A Christmas to Remember
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The premise
Following a car accident which leaves her with a bout of amnesia, a celebrity chef gets stranded in a small town over the Christmas season.
How unusual is it?
More than most. Amnesia and Santa himself push it well past the usual Hallmark template — the strangest 12% of everything we've logged.
A rare specific
Tap to find the other Hallmark movies that share it.
Who’s in it
Alongside them
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Behind the camera
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Directed by
Written by
Wait, what?
The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.
- The protagonist's first interaction with the love interest involves her sitting on a pie while concussed.
- The 'baloney omelette' is presented as a legitimate breakfast innovation.
- A supporting character gives a bizarrely depressing metaphor about a baby rabbit that he let go and never saw again to explain love.
- The protagonist is a 'lifestyle guru' who hates the color green during Christmas.
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 37 to find more movies that do the same thing.
Setting2
Time & season3
Premise1
Characters10
Romance5
Tone & quirks7
Why we’d put this one on
Weirdness 7, and a fun amnesia setup carried by a strong cast. Mira Sorvino plays a stressed celebrity lifestyle guru who loses her memory in a Colorado blizzard, takes the name Maggie, and gets taken in by a widowed vet (Cameron Mathison) and his three kids. The details are wonderfully off: her first meeting with him involves sitting on a pie while concussed, a baloney omelette is pitched as breakfast innovation, and our lifestyle queen secretly hates the color green at Christmas. It is identity-and-traditions comfort with an Oscar winner at the center. At 6.5, a warm watch.
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 opens with Jennifer Wade, a high-strung TV personality and lifestyle guru in New York, struggling to film a 'perfect' Christmas special while dealing with a shallow boyfriend, Brad, and a demanding producer, Paula. Feeling burnt out and disconnected from the holiday's meaning since her mother's death, Jennifer accepts Paula's offer to stay at a mountain chalet in Aspen. During a massive blizzard, Jennifer's car veers off the road, and she wanders into the snow, suffering a head injury. She is discovered by John Blake, a local veterinarian and widower, and his son Kyle. In a moment of unintentional comedy, the disoriented Jennifer is loaded into John's truck where she immediately sits on a fresh apple pie. Waking up in the Blake household with no memory of her name or life, she is dubbed 'Maggie' by John's youngest daughter, Daisy. As 'Maggie' recovers, she integrates into the family's life, helping John's three children—Daisy, Jamie, and Kyle—prepare for the town's Christmas pageant. Despite her amnesia, her innate 'Home Style' skills emerge as she cooks elaborate meals, including a 'baloney omelette' and a holiday roast, and sews an elaborate owl costume for Daisy. John, who has struggled to move on since his wife Julie's death, finds himself falling for Maggie's warmth and spirit. Meanwhile, Brooke, a local woman interested in John, recognizes Jennifer from a magazine feature and, out of jealousy, contacts Jennifer's agent in New York rather than telling John. The conflict reaches a climax at the town's Christmas party when Paula and Brad arrive to 'rescue' Jennifer, abruptly restoring her memory and whisking her back to Manhattan. Back in the city, Jennifer realizes her old life is hollow and her 'brand' is a facade. She breaks up with Brad, tells Paula she is changing her life, and returns to North Creek on Christmas Day. She surprises the Blake family, declaring her love for John and the children, and the film ends with her filming a new, authentic version of her show from their home.
Beat by beat
Opening
Jennifer Wade, an exhausted lifestyle guru, leaves NYC for a solo Christmas break but crashes her car in a Colorado blizzard.
Inciting Incident
John Blake finds Jennifer wandering the road with amnesia; she accidentally sits on his apple pie during the rescue.
Midpoint
Living as 'Maggie,' Jennifer helps the Blake family rediscover Christmas joy while John considers turning his barn into a veterinary hospital in his late wife's memory.
Complication
Local rival Brooke identifies Jennifer from 'Aroma Magazine' and calls her NYC agent to get her out of town.
Climax
Jennifer's memory returns when her agent and boyfriend arrive at the town party, forcing her to return to her old life in New York.
Resolution
Jennifer realizes she prefers her new identity and returns to North Creek to be with John and his children.
37 tropes in one movie
We counted 37 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.
Higher-rated than 54% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.
Where this one fits
The corners of the catalog A Christmas to Remember belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.
- Weirdest Hallmark MoviesScores 7/10 on our weirdness scale — comfortably in the strange end.
- Best Hallmark Christmas MoviesIt is, of course, a Christmas movie.
- Weirdest Hallmark Christmas MoviesA Christmas movie strange enough to make the weird list.
- Hallmark Amnesia MoviesMemory loss drives the plot.
- Hallmark Dog & Pet MoviesA four-legged matchmaker.
- Hallmark Baking & Cooking MoviesPlenty of time in the kitchen.
Lines worth quoting
The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.
“I'm trying to stride that fine line between, like, fashion forward for the Midwest, what the Midwest wants.”
— Jennifer WadeDiscussing her wardrobe for her TV special. “You just sat on a pie.”
— John BlakeImmediately after rescuing Jennifer from the snow. “One day my mamma says to me if I love something I had to let it go and see if it came back. So I went outside, set it down, it hopped away. And I never saw that bunny again.”
— DanGiving John romantic advice about Maggie. “I think that the definition of who that is has changed, or maybe I'm actually now who I was always meant to be.”
— Jennifer WadeBreaking up with Brad in New York.
Meet the characters
Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.
Jennifer Wade / Maggie
LeadLifestyle TV Host
PerfectionistKind-heartedTalented cookAmnesiacJohn Blake
Love interestVeterinarian
Rescuer and romantic interest
PatientGrieving widowerDevoted fatherPaula Marshall
SupportingTV Producer / Agent
Boss and friend
AmbitiousFast-talkingBrand-focusedBrooke Hanson
SupportingTown Clerk
Romantic rival
JealousObservantSchemingBrad
SupportingSportscaster
New York boyfriend
VainSuperficial
Questions people ask about A Christmas to Remember
Where can I watch A Christmas to Remember?
A Christmas to Remember is available via Hallmark+ Amazon Channel, Hallmark+ Apple TV Channel, and Hallmark TV Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.
How long is A Christmas to Remember?
A Christmas to Remember runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2016.
Is A Christmas to Remember a Christmas movie?
Yes. A Christmas to Remember is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.
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