Christmas at the Cabin Movie Review | Faith, Family & Grace at Christmas

Do you love Christmas?

Do you dread Christmas?

Do you both love and dread Christmas?

For many of us, it is a combination of the two. The magic of Christmas is something that I look forward to all year. It is that anticipation of the nostalgia, the memories, and the need to make everything perfect that creates pressure, and therefore, dread.

Add to that family expectations... and well, what should be a joyful gathering for the birth of Jesus becomes tense moments, sniping about where the tinsel looks best and who makes Grandma's famous fudge recipe best.

The Story Behind 'Christmas at the Cabin

Sound familiar? Welcome to the heart of "Christmas at the Cabin" a heartfelt film that addresses all of these issues in a sweet, humorous way.

Married couple, Josh and Michelle, head to Josh's family's cabin for a quiet family Christmas. Having had a huge blow at work, Michelle needs to unwind, and Josh would like romance. Quickly, we find our first obstacle -- Michelle's sister, Poppy, is along for the ride. Within minutes, our fourth is added, Guy (yes, his name is "Guy) -- Josh's old college buddy, and seeming nemesis to Michelle, and our table is set for gravy passing with a huge side of passive-aggressive tension.

There are many elements at play in the story, and I won't play spoiler here. I will share what I found most important to me. There was a discussion of faith that spoke to me. Josh and Michelle have a strong faith coming into the story.  Michelle wears hers like a badge. We learn that Guy believes she has kept Josh from him, and Poppy feels judged. As the story progresses, we see another side to this armor through Josh, and our fifth latecomer character, Luke, who rides up on Trigger (I kid you not. I shall not ruin that moment). 

Faith, Family, and the Gift of Grace

I come from a background of faith, and have faith. I also come from a family who have different volumes of faith. I have a quiet faith and felt judged by my "louder" family. Therefore, I liked this discussion of faith. Michelle is wound very tight, and didn't give very much grace. She made it hard to see faith in others if it didn't fit her expectations. On the flip side, those around her didn't show her much grace despite her extensive efforts to give them a "perfect" Christmas. 

In the end, the greatest gift they gave each other was grace, and to see how beautifully imperfect they all were. If you have surmised that it all ends well, and after a string of antics, everyone is happy around the tree. The answer is yes. No spoiler alert needed. It is a Christmas movie, after all. It is special, however, because it looks at family and faith with a sense of kindness and embrace. Something this world could use a little more of.

A Heartwarming Christmas Message

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The film opens on November 14th. Find out more here.

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