The Good Witch's Family

The Good Witch's Family is a Hallmark Channel original movie. It is the fourth movie in "The Good Witch" Series. It premiered on Hallmark channel October 29, 2011. Th previous movie The Good Witch's Gift premiered on November 13, 2010. The second movie in the series The Good Witch's Garden premiered February 7, 2009. The first movie premiered January 19, 2008. In June of 2012, Catherine Bell announced on her Twitter page that sequels 5 and 6 will begin filming back to back in July and August.

== Plot ==

In a city apartment, an anxious landlord knocks on the door of Abigail, a mysterious young woman. The landlord is there to evict her, and suggests she go to live with her parents, but she grimly tells him her parents are dead. He suddenly runs out, feeling ill, as Abigail, a witch, smiles knowingly at her voodoo doll—dressed exactly like her landlord with a pin in its belly. Meanwhile, in small town Middleton, Jake, the chief of police, returns home to his charming new wife Cassie—a mystical woman known in town for her generosity. They have just been married, and Jake’s two teenage kids, Brandon and Lori, love their new step-mom. That night, Lori surprises Cassie when she tells her she has connected with Cassie’s cousin, Abigail, over the Internet and invited her to visit. Cassie has never met Abigail, but is excited. At the station, Jake talks to the town’s mayor, Tom, about a bridge that developers want to build in Middleton to connect a neighboring large city. Tom believes the bridge will boost the town’s economy and be profitable for the police department, and Jake eagerly agrees. But Tom’s wife Martha is leading a meeting of citizens who are opposing the bridge, and Cassie is in attendance, as well. Martha reminds everyone Tom’s term as mayor will soon be over, and she proposes nominating a new candidate. Several of the townspeople nominate Cassie, who graciously accepts. Cassie runs into Jake outside city hall and tells him the exciting news. Jake is quiet when she tells him she wants to lead the opposition against the bridge, not wanting to reveal his own opinion. At home, Jake’s son Brandon is busy writing a song to submit with his music school application. His friend Wes is helping him write lyrics when Lori walks in to call him for dinner. Noticing Wes, Lori gets tongue-tied, smitten, but Brandon makes it clear to Wes he doesn’t approve. Lori visits Cassie in her mystical sitting room, which is furnished with an heirloom trunk passed down in Cassie’s family. Cassie surprises Lori when she reveals she is planning a Sweet 16 birthday party for her, just before Abigail arrives. Cassie enthusiastically greets her cousin with a hug, and Lori and Cassie talk with Abigail and get to know her. With a mischievous smile, Abigail begins to settle in. When Lori tells Abigail about Wes, Abigail has an idea. She gives Lori a special potion to dab behind her ear, promising Wes will smell it and instantly fall for her. Jake’s coworker, a young deputy named Derek, has been feeling unimportant at work, so Cassie kindly gives him a beautiful but strange compass to find his own way. It leads him directly to a café, where he meets Abigail. They talk about the bridge, and Derek tells her he hopes it will help improve the police department and his career. With her signature mischievous grin, Abigail agrees with him. But back at home, Abigail tells Jake she is completely against the bridge, and hopes Cassie wins the election so she can put a stop to it. The next day at city hall, Derek reveals to Cassie and Jake that he has decided to run against Cassie. Cassie welcomes him as an opponent, even when he announces Jake is a supporter of the bridge. She is surprised her own husband isn’t on her side, and Jake agrees to see her point of view. Wearing Abigail’s special oil, Lori runs into Wes, and the potion works it’s magic. The two hang out together all afternoon, making Wes late to music practice with Brandon. At dinner, Brandon explodes when he finds out Lori is distracting his friend, while Abigail stays silent, trying to look innocent. With a knowing look at her cousin, Cassie figures out exactly what is going on. With the family at odds, Abigail seems to be reveling in the chaos she has caused. Then, at the station, Jake tries to confront Tom about the bridge, considering that it might be a destructive and bad addition to Middleton after all, but Tom won’t listen to him. Angry, Jake storms out, just as Derek discovers his campaign speech, which Abigail helped him with, has been stolen. Jake is the prime suspect, and he returns home that night to tell his family he has been fired, just as Abigail, alone in Cassie’s magical sitting room, casts a spell on four voodoo dolls of Cassie, Jake, Lori and Brandon. That night, Lori sneaks out after curfew to go to the park with Wes, but when they hear someone coming, Wes runs off, leaving Lori scared and alone. Luckily, Cassie shows up and takes her home. The next day at music practice, Brandon angrily tells Wes to leave for good. Cassie tries to plan a family night, but a knock on the door reveals Martha, announcing she has left Tom and needs a place to stay. The next morning, Jake and Cassie talk over breakfast, trying to stay strong despite Jake’s job loss. Then, Brandon admits to Lori he cut ties with Wes over what he did to her, and she is touched by her brother’s gesture. Abigail overhears the family remaining close, and grows frustrated her plan isn’t working. At the gift shop, Cassie and Martha are setting up when Martha finds an old newspaper clipping. She holds it up and sees her beloved Tom, giving his first speech as mayor many years before; she is teary-eyed at the memory. Martha returns home, where Tom explains he is supporting the bridge because he wants to leave a legacy, but Martha shows him the clip and reminds him he already has. Tom starts to have a change of heart. That evening, Cassie calls for Abigail, but can’t find her in the guest room. She walks into her sitting room and sees her heirloom trunk is missing. Cassie finds Derek and begs him to track down Abigail and the missing trunk, and he promises to help right away. He finds Abigail in her newly rented apartment, furnished only with Cassie’s trunk. Abigail tries to flirt her way out of trouble, but Derek doesn’t buy it. Just then, Cassie appears, and calmly confronts her cousin. Abigail is nervous around Cassie, confessing she tried to destroy Cassie’s family because Cassie’s parents, her aunt and uncle, weren’t there for her when her parents died. Cassie opens the trunk and reveals what is inside: a framed photograph of all four of their parents together. Cassie explains her parents died in a crash before Abigail was even born. Realizing she and Cassie were both orphans at a young age, Abigail is sorry for causing any trouble, but Cassie, always kind-hearted, reminds her she will always have a family with her. The election is still on, and both Cassie and Derek are ready to give their speeches when suddenly Jake runs in with an announcement. He tells them when the bridge is built, the developers will also build a mall, destroying the forest near the river and taking all the economy away from Middleton’s main street. Cassie gives her moving speech, and Derek is so touched by her sentiment to save the town from economic ruin that he drops out of the race. Cassie is elected the new mayor, much to the delight of Derek, Jake, Tom, Martha and the entire town. Tom tells Jake he is welcome back as the Chief of Police. Returning home, Cassie and Jake surprise Lori with her 16th birthday party. Lori happily celebrates with Abigail, her parents and Brandon. Sneaking away upstairs, Jake and Cassie eat cake in Cassie’s sitting room, restored with her beautiful trunk, thinking about how much closer their family has become through all of this. Jake confesses he thinks he is ready to add to their family tree, and Cassie knowingly smiles, revealing she is pregnant!

== Cast: ==

Catherine Bell as Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale

Chris Potter (actor) as Chief of Police Jake Russell

Matthew Knight as Brandon Russell

Hannah endicott douglas as Lori Russell

Catherine Disher as Martha Tinsdale

Sarah Power as Abigail Pershing

Noah Cappe as Deputy Derek Sanders

== Credits: ==

Executive Producers: Orly Adelson

Jonathan Eskenas

Frank Siracusa

Co-Executive Producers: Catherine Bell

Craig Pryce

Associate Producer: Janina Barrett

Producer: Thom Pretak

Production credit: A Whizbang Films Production in association with Lee Distribution, Inc.

Directed by: Craig Pryce

Written by: G. Ross Parker

Characters Created by: Rod Spence

Director of Photography: John Berrie, C.S.C.

Production Designer: Marian Wihak

Edited by: Dona Noga

Casting by: Lisa Parasyn C.D.C., C.S.A.

Jon Comerford C.D.C.