I watch Hallmark movies from November 1 through December 31. I even titled this article in the same style as Hallmark titles its movies.
Joyeux Noel (2023)
Whew! It feels good to come clean.
Before you say it, I know that all the movies follow the same basic premise: Guy or gal is in a quaint small town or a large, romantic city. Guy or gal meets guy or gal under some type of off-the-wall circumstances. The pair attend a variety of charming, small town holiday events, including a tree-lighting ceremony, gingerbread house contest and a party of some sort, where the gal looks fetching in a (usually red) dress. Something happens to divide the pair – usually, something that is not very dramatic. They find their way back to each other and share their first kiss (which you know will eventually happen before the movie even starts). Then, the movie ends.
Let It Snow (2013)
Mindless, sappy and predictable? Sure, but there is something to be said for that. I can always count on these movies to have a happy ending, no blood, no guts, no swearing and plenty of wholesome characters. By the time it’s all over, even the bad guys or gals in these movies are not so bad. Call me crazy, but I could happily live in this Hallmark world.
Since I am being honest, I will also tell you that I have watched many of these movies many times. I not only know the movie will end with a first kiss and who will be doing the kissing, I also know how it is all going to go down, and I still watch.
Jingle Bell Bride (2020)
My husband stands in the doorway and laughs at me in my Christmas pajamas as I sit glued to the TV screen. That said, here is another revelation – he has watched these movies with me. Oh, he will sit down or climb into bed next to me and make fun of me, but the next thing you know, he wants me to give him the dish on all the characters.
My husband is not the only one, either. I cannot tell you how many people I have told about my Hallmark obsession who have confessed that they are in the same boat. We can’t all be wrong, now, can we?
A Christmas Detour (2015)
Maybe these movies are so popular because they are predictable, and the rest of the world is not right now. There is so much stress and strife in the real world, it is nice to check out for a couple of hours – or more, in my case.
These movies also fill me with the holiday spirit. If you ask anyone who knows me well, I have really always been full of it anyway. I like to think of that as a lifelong gift my mother gave to me. The first Christmas after we lost her, I was not sure I would make it through. Who knew that simply decorating a full month earlier and settling in front of a bunch of sappy holiday movies would help me heal?
Write Before Christmas (2019)
I never wanted to lose my joy for the season because it is too important to let go of. In a world that is full of doubt and angst, it is kind of nice to be mindlessly obsessed with goodness and light, if only for a couple of months every year.
