The Thanksgiving House (2013) Reviews

• Good Thanksgiving Movie

  Terryfan2015-11-06

  Hallmark does have a good history of airing original movies that are good. Which is why I like to watch them when I can The Thanksgiving House is one of those films you can actually sit down and watch to appreciate for it's original plot and acting which is what Hallmark is known to do. With the cast being: Emily Rose,Justin Bruening,Julia Jones,Lindsay Wagner,Bruce Boxleitner,Cerina Vincent,Adam Kaufman,Jack Scalia each one help tell the story of the movie Emily's performance stands out the most because her character stuck out the most with Justin's performance coming in second. Cerina's character really shows out to be the bad apple in terms The music was wonderful it was everything you would want in a movie like this and then some I just enjoy the score all together it was peaceful and joyful it set the tone of the movie. The setting is good as well. Overall I enjoy the story, the acting and the music it just really good to have a Thanksgiving theme movie I give The Thanksgiving House an 8 out of 10

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• Totally Enjoyed The Thanksgiving House

  hobno-526982015-10-29

  I liked the aspect of combining historic sentiment with this Holiday. This movie also had several underlying themes and I totally enjoyed the greedy boyfriend getting his "do" while riding off into the sunset with his greedy "sidekick". Family values and the family setting are shown as true to life - all families have their issues. It is always good to look at the other side of the "coin" and this movie weaves "food for thought" into the plot. What better holiday to "bring home the family values while respecting history". It showed that the busy grind of today and money over family is not always alive and well. Today the lifestyle is losing traditions and any traditions like Thanksgiving need to be kept alive and kicking. It also gave me thought as to the real history of the first Thanksgiving and made be want to go to New England again. I wish this movie would come out on DVD. So glad Hallmark has autumn and Thanksgiving movies!

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• Easily the best Hallmark Channel original movie of the 2013 Holiday season

  LateScribe2013-12-27

  The Thanksgiving House is the story of a character's transformation (leading her down the path of forgiveness, to a rebirth, and the embrace of a genuine and unassuming love), all that from her contact with remarkable people. Mary Ross, a successful Boston lawyer, inherits a Plymouth house from her aunt and goes to the "country" with her boyfriend Rick to make an "inventory" of what's been handed down to her. Enters Everett Mather, a local high school history teacher who has been looking for the site of the first Thanksgiving since his teenage years... Aside from Rick and every subplot involving him, the movie is a gentle and smooth ride toward an equally subdued ending. The house in the title is connected to the female lead in ways that explain who she has become both emotionally and professionally. Emily Rose portrays Mary Ross superbly. She is as aloof and detached as ever, with only the occasional display of emotion, but her work would not have been enough to put the movie above the fray this season if not for Everett's parents. The two experienced actor and actress made every scene count and were appropriately used by the story to nudge Mary toward the right emotions and decisions. They provided the kind of relationship she needed to see to understand that she could aspire to something better with her own father and in her own love life. From watching Everett's parents who welcomed her in their lives in an endearing way, she could see she didn't have to settle for what she had and could contemplate working to improve her own little family and look for a better companion. This process was filled with little gems, like when Everett's mother ignored the burgeoning bickering and brought her cookies and then gently forced herself into the house for a chat, or when Parker Mather welcomed her back to their home in a way that really made her feel welcome. The story allowed Mary to interact substantially with Everett and his parents without any of it appearing forced down our throats (or hers for that matter), and the love story (yes there was one), was so subdued that those who expected direct statements and a big kiss before the curtain might have been disappointed. The movie chose to rely on little moments and innuendos, a choice that fitted well with the casting of Emily Rose. The evolution of the relationship was followed exclusively through her point of view, via her interaction with her assistant Victoria and close-ups of their faces. Mary Ross gradually warmed up to Everett and her Olive branch to her father wasn't at all as awkward as it could have been. I understand why, in a way, Rick (the boyfriend) had to be so "beneath" her. Given where she was emotionally, a boyfriend was just for "dating" and arguably chosen solely for that purpose. Still, that relationship (in which they never seemed to spend the night under the same roof) made for the only awkward scenes in the movie. My only other beef with the story is the science behind Everett's research, but that is a minor quibble. I liked how The Thanksgiving House gently brought its leads together, how its female lead found her way back to herself, and how she arguably fell in love with the whole Mather family...

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• Emily Rose Fan

  mattmccarthy75-583-1014882013-11-03

  Hallmark, there are doing a good job. We have a family night with Hallmark movie's (DVR) I give the actors an A+ the storyline B-. I'm a fan of Emily Rose & hope to see her in some more Hallmark movie's soon. there are some details or oops in the movie. I'm OK with the location's & the time of year they shot the movie. there's a lot to work around when the actors have other projects in the works. but we got lost at the end & played it again. we still don't understand "should I open the letter" what letter? I think they made an oops in the storyline at the end. but it's still a Good Movie & Hallmark always has a happy ending.

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• I Like the Actors, But...

  boblipton2013-11-02

  Emily Rose's great-aunt has just died and left Emily her house in Plymouth. Justin Bruening is an amateur archaeologist who has proof that the house is the site of the first Thanksgiving. It's a good set-up for a Hallmark romantic comedy and they carry it out nicely, aided by a supporting cast whose characters all know each other. No one is obnoxious; they simply want different things and that causes the conflicts. This is the definition of a good work of fiction, in which the story arises from character. The plot is good, the writing is good and the actors are good. However, while I wish all Hallmark romcoms were as good as this, I have some issues with the production that will probably strike most people as too picky. One is the fact that all of these people are natives of Massachusetts and only Adam Kaufman has even the faintest trace of a Yankee accent; he sounds like he comes from South Boston. The other is that they might have shot this in Massachusetts in the fall. While there are some setting helicopter shots to establish that, yes, this is Boston and yes, this is Plymouth, they clearly shot the exteriors some place else in the late spring. I spotted some tulips that looked like June and while dead leaves are scattered around, there is no sign of autumn colors. The credits indicate Simi Valley. These are, as I said, niggling issues. Nonetheless, they prevent it from being much more than average good.

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