'Our Christmas Journey' Review: Sometimes letting them grow means letting them go
Hallmark just debuted a special new watch titled 'Our Christmas Journey' and the Christmas movie leaves us feeling warm and sentimental. Adding to its collection of Christmas movies the flick will address an important topic and stars Holly Robinson Peete in the lead.
The Hallmark synopsis reads, "As a single mom and her teenaged son with autism come to a crossroad during Christmas, she must learn to let go so he can flourish as she finds her own heart healing in unexpected ways'. If you want to know a bit of what happened and our thought on the holiday movie, then read on!"
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The Hallmark movie introduces us to Lena (Holly Robinson Peete) and her kids Marcus (Nik Sanchez) and Maya (Hilda Martin) who will be spending Christmas away from home. Lena's ex-husband Rick (Lyriq Bent) wants them to come spend Christmas along with him, away from home in a guesthouse near a academy, so as to secure a spot in a special program for Marcus who has autism. The opportunity is a great chance for her sibling but Maya although very understanding wanted to be home for Christmas. As they drive off they begin a new journey of change.
Holly Robinson Peete is excellent as the protective mother who is worried about the different needs of her son. The actress who has an autistic son herself was the right choice to play Lena as she brings the nuances only a mother who has experience can. Another commendable fact about the film is casting Nik Sanchez as an autistic character as the young actor is on the autism spectrum as well. This speaks volumes about representation and was quite warming to see. Sanchez gives a sweet performance as we see his character experience new things and slowly adapt. A love story, too, reblossoms as we see the exes rekindle their flame as the power of family draws them closer. The kids' grandma Robin( Aloma Wright) was a treat as she silently watches the couple find their way back to one another. Along with love we see friendship as well with Maya finding an ally in Henry (Graham Verchere) whose sister is enrolled in the special program as well. Marcus who has to stay alone at the academy for the weekend sees Lena have separation anxiety as she sadly reveals she's afraid people will hurt him as the world can be quite cruel to those differently-abled. She shares that as a kid the children who Marcus considered his friends almost drowned him and we finally get a deeper understanding of the mother's worries. Another important fact that was highlighted was that the other child can sometimes feel overlooked as Maya shares with her mother.
Lena seeing Marcus thrive learns that the world can be good too and that sometimes it's best to let go a little. The mother is finally assured of his well-being and receives support from Rick making for a better transition. As the family grows closer it warms our heart to see them thrive. 'Our Christmas Journey' hits all the right spots for a family watch and is filled with the magic of Christmas. From snow angels. wreaths, love, family, and friendship the movie has it all and is a special watch.
'Our Christmas Journey' is available on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel.
