is directed by Brian Herzlinger. It is based on an original screenplay by Brian and Megan Herzlinger.

Must Read Stories

Johnson hits stage for ‘moana 2’; ‘captain america’ & more from disney.

Damian Chazelle Sets First Pic Under New Paramount Deal; Untitled Movie Due In 2025

Four paramount directors exiting amid skydance talks; ceo made $31m+ in ’23, football great & actor acquitted of murder was 76: obit, reaction, gallery.

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.

Read More About:

Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Great American Family Sets New Christmas Movie With Rhiannon Fish

‘A Prince in Paradise 2: Royal Proposal (WT)’ co-stars Mitchell Bourke

Great American Family said actress Rhiannon Fish will return to the channel in a new Christmas movie with the working title of A Prince In Paradise 2: A Royal Proposal .

A sequel to last year’s A Prince In Paradise , the film co-stars Mitchell Bourke.

In the movie, Fish’s character Olivia and Prince Alexander (played by Bourke) travel to his family’s palace to spend Christmas with their two families. Clashing cultures lead to comedic mishaps.

The movie will air as part of Great American Christmas 2024.

Vanessa Shapiro, Mike Gray, and Jip Panosot are executive producers of A Prince In Paradise 2: A Royal Proposal . Steve Jaggi and Kylie Pascoe produce. Directed by Adrian Powers, A Prince in Paradise 2: A Royal Proposal is written by Caera Bradshaw and Adrian Powers.

Broadcasting & Cable Newsletter

The smarter way to stay on top of broadcasting and cable industry. Sign up below

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C , Jon covered the industry for TVWeek , Cable World , Electronic Media , Advertising Age and The New York Post . A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.

Forecast Is For More Weathercasts As Weather Co. Launches ReelSphere

Kerv’s Interactive Ad Technology Available Via Magnite Platform

‘Bob Marley: One Love’ Streams April 12

Most Popular

By Daniel Frankel April 10, 2024

By Michael Malone April 10, 2024

By Jack Reid April 10, 2024

By R. Thomas Umstead April 10, 2024

By Jon Lafayette April 10, 2024

By Daniel Frankel April 09, 2024

By Michael Malone April 09, 2024

By R. Thomas Umstead April 09, 2024

• 2 Kerv’s Interactive Ad Technology Available Via Magnite Platform
• 3 WNBA and ESPN Get Ready for the Caitlin Clark Era, Unveil the 2024 TV Schedule
• 4 Quickplay Partners with Google Cloud for New AI Search Tool
• 5 Prime Dime: Dish Network Hires Deion Sanders to Hawk Boost Mobile

• Action/Adventure
• Children's/Family
• Documentary/Reality
• Amazon Prime Video

More From Decider

'The View' Forced To Evacuate Their Studio Before Wednesday's Show After...

'X-Men '97' Gives Gambit a Hero Moment You'll Never Forget

Holly Madison Says She “Tried” Exotic Dancing But Doesn’t Have...

'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' at 10: The Movie That Made (and...

Joy Behar Says She Was "Dragged Into" Controversy Over Beyoncé's 'Jolene'...

Guy Fieri Calls Drew Barrymore "Gangster" For Talking With Her "Mouth Full...

Anna Paquin Shuts Down Hoda Kotb's Questions About Her Health On 'Today'...

'9-1-1' And 'The Bachelor' Crossover: Joey Graziadei And Jesse Palmer Make...

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to copy URL

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘A Christmas for the Ages’ on Great American Family, a Celebration of Four Very Boring Generations in One Family

Where to stream:.

• A Christmas for the Ages

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Journey to Bethlehem’ on Netflix, Where The Nativity Story Meets ‘Glee’

Stream it or skip it: ‘the holdovers’ on peacock, a would-be future classic christmas dramedy from alexander payne, donald trump says producers begged him to make a cameo in ‘home alone 2’ — even though director claims he bullied his way into the movie, the greatest snowman hugh jackman celebrates christmas with warning from rockefeller center security guard.

Four generations celebrate the holidays in their own unique style in A Christmas for the Ages (now on Great American Family), a movie that plays like a cheesy radio-station tagline: It’s Christmas for the ’40s, ’60s, ’90s and now! Former Charlie’s Angel Cheryl Ladd is the notable cast member of this far-beyond-fluffy rom-comedy-drama that doesn’t lean very hard into romance, comedy or drama. In fact, it’s almost a faith-based movie, but it doesn’t lean very hard into that, either, because leaning hard into things is something it’s not particularly interested in. Should we hold that against it? I dunno, maybe, but probably, actually yes. 

A CHRISTMAS FOR THE AGES : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Exterior: a McMansion worth probably about $1.2 million, surrounded by a Wal Mart-and-a-half’s worth of inflatable Xmas decor. Yes, that’s a lot. Inside, an airy, open-concept layout covered with tinsel and bulbs and wreaths on so many surfaces you can only assume the interior designers are on around-the-clock retainer, and also insane. These people go HARD on Christmas. They deck the living shit out of the halls. They have candy canes in their veins and private frankincense stewards and you half expect one of them to smile and have holly and boughs weaved through their dentalwork. Or so you’d think, anyway – in reality, they’re just the average extended family that always looks perfect and lives in perfectly styled homes and presumably work jobs, but mostly spend their time throwing and/or attending ridiculously elaborate Xmas parties. 

Who are these lunatics, you’re no doubt asking. Let’s start with Savannah (Natasha Bure, daughter of GAC stalwart Candace Cameron Bure), who’s in her early 20s and working in theatre-with-an-re promotions, and if you want to know anything more specific about who she really is and her interests and goals and dreams, too bad! The movie doesn’t get into that stuff, other than the implication that she and her family live to celebrate Christmas and almost certainly hibernate in crypts from Jan. 2 to Nov. 1. Her mother is Kristi (Kate Craven), her grandma is Joan (Ladd) and her great-grandma is Marie (Anna Ferguson), and we first meet them at their annual ladies-only Christmas tea party, where they say things like “these little Christmas tree sandwiches are so CUTE!” before they move on to daisy-chaining plans for the next several dozen holiday gatherings. And they decide some of those gatherings will celebrate each generational era with a theme party: the 1940s for Greatest Generation great-grandma, the ’60s for Boomer grandma, the ’90s for Gen X mom and now for Zoomer Savannah, and that’s me adding in the generation tags, because I yearn, oh do I yearn, to fight the good fight against this movie’s virulent generic nonspecificity.

Case in point: These people talk about praying and reading the bible, but we never actually see them doing any of it. This movie is full of these people talking about things and not doing any of them, presumably due to budget restraints or a lack of ambition (although probably both). Anyway, this isn’t much of a plot, so the added wrinkle of interest is the ZOMG coincidence that Savannah and Marie have new boyfriends! The youngest AND the oldest! Imagine that! And the goal is to shuffle these new guys into the family’s sprawling multitude of Xmas celebrations. Savannah’s challenge is getting her fresh beef Rudy (Anthony Timpano) past her vaguely antagonistic father, a beardstubbledad who gives off some hedge-fund-bro vibes, which would explain the giant overdecorated house. And Joan wrestles with the idea of her mother getting over the loss of their father/husband (who presumably died, but this movie is so maddeningly vague, it never says what happened, so we also could assume he was kidnapped by aliens to toil in a Jawa slave pit or something), although Marie’s beau Jim (Mel Tuck) is such a sweet guy, it’s impossible not to be charmed by his gentlemanly demeanor. All this almost-plot leads up to one thing: Christmas! And then life for these people ceases, one assumes.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: GAF’s Santa, Maybe also gave us a protagonist who works at a theatre-with-an-re-theatre, so it looks like they’re already recycling ideas. 

Performance Worth Watching: The lord god has been so kind to all these people, their lives are almost wholly free of substantive conflict. So let the glory go to him! 

Memorable Dialogue: Decontextualized from the ’90s party:

“Cushy balls made of rubber strands!” “They’re fun to squish!”

Sex and Skin: None.

Our Take: I’ll reiterate: Without Christmas, these people likely don’t exist. You’ll be two-thirds through A Christmas for the Ages and wondering not just if there’s any conflict here, but if there’s any real plot whatsoever. The story is a cross-generational gimmick in search of any purpose beyond exalting the MAGIC and FAMILY TOGETHERNESS of the holiday season. These characters are smiley Christmas ghouls reciting empty aphorisms that reflect their grotesquely uncomplicated emotional lives, which can be summed up like so: They like things, but they don’t like anything as much as they like Christmas! Whatta buncha drips.

Most Xmas movies need a gimmick, but there’s not much pop to this one; the time-capsule parties are presented on an apparent tight budget, and strung together without much suspense or buildup to Christmas, more specifically, to a Christmas concert that the four women will participate in. Along the way, they hang out in their various homes, which all look the same: gigantic, airy and positively drowning in Hobby Lobby decor. They almost experience feelings outside of “hooray for Xmas,” mostly rooted in the new-boyfriend situations, which are pleasant and free of friction, or to put it less pleasantly, anything that might make us feel invested in any of this. A last-minute “conflict” is thrown in and resolved in about two minutes, but otherwise, Ages lumbers along pseudo-pleasantly without much purpose, delivering plenty of faux-atmosphere but not much of a story. Oh, and everyone here is into God, so if you need that in your GAF Christmas content, consider yourself placated. 

Our Call: Even then, you might praise the lord but not praise this sub-mediocre movie. SKIP IT.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

• Charlie's Angels
• Great American Pure Flix
• Jingle Binge

Does 'Yellowstone' Return Tonight? Everything To Know About 'Yellowstone's Season 5, Part 2 Premiere Date

Dwayne Johnson Gets Into Verbal Altercation With WWE Fan: "Watch Your F**king Mouth"

New Shows & Movies To Watch This Weekend: 'Mary & George' on Starz + More

'9-1-1's Harry Grant Returns In Season 7: Why Marcanthonee Reis Was Recast

'The View' Reacts To O.J. Simpson's Death: "The Tragedy Was The Injustice" 

Where To Watch 'When Calls The Heart' Season 11: Start Time, Streaming Info

Great American Family Drops Sneak Peak at 2024 Christmas Lineup

By Movieguide® Contributor 

Great American Family announced in a brief video that its “Christmas production workshop is in full swing,” as new faces join some familiar ones like Danica McKellar and Candace Cameron Bure.  

ACCESS HOLLYWOOD host Mario Lopez is among the stars who will be joining the GAF family, signing a multi-year, multi-picture deal with the network,  according to a press release. His first movie with GAF, MY GROWN UP CHRISTMAS WISH, will also star his wife Courtney.  

“From his breakout role of A.C. Slater on SAVED BY THE BELL to his nightly presentations of Hollywood news on ACCESS HOLLYWOOD, the world loves Mario Lopez,” Great American Media CEO and President Bill Abbott stated . “We welcome Mario to Great American Media and look forward to his many creative contributions to our ever-growing, emerging brand of beloved faith and family entertainment.”  

Lopez shared that his new partnership with GAM is “immensely fulfilling.”  

“I look forward to creating uplifting, inclusive, and diverse content, viewed through a positive lens for all ages. At this stage in my life, family is the most important thing to me. Being able to share family-friendly stories representing diverse voices is a true blessing,” Lopez added .  

Great American Family also announced another Christmas movie: AURORA CHRISTMAS, starring Jill Wagner, Bruce Boxleitner, Lauren Holly and Jesse Hutch.  

Movieguide® previously reported on the upcoming movie:  

Per Deadline, “The movie follows Erin (Wagner), who joins her dad Doug (Boxleitner) for a Christmas in the family’s former hometown of Aurora on a mission that is part business and major bucket list item for Erin to see the Aurora Borealis light up the Northern sky. Realtor Lori (Holly) and family friend and local tour guide Trevor (Hutch) create a Christmas inspired at every turn by faith, love, and hope, so much so that Christmas bells hung over decades in a forest grove ring an unbroken song, a harbinger of miracles to come.”   Wagner shared her excitement for the movie on social media.   She wrote, “God has blessed my life again by allowing me to work along side these actors. I admire them and I feel so honored to share my next Christmas film with them.”  

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Great American Family (@greatamericanfamily)

Abbott recently shared in an interview with the Washington Examiner that his company’s faith and conservative values are the reasons behind the network’s success.  

“[T]hose are principles I think that the majority, vast majority of Americans can agree on, and we will never deviate from that strategy and from really having our content focused on that uplifting, inspirational experience that people feel good about, that they can watch with their families, that they can not have to grab the remote or have their kids exposed to different things that they might not be at the level of maturity to see, so we are very relentlessly focused on it, and will never deviate,” Abbott said .   

He credits the talent of the “family of actors” that the company has built.  

“This high quality talent is just one of the elements that distinguishes Great American Family from other networks and content providers who are simply making movies that are set during the Christmas season,” Abbott previously explained . “Our storytelling is filled with characters who revere family, faith and country and their journeys establish a foundation of hope and joy for so many viewers throughout the Christmas season.”  

This Christmas will be the network’s fourth season. It will start airing its holiday lineup in October. GAF promises its audience that it will keep fans posted with more details on any upcoming movies.  

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.