A Cheerful Christmas

5.4/10 · 1,178 ratings20191h 23mChristmasWeirdness 5/10Bingo card

Where to watch

Search Amazon.com

Amazon

Search Amazon.com for this title. Availability varies by country.

Search Amazon.com

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The premise

A woman and her best friend think they landed the job of their dreams by giving people a great Christmas until they get a client who doesn't feel the same way.

How unusual is it?

Middle of the road, with a twist — royalty keeps it from being totally by-the-book.

Who’s in it

Behind the camera

Show

Directed by

Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

  • The concept of a 'Christmas Coach' who provides professional holiday lifestyle training.
  • The specific detail that the family is 53rd in line for the British throne.
  • A contract clause that legally requires clients to help pick out their own Christmas tree.
  • The existence of a 'College of Christmas' as a joke that Lauren takes semi-seriously.

Every trope, all in one place

Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 31 to find more movies that do the same thing.

How it all plays out

Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

Full story (spoilers)
The film follows Lauren Dale and her best friend Colleen, who run a niche business called 'The Christmas Coaches,' helping clients create perfect holiday experiences. They are thrilled to be hired by the Andersons, a family of immense wealth and royal lineage (53rd in line for the British throne). Lauren's personal life is marked by her father's absence, as he is busy running a food bank in Boston named after her late mother. Upon arriving at the Anderson estate, they meet Joyce, the long-time housekeeper, and James Anderson, the family's son who is currently obsessed with a corporate acquisition of Lifton Corp. James is initially cold and dismissive, insisting that Lauren stick to a pre-approved list of tasks and stay out of his office. However, Lauren's persistent holiday cheer begins to wear him down. They bond over building snowmen—which James names William and Kate—and Lauren discovers that James used to love Christmas before the family moved from London and became consumed by business. As the holiday approaches, Lauren pushes James to participate in traditions like picking out a real tree and ice skating. During these moments, James reveals a family tradition of placing charity donation envelopes on the tree, a practice they abandoned years ago. The romance faces a hurdle in the form of Miriam, the family's sophisticated lawyer and James's childhood friend, who clearly has romantic designs on him and shares his high-society interests like snow polo. Lauren feels like an outsider, especially after attending a polo match where she feels she doesn't fit into James's world. Influenced by Lauren's perspective on 'giving,' James decides to change his business deal, offering Dean Lifton a partnership rather than a total buyout. For the grand finale, Lauren moves the Anderson Christmas party from a hotel to their private home to make it more intimate. At the party, she surprises the family by reinstating the charity envelope tradition. James clarifies to Miriam that they are only friends and then surprises Lauren by arranging for her father to fly home early from Boston. The film concludes with James and Lauren confessing their feelings and sharing a kiss as the first snow of Christmas begins to fall.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Lauren and Colleen are hired by the Andersons, a family with royal connections, to be their 'Christmas Coaches.'

  2. Inciting Incident

    Lauren meets James, the workaholic son, who is initially resistant to any holiday 'coaching' or changes to his routine.

  3. Midpoint

    James begins to thaw as he and Lauren build snowmen and go tree shopping, rediscovering his childhood love for the holiday.

  4. Complication

    The arrival of Miriam, James's lawyer and childhood friend, makes Lauren feel inadequate and out of place in his social circle.

  5. Climax

    At the Anderson Christmas party, Lauren reinstates the family's charity envelope tradition, and James chooses Lauren over Miriam.

  6. Resolution

    James surprises Lauren by bringing her father home for Christmas, and the two share a romantic kiss in the snow.

31 tropes in one movie

We counted 31 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Rating 5.4 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 5.4567

Among the lower-rated Hallmark movies — the median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog A Cheerful Christmas belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

  • “We are the Christmas coaches.”
    — Lauren DaleIntroducing her business to the Anderson's housekeeper.
  • “Work helps build character and leisure softens it.”
    — James AndersonExplaining his father's philosophy while building a snowman.
  • “I think technically he's a lord but he doesn't like it when people call him that.”
    — ColleenDiscussing James's royal status.
  • “Clearly I need more coaching.”
    — James AndersonJust before kissing Lauren at the end of the film.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

  • Lauren Dale

    Lead

    Christmas Coach

    EnthusiasticTraditionalEmpatheticFestive
  • James Anderson

    Love interest

    Businessman / Lord

    Client and romantic interest

    WorkaholicReservedAthleticSecretly Sentimental
  • Colleen

    Supporting

    Christmas Coach

    Best friend and business partner

    SupportiveBusiness-mindedLoyal
  • Miriam

    Supporting

    Lawyer

    Childhood friend and romantic rival

    SophisticatedCompetitiveAmbitious
  • Joyce Hughes

    Supporting

    Housekeeper

    James's housekeeper and confidante

    KindObservantNurturing

Questions people ask about A Cheerful Christmas

Where can I watch A Cheerful Christmas?

A Cheerful Christmas is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hoopla. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is A Cheerful Christmas?

A Cheerful Christmas runs about 1 hour and 23 minutes, and was released in 2019.

Is A Cheerful Christmas a Christmas movie?

Yes. A Cheerful Christmas is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.

Browse all movies

If you liked this one, you’ll probably like these. The chips show what they have in common.

The Nine Lives of Christmas poster

The Nine Lives of Christmas

7.0

2014 · Christmas

  • Christmas
  • Big City
  • Complete Strangers
Christmas by Starlight poster

Christmas by Starlight

7.0

2020 · Christmas

  • Christmas
  • Big City
  • Complete Strangers
The Christmas Waltz poster

The Christmas Waltz

6.9

2020 · Christmas

  • Christmas
  • Big City
  • Complete Strangers
A Biltmore Christmas poster

A Biltmore Christmas

7.4

2023 · Christmas

  • Christmas
  • Complete Strangers

Our review

We watched A Cheerful Christmas so you don’t have to

Alanna sat through every minute of this one and recapped the whole thing — the plot holes, the chemistry, the parts that made no sense — over on the Talking Hallmark channel.

Reviewed by Alanna54-min recap
I watched Hallmark’s WORST Christmas movie (so you don’t have to)

“I watched Hallmark’s WORST Christmas movie (so you don’t have to)”

Data and sources