Enchanted Christmas

6.1/10 · 1,607 ratings20171h 24mChristmasWeirdness 6/10Bingo 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

Young widow Laura Trudeau was a remarkable dancer. As a project manager she is tasked with renovating a lodge in her hometown and have it ready by Christmas Eve. She is stunned it's the lodge where she and her former love performed.

How unusual is it?

More than most. Santa himself, an actual miracle and a second-chance romance push it well past the usual Hallmark template — the strangest 18% of everything we've logged.

Who’s in it

You’ve seen this pairing before: Alexa PenaVega and Carlos PenaVega have made 7 Hallmark movies together.

Behind the camera

Show

Wait, what?

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

  • The protagonist's father uses a psychological tactic on a child by telling her a peer 'thinks she's better than you' to motivate her to dance.
  • A recurring, oddly specific obsession with the quality of hotel hangers and soap as a metric for professional success.

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 43 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 begins in Los Angeles, where Laura Trudeau is a stressed project manager dealing with hotel logistics. Her boss, Oliver, buys the Enchanted Lodge in Rosemont, Utah—Laura's hometown—and tasks her with completing a massive renovation in just four weeks, ending on Christmas Eve. Laura is hesitant to return because she left her father, Manuel, on tense terms after her husband's death and abandoned her passion for dancing. She brings her young daughter, Nikki, who is eager to see real snow for the first time. Upon arriving at the lodge, Laura discovers that the construction is a mess, but the ballroom is being used for rehearsals for the town's traditional Christmas show. There, she runs into Ricardo Archuleta, her former dance partner and first love. Ricardo is back in town to choreograph the show with his professional partner, Taylor. As Laura balances the renovation with family time, Nikki expresses a desire to join the dance show. Though Laura initially refuses to protect Nikki from the 'unstable' life of a performer, she eventually relents. Meanwhile, Laura's current boyfriend and coworker, Scott, remains in LA but grows suspicious of her progress. The renovation faces several hurdles, including a furniture delivery delay that Laura solves through creative bartering. The romantic tension between Laura and Ricardo builds as they reminisce about their past, specifically a fight involving a thrown ornament near a now-broken fountain. When Ricardo's partner Taylor suddenly leaves for a major audition in London, the show's finale is at risk. Laura agrees to step in and dance with Ricardo, rediscovering her love for the art form. Conflict arises when Scott arrives in Rosemont. He secretly undermines Laura by telling Oliver she is 'struggling' and 'behind schedule' to secure a promotion for himself. Simultaneously, Ricardo is offered a prestigious two-year global tour. Believing she shouldn't hold him back, Laura tells Ricardo to take the job and leave. However, the truth about Scott's betrayal comes to light; Oliver realizes Laura did the work and fires Scott, offering Laura the position of General Manager of the Enchanted Lodge. On opening night, Ricardo reveals he turned down the tour to stay with Laura and Nikki. The film concludes with a grand dance finale performed by Laura and Ricardo, the successful opening of the lodge, and the arrival of the snowy Christmas Nikki had wished for.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Laura is assigned to renovate the Enchanted Lodge in her hometown of Rosemont, Utah, with a strict Christmas Eve deadline.

  2. Inciting Incident

    Laura reunites with her ex-boyfriend and former dance partner, Ricardo, who is choreographing the lodge's anniversary show.

  3. Midpoint

    Ricardo's dance partner Taylor leaves for an audition, forcing Laura to step back into her dancing shoes to save the finale.

  4. Complication

    Laura's LA boyfriend Scott arrives and sabotages her career by lying to their boss about her performance.

  5. Climax

    Scott is fired for his dishonesty, and Laura is offered the GM position; Ricardo must choose between a world tour and staying with Laura.

  6. Resolution

    Ricardo stays, the couple performs a successful grand finale dance, and it finally snows in Rosemont.

43 tropes in one movie

We counted 43 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 6.1 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.1567

Higher-rated than 22% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Enchanted 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.

  • “Santa is an expert people finder. The whole Nice List thing?”
    — LauraReassuring her daughter that Santa can find them in Utah.
  • “I didn't throw it at you. I threw it, but... you got in the way.”
    — LauraDiscussing a past argument where she threw a Christmas ornament at Ricardo.
  • “Doing good work makes you feel good. Remember that.”
    — ManuelGiving advice to Ricardo about life and choices.

Meet the characters

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

  • Laura Trudeau

    Lead

    Project Manager / General Manager

    HardworkingProtectiveTalented dancerPragmatic
  • Ricardo Archuleta

    Love interest

    Professional Dancer

    Former dance partner and ex-boyfriend

    CharmingPassionateNostalgicPatient
  • Scott

    Antagonist

    Project Manager

    Current boyfriend and coworker

    AmbitiousDeceptiveCorporate-minded
  • Nikki

    Supporting

    Student

    Daughter

    OptimisticCompetitiveDetermined
  • Manuel

    Supporting

    Retired / Grandfather

    Father

    TraditionalLovingWise

Questions people ask about Enchanted Christmas

Where can I watch Enchanted Christmas?

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

How long is Enchanted Christmas?

Enchanted Christmas runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2017.

Is Enchanted Christmas a Christmas movie?

Yes. Enchanted 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.

Five More Minutes poster

Five More Minutes

7.3

2021 · Christmas

  • Christmas
  • Small Town
  • Second Chance Romance
A Dickens of a Holiday! poster

A Dickens of a Holiday!

7.0

2021 · Christmas

  • Christmas
  • Small Town
  • Second Chance Romance
Follow the Stars Home poster

Follow the Stars Home

6.8

2001

  • Alexa PenaVega
  • Small Town
  • Second Chance Romance

Talking Hallmark

Love talking about these as much as watching them?

So do we. Come hang out on the Talking Hallmark channel, where we dig into movies just like this one, episode after episode.

Watch the latest episode
This Hallmark Christmas movie is aggressively stupid

“This Hallmark Christmas movie is aggressively stupid”

Data and sources

HallmarkDB catalogue. How we research filmsData refreshed .

Search JustWatch for current viewing options.

Sources:IMDbTMDB