Story

It’s been 8 years since her mother Molly died and Aimée (Mercy Cornwall) left her home of Mistletoe Ranch to pursue a career in photography. Prior to leaving, Aimée had become engaged to James (Jordi Webber), a ranch hand and her high-school sweetheart. Aimée’s busy life in New York meant that the two grew apart, however, when James decides to cancel the annual Christmas Party at Mistletoe Ranch, Aimée rushes back home to find out why.

When Aimée arrives back, she is dismayed to see that no-one has been living in the main family home, which has been kept in wraps. Aimée also gets to meet James’s daughter, Juniper (Molly Belle Wright). James and Juniper’s Mum have been separated for some time but remain friends. Aimée soon discovers that the ranch is in debt and she is faced with the prospect of having to sell it. She also discovers that she still has feelings for James and he has feelings for her. Aimée has to make a big decision about what direction her life is going to take.

Themes

Christmas; romance; separated families

Violence

There is no violence in Mistletoe Ranch.

Sexual references

Mistletoe Ranch has some sexual references. For example, Aimée and James kiss on a couple of occasions. They also dance closely together, holding each other tightly.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

Mistletoe Ranch has some substance use. For example, alcohol is drunk on several occasions, during dinner, at home and at a party.

Nudity and sexual activity

There’s no nudity and sexual activity in Mistletoe Ranch.

Product placement

There’s no product placement in Mistletoe Ranch.

Coarse language

Mistletoe Ranch has some coarse language, including ‘oh my God’.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Mistletoe Ranch is a romantic family drama with a simple story about the magic of Christmas and the re-kindling of romance. There is no violence and very little scariness in the movie but we recommend parental guidance for under 8’s due to the nature of the film. It also probably wouldn’t hold much interest for younger viewers.

These are the main messages from Mistletoe Ranch:

• You make your own magic.
• There would be no surprises if life remained the same.

Values in Mistletoe Ranch that you could reinforce with your children include the celebration of Christmas, joy and hope, kindness, and forgiveness.

Mistletoe Ranch could also give you the chance to talk with your children about the real-life consequences of losing a parent. Different people deal with grief differently, but the film shows that it always takes time to heal after losing someone you love.