The Thanksgiving House (2013 TV Movie) User Reviews (13)

Easily the best Hallmark Channel original movie of the 2013 Holiday season

[LateScribe · 7/10 · 27 December 2013]

The Thanksgiving House is the story of a character's transformation (leading her down the path of forgiveness, to a rebirth, and the embrace of a genuine and unassuming love), all that from her contact with remarkable people.

Mary Ross, a successful Boston lawyer, inherits a Plymouth house from her aunt and goes to the "country" with her boyfriend Rick to make an "inventory" of what's been handed down to her. Enters Everett Mather, a local high school history teacher who has been looking for the site of the first Thanksgiving since his teenage years...

Aside from Rick and every subplot involving him, the movie is a gentle and smooth ride toward an equally subdued ending. The house in the title is connected to the female lead in ways that explain who she has become both emotionally and professionally. Emily Rose portrays Mary Ross superbly. She is as aloof and detached as ever, with only the occasional display of emotion, but her work would not have been enough to put the movie above the fray this season if not for Everett's parents. The two experienced actor and actress made every scene count and were appropriately used by the story to nudge Mary toward the right emotions and decisions. They provided the kind of relationship she needed to see to understand that she could aspire to something better with her own father and in her own love life. From watching Everett's parents who welcomed her in their lives in an endearing way, she could see she didn't have to settle for what she had and could contemplate working to improve her own little family and look for a better companion. This process was filled with little gems, like when Everett's mother ignored the burgeoning bickering and brought her cookies and then gently forced herself into the house for a chat, or when Parker Mather welcomed her back to their home in a way that really made her feel welcome.

The story allowed Mary to interact substantially with Everett and his parents without any of it appearing forced down our throats (or hers for that matter), and the love story (yes there was one), was so subdued that those who expected direct statements and a big kiss before the curtain might have been disappointed. The movie chose to rely on little moments and innuendos, a choice that fitted well with the casting of Emily Rose. The evolution of the relationship was followed exclusively through her point of view, via her interaction with her assistant Victoria and close-ups of their faces. Mary Ross gradually warmed up to Everett and her Olive branch to her father wasn't at all as awkward as it could have been.

I understand why, in a way, Rick (the boyfriend) had to be so "beneath" her. Given where she was emotionally, a boyfriend was just for "dating" and arguably chosen solely for that purpose. Still, that relationship (in which they never seemed to spend the night under the same roof) made for the only awkward scenes in the movie. My only other beef with the story is the science behind Everett's research, but that is a minor quibble.

I liked how The Thanksgiving House gently brought its leads together, how its female lead found her way back to herself, and how she arguably fell in love with the whole Mather family...

Emily Rose Fan

[mattmccarthy75-583-101488 · 5/10 · 3 November 2013]

Hallmark, there are doing a good job. We have a family night with Hallmark movie's (DVR)

I give the actors an A+ the storyline B-. I'm a fan of Emily Rose & hope to see her in some more Hallmark movie's soon. there are some details or oops in the movie. I'm OK with the location's & the time of year they shot the movie. there's a lot to work around when the actors have other projects in the works.

but we got lost at the end & played it again. we still don't understand "should I open the letter" what letter? I think they made an oops in the storyline at the end. but it's still a Good Movie & Hallmark always has a happy ending.

I Like the Actors, But...

[boblipton · 6/10 · 2 November 2013]

Emily Rose's great-aunt has just died and left Emily her house in Plymouth. Justin Bruening is an amateur archaeologist who has proof that the house is the site of the first Thanksgiving. It's a good set-up for a Hallmark romantic comedy and they carry it out nicely, aided by a supporting cast whose characters all know each other. No one is obnoxious; they simply want different things and that causes the conflicts. This is the definition of a good work of fiction, in which the story arises from character.

The plot is good, the writing is good and the actors are good. However, while I wish all Hallmark romcoms were as good as this, I have some issues with the production that will probably strike most people as too picky. One is the fact that all of these people are natives of Massachusetts and only Adam Kaufman has even the faintest trace of a Yankee accent; he sounds like he comes from South Boston.

The other is that they might have shot this in Massachusetts in the fall. While there are some setting helicopter shots to establish that, yes, this is Boston and yes, this is Plymouth, they clearly shot the exteriors some place else in the late spring. I spotted some tulips that looked like June and while dead leaves are scattered around, there is no sign of autumn colors. The credits indicate Simi Valley.

These are, as I said, niggling issues. Nonetheless, they prevent it from being much more than average good.

I like it

[Kirpianuscus · 10 September 2022]

I admitt : I like it . Not exactly for romance but for inspired details , well used, wise crafted.

First, I am history teacher and the work of Justin Bruening reminds to me moments and scees from past years, past generations and the passion of not real wealthy man of school to his vocation.

Second, for the presence and fair job of veterans, Lindsay Wagner ( beautiful at whole ), Bruce Boxleitner and Jack Scalia being the good examples in this case.

For characters, main characters , well acted, alive , realistic and proposing in nice way sensitive themes, from family and relation with father after divorce of parents to the sentimental relations, role of gossips and manipulation and ...bugs in Washington DC. And, sure, the responsability for cultural legacy.

In short, just a beautiful Hallmark film. In some measure, a good surprise. To the end, obvious, more that.

Too bad they didn't aim just a bit higher

[Irie212 · 6/10 · 15 November 2014]

Thanksgiving has a special interest for me, or I might not have watched "The Thanksgiving House," which is an exceptionally well made chick flick. In it, the romance at the center also serves as metaphor, because it has a weighty theme: about sitting down to dinner with someone who might, or might not, be your enemy.

My regret is that more parallels weren't drawn between our modern Thanksgivings and the legendary first one, because more interesting similarities were there to be drawn, and the movie would have been richer for suggesting them-- and I do mean suggesting, very lightly suggesting, because this isn't a documentary.

Briefly, the plot revolves around the land occupied by a house at 825 Mayflower Road in Plymouth, Mass. (fictional address, of course), which a local historian/archaeologist named Mather suspects was the site of the legendary first Thanksgiving. The house now belongs to a lawyer named Mary, and the movie opens with a scene in her law office, where she exposes a man in his attempt at insurance fraud. So she's in the business of finding the truth, which is good, but as a lawyer, her real motives are serving her client, keeping the firm profitable, and climbing the corporate ladder. Right there we have a parallel: are the hard truths about early American history something we want exposed, at the expense of our more immediate day-to-day motives and beliefs? After all, to many Native Americans in New England and around the country, Thanksgiving is considered a "Day of Mourning."

After that scene, I expected a connection to a larger theme: exposing the myth that has been built up around that original Thanksgiving, a myth that buries the truth about colonists and pilgrims who, after that one-time feast in 1621, were less likely to dine together than to scalp each other. (Yes, Europeans scalped Indians. In fact, colonial leaders placed a bounty on scalps, which encouraged the practice so much that even Native children were scalped for the money. Indians used scalping as proof of a kill in battle.)

Little true history is revealed, which is fair enough: little is known about the first Thanksgiving. (Indeed, there are competing "first" claims from Virginia and Florida, among others.) There is a classroom scene, in which a teacher talks about the Wampanoag sitting down with pilgrims to give thanks, and a student asks "How'd that work out for the Wampanoag?" The teacher somberly, evasively replies, "In the long run, not so well."

Not so well... that's putting it mildly. But the truth is not chick- flick material, and I therefore appreciate that such a scene was included at all. I only wish there had been more such references, necessarily oblique, to America's "aboriginal sin," as it is called. The film could also, for example, have had a passing remark about the fact there was only ever that one Thanksgiving, in 1621. Indians and pilgrims became enemies. Another missed opportunity, an important one given the house which is at the center of the plot: Indians did not hold private land, so a point could have been made about how Mary comes from the European heritage of land-owning, so she does not even want an archaeological examination of her property. How she comes to share her property would have made a useful food-for-thought parallel.

And speaking of food, here, for what it is worth, is my special interest in Thanksgiving. I am a part of an initiative called Thanksgiving Table, which encourages all North Americans to add a Native American element to their Thanksgiving feast.

Not a bad little time-killer! Suitably poignant, too. But...!

[Carycomic · 6/10 · 22 November 2017]

...I do have a bone or two to pick with this film.

No, I'm not talking about other thanksgivings that preceded the famous one held by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags. Like, the one at Jamestown, Virginia, for instance. Or one even earlier (and further south) than that, held by some grateful conquistadors, in Mexico!

My nitpicks are centered around the elements of realism Hallmark tried to interject into the film.

First, there are the documents Everett shows to Mary. To the best of my knowledge, the 17th-century spelling of Plymouth was "P-l-i-m-o-u-t-h." Yet, the modern spelling is clearly visible on at least a couple of those Xeroxes!

Then, there's the climate.

When Everett is swinging Mary on that reproduction of her childhood plank-seat swing, at the conclusion, the shrubs still have an abundant profusion of green leaves on them. There's not one multi-colored tree leaf on the lawn. And Mary, herself, is wearing a glorified sun dress!

As a born-and-bred Connecticut Yankee, I can tell you for a fact that New England was cold and blustery on Thanksgiving Day, 2013. So, either this movie was filmed in the Mediterranean-like climate of Plymouth, California. Or (assuming they shot it on location, in Massachusetts, at all) it was filmed during the summer months.

Yet, in spite of the aforementioned nitpicks, it proved a suitably poignant movie, as I said before. So, anybody with a greater power to suspend disbelief than me...will no doubt enjoy watching it.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! :-)

Not bad, but not watching again.

[MIssM19 · 5/10 · 29 January 2017]

When I first started the movie I though "Well, this girl has everything, a good job, a boyfriend who is not an idiot, and she seems happy with it" Ha, couldn't be more wrong. I really checked this, the main character, "Mary" doesn't ACTUALLY smile until the movie reached the hour (maybe a small grin before).

I read a review in which it was stated that there is nothing about thanksgiving and it's all about the romance, let me tell you something: WRONG. I think that the main plot here is Mary trying to enjoy Thanksgiving again after what happened with her parents. And it's done thanks to the memories in the house her aunt left her. The romance can be considered a sub plot.

Speaking of subplot, I found Rick's and Ashley's subplot totally useless. Why Hallmark, why? For once I though the boyfriend was not going to be an idiot, and maybe he wasn't at all, he was doing suggestions to Mary about what to do with the house - It was none of his business though - but all he was thinking was profit. And it can clearly be seen that those two were not in a happy relationship.

Despite a few things, the plot was okay, so were the characters. I was a bit annoyed at times with Mary, but Everett made up for her, he is ADORABLE, and so passionate about Thanksgiving and the house however I didn't feel any chemistry between the actors.

I don't know if it's because we don't celebrate this holiday in my country or that I didn't feel anything with the movie because of all the things mentioned above but i'm definitely not watching this again. Maybe it's worth the watch, only once on a boring afternoon.

Good Thanksgiving Movie

[Terryfan · 8/10 · 6 November 2015]

Hallmark does have a good history of airing original movies that are good. Which is why I like to watch them when I can

The Thanksgiving House is one of those films you can actually sit down and watch to appreciate for it's original plot and acting which is what Hallmark is known to do.

With the cast being: Emily Rose,Justin Bruening,Julia Jones,Lindsay Wagner,Bruce Boxleitner,Cerina Vincent,Adam Kaufman,Jack Scalia each one help tell the story of the movie Emily's performance stands out the most because her character stuck out the most with Justin's performance coming in second. Cerina's character really shows out to be the bad apple in terms

The music was wonderful it was everything you would want in a movie like this and then some I just enjoy the score all together it was peaceful and joyful it set the tone of the movie. The setting is good as well.

Overall I enjoy the story, the acting and the music it just really good to have a Thanksgiving theme movie I give The Thanksgiving House an 8 out of 10

Where's the likability?

[Tug-3 · 1/10 · 25 October 2020]

This movie takes a solid forty minutes to give us our first glimpse of Mary, the main character, being at all likable or kind to anyone. Before this occurs, she takes pleasure in crushing insurance claims, smugly proclaims that she has no interest in her family, dates a sleazeball with a personalized license plate that says MO MONEY, and responds to any other characters with sneers and sarcasm--even her assistant / best friend (?).

It's one thing if she's supposed to be a Scrooge who is eventually redeemed, but the movie treats her as if we're supposed to like her right away. She gets the same empathetic treatment as any other Hallmark movie heroine, when she's obviously the kind of person we'd all avoid in real life.

Everett, the charming, passionate archeologist, falls for Mary for reasons that are completely inexplicable. She is outright cruel to him. Actually, all the women in his life are cruel to him. He should move away from Plymouth.

I did enjoy one line in the movie, when Bruce Boxleitner advises his son to "go digital." I really hope that was a Tron in-joke.

Totally Enjoyed The Thanksgiving House

[hobno-52698 · 9/10 · 29 October 2015]

I liked the aspect of combining historic sentiment with this Holiday. This movie also had several underlying themes and I totally enjoyed the greedy boyfriend getting his "do" while riding off into the sunset with his greedy "sidekick". Family values and the family setting are shown as true to life - all families have their issues. It is always good to look at the other side of the "coin" and this movie weaves "food for thought" into the plot. What better holiday to "bring home the family values while respecting history". It showed that the busy grind of today and money over family is not always alive and well. Today the lifestyle is losing traditions and any traditions like Thanksgiving need to be kept alive and kicking. It also gave me thought as to the real history of the first Thanksgiving and made be want to go to New England again. I wish this movie would come out on DVD. So glad Hallmark has autumn and Thanksgiving movies!

NO thanks!

[adoptshelterpetstoday · 1/10 · 22 December 2014]

When the 2013 previews aired, I could hardly wait to see another new great Hallmark movie with a seasonal theme!

HA!

Much to my surprise and great dismay,"The Thanksgiving House" was lousy!

In retrospect, it was actually the fore-runner...the predictor...the warning...of Hallmark's 2013 line of lousy new Christmas movies to come!...(which continued in to 2014).

Considering readers have already read the plot above, I was disappointed that this movie ONLY had a minute relationship to T/g...that the house was questioningly built over the site of the first T/g feast......wow.

It was if they had to throw something in about T/g for the reason of the title...the title that alluded to the movie primarily having a T/g plot.....BUT it was nothing more than a romance...and NOT a charming one at all.

ALL of the players' parts and acting were of course consistent with the plot: pointless and boring.

I always watch the new disappointing seasonal movies at least twice for a fair judgment...but this disappointing movie did not improve. It never became enjoyable as is.

The First Thanksgiving was not at Plymouth, Mass

[ebutlergee · 2 November 2016]

This sweet film has everything going for it...good cast and writing and a cozy theme. But it is marred for this Virginia native by the film's assertion that the "first" Thanksgiving occurred in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

In fact, the first Thanksgiving occurred in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia when the first colonists to colonize what we now know as America arrived in three ships: The Discovery, The Godspeed and the Susan Constant. One of the first things the colonists did was to have a Christian service of Holy Communion and Thanksgiving. They also befriended the Native American tribes in the area and shared meals together. It is important that our media accurately reflect actual American history. Hallmark has an obligation to have said, "the first Thanksgiving in the Massachusetts colony" which would have been the truth and would not have detracted from the film's theme.

Another unpleasant Hallmark babe

[dtdenver-987-925546 · 4/10 · 15 November 2018]

One has to wonder how much tolerance would be given these unpleasant Hallmark girls if they were fat and ugly. I don't think there would be a happy Hallmark ending because the hot Hallmark guys wouldn't give ugly girls the time of day.

As far as this particular movie - if the Hallmark girl is so unswervingly loyal to her aunt's memory, why hasn't she been around for a couple decades? The woman she was so fond of evidently died without her family at her side.

Massachusetts at the end of November? There wouldn't be a leafy green tree in sight. People would be bundled up - not flashing cleavage. But as usual - beautiful Hallmark house.