Holly Jolly Romances

Home for the holidays, BFFs Naomi and Liz reconnect with high school crush, Chris Silver.  A complex love triangle forms, forcing them to take stock of their lives and find the value of friendship. Starring:  Janel Parrish, Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes, and Tyler Hynes Image:  Hallmark Media What Is Never Been Chris'd About? Chris Silver (Hynes) was the most popular guy in high school.  Like most girls, Liz (Lamothe-Kipnes) and Naomi (Parrish) both had crushes on him, but he never seemed to notice them. Whenever a lucky lady became Chris' girlfriend, she instantly catapulted into popularity.  Liz and Naomi dubbed this phenomenon being "Chris'd." The tables have turned.  Thanks to the innovative "Best Pals" app that Liz and Naomi have created, they are now local celebrities. The two are acknowledged by former classmates when they come home for Christmas and finally experience being the "cool kids."  Chris is a former marine and an English teacher at t

When estranged siblings, Lindsay and Brad Morgan, travel to Scotland at Christmas to reunite with their mother, Jo, a big family secret is revealed. Starring:  Lacey Chabert and Scott Wolf Image:  Hallmark Media What is A Merry Scottish Christmas About? Lindsay (Chabert) is a doctor who runs her own clinic, and her brother Brad (Wolf) is a tax attorney.  Although they were very close as children, they have drifted apart.  They rehash the offenses that have led to mutual resentment, but they agree to give their mother the Christmas she wants. They soon learn that their mother, Jo, played by Scottish actress Fiona Bell, has lied to them their whole lives about Jo's family and her past. Jo grew up at the castle Glencrave and was in line to be a duchess.  She wanted to make her own choices and not have her future dictated to her, so she ran off at age 20 with an American man in a hippie band.  The two ultimately divorced, which made life difficult for her two young children. Jo's b

It's almost Christmas when busy realtor Abigail agrees to help her sister with the simple flip of a recently inherited home.  Unfortunately, co-beneficiary, Bo, has other plans in mind. Starring:  Ashley Newbrough and Marcus Rosner Image:  Hallmark Media What Is Flipping for Christmas About? Abigail Jones spends Christmas with her father and her sister's family in Brenbury--it's their first Christmas without Abigail's mother. While there, Claire and John, her sister and brother-in-law, ask Abigail to flip the house they recently inherited from John's grandfather, Frank.  The couple needs the money from the flip to do renovations on their own home to accommodate Claire's father, who has recently moved in with them. The problem is that Bo, the local contractor, has been named co-beneficiary of the home because Frank had been like a father to him.  Bo believes that to preserve the beauty of the home and to honor Frank's memory, the best thing to do with the ho

After losing his eyesight, a college professor adopts a guide dog from a trainer.  As they begin to spend time together, his confidence returns and his heart begins to open. Starring:  Amber Marshall and Ben Mehl  Image:  Hallmark Media What Is My Christmas Guide About? Peyton operates her own business, which involves matching the visually impaired with a suitable guide dog to help them live a somewhat normal life.  When she encounters a blind father picking up his daughter from school, she offers her services. Trevor is a classic literature professor who's struggling to navigate the campus due to ongoing construction.  He's a divorced dad, and his daughter worries about his safety.  Even his immediate supervisor encourages him to take leave until the construction is complete, but Trevor resists the idea.  Despite his initial reluctance to accept help from a guide dog, Trevor relents. Peyton's training methods are a little unconventional.  She gives Trevor her full attenti

When a romantic painting of a Christmas market captures the imagination of copy editor, Lea, she is sent to France with a moody reporter, Mark, to uncover the mystery behind the artist. Starring:  Jaicy Elliot and Brant Daugherty Image:  Hallmark Media Joyeux Noel Combines Romance & Mystery Joyeux Noel was written by Brant Daughtery and his wife Kimberly and tells the tale of a copy editor and aspiring journalist (Elliot) getting the break she's been waiting for.   After visiting an antique store and purchasing an old jewelry box, Lea opens it to find a journal.  While she's deciphering its contents, she tunes into the news where journalists are raving about a new painting featuring an unknown artist known only as "F." Lea is shocked to notice that a sketch in the journal matches the newly unveiled painting.  She reads on to discover that decades earlier, Mon Fleur had met and fallen in love with a woman at a Christmas market in a small French village.  The two s

Juniper Jones travels to Mystic, Connecticut during the holidays to work at the rehabilitation center and aquarium.  While there, she reconnects with Sawyer, the owner of the pizza shop and the man she once loved. Starring:  Jessy Schram and Chandler Massey  Image:  Hallmark Media A Movie That Pays Homage to Mystic Pizza Mystic Pizza is a coming-of-age movie from 1988 that gave a young Julia Roberts the career breakthrough she needed.  The story followed three friends who worked together at a pizza shop in a seaside Connecticut town. Hallmark combines nostalgia with a modern love story to bring us a 2023 Christmas movie based in the same fishing town of Mystic, Connecticut where we visit a pizza shop and a planetarium, just like in the original, though the aquarium is the setting for a chunk of the story. Juniper Jones and Sawyer Adams were in love 10 years ago, but when Juniper shared her heart in an e-mail, she never received a response.   Now things are awkward as Juniper returns to

A fashion designer gets accepted into a Christmas challenge to create a new holiday-themed collection and not only finds the inspiration for her next line but decides to redesign her approach to what's most important in life. Starring:  Rebecca Dalton and Jonathan Keltz Image:  Hallmark Media Christmas by Design is Based on the Novel Jingle Jammies by Robyn Neeley Even if you crave Hallmark Christmas movies like Santa does cookies and milk, the recycled plot formulas become a scosh tedious, if you're honest.  The solution?  Find stories outside of the Hallmark scriptwriting bubble.   Every time Hallmark adapts a novel into a movie, it's unique, engaging, and has far more substance.  Need some examples?  Consider these book-to-movie projects: A Bramble House Christmas by C.J. Carmichael The Christmas Train by David Baldacci Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn A December Bride by Denise Hunter Maggie's Christmas Miracle by Karen Kingsbury Mrs. Miracle by D

A shopping channel host known as Ms. Christmas receives a terminal diagnosis, which inspires a multi-city excursion set to spread Christmas cheer before her farewell broadcast. Starring:  Erica Durance, Brennan Elliott, and Barabara Niven  Image:  Hallmark Media Barbara Niven Delivers Top-Notch Performance Move over, Santa, because MS. CHRISTMAS is coming to town! Barbara Niven is stellar in her role of Gale Storm--the woman who, for 24 years, has been selling merchandise every holiday season on HSC (Holiday Shopping Channel). Ms. Christmas oozes more sweetness than a hot chocolate bomb, even when she receives bad news about her declining health. While many of us might be tempted to wallow in despair following a terminal diagnosis, Ms. Christmas decides to focus on making it the best year yet for her loyal viewers by taking her show on the road.  Think of that--using time wisely to do good deeds in the time you have left.  If only we approached everyday life with this kind of attitude!