If anything, this movie certainly wins the award for longest title. “Time for Me to Come Home for Christmas” or possibly identified by its longer, unabridged title “Time for Single Business Owner and Lonely Country Music Star to Come Home to Oklahoma for Christmas Together” is another one of Hallmark’s patented Christmas Romance movies. This movie stars Megan Park, as business executive Cara, and Josh Henderson, as country music star Heath Sawyer. These two characters are flung together as they both try to return home to Oklahoma in time for Christmas. Heath is the music star living in New York trying to return to his family out of guilt while Cara was in town for business and is now trying to get back in time for Christmas with her father.
They first meet in the Airport where Cara seems to be the only person in the country who doesn’t recognize Heath. In a cute scene, Heath gives Cara an autograph when she was simply letting him know that he was in her seat. Fun scene but apparently Cara never read what Heath wrote nor bothered to wonder why he would suddenly give her his autograph. Perhaps all this is lost in the ensuing moment when Heath accidentally knocks his coffee all over her shirt. Their flight is cancelled and they are rerouted on a flight to Chicago, Cara puts on her award winning entry in the Gaudy Christmas sweater competition and they spend some time sitting and talking at an airport restaurant. Later Heath befriends a young boy, Lex, travelling by himself (Easy prey for successful country music stars). Lex calls Cara over to sit with them because . . . it gets them together and moves the plot along (I mean we ARE in an airport. How much plot can you fill in an airport if our leads are separated?). The flight leaves and they make it to Chicago only to find out their connecting flight to Tulsa has been cancelled due to the weather.
Both of them end up at a historic hotel where Cara jokes about, but doesn’t take seriously, the very REAL possibility that this guy is stalking her. Instead they have dinner together (smart move Cara, he wouldn’t try and kill you in public) where she suddenly learns that Heath is actually a big country music star. Her big tip off is when a bunch of adoring fans ask him to sing for them at the hotel bar. She had previously called her friend Lindsey to brag about meeting handsome Heath but now calls to say she’s given up because handsome Heath is world famous celebrity Heath Sawyer. Despite the fact that Cara walked out on him during his musical interlude the night before, Heath doesn't attempt to reach out to her again until the next morning (20 minutes after she has checked out). All flights are still cancelled but the Hotel clerk directs him to the bus station (where I assume she knows Cara has gone).
Heath enters the bus and finds a seat next to Cara (Betch, if you DIDN’T think he was stalking you before . . . how about now?). They argue over his not telling her who he really was (okay . . . fair point) only to run into an older couple who travels as a country music duo in the seats next to them. The couple has a gig at the next town to sing at their local Christmas festival so Heath agrees and ropes Cara (who has some time in her HS glee club on her resume) into participating. After the event, Heath gets a rental car and invited Cara to travel with him. She refuses but then relents and finds him at a nearby restaurant where they make paper snowflake cutouts to post on the front window and . . . . well . . . start to find Holiday love.
They hit the road to reach Tulsa but end up stranded in a blizzard in Joplin, Missouri. Luckily Heath has an old band mate who lives in Joplin. They eventually makes contact with Nathan (Billy Wickman) who brings them to his home and then leaves them unsupervised with his two young daughters while his ill wife is asleep upstairs. While in some movies, Nathan’s complete lack of responsibility and questionable decision making might lead to a movie of the week involving murder and kidnapping . . . in this case it positions him for 'Father of the Year' as Heath and Cara teach the girls how to sing (for a Christmas gift to their mother) and how to bake a pie. This time with the girls bonds the two leads closer and they exchange gifts later that night. Cara gets a music CD of the couple they met on the bus while Heath gets a harmonica (which he can play perfectly just like the guitar, piano, etc, because he is a musical genius).
That night Cara figures out a way to save her family business (of course). They spend Christmas morning at Nathan’s before Heath drives her home. Cara invites Heath inside where he meets her father. Cara then tells her father that the bank wants them to cut employees but she’s got a plan to save the company with new products. Dad balks so Nathan offers to step up and fund the company. Apparently offering money to any proud Oklahoman is one of the worst mistakes you can make. He is asked to leave and all the country music albums found in the house are then immediately rounded up and tossed into the fireplace (maybe I embellish a bit). Heath returns to his own family but is visibly somber because . . . well . . . . no Cara. After some familial advice, he decides to go see her to apologize. Cara is already in a better mood now because since Heath left, Banker Bob called to say that after trying her new products he will recommend her product line expansion to his bank. Heath arrives, he and Cara smooth things over and they all go over to his giant mansion for the rest of Christmas. The last scene is everyone together by the tree singing Heath's new Christmas song.
I’ll say it, the chemistry was weak. Megan Park is cute but not charismatic and ditto for Josh Henderson. The most interesting character was probably his assistant Liz, played by Lucie Guest, who spends, perhaps, 2 minutes on screen. And is this couple supposed to stay together? It seemed like the only thing they had in common (besides being single) is living in Oklahoma and having a parent die recently. Seems like a solid foundation for a long relationship to me!
I give it a 1.5 out of 5.
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