A Merry Christmas Wish Plot Summary
A marketing executive in New York City returns to her hometown after her great-uncle passes away only to learn that he has left her the family farm.
Starring: Jill Wagner and Cameron Mathison
My Movie Grade: A-
Image: Great American Media
Although there's really nothing new to see here, A Merry Christmas Wish has all the glad tidings of comfort and joy that make viewers happy.
Only one negative: Janie and her boyfriend, Charles, are planning to go on a week's vacation together in L.A. Janie heads for Woodland Falls instead to settle her late uncle's estate, but Charles decides to go without her for business reasons. He mentions that if she changes her mind, there will be a room waiting for her. GAF fans expect CLEAN entertainment, not sanctioning unmarried people to shack up on vacation (even if they have their own rooms).
A Great Message About Honoring Others
Janie is only in Woodland Falls to pack up her uncle's belongings and return to her life in the big city--until she learns he willed her the family farm. Her first inclination is to sell it; however, she discovers the brother of her best childhood friend is running it, and she knows what an awkward position that puts him in.As if that's not enough pressure, her uncle left her a letter asking her to host the annual "Winter Wonderland" celebration one last time. The town depends on the revenue the event generates each year.
Honoring others is something that seems to be ebbing away from society, but Great American Family embeds a much-needed message in A Merry Christmas Wish. Janie doesn't see dollar signs and imagine how she'll spend it. Instead, she considers Dylan's plight. In return, Dylan doesn't pressure her or try to control her decision even though he has the most to lose. Janie's uncle shows her grace by giving her an "out." He doesn't demand that she fulfill his wishes by inserting stipulations in his will but makes a simple request while letting her know he understands if she can't make it happen. She also considers how her decision will affect the town's economy. It's refreshing to watch a movie where the emphasis is on putting others first.
Janie ultimately alters her plans and hosts Winter Wonderland, even though she proceeds with the sale of the farm. No one blames her.
Viewers aren't surprised, though, when time spent in her hometown makes her fall in love again with the simple life and decide to leave the big city behind. It's a sweet and comfortably predictable conclusion.
Favorite Movie Moments
A Merry Christmas Wish reminds us that it's often the little things that matter most.
Dylan has been secretly decorating the upstairs of the barn, and he makes Janie close her eyes to prepare for the surprise. When she opens them, the barn is warmly aglow with Christmas lights, and Dylan plays festive music so they can dance.
When Janie returns to her New York apartment (before she halts the sale of the farm), she remembers Dylan had given her a present. When she looks inside, she finds the friendship cookies she'd made, a picture of her and her uncle, honey from a friend in town, and Uncle Randall's letter preserved in a picture frame. Even though the gifts are simple, each one holds a memory. The best gifts are the ones that speak to the heart.
It's tender and saccharine moments like these that give viewers warm fuzzies.
Even though A Merry Christmas Wish is a cookie cutter version of so many prior romcoms, Wagner and Mathison are great with each other, and the familiarity of the story is part of its charm.
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