A Kiss Before Christmas
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The premise
Ethan, a married father of two teens, wakes up one morning shocked to find that he's unmarried, has no kids, and is the CEO of his company. His wife is the key to him being able to reclaim his original life and family.
How unusual is it?
Very. Magic, santa is real, Santa himself and an actual miracle all turn up in one movie — the strangest 3% of everything we've logged.
Who’s in it
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.
- Magical Santa acting as a cosmic gatekeeper at a train station
- The protagonist starts losing his memories of his children as a 'ticking clock' mechanic
- A high-tech coffee machine that holds conversations with the protagonist
- The 'Desperate Housewives' lead actor reunion (James Denton and Teri Hatcher) playing a couple again
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 34 to find more movies that do the same thing.
Time & season4
Conflict5
Romance6
Tone & quirks3
Why we’d put this one on
Weirdness 9, and a genuine treat for fans of an alternate-life premise. James Denton plays Ethan, a good guy who feels his decency has held him back, so he makes a wish to a mysterious Santa and wakes up as a ruthless, family-free CEO. To get his real life back, he has to win over his wife, who in this reality is a high-powered lawyer fighting his own company. The big draw is the Desperate Housewives reunion, with Denton and Teri Hatcher playing a couple again. The audacious touches pile up, including a high-tech coffee machine that holds conversations with him. Strange, sweet, and surprisingly well-rated at 7.
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)
Ethan Holt is a dedicated project manager at Bellingham Development who consistently chooses ethics over profit, much to the chagrin of his ruthless colleague, Sean Doyle. While Ethan is happily married to Joyce and has two adopted children, Colin and Trisha, he feels the financial strain of his 'good guy' choices when he is passed over for a promotion. On Christmas Eve, after a frustrating day involving a failing car radiator and corporate pressure to evict a newsstand owner named Lottie Feldman, Ethan encounters a mysterious Santa at a train station. He expresses a wish that he had taken the 'other elevator' twenty years ago—the path of ambition and ruthlessness. He wakes up the next morning in a luxury penthouse as the co-owner of Doyle and Holt, driving a Ferrari and living a life of immense wealth. However, he quickly realizes the cost: he is no longer married to Joyce, and his children are in the foster care system. In this reality, Joyce is a high-powered attorney representing a youth center that Ethan’s company intends to demolish. The magical Santa reappears, warning Ethan that he has until Christmas to find the 'lesson' or this reality becomes permanent, and he will lose all memories of his former life. Ethan uses his intimate knowledge of Joyce’s preferences to woo her, eventually convincing her to help him save the youth center through a 'Holiday Hope Builders' campaign. As the deadline approaches, Ethan begins to lose his memories, even forgetting his daughter's name. He realizes that wealth is meaningless without his family. In a climactic moment at a Christmas Eve gala, Ethan rejects his corporate persona and begs for his old life back. He wakes up in the original timeline, empowered by his experience. He stands up to Sean, secures a promotion from the company owner Rona Bellingham based on his integrity, and returns home to Joyce, promising to support her long-deferred dream of attending law school.
Beat by beat
Opening
Ethan is pressured by Sean to use unethical tactics to secure a development deal but refuses, leading to him being passed over for a VP promotion.
Inciting Incident
On Christmas Eve, Ethan meets a magical Santa at a train station and wishes he had taken a different, more ambitious path in life.
Midpoint
Ethan wakes up as a wealthy CEO in an alternate reality where he isn't married to Joyce and his children are in foster care; he must win Joyce over to save a youth center.
Climax
As Ethan begins to lose his memories of his real family, he realizes he values them over his wealth and makes a final plea to the magical Santa to return home.
Resolution
Ethan returns to his original life, exposes Sean's corruption to the company owner, and celebrates Christmas with a new appreciation for his family and Joyce's career goals.
Did you know?
A few things that make this one stand out once you stack it up against every other Hallmark movie.
It's 1 of only 6 Hallmark movies to combine supernatural elements, an enemies-to-lovers arc, and a Santa sighting.
At a weirdness score of 9, it lands among the strangest 3% of Hallmark movies we've scored.
Top 3% weirdest
Out of every Hallmark movie we've scored, this one lands among the strangest 3%.
How it stacks up
Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.
Higher-rated than 88% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.
Where this one fits
The corners of the catalog A Kiss Before Christmas belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.
- Weirdest Hallmark MoviesScores 9/10 on our weirdness scale — comfortably in the strange end.
- Craziest Hallmark MoviesWild enough in premise to make the all-time list.
- Best Hallmark Christmas MoviesIt is, of course, a Christmas movie.
- Weirdest Hallmark Christmas MoviesA Christmas movie strange enough to make the weird list.
- Hallmark Supernatural MoviesHas a supernatural element.
- Hallmark Enemies-to-Lovers MoviesStarts with sparks of the wrong kind.
Lines worth quoting
The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.
“If I have to lie and cheat and hurt people to move up, up is not where I want to be.”
— Ethan HoltEthan confronting Sean and Rona about his refusal to be ruthless. “You need to figure it out by Christmas, because if you don't by then, this will become your new life.”
— SantaExplaining the stakes of the alternate reality wish. “I want to do everything I can to support you going back and getting your degree... slaying the dragons.”
— Ethan HoltEthan promising to support Joyce's law school dreams at the end of the film.
Meet the characters
Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.
Ethan Holt
LeadProject Manager / CEO
EthicalFamily-orientedHardworkingSentimentalJoyce Holt/Hollander
Love interestTeacher / Attorney
Wife (Original) / Opposing Counsel (Alternate)
CompassionateStrong-willedIntelligentIdealisticSean Doyle
AntagonistReal Estate Developer
Colleague and rival
RuthlessGreedyManipulativeUnethicalRona Bellingham
SupportingRetired Owner of Bellingham Development
Former Boss
DiscerningPrincipledWealthy
Questions people ask about A Kiss Before Christmas
Where can I watch A Kiss Before Christmas?
A Kiss Before Christmas is available via fuboTV, YouTube TV, and Philo. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.
How long is A Kiss Before Christmas?
A Kiss Before Christmas runs about 1 hour and 23 minutes, and was released in 2021.
Is A Kiss Before Christmas a Christmas movie?
Yes. A Kiss Before Christmas is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.
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Data and sources
Curated by the Talking Hallmark team.Last updated .