The Good Witch's Charm

Name: The Good Witch's Charm
Item: The Good Witch's Charm
Rating: 4
Author: Emily Ashby

Movie review by

Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media

The Good Witch's Charm Movie Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 7+

(i)

Sweet TV movie sequel has cross-generational appeal.

NR
2014
82 minutes

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A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

Educational Value

This title intends to entertain rather than to educate, but it illustrates positive themes like honesty, respect, and valuing strong family relationships.

Positive Messages

Making good choices merits positive rewards. Teens run afoul of the law and break people's trust, but they own up to their mistakes and face the consequences. A woman's compassion for others helps her know how to best help them work through their troubles. Long-held tensions between family members are resolved with communication and open-mindedness. Strong family ties help each member cope with the challenges in his or her life and give reason to celebrate life's little victories.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Parents are models of patience, cooperation, and understanding, which encourages their children's honesty with them. A teen faces a difficult choice that challenges her moral beliefs, but her decision reflects the strong values instilled in her by her family.

Violence & Scariness

The town is experiencing a non-violent crime spree. In one scene, a police officer chases a robbery suspect before he gets away.

Sexy Stuff

Adult couples kiss and are shown lying in bed, but there are no sexual themes.

Language

Consumerism

This is the fifth installment in a series of Hallmark movies, so viewers may be enticed to watch the previous titles after taking in this one. Brand logos like Apple are visible, but not a disruption to the story.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that The Good Witch's Charm is the fifth in a series of Hallmark movies about a kind-hearted woman who charms everyone she meets with her ability to sense people's needs. This story offers friendly themes similar to those in the previous titles and celebrates relationships, family, and communication. Cassie's ability to see the good in everyone has surprising results for a few of the characters and speaks to the healing power of treating others with respect. Young kids may have some worries over parts of the story that chronicle the town's crime spree, but with some assurance from you and the eventual positive outcomes, this storyline offers a special opportunity to talk with your kids about doing the right thing even when it's not the easy thing.

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What's the story?

THE GOOD WITCH'S CHARM opens with Cassie Nightingale (Catherine Bell) juggling her multiple roles as town mayor, business owner, loving wife to Jake (Chris Potter), and devoted mother to her stepdaughter, Lori (Hannah Endicott-Douglas), and her newborn daughter, Grace. With time together a precious commodity, the family is looking forward to their upcoming vacation, but a recent crime wave in the town means that Jake's working overtime at the police station, and Cassie is under increased pressure from worried citizens. To complicate matters further, Cassie's estranged foster mother, Doris (Janet-Laine Green), arrives in town unannounced, and Lori strikes up a friendship with a couple of teens with questionable motives. It will take every trick in this Good Witch's bag to set things right in her town and safeguard her family's time with each other amid all these outside pressures.

Is it any good?

Fans returning to this delightful movie series will especially revel in The Good Witch's Charm. They'll enjoy watching Cassie's character evolve under the strain of being a working mom, caring for a newborn, and being married to the town's busy go-to guy. There's no cause for panic, though; inasmuch as she's met with a new set of challenges -- including repairing her relationship with her foster mom -- this Good Witch still manages to fill everyone's needs not by solving their problems outright, but by intuitively and compassionately providing them with the tools they need to do it themselves.

This family worthy movie is rich in heartwarming themes that celebrate the positive aspects of relationships, communication, and honesty. Each character muddles through a personal dilemma of his or her own, but it's how they lean on each other during the tough times that offers the most inspirational messages for viewers of all ages. If you're watching with your kids, be sure to draw special attention to the teens' storyline and how each one comes to make positive decisions because of the relationships in his or her life.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about making good choices. Which characters face tough choices in this story? How might you have done things differently in their shoes? What did their decisions say about their moral character?
Kids: How does Cassie differ from other witches you've seen in movies? Is there anything truly magical about her? How does she use the gifts she has to help others? What special gifts do you have that you can use to do the same?
What are some of the biggest challenges your family faces? How do your outside activities affect your time together? How do you ensure that you don't become disconnected?