The Thanksgiving House

It’s the Countdown to Christmas on Hallmark! Holiday movies galore! White Christmases as far as the eye can see! Secret Santas around every corner! So many decorated trees it can fill a forest! Oodles of cookies that make you think you’ve gained the holiday weight just from watching these movies!

But Hallmark doesn’t forget that there is a holiday that comes before Christmas. Last year, they aired “Love at the Thanksgiving Parade.” This year, it was “The Thanksgiving House.”

Put on your buckled hats and prepare for SPOILERS!


Lawyer Mary Ross (Emily Rose) hasn’t been in the festive mood for Thanksgiving for many years. But she inherits a house in Plymouth from a great-aunt and decides to go survey the house again with her boyfriend, Rick (Adam Kaufman). While there she meets Everett (Justin Bruening), who is the local historian and obsessed with finding the spot where the first Thanksgiving was held. Mary isn’t thrilled to find some strange man digging up her yard despite her aunt’s signed consent.

But Everett thinks he’s found the site of the first Thanksgiving and sends samples off for testing to prove it. There’s a mole in the post office and he tips off local journalist/blogger Ashleigh (Cerina Vincent). She tries to get information out of Everett but he remains tightlipped. He’s focused on getting on Mary’s good side in order to get her to cooperate with his study. But she has her assistant Victoria (Julia Jones) researching ways to stop him and keep her house from being taken as a historic landmark.

Everett drives to Boston to meet with Mary to discuss things one-on-one. And they reach an understanding. Which Ashleigh blows up with her blog. Mary is convinced Everett is the one who blabbed and serves him with a lawsuit. Everett turns everything over to his father to sort out. Which he does along with Everett’s mom, Abagail (Lindsay Wagner). They befriend Mary and perhaps give her something she’s needed for a while—parents. Especially a mother as hers died before the movie started.

Meanwhile, Rick starts to realize there’s money to be made in this historic landmark business. He starts talking to Ashleigh, who prints more things about Mary and her intentions with the house—most untrue, just Rick’s hopeful thinking. But Mary is growing closer to Everett anyway. He understands why she’s determined to save her house. And she understands why he wants to find out if it’s the Thanksgiving house. It’s the start of a beautiful romance.

In the end, Mary finally celebrates Thanksgiving again with the help of Abagail, Victoria and Everett. And her dad. It is perfect.

Except we didn’t learn if Mary’s house was on the site of the first Thanksgiving. Or if they ever revealed that Ashleigh was printing lies. Well, then again, Mary and Everett seemed to realize not to trust anything on Ashleigh’s blog so maybe it was a non-issue. But it seemed we got to the end without a climax. Like there needed to be more but the creative staff hit the two hour mark (including commercials).

The cast was good, especially Bruening and Rose. Bruening is really blossoming as a romantic lead. And he had good chemistry with Rose. Though her best chemistry was with Wagner in the scenes between Mary and Abagail.

Like most Thanksgiving movies, the message is about the importance of family and home. And of course, having a place where you belong with people you love.

And isn’t that what the holidays are all about?