Girls don’t want much; they just want a secret family castle they can inherit in Scotland. Hallmark’s A Merry Scottish Christmas is more of a family affair and a story about second chances than a new budding romance. Still, it does well where it can, giving us two relationships to root for at the price of one.
A Merry Scottish Christmas goes out of its way to mend broken familial bonds when Josephine Morgan (Fiona Bell) invites her estranged son and daughter, Lindsay (Lacey Chabert) and Brad (Scott Wolf), to spend Christmas at Glencrave Castle, surprising them with the revelation that she’s a duchess whose abandoned her family roots. On paper, the majority of this plot works—it’s intriguing and slightly more unique than other premises, even when things like this have been done before. But the execution and pacing fumble at parts.
Now, while all Hallmark Christmas movies don’t have to focus exclusively on romance, the movie would’ve been far more riveting if we didn’t have the estranged sibling dynamic on top of the parental one. We already know that most city employees in these films have demanding jobs that keep them away from their families, and having the mom vs. the kids followed by kids vs. each other made the dynamics awkward a bit, taking away from the bigger picture of what makes Glencrave worth it. Wolf and Chabert already have a great rapport playing siblings, which could’ve made the film better if they weren’t trying to mend their broken bond on top of all the others.
When we have a rocky marriage plot, it’s easier to put aside the details we don’t know about their origins to believe in their second chance at love. For this reason, Brad and Sarah’s (Kellie Blaise) arc is one of the film’s most substantial parts, giving viewers a solid showcase of the importance of communication. Lindsay and Mac’s (James Robinson) budding romance, however, needed a bit of work, especially if we are meant to believe the dramatic “turn the car around” ending we get after spending so much time on why goodbyes are imperative. Yes, we get pieces here and there, but it’s not enough to believe that this can last, and isn’t that the point of these films?
However, A Merry Scottish Christmas still works for a myriad of reasons, and the family dynamic is at the top of the list, more so Josephine’s relationship with her now-deceased brother, Danny, the former duke. It’s easy to understand why Josephine abandons her family when she is young and why she runs from her responsibilities. It’s also easy to believe in her regrets and the earnest desire to make matters right again. It’s also wholly heartwarming when we get confirmation through an unsent letter that not only did her brother receive her final letter, but he forgives her, too. It’s this moment in the entire film that feels so genuine and honest that it makes the entire thing worth it.
Of course, there’s also the matter of Scotland in and of itself. We have to give filmmakers and casting directors props for casting Scottish actors in the roles of locals instead of making American actors put on horrible accents that would’ve instantly made me turn off the film. It’s happened, and it’s tragic. With this detail, not only do the characters come off as more nuanced and believable but Scottish customs and people are honored beautifully. The whole cast, in every way, shines best, making the film one worthy of checking out this year.
A Merry Scottish Christmas is now streaming on Frndly TV.