Hallmark Christmas movies are a staple of every holiday season, delivering the kind of feel-good stories that people crave during this time of year. They make magic out of everyday situations and always bring the main characters together for their happily-ever-after ending.
Discover some of their most popular Christmas movies of this year, featuring the festive favorites Hallmark fans couldn’t stop gushing about this holiday season.
‘We Met in December‘
“On an unexpected layover in mid-December, Annie Lane and Dave Weeks meet as strangers in a beautiful hotel all decorated for the holidays. It’s love at first sight, and they end up having a magical night of sharing hopes, dreams…and a perfect kiss. But when they fail to exchange numbers and miss each other the next morning, Annie and Dave fly back to Chicago with no easy way to track the other one down. The only clues they have are those shared about plans for the upcoming holiday season, and the two embark on separate quests to find one another. Along the way, insightful wisdom shared during their time together leads Annie and Dave to make important changes in their lives, leading them both to find ways of making this Christmas special for themselves, their families, and their loved ones. Starring Autumn Reeser and Niall Matter.”
According to an article on Fangirlish, “We Met In December is unlike any other Christmas movie I have ever seen, and a big part of that is because of the way that Autumn Reeser and Niall Matter bring their characters to life. Instantly, I was drawn in, and I cared about Annie and Dave. I was rooting for them as soon as they both reached out to the door of the hotel to go inside.
Autumn Reeser and Niall Matter have an onscreen chemistry that not everyone has. I truly watched We Met In December and thought that I was watching two people search out each other and fall in love. They kept me staring at the screen and believing that I was watching their lives. They made me forget this was a movie, and I believe that when that happens, it is a movie that should be bragged about and swooned over.”
‘A Keller Christmas Vacation‘
“Christmas this year is going to be a little different for the Keller family, as parents, Anne and Ben, buy their three adult children – oldest son, Cal, middle son, Dylan and daughter, Emory – a river cruise down the Danube River from Germany, through Salzburg, to Vienna touring beautiful European Christmas Markets and towns along the way. The one problem? The very different siblings, who are each going through their own personal life challenges, have naturally gone in separate directions over the years and the idea of spending 10 days cooped up on a river cruise together makes each Keller child cringe for their own reasons. But they say “yes” because that’s what families do, never expecting it to turn out to be a glorious once-in-a-lifetime experience full of missed connections, new friendships, stunning vistas, relationship upheaval, budding romances, shipboard games, family bonding, and a secret that brings them all together in time for Christmas. Starring Jonathan Bennett, Brandon Routh and Eden Sher.”
“I think what’s so good about A Keller Christmas Vacation is it fits every trope of a Hallmark movie, but it also does it differently. You don’t see in Hallmark movies where the siblings are at each other’s throats the whole time. But what I think is so refreshing about this is it’s real,” said star Jonathan Bennett in Decider. “So many people are going to watch this because I based this on my own family, which is highly dysfunctional. But I think there’s a layer of that to every family across the country. There’s some sort of dysfunction in every family.”
‘Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper‘
“Weatherman Ted Cooper (Buckley) loves Christmas, but the past three have been terrible. This year, Ted has made up his mind that things will be different – this will be the Christmas things turn around for him. But Ted’s relentless optimism is about to be put to the test as he is faced with a litany of injuries and obstacles when he travels back to his hometown of Lackawanna, NY for the holidays. Within hours of arriving at his sister Kate’s house, he finds himself making a trip to Urgent Care after falling off a ladder while hanging decorations. While there, he runs into Ruth Mittens, his former high school science teacher who was always his cheerleader. He also reconnects with the charming Hope Miller (Sustad), except now she’s Dr. Hope Miller, with whom he went to high school and quietly crushed on from afar. Ted is optimistic that this budding romance is the beginning of his Christmas comeback, but his looming holiday bad luck still has a few curveballs in store for him. Luckily for Ted, he won’t have to face them alone – he’ll have the support of Kate, Ruth, and Hope to help him overcome the challenges thrown his way and finally enjoy a well-earned merry Christmas. Starring Robert Buckley and Kimberley Sustad.”
An article on Decider said of the film, “It’s not an overstatement to say that Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper! is filled with wall-to-wall laughs and charm; even in its most serious moments, you can’t help but want to be a part of the world these characters inhabit. The tone is set from the opening scene which features some hilariously catty banter between Ted and his newsroom rival Ken, which flows into the flirtatious, good-natured rapport that Ted has with Miss Mittens and her walking club and ultimately to the chemistry Ted has with Hope. Ted’s got stories for days (well, mostly the one about how he met Mark Harmon), and he never turns down a chance for a good time. Another actor could have played Ted a little more exhausting in his optimism, but here, he’s simply everyone’s best friend.
‘Three Wisest Men‘
“The Brenner family is back, and their lives are more chaotic than ever! As Luke (Walker) is expecting twins, Taylor (Hynes) is debating a monumental job opportunity out-of-state, and Stephan (Campbell) attempts to plan for his upcoming nuptials, everyone’s stress heightens when they learn their mom (Colin) has put their childhood home up for sale, marking their final Christmas in the Brenner house. With unexpected in-laws visiting, wild animals lurking in freshly cut Christmas trees and a hesitant mall Santa, the boys will have their work cut out for them as the holiday begins to loom. As they navigate adulting at a level they have yet to reach, they must learn to once again lean on one another to rise to the needs of their growing family, conquer the newest challenges in their lives and, most crucially, have the best Christmas EVER! Starring Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes, Andrew Walker and Margaret Colin.”
A review of the film on Decider said of the three main characters, “Three Wisest Men is a showcase for three of the Hallmark Channel’s most charming leading men. Ironically, the characters that each of them plays are not meant to be dashing and put-together, their charm comes from being vulnerable and just trying to be good guys (and often failing, but learning from their mistakes). But they’re so likable because of, not in spite of, their flaws and desire to be better.”
‘A Grand Ole Opry Christmas‘
“Gentry Wade (Nikki DeLoach), daughter of late country music icon Jett Wade – half of the famed duo Winters & Wade – abandoned her dream of a songwriting career and distanced herself from her father’s legacy following his tragic accident 30 years prior. When the Grand Ole Opry invites her to represent Jett at their centennial celebration at Christmas, she’s hesitant to return to the place steeped in bittersweet memories. Encouraged by her good friends, Gentry visits the Opry and, while seated in one of the vaunted venue’s oak church pews, is suddenly transported to 1995. Gentry’s lifelong friend Mac (Kristoffer Polaha) a country music talent manager, finds himself in 1995 as well. Thanks to some Christmas magic, Gentry gets precious time with her father, creative inspiration to finish the song she began decades earlier as a teen and learns surprising answers to questions about her father that have followed her for the last three decades. Starring Nikki DeLoach and Kristoffer Polaha.”
An article on Fangirlish said of the film, “It’s a reminder that no matter what, happiness comes in different forms for people, but if you open your heart and you open your mind, you can see that there is no better place than the arms of people you love. That’s the magic of life, Christmas, and the Grand Ole Opry.”
What about A Newport Christmas? I swear I’ve watched it enough to put it on the list all by myself. I love that movie!
I agree – it was quite a bit more enjoyable than that Keller Family one!!