Help for the Holidays
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The premise
Santa's elf (Summer Glau) helps a family (Eva La Rue, Dan Gauthier) during Christmastime.
How unusual is it?
Honestly? Not very — and that's the charm. It plays the hits, which is exactly the point for a cozy night in.
Who’s in it
Behind the camera
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Directed by
Written by
Why we’d put this one on
The hook here is the casting: Summer Glau, of Firefly and Terminator fame, plays Christine, one of Santa's elves sent to help a frazzled family pull their Christmas together. Watching an actress known for steely sci-fi roles do warm holiday magic is a treat in itself. Eva LaRue and Dan Gauthier play the overworked parents who have lost track of what the season is for, and Christine quietly nudges them back. It is a gentle, miracle-adjacent comfort watch, very much in the classic mode of an outsider arriving to fix a family. Put it on if you want something soft, sincere, and a little bit magic.
How it stacks up
Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.
Higher-rated than 46% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.
Where this one fits
The corners of the catalog Help for the Holidays belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.
Meet the characters
Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.
Christine
LeadSanta's elf turned nanny
whimsicalcaringmagicalDave Gabriel
Love interestMan in the family's life
Love interest
warmgroundedkindSara VanCamp
SupportingMother
Mother of the family Christine helps
busylovingScott VanCamp
SupportingFather
Father of the family
busyAlly VanCamp
SupportingVanCamp child
Child in the family
youngWill VanCamp
SupportingVanCamp child
Child in the family
young
Questions people ask about Help for the Holidays
Where can I watch Help for the Holidays?
Help for the Holidays is available via UP Faith & Family Apple TV channel, UP Faith & Family Amazon Channel, and Xumo Play. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.
How long is Help for the Holidays?
Help for the Holidays runs about 1 hour and 30 minutes, and was released in 2012.
More like this
Browse all moviesNothing close enough to suggest yet — the full catalog is a good place to wander.
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“This Hallmark Christmas movie is aggressively stupid”
Data and sources
HallmarkDB catalogue. How we research filmsData refreshed .