‘To Grandmother’s House We Go’ Is Your Stress-Free Christmas Movie Recommendation

Welcome back to Wholesome TV Picks. Today's Christmas classic is To Grandmother's House We Go starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. It's funny, clean, has a simple storyline, and above all emphasizes what is truly important this season: family. Judging the title alone, you might think it's a boring film just about going to grandma's house. But it's not. I think you'll be surprised. And the biggest question is: what in the world drives them to go on their own to Grandma's house?

Welcome to Wholesome TV Picks. I'm Jennifer, homeschool mom of three, and I've spent over 35 years loving and rewatching wholesome TV. If you're tired of endless scrolling or settling for shows that don't match your family's values, I'm here to help. Each week I share tried and true favorites so you can skip the stress and rediscover TV that brings your family together. Let's dive in.

The Heartwarming Plot in ‘To Grandmother’s House We Go’

To Grandmother's House We Go is about a set of twins, Sarah and Julie, going off to visit their grandma to give their mom a break from being a mom. Sarah and Julie are a handful, and the mom is talking to a neighbor, venting how she wishes she could just have a break from the girls because it is so exhausting being the only parent. The girls overhear her and are sad that they made their mom cry. And that's what sparks this journey to grandma's house.

The whole film is about their journey from one mode of transportation to the next in order to get there. It's really cute. The girls get in all kinds of mischief and you might be reminded exactly how much of a handful little kids are. And I know some of you may have children that were nothing like these girls, but I'm sure there are some that are very high energy like these girls.

‘To Grandmother’s House We Go’ is a Tribute to Single Parents

Rhonda is a single working mom, doing the best she can raising her girls and giving them a wonderful Christmas. You also see the struggles that she goes through. And I wanna give props to you parents that are single because I don't know how you do it. You have a super strength that I can't even imagine. I've never been in that position, so I admire you for your strength and dedication to raising a family the best you can on your own.

The Power of Words and Forgiveness

I know every parent has had a moment where we've said things that we regret, and we all know that words are like a tube of toothpaste. Once they're out, we can't take them back. And we feel alone struggling, trying to figure parenting out, and we don't mean to hurt our children, and it happens.

I'm sure this is even true for adult children. We all have complicated relationships as we grow older, and sometimes we have broken relationships with adult children. I think this film really does put into perspective the value of forgiveness and being able to forgive and to move on, especially during the Christmas season because it's about togetherness and about reconciliation. What better gift for your family than to think about whatever's causing a rift between you and your children and to apologize for it?

Rhonda eventually tells the girls she's sorry and explains to them that grownups get upset and say things that they don't mean. And I know it's easier to apologize when kids are younger versus when they're older. But it's just a reminder to value the relationships that we are given in this world because we're only given them once.

Finding Love Unexpectedly

This film presents the idea that as a single parent, you can find love when you least expect it. There is a subplot about Rhonda finding love again, but it doesn't start off that way. She has no intention of finding a partner and it's funny how the relationship begins versus how it ends in the movie.

The Bachelor Meets Single Mom

I love how it shows the contrast between a non-parent versus a parent, and we see that beautifully played here in this movie because the man that Rhonda meets is a delivery truck driver named Eddie, who's played by J. Eddie Peck. Now, Eddie is your typical bachelor. He doesn't like kids. He's all about flirting and thinking about himself and what he wants for his life. And then of course you see the complete opposite with Rhonda, where everything revolves around the kids.

Eddie's selfish and you see Rhonda dealing with this tension of: is this guy the right guy for me? No, he's not. Well, maybe he is. I think that really shows the dynamics of relationships really well in this movie. In the end we see Eddie come full circle. His heart changes. He ends up being less selfish in the movie and learns that loving somebody means giving up a part of yourself. And I think that's a great thing for kids to see—how a person can change.

The Lovable Villains in ‘To Grandmother’s House We Go’

What movie wouldn't be complete without its villains? We have a couple of bumbling crooks in the movie played by Jerry Van Dyke and Rhea Perlman. They play Harvey and Shirley and they're delivery truck hijackers. They're a cute addition to the film and their interactions with the twins are just hilarious.

Creating Family Memories with ‘To Grandmother’s House We Go’

My kids and I have wonderful memories of this movie, watching it since they were little. They would repeat a lot of the lines that the girls say in the movie. And even though my kids are 14, 12, and 8, they still enjoy this movie because they remember the fun they had as little kids watching this movie when they first saw it. It really brings us together during Christmas.

My Recommendation is to Watch ‘To Grandmother’s House We Go’

I highly recommend it. It's a wonderful made-for-TV movie from the nineties. You can't go wrong. The only caveat there may be, depending on how sensitive or strict you are with bad words—and I say bad words in quotation marks—because the only bad word that you will hear in this movie is the H-word, and the girls make a funny gesture to show the adult that they said a bad word.

Where to Watch ‘To Grandmother’s House We Go’

You can watch this movie on fandango.com as well as YouTube. And I will leave links in the show notes where you can find the movie.

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Until Next Time

That wraps it up for today. Thanks for tuning in. I appreciate your listenership. Don't forget to take time to enjoy Christmas movies with your family this week. Join me next week where I'm going to talk about a classic movie that takes place on the sea at New Year's Eve that doesn't quite turn out right.

Have a great rest of your week. Take care and remember: your values matter and your TV should too.