'Our Christmas Journey' is Hallmark's first Christmas movie depicting autism. The fact that the autistic character in the movie is played by an autistic actor was quite warming to see on-screen. It is a heartfelt movie about family love and relationships, friendship, and the importance of keeping faith when times get rough. The story follows Lena (played by Holly Robinson Peete), a single mom of two kids (Marcus and Mia). Her ex-husband Rick (played by Lyriq Bent) has signed their son Marcus (played by Nik Sanchez) up for Hope Hills Academy, a school for helping kids and young adults with autism learn, grow, and gain a sense of independence. Lena has reluctantly agreed to her ex-husband's plan to spend Christmas in Orchardsville, which is home to Hope Hills. And so, our story begins as we watch Lena learn to let go and allow her son to spreads his wings. And we watch the family come closer together in unexpected ways this Christmas. One of the strengths of the story, I felt, is the focus on family dynamics. The writers do a good job of capturing the different relationships in this story in engaging and appealing ways from Lena's relationship with her son and ex-husband to Mia's (played by Hilda Martin) relationship with her brother and parents. What makes all this work on-screen, of course, is the acting. Peete does a brilliant job of portraying Lena as the protective mother who is worried about the needs of her son. Peete and Bent also have good chemistry. They feel like a divorced couple with a difficult past. As the story progresses, you can slowly begin to see and feel the love and passion they once had for each other. This transformation of their relationship on-screen was lovely to watch, I felt. Sanchez gives a sweet performance, though he could have used a bit more screen time. Martin too had some warm and heartfelt scenes depicting a loving sister that feels neglected by her parents but harbors no resentment against them or her brother. Finally, I can't forget about Aloma Wright, who plays Grandma Robin. She has such an all-loving and wholesome vibe to her performance, which I enjoyed. All in all, 'Our Christmas Journey' is a wonderful family movie, one that will leave you feeling warm and sappy this Christmas.
