Year after year, there are a number of movies most of us likely have on rotation during the holidays. There are the perfect classics like It’s a Wonderful Life and While You Were Sleeping, and then there’s—not a hyperbole—the single greatest Lifetime romance, The Spirit of Christmas. Since the film’s release in 2015, it’s been on a yearly rotation in my house, and I’ve basically made it my agenda to get more people to watch this gem.
And yet, somehow, I’ve never made a list of reasons. Time to rectify that—this one’s for my romance fans.
The Romance in The Spirit of Christmas Is Everything
One word: romance. Three more words: happily ever after. The Spirit of Christmas is a traditional holiday film with its formulaic approach, yet at the same time, it’s deliciously unique in a way that makes it so memorable that once you watch it once, you won’t get enough. It follows our girl Kate, a jaded lawyer who never has time for love, setting out on a job to get the Hollygrove Inn appraised. The problem is, said Inn is haunted by an 18th-century ghost who returns to the land of the living for twelve days out of the year during the Christmas season.
It results in a delectable romance between two grumpy and jaded characters that makes everything twice as enthralling. And while they naturally start off on the wrong foot, opening their hearts together as they attempt to solve the mystery of his murder is where the entire story shimmers. Through quiet, achingly precious, and deeply romantic moments full of longing, every beat of Kate and Daniel’s romance feels earned.
The Setting
A setting always matters to me personally, and the Hollygrove Inn is a stunning location to spend the majority of the film in. From the gorgeous interior decor to the snow blanketing the entire property, every second of The Spirit of Christmas becomes even more magical because of the location. The bedrooms, the wallpaper, the architectural structure of the Inn. All of it. There’s also something so cozy and charming about the Christmas tree itself that makes everything feel extra warm.
The Characters
I have written a bit about why I think the characters are a large part of the film’s appeal, and it’s entirely because they’re both so well-rounded throughout the short amount of time we spend with them. We know their fears, their heartaches, and even the small wants neither allows themselves to wish for.
There’s a softness in each of Daniel and Kate’s interactions that makes the moments they open up feel so organic that this detail alone is a rarity in movies like this. With the limited screentime we get, there isn’t nearly enough time to get to know the characters as intimately as we do in romance novels, but still, The Spirit of Christmas surprises you in this regard. It delivers an excellent balance between banter, softness, and vulnerability.
The Angst
The ANGST. The fact that their first hug is an emotionally charged moment of hurt/comfort that takes place while another ghost in the Inn tries to scare her? Immaculate. The tension that simmers during quiet moments as they decorate the Christmas tree and discuss their past relationships? Unreal. Their slow dance? Swoonworthy. The heartpounding, breathtaking, angsty goodbye that occurs after they finally break the curse? You’ll have to watch to feel all the emotions stretching across the small space in that single scene.
It helps that both Thomas Beaudoin and Jen Lilley deliver the kind of performances that feel lived in and believable. You know it’s a romance, so a happy ending is likely, and yet the angst still manages to make you feel the weight of their sorrow lingering in the air. The why and the how of all the logistics that serve as an understandable barrier are present throughout all their interactions.
Twelve days, that’s all they have. Time is precious. Time is fleeting. And we see it. We feel it, all throughout. The way they hold each other. The way they let themselves be vulnerable around one another—every touch and every gaze. The way they grow in love. Every moment is full of so much longing that it ensures the romance hits deeply.
Daniel Forsythe, the Hot Ghost. Period.
This really should be enough reason. Daniel Forsythe is hot—objectively, on all fronts. But that’s not all. He eventually cooks for her. He plays the piano?! He’s gentle with her—so, so soft and so delightfully grumpy at the same time. The way he’s so keenly aware of everything Kate does is quite literally what it means to yearn. Profoundly. Unceasingly. The way he looks at her shows us a thousand and one things all at once. Did I mention that he wears glasses? His beard is stupidly perfect. The hair? The suspenders? I’d be here forever if I picked apart everything.
The Spirit of Christmas is currently available for digital purchase.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Lifetime