There are few words to describe Hallmark’s Where Are You, Christmas? and it’s not because it’s so sensational I was rendered speechless. It was like going on a roller coaster that’s sometimes great and otherwise so wild you want to get off it immediately, but you’re stuck on top of a loop. It’s outright bonkers, but it somehow managed to make me cry multiple times. I’m a sap. We all know that by now, but this? I have absolutely no idea what this movie is.
If you’re coming to it for Lyndsy Fonseca and Michael Rady‘s chemistry, you’re in it for the right reasons. If you’re also coming here because you miss Parks and Recreation and Jim O’Heir is in it, you’re also in it for the right reasons. But if you’re coming in for a gloriously heart-changing film, then I’m not sure what to tell you. The premise is straightforward and doesn’t get too convoluted, which is always a plus, and the CGI is okay at best, but it’s the idea that’s so far-fetched it’s hard to believe in it.
I almost would’ve rather had an It’s a Wonderful Life scenario with Addy wishing away Christmas and, thus, wishing away herself in the process. The vast exploration of one person’s impact on an entire town—especially a small town—feels entirely believable. But this? (Red Lake Falls / Bedford Falls? Hello?) This is something else entirely. Still, I appreciate the film not growing more complicated than it needed to. Christmas is indeed about helping the people who are hurting, but if it were a little less on the nose, then maybe it would’ve felt a little more organic.
But don’t let my doubts about the plot deter you from watching. It’s one worth giving a chance, regardless. Come next year, if Hallmark’s Where Are You, Christmas? is on air, I won’t skip the channel. I’d still go through whatever trip it was. If nothing else, perhaps if it didn’t come from the app’s doing, then maybe it would’ve worked. A little more spiritual, a little less AI. That’s why It’s A Wonderful Life works—you don’t have to be religious to believe in the idea of external forces to nudge in and help us. Our phones, however? Keep them away. And sure, it makes sense, considering she needed to get off of hers and throw out the middle finger to capitalism, but this isn’t sci-fi. We’d have to have a whole other conversation if it was.
In truth, Hallmark’s Where Are You, Christmas? isn’t bad—it’s quite lovely, especially where the idea of coming home is concerned. The notion of regrets taking root in us until it’s too late works as a universal theme many can relate to—the frivolity of the how and the why strips the wholesome message a little bit. It’s AI Santa. It’s attempting to note that one wish is this powerful driven by our phones. Or maybe that’s what makes it so terrifying. Still, the romantic progression feels organic, the familial moments are pleasantly wholesome, and Addy’s character journey feels just right for the holidays. It’s a good one, and it’s particularly fantastic when it calls out to familiar Hallmark film tropes.
Where Are You, Christmas? is now streaming on Frndly TV.