Bringing Christmas Home (2023) Review

Summary

The themes are woven in so beautifully in this Christmas movie.

Bringing Christmas Home is a 2023 Hallmark Christmas Movie directed by Michael Rohl. It tells the story of Russell (Paul Greene) and Caroline (Jill Wagner—Braven), partners in returning an Old WWII Veteran Jacket to Orin’s family.

Russell is an antique store owner who finds the jacket at his store. He desires to bring it home for Christmas, so he posts a plea for help on a Military forum. Luckily, Caroline, a retired Major and now a Military History Teacher, responds with a hope to be of service and support.

Despite trials and tribulations, they are determined to complete their mission together.

My first and foremost thought is that you shouldn’t rely on the trailer to decide whether or not to watch this movie. The trailer shows a teeny-tiny part of the story that isn’t the main or the main couple.

My initial thoughts and feelings on Bringing Christmas Home were unexcited and flat. I didn’t fall in love with this straight away like I do with most Hallmark Christmas Movies. However, as the story progresses, I realize that there are two lessons to be learned:

Don’t jump to conclusions and final feelings too early.
Focus on the deeper themes at play within a film.

Though Bringing Christmas Home is simple, straightforward, yet strangely different, it’s not a bad Christmas movie. It’s like fine wine—it ages better with more time. The more I processed the themes used within, the more I enjoyed the film.

Director Rohl’s best attribute to Bringing Christmas Home is his thematic work. Although a sweet and simple story has been created, the powerful messages behind the onscreen action are what matter most.

From themes of true love to sharing common goals with God, Rohl tackles it all successfully. When watching this movie, I would advise not to focus on its identification as a hallmark movie (although it is). Bringing Christmas Home offers far more to the audience if they are willing to dig deeper.

On a side note, I must confess that I found the acting typically and expectedly sub-par but still sweet, like cotton candy. Russell and Caroline’s uninspired acting creates a realistic feeling of friendship. This means that when the romance sparks, Greene and Wagner struggle to create believable feelings.

I believe they could have been improved if they had only changed the characters’ stories. Overall, Bringing Christmas Home is another fun Christmas movie. It can be more profound than that, should you wish, but I think you’d be disappointed if not.