Coming Home For Christmas Parent Guide

Bricks and mortar may make a house, but it takes a family to make a home. And sadly, the O’Brien’s have neither house nor home at the moment.

Although Al and Wendy (George Canyon and Amy Jo Johnson) bought a charming two-story to raise their daughters in, the warmth they felt in each other’s company back then has been all but extinguished now. The ill wind began to blow on the day of their youngest daughter’s wedding. While Melanie (Britt McKillip) was putting the finishing touches on her make-up, her older sister Kate (Carly McKillip) happened to catch a glimpse of the groom flirting with one of the bridesmaids. Bursting in on the bride, Kate blurts out her accusations and then bolts from the nuptials, leaving a befuddled Melanie to face the altar in uncertainty. Since then a silence has descended on the siblings.

Shortly after this break-up, financial woes caused the O’Brien’s to lose the house. In the face of both tragedies, Al and Wendy find their own relationship being torn apart. When they separate, Kate realizes the impact her feud is having on the people she loves and decides it is time she and her sister called a truce to their five-year estrangement. However, even together, fixing the damage they have done is going to require a lot of hard work, with a fair amount of pride to be swallowed along the way.

As Kate tries to work out a reunion plan, she happens to meet the new owner of their old home (Ben Hollingsworth). The handsome stranger’s friendliness inspires another idea. With the holiday season fast approaching, Kate asks Mike if he would allow her borrow his house to host a surprise Christmas gathering for her fractured family.

Coming Home for Christmas (also known as Home For Christmas) may not boast a complicated script or stellar acting. Still it does not disappoint. This family-friendly package, trimmed with country music renditions of sentimental songs performed by Dad and the girls (George Canyon and real-life sisters Carly and Britt McKillip all have previous singing/songwriting credits), offers everything you are expecting. Watching it with your loved ones will be a lot like enjoying a cup of hot cocoa together. It will warm you all over—even if it is a bit too sweet.

About author

Donna Gustafson

Donna Gustafson has been involved with her husband Rod's work since the beginning. Handling many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, she also creates preview pages for up-coming movies, acts as managing editor and occasionally writes reviews.