The Gift of Peace Movie Review

How do you move on when you lose the love of your life, and your faith has been shattered? In The Gift of Peace, Traci learns how to move past her grief and to lean on the people in her church support group. Here's a closer look at the latest Christmas movie from Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

A Synopsis of The Gift of Peace

When Traci (Nikki DeLoach) lost her husband Greg, she didn't just lose the love of her life. She also lost her artistic partner, her faith, and her purpose. Traci and Greg relied on their faith when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. When their prayers weren't answered and Traci lost him, she turned her back on the church and her faith. She was so angry that her prayers weren't heard, that it was hard to lean on her faith while she grieved.

Two years later, Traci feels stuck. After taking last year off, she is going to participate in the annual Christmas art show. It's the first time that she is presenting her own art, and not something that she painted along with Greg. The problem is that she can't figure out how to do that. Her paintings feel half finished because she doesn't have Greg's input and participation.

When Traci's best friend suggests a church support group to help her, she reluctantly decides to go. There she meets Michael (Brennan Elliott), the head of the support group. Through his help, along with the others in the group, she starts to put her life back together. Anger is no longer the prevailing emotion. She has hope, and faith again.

The Gift of Peace Cast

The cast of The Gift of Peace is the star of this movie. In addition to Nikki and Brennan, there's Princess Davis as Regina, and Cardi Wong as Justin. They play the people in the support group, and their stories help strengthen the movie. For grief doesn't just hit people who lose a spouse. The loss of a sibling, a parent, or a grandparent can hit us just as hard. No matter who you've lost, learning to live again is part of the grieving process. This cast gives us hope, and shows us how to move forward.

The Gift of Peace Review

Nikki and Brennan are two of my favorites on Hallmark. Nikki is always amazing and I can't think of a movie that I haven't enjoyed. Last year she was in Five More Minutes, and I remember that one as being extremely moving. I think Hallmark tends to give her the really emotional movies because they know that she delivers.

The Verdict: A True Gift. The Gift of Peace is a wonderful movie and I feel like it is a gift to us all. It's a beautiful story from Mike Grimm. I think what I like most about the movie is that it tackles grief without being a downer. Sure, there is sadness for each of the characters, but they present this to us in a very supportive and nurturing way. As someone who has lost a spouse and been to a family support group, I loved how they portrayed the group. It was a positive, and safe space. A beautiful reflection of how a support group should be.

I also enjoyed this movie because it has a strong message about faith, and yes there's a lot of talk about God. But, I never felt like it was preachy. It really is just trying to show us that whatever our faith, or beliefs, that we can still rely on that even after we face a loss. We may lose faith, or lose our way after a loss, but we have to remember that our loved ones want us to live, laugh, and love. It's how we move forward, and it's also how we carry the person with us in life.

The Gift of Peace Recap

I hope that you add The Gift of Peace to your list of movies to watch this holiday season. It really is a beautiful movie, with a beautiful message, and an amazing cast. I know that this one will be at the top of my list for the ranking of Hallmark Christmas movies for this year.

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries