‘MY SOUTHERN FAMILY CHRISTMAS’: A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE THAT’S STILL FESTIVE
With familiar hallmark’s driving it, My Southern Family Christmas takes a different approach to family that still satisfies.
My Southern Family Christmas (2022) Hallmark TV Film Review
Every angle and unique spin on the Christmas season has been covered. Or this is what Campbell (Jaicy Elliot) finds. Working for a publication that needs a new Christmas pitch from her immediately, she wonders where inspiration will strike. Coinciding with this is a phone call she receives from a woman who says she’s the wife of her father. Unwilling to face the past and bring up again the pain her mother felt when her father abandoned them, Campbell ignores this and tries to have the usual happy family Christmas she has with her parents each year. Then her boss sees the research she’s been doing on her father and assuming it’s for her pitch, he becomes interested.
This sends a nervous and reluctant Campbell to Louisiana where her father (Bruce Campbell) is about to take over the traditional duties of Père Noël, the French version of Santa Claus. Using her cover as a journalist to get to know him, she finds being around him not as easy as she may have wished.
TV FILM REVIEW | ‘A CHRISTMAS SPARK’: FAMOUS CO-STARS REUNITE TO STAGE PLAY
🎅🏻‘MY SOUTHERN FAMILY CHRISTMAS’: A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE THAT’S STILL FESTIVE🎅🏻 JAICY ELLIOT RETURNS TO #HALLMARK CO-STARRING WITH BRUCE CAMPBELL. #HALLMARKIES #CHRISTMASMOVIES #HALLMARKCHRISTMASMOVIES Share on XThis is one I really didn’t expect to like. Not for any particular reason, it just didn’t immediately jump out as being something I’d love. Yet I find myself realizing again not to underestimate the movies that don’t seem like they’d be personal favorites. Perhaps part of this reservation is that I saw Jaicy Elliot in her Hallmark debut earlier this year and for some reason she just wasn’t a new favorite. Whether this was her or just the role, I don’t know. But here she’s more of an “at ease” character even with some of those same personality traits. There’s something about her in the role of Campbell that’s easier to like. Perhaps she’s not quite as “aggressive” or “defensive”? Either way, the cast is pretty good. Additionally, it’s lots of fun seeing Bruce Campbell from Burn Notice in this, too.
Like any film that is set in a cultural place, there are Southern traditions and much of the traditions here remind me of another Christmas movie that aired on Lifetime several years ago. Chances are, if you enjoyed that, you may really enjoy this. It’s cute and also reminds me of My Christmas Family Tree with Aimee Teegarden from last year. A film that happened to be one of my favorites from the season. If you like the network or any that I likened this to, you may enjoy My Southern Family Christmas Tree.
Photos: Hallmark Media
Content: the typical TV-G rating applies here. Aside from some emotional baggage (abandonment, addiction, all just through conversation), this one is all the normal TV-G rating.
