Graduation Cards
'Tis the Season for Christmas movies once again on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries! The network has 9 All-New Christmas movie premieres, including a new DaySpring inspirational film and a new Time to Come Home for Christmas movie.
See all of the details below...
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Miracles of Christmas Movies 2023
*All of the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Christmas movies will begin at 8pm EST.
Ms. Christmas Comes to Town
Premieres: October 26, 2023
Cast: Erica Durance, Brennan Elliott, Barbara Niven
Synopsis: A shopping channel host known as Ms. Christmas (Niven) receives a terminal diagnosis, which inspires a multi-city excursion set to spread Christmas cheer before her farewell broadcast.
My Christmas Guide
Premieres: November 2, 2023
Cast: Amber Marshall, Ben Mehl
Synopsis: After losing his eyesight, a college professor (Mehl) adopts a seeing eye dog from a guide dog trainer (Marshall). As they all begin to spend time together, his confidence returns and his heart begins to open.
Mystery on Mistletoe Lane
Premieres: November 9, 2023
Cast: Erica Cerra, Victor Webster
Synopsis: New to town, Heidi Wicks (Cerra) and her kids discover a Christmas mystery in their historic home. Local handyman and historian David (Webster) helps along the way, finding his own surprising connection.
A World Record Christmas
Premieres: November 16, 2023
Cast: Nikki DeLoach, Lucas Bryant, Aias Dalman
Synopsis: Charlie (Dalman) is an autistic boy determined to set a Guinness World Record by stacking 1400 Jenga blocks. His mother Marissa (DeLoach) and stepfather Eric (Bryant) encourage him to reach for his dream and they all celebrate when he gets the good news that he'll have his chance on Christmas Eve. In the spirit of the holiday, they organize a fundraiser giving the townspeople an opportunity to donate and decorate a Jenga block, with the proceeds going to benefit kids with autism. Charlie's journey to setting the Jenga world record gives them all the chance to learn more not just about themselves, but about what family really means.
A Season for Family
Premieres: November 22, 2023
Cast: Brendan Penny, Stacey Farber, Benjamin Jacobson, Azriel Dalman
Synopsis: Maddy's (Farber) adopted son Wesley (Jacobson) has just one Christmas wish — to meet his brother Cody (Dalman), who was adopted into a different family. Cody's father Paul (Penny) is a widower who is not ready to have this conversation with his son, so he turns down a meeting. However, circumstances bring the two brothers unknowingly together and they become fast friends, while sparks fly between Maddy and Paul.
Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas
Premieres: November 30, 2023
Cast: Shenae Grimes-Beech, Chris Carmack, Grace Leer
Synopsis: Facing her first Christmas without her mother and looking to avoid loneliness, Carly (Grimes-Beech) heads to a quaint town to lead the church choir at Christmas. Once there, Carly meets Matthew (Carmack), a man back in town after serving in the army. As she gets to know Matthew, the choir and townspeople, she stumbles across clues that suggest she may have been brought here for a life changing reason. As the mystery unravels one thing is clear, this journey will teach Carly about true love, learning to trust, and that forgiveness is needed to finally heal.
To All a Good Night
Premieres: December 7, 2023
Cast: Kimberley Sustad, Mark Ghanimé
Synopsis: A small-town photographer (Sustad) saves the life of a mysterious man (Ghanimé), who may just be in town to buy her family's parkland — which is also the location of the annual Christmas celebration.
Heaven Down Here
Premieres: December 14, 2023
Cast: Krystal Joy Brown, Tina Lifford, Juan Riedinger, Richard Harmon, Phylicia Rashad
Synopsis: Inspired by Mickey Guyton's song of the same name, Heaven Down Here tells the story of four disparate people who find themselves stranded in a local diner on Christmas Eve when a snowstorm hits the town. Imami (Brown) is a widowed mother of two who's having trouble making ends meet and reluctantly agrees to work the Christmas Eve shift, where she clashes with her boss Dan (Harmon), who doesn't exactly embody the Christmas spirit. Felix (Riedinger) is a local pastor desperately trying to secure food for parishioners while his faith is challenged by his alienation by his son. Clara (Lifford) is a hospice nurse with an obstinate patient (Rashad) and whose daughter is moving away, causing her to question her place in this world. Throughout the evening, these four bicker, bond and unwittingly provide each other with the answer to their respective prayers.
Miracle in Bethlehem, PA
Premieres: December 21, 2023
Cast: Laura Vandervoort, Benjamin Ayres
Synopsis: A new DaySpring movie. Successful and fiercely independent, Mary Ann Brubeck (Vandervoort) adopts a baby girl to raise on her own just before Christmas. Due to weather, she and the baby get stuck in Bethlehem, PA for the holidays. When there is no room at the inn, her only option is to stay with the innkeeper's brother Joe (Ayres), a quintessential bachelor who lives in a house that he treats like a barn. As Mary Ann learns the value of community by spending time with Joe's family and participating in the local church's Christmas events, Joe starts getting his act together with new motivation…and the two begin to see each other in a new light.
My Take:
The movie that stands out to me here is the DaySpring movie, Miracle in Bethlehem, PA. I have found DaySpring's previous Christmas films to be filled with faith, deep emotion, and uplifting moments. I'm hoping the same will be true for this film, which clearly reflects the Savior's birth.
As for the other movies, there is great potential here for more heartwarming films that may become forever favorites. We'll just have to wait and see.
Please Note: At this point, we don't know which movies will be family-friendly. Throughout the Christmas Season, I will do my best to inform you about various storylines, and if any of you who follow here would like to share a review - please be sure to share in the comments below.
Joyous Christmas Blessings,
Net🎄
Despite it being small, this looks like a pretty decent lineup.
ReplyDeleteI love that there's a new Dayspring movie, and the new Time for me to come Home movie also looks decent. (though, it's director is unshamefully playing a gay woman on the main network, so that has me a bit on edge, I don't want there to be an inappropriate movie in this lovely series!!).
I might just watch a few of these, I would also advise everyone to be cauctious given that this network took a bit of a woke turn in a few of their ordinary movies this year, and also remember that 1 of their movies last year had a gay family member snuck in.
Hope there's some decent pickings! -Maria
It was awesome!!!!!
DeleteSo we now know there ARE Christmas movies on HMM!
ReplyDeleteI've an e-mail from Hallmark listing 20 movies on the main channel so overall that's a total of 29 plus the 2 aired in July.
Last year I think they had 31 on the main channel, 9 on HMM plus 3 in July a total of 42.
A big in number from 31 but I'm pretty happy with that.
Last year that 5 or 6 brilliant movies but a lot of the rest were ordinary at best.
Just Lifetime of the big hitters to declare and my guess is they will have retrenched heavly as well it looks like there are going to be lot of Christmas movies filmed which are not going to be aired this year.
Florence
Florence
- Florence
Ugh - I'm not impressed with these.
ReplyDeleteI've admired Laura Vandervoort since I saw the fabulous Coffee Shop but pairing her with the imo boring Benjamin Ayres?
And Erica Durrance with Brennan Elliott?
I'm sick, sore and tired of Lucas Bryant being involved in another movie where one of the leads has been previously married - I do believe this has happened right since Tulips In Spring.
I can't even begin to make sense of A Season For Family.
The only three which look any way appealing are:
My Christmas Guide
To All A Good Night with the ever reliable Kimberley Sustad
Time For Her To Come Home For Christmas - although I don't know what to expect from this but I usually enjoy the movies in this franchise.
tbh this announcement has just made me depressed.
Florence
Apologies for my first post - the information regarding the main channel is incorrect .
ReplyDeleteI quickly looked at the e-mail and misread it .
When I go to look at the list in detail there are in fact 31 Christmas movies so almost the same as last year just one less in July.
I actually wouldn't have minded a little cutback.
Sorry - Florence
I heard that A World Record Christmas and the new Time for Me to Come Home movie will be on Hallmark Movies Now a little earlier then their scheduled premiere dates. -Maria
ReplyDeleteNet, these all look great! Especially Miracle in Bethlehem, Heaven Down Here, A Season for Family and Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas. I am loving the mystery intertwined in a lot of the lineup of this year (GAC/Hallmark)
ReplyDelete~Paula
Oh my, hit you over the head with sadness, depression, adoption (multiple movies) more single parents, terminal illness, autistic kids, yet another seeing eye dog movie. I mean Hallmark, you don't have to do the same theme over and over. This is too much and I will likely skip most.
ReplyDeleteWant to watch and hope i will but doubt it:
Mystery on Mistletoe Lane--like Victor Webster and this movie looks good, although it is yet another single mother
To All a good Night--looms good
Like to see Amy Marshall, just not sure i can do another seeing eye dog movie. Will the dog talk in this one? I hope not.
I like when they do more mature movies on Hmm, but these are literally all depressing.
And I just wonder what the life changing reason will be in Time for Her to come home. I will read how this movie turns out, and I have watched all of the Time for blank to come home. I just don't trust this movie at all.
Sabrina
Now that you say it all, yeah. I'm kind of feeling the sadness too. Showing hope in times of sadness is always important when you have movies involving sad themes. (and now that you mention it, Florence isn't going to be too thrilled by these 2 lineups.). Just hope these movies remember that hope is important too. -Maria
Delete"Will the dog talk in this one? I hore not"
DeleteLove it!! - Florence
Eek! I agree that these mostly all sound pretty depressing. What a bummer. Christmas cheer, please!
DeleteThe same for me Florence!! Lol ;)
DeleteLooks like some great offerings.
ReplyDeleteI am excited to watch ALL of the holiday movies. I will record many and then curl up with a warm cup of ???? and watch a movie.
DeleteI have to agree with some previous comments, some of these look too depressing! I usually like the movies on HMM better but not too sure about this years offerings! I do hope, as it's already been mentioned, they didn't mess up the Time to Come Home series by being "woke"! Those movies have been great so far! Thanks for the info Net!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Dayspring movies are normally great! I want to see that one!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with many of the others here - a lot of these have depressing themes. I will give them a shot...but I have a feeling most will not be keepers.
ReplyDeleteI've read over the story description for the Barbara Niven movie at least 10 times, and I still can't believe HMM is going to start off their Christmas movies with a movie that potentially leaves Ms. Niven (the Chesapeake Shores mom we all know and love) dying or dead. After losing Treat Williams this year, I think this is a cruel story line for us Chesapeake Shores fans. What a depressing way to start off their Christmas season. Even if the diagnosis ends up not being true, that too would be cruel for all of the people who receive that kind of diagnosis in real-life. I'm depressed after just reading the synopsis. I wonder who thought this would be a good idea when they pitched it? Rob
DeleteVictor Webster has 2 Christmas Movies this year 2023
ReplyDeleteHaul Out the Holly: Lit Up
Mystery on Mistletoe Lane
Well the majority of these certainly have joyful storylines 😂
ReplyDeleteRebecca
A World Record Christmas Is a true story about an autistic boy stacks 1400 Jenga blocks for Guinness World Record
ReplyDeleteMs. Christmas Comes to Town. Sweet little movie with a slightly different twist from all the others out there. It was kind of slow and underwhelming but also quite nice. I loved the very festive Holiday Tour bus and kind of want one of my own now (so long as it comes with a Murray to drive it!). The romance was sweet but it was kind of backseat to the rest of the story; the romantic meet-cute was good and I appreciated that "the kiss" and the feelings were revealed early in the movie instead of the last two minutes. The casting was perfect for this story; Erica and Brennan were spot-on (although I would have liked more development of Brennan’s character); Barbara Niven was great (and I loved that she had zero makeup on in the hospital scenes). I’m glad they didn’t get all mawkish and depressing at the end, but I also thought it ended rather abruptly and awkwardly. The other thing that didn’t thrill me was the constant stressing of the need to believe in Christmas magic – ugh. Family friendly. ~~Jane
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas Guide. Two words kept coming to mind throughout this whole movie: “awkward” and “odd”. The dialogue was often quite awkward. The music was odd and overpowering. The lead guy was initially grumpy and rude, and a bit odd through the whole movie. The lead actress had another boyfriend during most of the movie and that character was so distasteful that it made the whole thing unenjoyable. I found myself cringing throughout a good bit of the movie. On the other hand, the young girl was sweet and I loved the dog! It wasn’t a horrible movie, probably okay for a one-time watch, but it just didn’t float my boat, plus it wasn’t all that Christmassy. I think this had potential but I don’t feel like the writers/directors lived up to that potential. I’m not against movies with characters who have certain disabilities or hurdles that they must face in life, but I am getting a bit tired of Hallmark preaching to us, it seems to be all the rage now. (I still have not watched “Guiding Emily” and based on all the reviews here, I’m hoping I will like that “disability” movie much more than this one.) Family friendly but not a keeper for me. ~~Jane
ReplyDeleteI totally disagree with the 'odd' and 'awkward' comment about My Christmas Guide. I love this movie, one of the best Hallmark movies I've seen in a long time! Yes, the two lead characters end up falling for each other at the end, (predictable for Hallmark) but the storyline about a person with a sudden disability (blindness), the struggles he has with coping with such a life-changing event, the compassion and beautiful humanity of the dog trainer, was beautifully and emotionally portrayed. It was not 'preachy' at all. And of course you had to love the guide dog. I also loved Guiding Emily. I watch both of them whenever they are shown and will continue to. Way to go Hallmark!
Delete“Anonymous?”, It sounds like you felt a definite connection with this movie; and I’m so glad that you loved it and are able to watch and enjoy it often!! You are definitely in the majority with that viewpoint! For me (here in the lonely minority), I simply felt this movie could have been done better, and it somehow just felt a bit awkward to me. Isn’t it nice that we can disagree and each enjoy different movies and still come here to share our opinions? 😊 I will let you know, however, that this movie is one that I’ve already considered re-watching in the new year simply because I value and respect certain people’s reviews on this blog, such as Mark 25, and he loved this movie so, therefore, I thought I’d give it another try when I have more time in the winter (along with Guiding Emily which is still on my dvr). And, yes, I absolutely loved Max, the guide dog!! I have a very, very, large, shaggy dog that does service of a different kind (hospital and nursing home visitation and programs for children with anxiety and emotional issues), so I always appreciate the incredibly special dogs in these movies and am amazed at how much they can do. Enjoy your Christmas movie watching!! ~~Jane
DeleteMystery on Mistletoe Lane. That was really fun! A nice sentimental mystery/scavenger hunt. Sweet budding romance(s). Beautiful, refined decorations in the Mistletoe Manor house and historical society (such a breath of fresh air after the fake and over-the-top decorating in other movies). All the actors were quite good. The movie had its unrealistic moments but, overall, it was just a really nice, feel-good, family movie. A keeper, for now. Family friendly. ~~Jane
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think of all the Daysprings Hallmark movies that are aired on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries?
ReplyDeleteI got to watch Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas early, and I am so happy to report that it is a perfectly clean movie!! Plus, there is a couple of Easter Eggs included in it, so you may want to keep your eyes peeled. -Maria
ReplyDeleteTo All a Good Night. Loved it. Don't have time to write one of my usual long-winded reviews. 😂 It’s Hallmark, so not everything was realistic but, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Good writing, good dialogue, funny, unique, emotional, sweet, sad, hopeful. And an adorable goofball dog, as well! Keeper for me. Family friendly. ~~Jane
ReplyDeleteHeaven Down Here is, extraordinary! -Maria
ReplyDeleteMiracles of Christmas 2023 Review Part 1:
ReplyDeleteMy rankings of all the movies:
#1, Miracle in Bethlehem PA
#2, Heaven Down Here
#3, A World Record Christmas
#4, Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas
#5, A Season for Family
#6, Ms Christmas Comes to Town
#7, To All a Good Night
#8, Mystery on Mistletoe Lane
#9, My Christmas Guide
-Maria
Miracles of Christmas 2023 Review Part 2:
ReplyDeleteMy personal thoughts:
That was the best lineup I have seen from this network in 3 or 4 years!! 👏 I've always applauded this network for always bringing the more emotional flicks, and this year, they really stepped up their game!
I'm so proud of this network for bringing out their best despite a very rocky year, and best of all, keeping them CLEAN!! 👏👏
I hope they continue to make these kind of movies, especially with Dayspring. It feels nice o know that there is a part of Hallmark that still feels good, despite having a couple of unclean movies over the last 2 years.
-Maria
Maria, Thank YOU soooo very much for sharing your rankings list and thoughts with us!!! :)
DeleteYour movie reviews this Christmas season have been truly invaluable to me and so many who visit here. I cannot say thank you enough for taking the time out of your day to share with us.
I so agree with you... it is such a blessing that HMM has given us these heartwarming and faith-filled movies this year. I haven't had the chance to finish watching all of these, quite yet, but based on your reviews/comments, I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest of them!
I also hope we'll have even more like them next year - in 2024!
God's blessings & Merry Christmas, my friend! Net
You're very welcome. :) I haven't been in much of a rewatch mood this year, even though I have plenty of Hallmark movies on DVD, so getting to watch and review so many new movies has been really fun. :) -Maria
DeleteLoved Miracle In Bethlehem, PA! There were so many Jesus moments in this movie. Surprise for me is I don't care for Benjamin Ayers but this is his best so far.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Net to you and your family, and to all your followers here! Blessings to you all!
Review: Miracle in Bethlehem , PA -
ReplyDeleteFamily-friendly? Yes -
Keeper? Definitely -
I absolutely loved this movie! It is an obvious parallel story to the Nativity story - not just with the storyline itself but with the names of persons and places - but it is done so well and its heart is in the right place. I know I have seen Laura Vandervoort somewhere else (but where I can't recall), but she was like a breath of fresh air and was perfect in her role as the adoptive mother. It was also a plus for me to see Amy Groening (fast becoming one of my favorites) and Teryl Rothery (one of my parental-role favorites) in this film. A great mix of religion, drama, and humor - one of the best of the season!
A Season for Family. Loved it! Ahhh … so refreshing to watch a movie that flows well and excels from all angles – acting, writing, directing, setting, etc. You can just feel the experience and maturity of everyone involved. Everything was believable (even the unbelievable coincidences😉). I adore Brendan Penny, but really everyone in this movie was great. And the one little boy, Azriel Dalman, was a favorite for me in last year’s “We Need a Little Christmas” (he’s also the younger brother to the young actor in this year’s “A World Record Christmas”). I tend to save the best Christmas movies for last as I slowly clear out the dvd recordings, so perhaps I’ve just watched too many mediocre movies and perhaps it’s not fair to compare… but, oh, how nice it was to just sit and enjoy a movie without having to scribble any critical notes! Everything about this movie was well executed and there were no eye-roll moments for me – yay! This one’s a keeper and I would buy the dvd. Family friendly. ~~Jane
ReplyDeleteTime for Her to Come Home for Christmas. Cute movie. But I just didn’t love it enough to keep it on the dvr. There was a lot that I really liked (such as the caroling and Grace Leer’s singing!), and there were also things that I didn’t like. I’m not often a fan of movies where Hollywood dabbles in “faith” by filming in a chapel or throwing in a “pastor” who usually spouts some watered-down, vague mumbo jumbo. Unfortunately, “faith” can mean just about anything nowadays. The church in this particular movie seemed to be more of a warm-fuzzy, feel-good church than a Bible believing church. The pastor says in his Christmas Eve sermon that “one gift is more precious than all the rest at Christmas… and that gift is… time”. That’s nice. Wait!!! Go back. Say what?!? THAT is his Christmas message??? Nothing about the gift of a Savior???!! There’s also lots of talk of “fate” in this movie. And Shenae’s character starts her introduction to the church choir with “I’m a Leo ….”, and at one point she lifts her eyes to the sky and thanks her deceased mother for arranging all the fateful happenings (um, that’s not based on anything in my Bible). And the director makes sure that in almost every shot of the pastor in his office we see behind him a sign of rainbow-colored people saying “All are Welcome here” – so was that just a nice sentiment of love and welcome, or was it director Ali Liebert getting her LGQXYPBJ message out? Who knows? 🤷♀️ This movie did have some really sweet parts but, all in all, it wasn’t enough to make it a keeper, for me. It was good for a one-time watch and perhaps again in a couple of years. By the way, I think Mama just called and said it’s definitely time to retire that annoying theme song! Family friendly. ~~Jane
ReplyDeleteA World Record Christmas. Excellent! Loved it! Warm, tender, cozy, authentic, unwavering love, family-oriented, heartwarming, emotional connection. Every actor was phenomenal but I especially loved Lucas Bryant’s character (and his corny dad jokes) -- he was such a prince of a guy! Good writing, good acting, good directing. Refreshing to watch a mature, well-done production with all the tiny details attended to, all the way down to the director making the on-screen text messages big enough and giving us time to read them. (And I appreciated the unique scene on the blanket in the snow.) Keeper. Will buy the dvd. Family friendly. ~~Jane
ReplyDelete