User reviews

'Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas', the fourth installment of Hallmark's 'Time for' Christmas series, is a slow-paced, yet engaging movie. The story is warm and heartfelt. Some mystery keeps you intrigued and engaged throughout. The acting is impressive. And, of course, there is just enough festive cheer and holiday spirit. The story follows Jane (played by Jessy Schram), aka Rebecca, who is in an accident on an icy road in Maine ten days before Christmas. She wakes up in the hospital with amnesia. The only clue we have of Jane Doe's identity is a newspaper clipping of a Christmas festival in Charleston with a cryptic note stating, 'Please come', signed 'Mark'. In an attempt to regain her memories, Jane decides to go to the festival to meet Mark, accepting a cross-country car ride from her devoted nurse, Paul (played by Brendan Penny), who happens to be heading in the same direction to spend Christmas with his family in North Carolina. And so, their journey begins, as we watch the two help each other through their crises while bonding and discovering feelings they have for each other along the way. The story is well-written. The writers do a great job of weaving together Jane and Paul's individual stories (and backstories) in a way that develops the romance between the two, which I found appealing. The dialogue felt real, and I found myself connecting emotionally with Jane and Paul's stories. The use of mystery by the writers is cleverly done in a way that keeps you intrigued throughout their journey. What makes this work on-screen, of course, is the acting. Both Schram and Penny have brilliant performances. They portray their characters in a way that allows the viewer to see and identify with the emotional complexities of their stories/journeys. Simply put: they both have convincing performances in roles that are somewhat emotionally complex. The chemistry was also great to watch on-screen. You could feel it develop and grow as the story unfolded, which was one of the appealing elements of the movie. All in all, 'Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas' is a lovely story with some remarkable acting performances. It is a nice new addition to this year's Miracles of Christmas movie lineup. I highly recommend it.

Amnesia stories usually provide rich material for a nice story, and this one is no exception. Jessy Schram, a favorite of mine, plays a young woman who gets dunked in a river after being bumped by a car. We next see her in the local hospital near the Canadian border with amnesia. Her luggage has been lost. The only clue to who she is is an ad for a Christmas Tree lighting in Charleston, SC that she left behind at a local diner. It has a handwritten message on the back saying "Please Come" and signed "Mark".

"Jane Doe" is an immediate hit at the hospital due to her friendly, spirited, and outgoing nature. Jessy conveys all of that with the underlying vulnerability that she is so good at. She makes a friendly connection with a nice nurse, Paul, who offers to drive her to Charleston as it on his way to his family's home. It is almost immediately apparent that Paul is hiding some secret pain as he is very conflicted about going home. Jessy and Brendan are perfectly cast and their performances are spot on. I like that they made Paul a nurse instead of a doctor, thus making sense when he drives her in an old dilapidated car which conveniently breaks down on the way. A doctor would have flown.

On their road trip, they have a positive impact on all of the people they meet along the way. Including Alison Sweeney in a brief cameo appearance! This is a real thing this year. This is the third movie I have seen in which other Hallmark stars appear briefly in another movie not their own. I think it's really cool. And very smart given the competition other networks are giving them for the attention of Christmas movie viewing public.

The movie keeps you engaged at all times what with the mystery behind Paul's sadness and conflicted feelings going home and Jessy's real identity. Jessy starts having flashbacks which hint that she may be married and have a child! Why would she leave a husband and child? Is she a bad person? Is he a bad person? It won't be a spoiler to reassure you that she is not a bad person and her future lies with the nice and attractive Paul.

Fun movie with a different and interesting plot. Pleasant and talented staring actors/actresses, and nice supporting cast members.

The only significant goof was that it's not going to be snowing on the highway, when just a hour from Charleston at Christmas. There's a better chance of a day at the beach there. Script writers, they can be really ignorant. It's the Deep South folks.

Overall, very enjoyable and relaxing Christmas love story.

Jessy Schram at her best. She has an effect on people.

Take the first "Time for You to Come Home for Christmas" movie and subtract about half the snow and add amnesia and of course Jessy Schram. Actually all the female leads in this franchise have been appealing ladies, but Jessy always seems to be so upbeat and this role is perfect for her. Brendan Penny does his job well and the two have great chemistry.

Like the first one, this is another road trip with stops along the way and some obstacles. There is some mystery even beyond the amnesia and both parts unfold in pieces.

Like the others, this story is touching and the actors do a fine job. There's a scene with Allison Sweeney reprising her character from two years ago where she gives Jane some cookies.

A woman (Jessy Schram) suffers amnesia after getting hit by a car. She doesn't even remember her own name. Sheriff Crowley (Lochlyn Munro) tries to uncover her identity. All they have is a newspaper article about a tree lighting event. Despite having no memories, she decides to go to the tree lighting in hopes of finding herself. Her nurse Paul Bennett (Brendan Penny) offers to drive her.

Jessy Schram always has this fragile look which works really well for this type of character. I know that she and Paul have a tiff but he cannot just walk away from her. They could be kidnappers for all he knows. He has to be her protector. Of course, the film does that for dramatic reasons but it's not a good look for him. It's the movie's only false note and the last twenty minutes suffers for it. It feels false when the rest of the movie is trying so hard for sincerity. Otherwise, I like this for Hallmark.

Yes, this is another Hallmark movie where the lead character (Jane) has amnesia, but there is another story here, and that's what makes this movie different. Just why is her nurse (Paul) at the hospital, who is obviously smitten with her, afraid to go home for Christmas. Together, they go on a road trip to discover just who Jane is and to come to grips with Paul's anxiety.

Their stories unfold in a manner that keeps you intrigued throughout. This movie is very well-written and the performances by Jessy Schram as Jane and Brendan Penny as Paul are outstanding, some of the best and natural acting that Hallmark has to offer. From the get go, Penny plays Paul with an underlying sense of sadness that always seems to be there no matter how happy he appears to be. And Schram gives subtle hints of the thoughtful and caring, but independent young woman she must be. These are two complex performances by a couple of excellent actors. Along the way, there are some scenes, particularly those between Jane and sister, played nicely by Tanya Champoux, that are very well done. Never before in a Hallmark movie have you seen two sisters argue as fiercely as this, but they do in real life and that's the type of thing that's makes this movie so special. Of course, it all gets resolved in the end, but it's how you get there that is very satisfying and rather unique.

This movie was thoroughly enjoyable. I am a huge Jessy Schram fan. Haven't seen her in anything I did not like. She and Brendan Penny develop great chemistry. Their characters help each other throughout the movie - as well as spreading some cheer along their road trip. The outcome of "Jane's" amnesia snd "Paul's" anxiety is handled very well.

I had to do a double-take with Lisa Durupt (as Annie, the sister). She is brunette in this movie - not blonde - as she usually is. I recognized her voice - but she looked so different. Not sure why they made her brunette next to Jessy's blonde - sisters might have the same hair color!

Fun movie though...

Brendan Perry and Jessy Schram, I love them both and they have great chemistry. They have never disappointed me.

Then there is Lochlyn Munro, I am used to seeing him playing almost a soap opera villain type. Normally when he enters a scene my first thought is, what sleaziness is he up to this time. But no, Lochlyn proves what a good actor he is, he played the local sheriff as a competent, caring law enforcement officer. Even after the amnesia victim leaves town, he continues to work the case. Kudos, Lochlyn, great job. Left me wishing he had more scenes.

The film moves pretty slow at times and for that reason probably not a good family film, the kiddos will loose interest pretty quickly.

My advice: watch this movie.

An out of town woman ends up with amnesia when she is involved in a road accident that sends her in to the cold river at night. No one in town seems to know anything about her, but she did leave an article about a tree lighting in North Carolina with a not one the back about attending...signed mark.

Our Jane Doe sets out on a road trip with her male nurse as her traveling companion. Our Nurse, played by Brendan Penny, has been having trouble heading home since his brother passed away from cancer. Together they embark on a multistate car trip of healing.

Delightful cameo by Hannah Swenson...I mean Alison Sweeney as a baker they meet in a random town where their car breaks down.

Actress Jessy Schram plays our Jane Doe and she is her usual delightful self. Sweet and kind she makes this film a must see...and all to the musical backdrop of the song that started it all.

A stellar Hallmark cast with a sweet surprise appearance from Allison Sweeney! Always a joy to watch in any Hallmark movie!

Enjoyed the story, and especially how it wove in other characters!

Brenan Penny is a favorite! As are several of the supporting cast members.

An unusually well-crafted film by hallmark. The writing is excellent, the characters developed and engaging, and the direction spot on. Kudos to all involved in this production, even to Allison Sweeney who makes a cameo.

The two main characters had excellent rapport and chemistry between them.

Acting was excellent with entire cast.

Puts you in the best frame of mind.

Well done.

Enjoyable movie with one glaring fault. They have confused their destination of Charleston, SC with obviously Charleston, West VA. There is no way that there would be snowy mountain scenes in Charleson, SC. You need a fact checker!!

Somehow, Christmas movies with amnesiac heroines seem to work, at Hallmark. The idea may be trite, but is developed credibly, again. Schram and Penny are quite good, acting with empathy and restrain. The story is simple and gentle. Just right in the Holiday spirit. Should you not be looking to be blown by shocking drama, you are encouraged to watch it and dwell in warm feelings, while resting cozily on your comfy couch.

No one said it was Charleston, SC, .....she was traveling from up close to Maine----much closer to Charleston, WV.

So, not as ignorant as you might think... Cute movie. Enjoyed all 4 of this "series". 8-)

I like the first Time to Come Home movie, and the most recent one with Tyler Hines, so I decided to try this one.

Very nice movie. I've always liked Jessie Schram. If she was a little more petite she'd be perfect. She can do funny, and she can do sweet, and now we know drama is right in her wheelhouse.

I've never been a big Brendan Penny fan, but he was just right in this movie.

The story of an amnesiac girl trying to find her identity traveling home with a nurse who is wanting to right some wrongs is simple, yet heart-wrenching and a good reminder that everyone we meet is carrying a load with them, and sometimes the kindest thing we can do is help to lighten it.

In my reviews of the other movies I have mentioned that I don't like the song much that is a common thread in all these movies. It was much more prominent in this movie, and now I have to say I HATE that song.

The movie is a nine plus, but that song cost it a point. Really good movie though.

Eight.

... these are the "hallmarks" of a made in Canada on a budget X-mas movie. Every scene is so brightly lit you want to adjust your screen to avoid the glare. Every article of clothing is right off the hanger. All the stars are people you have never heard of ... and may never see again. The storyline here is so-so, but the antiseptic production values haven't changed in 30 years. And that is the problem.

The good: Brendan Penny and Jessy Schram are two of my favorite Hallmark actors and they have good chemistry together as their relationship realistically develops. There are quite a few supporting roles for others in the Hallmark stable of actors - Allison Sweeney, Lochlyn Munro, Lisa Durupt, Brendan Zub, Alix West Lefler, April Telek, Camille Mitchell, Azriel Dalman, and probably others I don't recognize. One pleasant surprise is that 3 of them play against type. Lisa Durupt usually plays a charming and pleasant character, but at least starts out shrewishly here. Lochlyn Munro and Brendon Zub usually play pretty sketchy characters but are good guys here. I really liked the short scene with Allison Sweeney. I wasn't sure who she was playing - a lot of her characters seem to be bakers - until she mentioned "her husband" Jack and Will - which told us that she is, in fact, Kat, and that she and Jack stayed together. So this serves as kind of a sequel or coda to another of the Time To Come Home movies. Nicely done!

Loss is a common theme in a lot of the Hallmark movies in general and their Xmas movies in particular. And that's true here. (IMO, this is also something that a lot of people deal with in real life, too, so I like this theme in these movies.) Of course there's the loss of memory, but there are other issues in this movie (that I'll leave out to avoid spoilers) that are dealt with very well here - with realism and sensitivity.

Not so great: Although I think it was dealt with well in this movie, really, another amnesia plot? You'd think that everyone loses their memory at some point. There are at least 5 Hallmark movies I can think of where this is the primary plot element.

I'm getting a bit tired of the song. I know that Blake Shelton is a producer and that he wrote the song, but honestly, IMO it's not all that great, and it's overplayed in these movies.

Last, after I just saw this movie (again), I noticed that despite her character supposedly being a pie lover, in the opening scene, as she's leaving the diner, you can see that she barely touched the pie. Really? (OK, not a big deal, but I gotta mention it.)

Overall, though, I enjoyed the movie, and I'm watching it again as I write this.

Really enjoying the sweet movie the dynamics and the great characters..when I lost my power and the end of movie, can't find it anywhere.. help!

Tried Hallmark, Frndly, even looked on IMBD for other avenues to watch it.

8.0 stars.

I thought maybe all of the 'It's time for (him, he, her, them, etc) to Come Home for Christmas' might be spinoffs, or in the same universe, and my suspicions were correct. Probably doesn't take a genius, but whatever. I knew this when I saw Allison Sweeney's cameo, the same character in 'Time for you to come home for Christmas', which I watched last week.

This is a wonderful story of a woman (Schram) who has amnesia after falling into a freezing cold river and bumping her head. Some minor drama ensues as her memories incrementally return. The lead male (Penny) is a nurse and he grows fond of her over time. She needs to discover herself again, and so they take a journey across the Eastern United States from Maine to South Carolina to find her home.

The journey is nice and we learn in her situation that it takes her losing her memories to discover her true self. The main theme of this film is forgiveness. She needs to forgive her sister, and he needs forgiveness from his brother and sister in-law. Along the way they also find love.

The ending is very well done. All of the important elements are spot on, and so this one gets a very high score from me. This is on my annual watchlist.