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 attention to help him adjust to life with a guide dog, but the more time she spends with him, the more he becomes something far more to her than just another client.
Chad, Peyton's jerk boyfriend who spends more time with his buddies than he does with her, senses her withdrawing from him and realizes that Trevor is the reason. To regain control of this unraveling situation, he confronts Trevor and attempts to take his relationship with Peyton to the next level.
Can Chad win Peyton back, or has Trevor already stolen her heart?
Ben Mehl Is Legally Blind
Ben Mehl grew up in Toronto and graduated from college with a double major in Astrophysics and Drama. Before finding success in the entertainment industry, he was diagnosed with Stargardt's disease, which is a rare, genetic form of macular degeneration that causes progressive loss of central vision. There is no treatment or cure.
With only some peripheral vision remaining, you can appreciate Mehl's performance even more. He is unable to read regular print or play off the expressions on his costar's face, yet he rises above these challenges, determined not to be defined by his disease.
When he's not acting, Mehl stays connected to the joy of the art by teaching acting along with voice and movement to other budding actors.
Mehl is married and has twin daughters.
Chad Is a Character You Love to Hate
When it comes to Hallmark movie tropes, the love triangle is one of my favorites.
Chad, played by Justin Nurse, is a total jerk, and it's taken 10 months of dating for Peyton to see his true colors.
Justin Nurse plays Peyton's boyfriend, Chad
First, Chad plans a trip to Florida with his buddies over Christmas and misses meeting Peyton's dad, which he had promised to do.
Next, he gets Peyton's hopes up that he has a special surprise for her, but the big reveal is a new set of high-end golf clubs that he has purchased for himself.
Chad is the type of guy who knows how to schmooze Peyton by giving her enough hope to hold onto their relationship. After spending too much money on his guys' trip, his budget won't allow for him to buy Peyton anything for Christmas. Acting on the advice from his buddy, he wraps a love letter to her that promises an all-expenses-paid summer vacation, only so he can buy himself time to save up.
Viewers find themselves rooting for Peyton to kick him to the curb, especially after the cruel way he confronts Trevor.
Haven't we all encountered people like Chad in real life? Nurse does a phenomenal job playing the bad guy.
As Peyton spends time with Trevor, the contrast between both men makes it clear to her what she must do.
Favorite Moments from My Christmas Guide
One of the best takeaways from the movie is the hope that it gives to those struggling with a disability. In our modern age, there are so many resources that can help people live as normally as possible. Trevor uses apps that identify clothing colors, read him voicemails, and more. A guide dog frees him to explore places he would have not thought possible. He even learns to cook! More importantly, his blindness doesn't exempt him from finding true love.
Ava Weiss plays Trevor's daughter, Annie, and she's an outstanding young actress who's appeared in several Hallmark movies including The Most Colorful Time of the Year and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. She's a spunky character who has to deal with a bully at school who makes fun of her dad for being blind. After being repeatedly tormented in the halls, at recess, after school, and in the cafeteria, Annie has had enough. She smashes food into the bully's face, just like he deserves, yet, true to the nature of today's school administration, Annie is the one who gets in trouble. The script writer, Keith Hemstreet, captures a sad fact about today's public schools. In decades past, bullies were handled just as Annie dealt with Sean, and it was effective. Nowadays, school principals demand that bullying is brought to their attention to deal with instead of students taking matters into their own hands. That's okay if principals actually do something about it. As Trevor points out, no one has intervened on his daughter's behalf despite the ongoing bullying, and he tells the principal that his daughter will NOT be going to her with future issues but to him.
Parents are the best advocates for their children!
Annie wins Sean over, however, by rescuing him from the big kid who's been bullying him--it's a funny scene. Weiss plays her role so well. Let's hope we see her in more Hallmark movies.
Peyton, played by Amber Marshall, is the sweet, girl-next-door type. She is supportive and loyal to Trevor and is not "put off" by his disability. In fact, it's almost like she doesn't even notice his blindness because she is far too in tune with the goodness of his character.
Marshall, a former veterinary assistant, is an equestrian who loves acting and horses. She lives on a ranch with her husband and a variety of animals.
My Christmas Tree Rating
When Hallmark announced the Christmas 2023 lineup, many assumed
My Christmas Guide would be a carbon copy of
Guiding Emily, which premiered in the Fall, but the two are completely different, though equally enjoyable.
My Christmas Guide is an inspiring story about triumphing over adverse circumstances to live one's best life. The characters are deep, the plot is poignant, and the actors are phenomenal. It is one of my favorite 2023 Hallmark movie premieres, earning it 5 out of 5 Christmas trees--a rare feat.
I loved this movie too!
ReplyDeleteMe and my 11 year old granddaughter both loved the movie
ReplyDeleteI loved how Trevor was so vulnerable with Peyton disclosing what his concerns were. My favorite scene was when he asked how he looked at the lectern. The trust in that scene between the two characters is incredible.
ReplyDeleteAmazing heart warming movie
ReplyDeleteI loved this movie! A warm hearted good story! Would watch it again.
ReplyDeleteSuch an awesome movie!!! Loved it so much!!!
ReplyDelete