A Bramble House Christmas

Name: A Bramble House Christmas
Genre: Christmas, New Year's, Small Town, Enemies to Lovers, Cute Kid
Released: 2017-01-01
Duration: 1 h 24 min
Rating: 6.8
Cast: Autumn Reeser, David Haydn-Jones, Liam Hughes, Teryl Rothery, Hilary Jardine

6.8/10 · 2,941 ratings20171h 24mChristmasWeirdness 6/10Bingo card

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The premise

Finn Conrad becomes suspicious as to why his father left a nurse, named Willa $100,000, and goes undercover to investigate. When she discovers his true identity, will it keep her from ever trusting him again?

Themes:Second chances Redemption The burden of medical debt Found family Honesty vs. Deception

How unusual is it?

More than most. Santa himself and an enemies-to-lovers arc push it well past the usual Hallmark template — the strangest 18% of everything we've logged.

Who’s in it

Our Girl

Autumn Reeser

as Willa

Our Guy

David Haydn-Jones

as Finn

Alongside them

Show all 10 cast

Behind the camera

Show

Directed by

Steven R. Monroe

Written by

Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

The protagonist is being actively investigated for elder fraud by the love interest.
The B&B owner lies about how she broke her ankle three different times (horseback riding, sledding, laundry).
A nine-year-old boy is an expert on the betting rules of poker thanks to a dying elderly man.

Every trope, all in one place

Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 37 to find more movies that do the same thing.

Why we’d put this one on

Weirdness 6, and a sweeter-than-it-sounds setup. Autumn Reeser is Willa, a struggling single-mom nurse who unexpectedly inherits $100,000 from a grateful patient, and David Haydn-Jones is Finn, the patient's suspicious son who goes undercover at the Bramble House B&B convinced she conned his dad. So yes, the romance blooms while he is secretly investigating her for elder fraud. There is also a B&B owner who gives three different stories for how she broke her ankle. At a lovely 7.1, it is one of the better-rated films in the batch, full of found-family warmth and honest second chances.

How it all plays out

Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

Full story (spoilers)

Willa Fairchild is a healthcare aide in Minneapolis struggling to pay off the medical bills from her son Scout’s life-saving heart surgery. Her life changes when she receives a notice that a late patient, Mr. Conrad, has left her $100,000 and a two-week stay at Bramble House in Oregon. Meanwhile, Mr. Conrad’s children, Finn and Molly, are outraged by the inheritance, believing Willa used 'undue influence' to steal their father's estate. Finn, a famous children's book illustrator who uses the pen name Finn Knightly, travels to Oregon to go undercover and find evidence to support a legal injunction against Willa. At Bramble House, Finn meets Willa and Scout, who happens to be a massive fan of Finn's 'Everyday Sam' books. Finn hides his true last name (Conrad) and observes Willa’s character. He finds that instead of a con artist, Willa is a compulsive caretaker who helps the B&B owner, Mable, manage the property after an injury. Finn begins to bond with Scout, teaching him how to ice skate—a skill Mr. Conrad had mentioned with regret regarding his own estranged children. Willa reveals to Finn that Mr. Conrad’s greatest regret was leaving his family, and that he gave her the money specifically to give Scout a second chance at life. As a romance blossoms between Finn and Willa, Finn realizes his father wasn't being swindled but was trying to do one last good deed. However, his sister Molly arrives, impatient for results. She confronts Willa, revealing Finn’s true identity as Greg Conrad Jr. and their initial plan to sue her. Devastated by the deception, Willa prepares to leave Bramble House immediately. Finn and Molly then discover an old photo of their father as a happy child at Bramble House, realizing the trip was a gift of his own favorite memories. Finn intercepts Willa at the town's Christmas tree, delivers a heartfelt apology, and asks for a second chance. Willa forgives him, decides to take a permanent job helping Mable run the B&B, and the film ends with the group celebrating a 'Bramble House Christmas' together as a new family unit.

Beat by beat

Opening
Willa receives a $100,000 inheritance and a trip to Oregon from her late patient, Mr. Conrad.
Inciting Incident
Finn Conrad, the patient's son, arrives at Bramble House undercover to prove Willa is a fraud.
Midpoint
Finn bonds with Scout over ice skating and realizes Willa used her savings for Scout's heart surgery.
Climax
Finn's sister Molly arrives and reveals Finn's true identity, causing Willa to flee in heartbreak.
Resolution
Finn apologizes at the town Christmas tree, and Willa decides to stay in Bramble to run the B&B with Mable.

37 tropes in one movie

We counted 37 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

The backstory

A Bramble House Christmas is a 2017 American-Canadian romantic drama. It was directed by Steven R. Monroe and starred Autumn Reeser and David Haydn-Jones. It premiered on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries on November 19, 2017.

From Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Higher-rated than 81% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog A Bramble House Christmas belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

BINGOSomeone goes undercover hunting for fraudSomeone gets flustered during small talkA shared errand turns into bondingA genuine Christmas miracleA musical number or live performanceThe two leads are forced to work togetherA cosy interior full of warm lightingA quiet moment under string lightsA boy fawns over a childrens book illustratorA warm hug that lingersA cute dog or catA best friend who has all the answers★A second chance worth takingA character gives up the city for the small townA pep talk that changes everythingA cup of cocoa, coffee or ciderThe leads start out at oddsTalk of an estranged fathers regretsA misunderstanding nearly ruins everythingA calendar reminder raises the stakesA guest checks in under a fake nameSomeone changes career for love or familyIce skating lessons on the pondA big public romantic gesture

Hallmark Bingo

Your A Bramble House Christmas card is dealt.

Twenty-four squares pulled from this movie’s own quirks — the cosy classics, a few only-in-this-one curveballs, and a couple of decoys. Mark them as you watch.

Open your card

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

“You're not a nurse. You're a caretaker. I mean, just look what you've done around here. It's not a job to you. It's who you are.”
— FinnFinn realizing Willa's true nature while they have tea.
“Leaving his children was the biggest regret of his life.”
— WillaWilla explaining Mr. Conrad's feelings to his son, who doesn't realize she knows his father.
“I just don't understand people who can't see what's right in front of them.”
— Ken (Santa)Ken venting about his 20-year unrequited crush on Mable.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

Willa Fairchild
Lead
Healthcare Aide
SelflessHardworkingProtectiveCaretaker
Finn Knightly (Greg Conrad Jr.)
Love interest
Illustrator
Undercover investigator turned lover
Guilt-riddenArtisticDeceptiveKind-hearted
Molly Conrad
Antagonist
Love interest's sister
SkepticalProtectiveAggressive
Scout Fairchild
Supporting
Student
Son
ResilientBookwormObservant
Mable Bramble
Supporting
B&B Owner
Host and future business partner
StubbornIndependentProud

Questions people ask about A Bramble House Christmas

Where can I watch A Bramble House Christmas?

A Bramble House Christmas is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is A Bramble House Christmas?

A Bramble House Christmas runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2017.

Is A Bramble House Christmas a Christmas movie?

Yes. A Bramble House Christmas is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.

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