Hallmark's "Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas" QUIZ!!!

Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas Plot Summary

During the holidays, a woman with amnesia catches a ride with her handsome nurse to investigate the only clue to her identity--a newspaper clipping.

Starring:  Jessy Schram and Brendan Penny (2021)

Image:  Crown Media

Fans Love the Time to Come Home for Christmas Series 

Dorothy Shackleford and Travis Thrasher introduced us to this series with their novel Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas, which is also based on a song title by Blake Shelton (Shackleford's son).  Hallmark produced the subsequent movie in 2018, which starred Megan Park and Josh Henderson.

In 2019, fans were treated to another installment to the brand called Time for You to Come Home for Christmas with Alison Sweeney and Lucas Bryant.  

Hallmark continued the successful trend by bringing us Lacey Chabert and Stephen Huszar in 2020's Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas, and since fan interest showed no sign of waning, 2021 saw the release of Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas.

What happens when Hallmark runs out of pronouns?  Let's not think about it!

Amnesia Again?

When you're a Hallmark script writer not wanting to think outside the box for a creative and unique way to bring a couple together, just take the easy route and strike one of them with amnesia.  That's what Marcy Holland did because she knows it works every time.

Here are a few Hallmark movies that rely on amnesia to keep their plots alive:

• A Christmas to Remember

• A Gift to Remember

• Falling for Vermont

• Christmas on My Mind

• The Perfect Pairing

Hallmark writers also depend heavily on writing being the primary occupation of their main characters because they are already familiar with the field, which spares them from researching other careers to fit into the story.  

Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas gives us a double whammy--the leading lady is a writer and has amnesia.  While these repetitive themes are growing tedious, it is tweaked a little in that Rebecca doesn't remember she's a writer, yet her mind is flooded with story ideas she pens in her journal.  We later learn her career path is the source of major family drama between Rebecca and her sister, who worries Rebecca won't be able to support herself.

Brendan Penny Shows Off His Versatility

Since Hallmark movies follow the same predictable path, there's little room for actors to deviate from standard expectations to display their full capabilities.  Brendan Penny finally gets the chance in Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas to bring a more poignant and emotional depth to his character, Paul Bennett.

Paul has avoided going home.  Despite being a nurse, Paul couldn't cope with seeing his brother, Ben, when he struggled with cancer, and he stayed away when he was needed most.  After Ben's passing, Paul couldn't face the family from the guilt and shame.  When Ben's widow suggests Paul talk to Ben to get everything off his chest, a very emotional Paul pours out his heart at Ben's gravesite.  

Surely, tears pricked your eyes during this scene!

The Irony

In addition to the irony of a nurse who sees sick people every day yet can't face his dying brother, it's also ironic that Rebecca winds up home to make amends with her sister.

After receiving the note from her brother-in-law asking her to come to the tree lighting in Charleston, Rebecca plans to ignore it and proceed with her plans to hole up somewhere to write.  Once she loses her memory, the same note becomes the only connection she has to the life she can't remember, and it leads her home.

Alison Sweeney Cameo

Why is the appearance of Alison Sweeney in this movie significant?  It's not a simple cameo without relevance.

Sweeney starred in 2019's Time for You to Come Home for Christmas as Katherine, and her mother owned Winter's Bakery.  When Paul and Rebecca find a dog running around town, they return him to the address on his dog tag, which is Katherine's home.  Katherine gives them baked goods from the family store to thank them, and she hollers to her son Will to alert him the dog has been returned.

It was fun seeing both movies overlap.  Fans love cameos, especially when they are meaningful and not merely random.

Image:  Crown Media

Favorite Line from the Movie

As Paul and Rebecca travel towards their destinations, they spend the night at a Bed & Breakfast owned by a sweet widow.  After hearing of Rebecca's plight, the kind lady encourages her by saying:

God gives the strongest soldiers the toughest battles. 

That's a good word!