A Heavenly Christmas

6.3/10 · 2,253 ratings20161h 33mChristmasWeirdness 6/10Bingo card

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The premise

Upon her untimely death, a workaholic who never put much value into the joys of Christmas finds herself recruited to be a Christmas Angel -- and is assigned a hard luck case that she accidentally falls in love with.

How unusual is it?

More than most. Angels/heaven and an actual miracle push it well past the usual Hallmark template — the strangest 18% of everything we've logged.

Who’s in it

Behind the camera

Show

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 is technically a ghost/angel for 90% of the movie
  • Heaven is depicted as a white-tinted version of Chicago where you can eat unlimited pie without gaining weight
  • Eve's 'boyfriend in the future' excuse to avoid her brother's questions
  • A talking/teleporting cat named Snowball in the afterlife
  • The 'memory wipe' clause where the love interest forgets the entire relationship

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 33 to find more movies that do the same thing.

Why we’d put this one on

Kristin Davis is a workaholic financial analyst who dies in a freak accident and gets recruited as a rookie Christmas angel, sent back to help a struggling musician played by Eric McCormack. Shirley MacLaine is her celestial supervisor, which is reason enough. At weirdness 6 the swing is real: our lead spends most of the film as an angel-in-training, Heaven here is a white-tinted Chicago where the pie has no calories, and there is even a teleporting cat named Snowball. It is a warm spin on a familiar premise with a properly famous cast. Lovely choice if you want your Christmas romance with a little afterlife.

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)
Eve Morgan is a high-powered, ruthless financial analyst in Chicago whose only goal is to beat her rival, Carter, for a partnership at her firm. She is so obsessed with work that she cancels Christmas plans with her brother and nephews for the third year in a row. While walking on an icy sidewalk and making a cold call, Eve slips and hits her head, falling into a coma that she initially perceives as death. She wakes up in a white, ethereal version of Chicago and meets Pearl, a guardian angel who informs Eve that she has been selected as a Christmas angel-in-training. Pearl explains that Eve must return to Earth to answer a specific prayer before Christmas. Eve is assigned to Max Wingford, a man she briefly argued with in a taxi just before her accident. Max is a former musician who gave up his career after his sister and singing partner died in a car crash; he now runs a diner and cares for his niece, Lauren. Lauren's grandparents are threatening to take her to Florida, believing Max's lifestyle is too unstable. Although angels are supposed to remain invisible and not form attachments, Eve becomes visible to Max and Lauren, eventually falling in love with Max. She uses her financial expertise and heavenly influence to secure Max an audition at the Palace and convinces him to fight for Lauren's custody. Just as they share a romantic connection, Pearl reveals that Eve's physical body is actually in a coma and she has the choice to return to life, though Max and Lauren will lose all memory of her angelic intervention. Eve wakes up in the hospital, transformed by her experience. She repairs her relationship with her brother, gives her partnership lead to Carter, and seeks out Max and Lauren in the real world. Attending Max's Christmas Eve concert, she finds that while they don't remember her, they feel an immediate, 'familiar' connection, and the film ends with the promise of a new, grounded romance.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Workaholic Eve Morgan slips on the ice and 'dies' while trying to poach a client on her cell phone.

  2. Inciting incident

    Eve arrives in Heaven and is assigned by Pearl to be a Christmas angel to help Max Wingford.

  3. Midpoint

    Eve breaks the rules of being an angel by becoming visible to Max and Lauren and helping them with their daily lives.

  4. Complication

    Eve falls in love with Max but is told by Pearl that he will have no memory of her if she returns to her life.

  5. Climax

    Eve helps Max secure a major audition and convince Lauren's grandparents that she belongs with him.

  6. Resolution

    Eve wakes from her coma, changes her life priorities, and reunites with Max and Lauren at a concert.

33 tropes in one movie

We counted 33 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

The backstory

  • Music by Michael Richard Plowman.
A Heavenly Christmas is a 2016 American television film starring Kristin Davis, Eric McCormack and Shirley MacLaine.
From Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

How it stacks up

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

Rating 6.3 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.3567

Higher-rated than 37% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog A Heavenly 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.

  • “No one has ever said, 'I spent too much time loving someone.'”
    — PearlPearl giving Eve advice on her regrets about her past life.
  • “You must be an angel... That's what I believe.”
    — Max WingfordLyrics to the song Max writes, unknowingly referencing Eve's true nature.
  • “I'm crying on the inside.”
    — Eve MorganEve explaining why she isn't reacting to cutting onions, a nod to her angelic state.

Meet the characters

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

  • Eve Morgan

    Lead

    Financial Analyst / Christmas Angel

    AmbitiousSkepticalWorkaholicRedeemed
  • Max Wingford

    Love interest

    Diner Owner / Musician

    Target of her angelic mission and romantic interest

    GrievingKindTalentedProtective
  • Pearl

    Supporting

    Guardian Angel

    Angelic mentor

    WisePatientRule-bending
  • Lauren

    Supporting

    Student

    Max's niece

    PerceptiveOptimisticLoving

Questions people ask about A Heavenly Christmas

Where can I watch A Heavenly Christmas?

A Heavenly Christmas is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is A Heavenly Christmas?

A Heavenly Christmas runs about 1 hour and 33 minutes, and was released in 2016.

Is A Heavenly Christmas a Christmas movie?

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

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Talking Hallmark

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Data and sources

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Sources:IMDbTMDBWikipedia