Name: Christmas on Mistletoe Farm
Director: Debbie Isitt
Released: 2022-11-23T13:30:00

Christmas on Mistletoe Farm sees Matt, a widowed father, spending a few days at his recently inherited farm with his kids as a break to prepare his business pitch. The movie is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Matt, a widowed father, struggles to keep his life together as he takes care of his five kids while working a demanding job. He receives a letter from a lawyer suggesting that his father, in his will, has left him a farm called Mistletoe Farm.

One of Matt’s colleagues advises him to take a day out here to prepare for the pitch he will be delivering on Christmas Eve. Fresh country air and lovely folk may clear his mind. Matt agrees and decides to pay this farm a visit along with his kids.

During their time there, the kids easily fit in with the townsfolk and learn a lot about farming. Matt, on the other hand, only wants to finish his pitch and doesn’t want to live up to the duties that have fallen upon his shoulders.

The kids, tagging along with the townsfolk, who see Matt as the hero who will save the farm from the developers, come together to convince Matt why Mistletoe Farm is way more important than he thinks.

Performances

Scott Garnham as Matt Cunningham is definitely a convincing father who loves his kids the most, but his acting works only in that area. When it comes to comedy and reacting to a certain situation, his expressions fall flat.

Scott Paige as Beano is supposed to be the funniest and most loved character in the movie. What goes wrong with Paige is that he tries too hard to land his jokes, and his overall performance comes out as irritating.

The kids have done a great job in the small roles they have. Their jokes, though not the best, are acceptable for the comedy element to work.

Positives

The scenery and locations the viewers get to see are captivating. You can’t help but imagine living a life at Mistletoe Farm. The adorable nature of the people and their culture is well portrayed.

It’s good to see that ‘Christmas on Mistletoe Farm’ has avoided the usual romance element that is found in movies like these, which are meant for watching with the family.

There is a little bit of romance between Matt and the vet, Ashley, but most of the time it’s out of the picture and the main focus remains to be Mistletoe Farm.

Negatives

The overall plot isn’t exactly bad for a laid-back watch. It’s the writing that should’ve been better. The developments in the story are slow, and towards the end, it seems like it’s all rushed.

Many of the revelations take place in the last 30 minutes of the film, and they’re also quite predictable. The viewers will hardly care about the lead character’s story when it comes to his estranged father and why he never reached out to him.

Also, the message the film wants to deliver gets confusing. There are some good songs in the film, which are appreciated, but the performances are not as energetic or uplifting as they should be.

Verdict

‘Christmas on Mistletoe Farm’ fails to be a good holiday film. Despite trying to avoid the usual cliches, the movie’s story still ends up being predictable, and its message is lost in there somewhere. At the end of the day, only the locations are worth taking a look at.