Fifteen years later, Holly (Candace Cameron Bure) is all grown up and living a materially successful life in Boston. Her dad continues to urge her to return home after a three-year absence despite her claims that she’s an important member of her advertising firm. After what was supposed to be a romantic evening under the stars with housekeeper, Ginny (Barbara Niven), Nick injures himself, requiring Holly’s swift return home to care for him. Upon her arrival, Holly discovers none of her father’s injuries are as serious as he claimed, but a genuine cause for concern emerges from her realization that her father’s life’s work is in jeopardy. Can a small town and a will to succeed help them? And what happens when Holly reconnects with a first crush?

With the start of a new holiday season, many companies have released Christmas titles that aired on television stations last year. This newcomer is sweet, but also annoyingly clichéd: a character having the name “Holly” in a Christmas tale has been w-a-y overused, as has the whole conflicting relationship between Santa and his daughter. Of the other movies released, this wasn’t in my “top” spot to be excited about and while it was cute by its own rights, I’ve a feeling it will be rather low on lists of favorites. There isn’t much to be said about this syrupy treat that hasn’t already been said. The heroine is a perky, blond who poignantly comes to have a desire to recreate her childhood while her father wonderfully realizes he’s just as much at fault in their estrangement as his daughter. The romances are kept innocently sweet, with a bad-guy rival thrown in to complete an otherwise copycat script. There isn’t much to be concerned about if you find this to rent at your local video store. A father and daughter often are found at odds and disagree. Holly is a bit curt with people who only are trying to help or recall a previous meeting. There are a handful of innocent kisses. A disagreeable child complains about Santa and the old-fashioned things about him.

If you like my family enjoy curling up during the Christmas season with something that celebrates the joys of the season, Moonlight & Mistletoe is just as good a choice as the next. Any time I find something clean earns extra brownie points because that’s half the battle in choosing something for family movie night -- with most films of today, they just aren’t clean any longer. That makes it so hard for families with younger children to find anything appropriate to view together. Set in a fictional town with “Santa” in the name, nearly every scene pertains to Christmas in some way, giving off a festive atmosphere. The ways that Holly, Peter and Nick conceive to save their livelihood are both trite and more than likely unrealistic, but it’s nice to think even if only for eighty plus minutes that there are situations that would bring people and friends together. There’s a sweet scene depicting Holly and Nick finally bonding when remembering her mother. If you don’t mind watching a mindless piece of fluff and you know to expect that, you might find yourself actually enjoying this entertaining seasonal fairytale. It’s not unique, original or special, but it does paint a pretty picture of festive traditions and a town’s loyalty.