The Good Witch's Family

Name: The Good Witch's Family
Genre: Small Town, Magic/Wishes, Psychic/Visions, Supernatural, Cute Kid
Released: 2011-01-01
Duration: 1 h 23 min
Rating: 7
Cast: Catherine Bell, Chris Potter, Catherine Disher, Sarah Power, Hannah Endicott-Douglas

7.0/10 · 2,234 ratings20111h 23mWeirdness 8/10Bingo card

Search Amazon.com

See all viewing options

Where to watch

Viewing options in

Search Amazon.com

Amazon

Search Amazon.com for this title. Availability varies by country.

Search Amazon.com

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The premise

The mayor plans a bridge. Demonstrations for and against gives Sheriff Jake plenty to do. His wife, the witch Cassie, is chosen to run for mayor. Cassie's evil cousin visits.

Themes:family roots community preservation forgiveness intuition vs. manipulation

How unusual is it?

Very. Magic, psychic/visions and an actual miracle all turn up in one movie — the strangest 7% of everything we've logged.

Who’s in it

Our Girl

Catherine Bell

as Cassandra Nightingale

Our Guy

Chris Potter

as Jake Russell

You’ve seen this pairing before: Catherine Bell and Chris Potter have made 7 Hallmark movies together.

Alongside them

Show all 10 cast

Behind the camera

Show

Directed by

Craig Pryce

Written by

Wait, what?

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

The use of 'chemistry in a bottle' perfume to manipulate teenagers
Cassie's ability to predict visitors and events through 'intuition'
A magical compass that points in the wrong direction to guide people to their destiny
The 'Gray Lady' ancestor portrait that seems to watch the characters

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 33 to find more movies that do the same thing.

Why we’d put this one on

Weirdness 8 and a treat for Good Witch devotees. Catherine Bell's Cassie Nightingale, now married to Sheriff Jake (Chris Potter), runs for mayor to stop a bridge project just as her resentful, manipulative cousin Abigail (Sarah Power) blows into Middleton. The fun is Cassie's signature low-key magic, which the show never fully confirms or denies: a perfume billed as "chemistry in a bottle," a compass that points the wrong way on purpose to guide you to your destiny, and a Gray Lady portrait that seems to be watching. It is gentle, witchy, small-town comfort. A great pick if you love a heroine whose superpower is unnervingly good intuition.

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)

The film begins with Abigail Pershing being evicted from her apartment, leading her to seek out her only remaining family: her cousin Cassie Nightingale in Middleton. Upon arrival, Abigail is welcomed into the home Cassie shares with her husband, Police Chief Jake Russell, and his children, Brandon and Lori. Meanwhile, the town is divided over a proposed bridge and annexation project supported by Mayor Tom Tinsdale but opposed by his wife Martha and Cassie. Cassie decides to run for mayor to preserve the town's identity, while Abigail begins subtly sabotaging the family. She gives Lori a 'magical' perfume to manipulate a boy named Wes, causing a rift between Lori and Brandon. Abigail also manipulates Deputy Derek into running for mayor against Cassie and steals his campaign speech, leading Tom to believe Jake is responsible for the theft. This political tension results in Tom firing Jake from the police force. As the family begins to fracture, Cassie realizes that Abigail's behavior stems from childhood trauma and the mistaken belief that Cassie's parents abandoned her mother. During a town meeting, Jake reveals that the bridge project is actually a front for developers to build a mega-mall that would destroy Main Street. Tom realizes his mistake, Derek withdraws from the race, and Cassie is elected mayor. Cassie confronts Abigail with a family photo, proving their parents were close until a fatal accident separated them. Abigail is moved by the truth and reconciles with the family before leaving town. The movie concludes with Lori's 16th birthday party, where Cassie reveals to Jake that she is pregnant, adding a new branch to the family tree.

Beat by beat

Opening
Abigail Pershing is evicted and decides to find her cousin Cassie in Middleton.
Inciting Incident
Cassie decides to run for mayor to stop the annexation and bridge project, while Abigail arrives and begins manipulating the family.
Midpoint
Abigail encourages Derek to run for mayor against Cassie and steals his speech, leading to Jake being fired by Mayor Tom.
Climax
Jake reveals the bridge project is a scheme for a mega-mall; the town turns against the annexation, and Cassie is elected mayor.
Resolution
Cassie reconciles with Abigail by showing her the truth about their parents' past, and Abigail leaves on good terms.
Ending
At Lori's birthday party, Cassie reveals she is pregnant with her and Jake's first child.

Did you know?

A few things that make this one stand out once you stack it up against every other Hallmark movie.

At a weirdness score of 8, it lands among the strangest 7% of Hallmark movies we've scored.

Top 7% weirdest

Out of every Hallmark movie we've scored, this one lands among the strangest 7%.

The backstory

Filmed in Hamilton.

The Good Witch's Family is a 2011 Canadian/American family film and Hallmark Channel original movie written by G. Ross Parker and directed by Craig Pryce, The film stars Catherine Bell, Chris Potter, Catherine Disher, Matthew Knight, and Paul Miller. Family is the fourth film in the Good Witch film series.

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 91% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog The Good Witch's Family belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

The Good WitchPart of the 12-film The Good Witch series.

BINGOSomeone gets flustered during small talkSomeone changes career for love or familyA calendar reminder raises the stakesA big event everyone is preparing forA long-lost cousin turns up uninvitedA scenic spot becomes their meeting placePlans get derailed by the weatherA scene-stealing cute kidSomeone decorates a Christmas treeSomeone predicts a visitor before arrivingA class or family reunionA heart-to-heart on a porch or bench★Something magical or supernatural happensA best friend who has all the answersA rival is nudged into running tooA second chance worth takingA shared errand turns into bondingThe town splits over a bridge projectThe town pulls together for one of its ownA famous celebrity character appearsA warm hug that lingersThe police chief gets pulled into politicsSomeone cooks or bakes on screenSomeone apologises and means it

Hallmark Bingo

Your The Good Witch's Family 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 can travel a great distance by sitting very still and thinking very deep thoughts.”
— Cassie NightingaleExplaining the purpose of her sitting room to Lori.
“Sometimes the words find you.”
— Cassie NightingaleEncouraging Brandon and Lori regarding their songwriting.
“I'm ready... For a little twig on the top of that family tree.”
— Jake RussellTelling Cassie he is ready to have a baby together.

Meet the characters

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

Cassie Nightingale
Lead
Shop Owner and Mayor-elect
intuitivecalmnurturingmysterious
Jake Russell
Love interest
Chief of Police
Husband
protectiveprincipledskeptical
Abigail Pershing
Antagonist
Unemployed / Matchmaker
Cousin
manipulativeresentfulcharmingtroubled
Martha Tinsdale
Supporting
Community Leader
Friend and Campaign Manager
dramaticopinionatedloyal
Lori Russell
Supporting
Student
Step-daughter
creativeimpressionablekind

Questions people ask about The Good Witch's Family

Where can I watch The Good Witch's Family?

The Good Witch's Family is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

Is there a sequel to The Good Witch's Family?

Yes. The Good Witch's Family is followed by The Good Witch's Charm.

How long is The Good Witch's Family?

The Good Witch's Family runs about 1 hour and 23 minutes, and was released in 2011.

Browse all movies

If you liked this one, you’ll probably like these. The chips show what they have in common.