I'm Not Ready for Christmas

5.8/10 · 2,308 ratings20151h 24mChristmasWeirdness 9/10Bingo card

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The premise

Holly's world is turned upside down when her niece's wish to Santa Claus comes true and she cannot tell a lie. As her career and love life go into disarray, she must learn to judge between the truth and what is right.

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

Show

Wait, what?

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

  • A literal supernatural curse based on a child's wish to a mall Santa
  • The protagonist admits her rental skates smell like her grandmother's corned beef and cabbage
  • The villain is a high-fashion designer who is secretly importing goods from Malaysia while claiming they are Made in the USA
  • Holly's physical inability to stop her hands from 'patting herself down' for money she knows she doesn't have

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 35 to find more movies that do the same thing.

Why we’d put this one on

Weirdness 9 and a gleeful premise: Holly, an ad exec who lies to manage her whole life, gets hit with a curse after her niece wishes to Santa that her aunt will be forced to tell the truth. Suddenly Holly blurts every honest thought aloud, which detonates her career and complicates a romance with her niece's music teacher. Alicia Witt is clearly having a blast playing someone who cannot stop saying the worst possible thing. The supernatural-curse-from-a-mall-Santa logic is pure holiday nonsense in the best way, and there is a great detail where she physically cannot stop patting herself down for money she does not have. Funny, chaotic, very rewatchable.

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)
Holly Nolan is a chronic liar who uses deception to navigate her high-pressure advertising job in Denver. The film opens with her stealing a taxi from a man named Drew by fabricating a story about a sister in labor, then lying to her boss, Berkley, about a fake flight to Dallas to avoid a meeting. Her life begins to unravel when her constant 'fibbing' causes her to miss her niece Anna's school tree-lighting ceremony. Disappointed, Anna makes a wish to a mall Santa that her aunt would finally start telling the truth. The wish takes effect immediately, and Holly begins blurting out unfiltered truths, including admitting to a security guard that she doesn't actually have the basketball tickets she promised him. Despite the curse, Holly's honesty accidentally helps her career when she meets iconic fashion designer Graydon DuPois. Instead of the usual flattery, she tells him his new bag design is uninspired and looks like something for an 82-year-old; DuPois is so refreshed by her 'straight shooting' that he gives her his account. Meanwhile, Holly begins dating Drew, the man from the taxi incident, who happens to be Anna's music teacher. Their romance is hindered by Holly's inability to filter her thoughts; she accidentally admits she once considered marrying DuPois for his money and frequently overshares her insecurities. The conflict peaks when DuPois takes Holly to Aspen and she discovers his 'Made in the USA' collection is actually manufactured in Malaysia. At a high-profile Christmas Eve gala, Holly is expected to present the campaign. Though her boss pressures her to stay quiet to save the agency, Holly chooses to expose DuPois's fraud on stage. She discovers afterward that Anna had actually 'taken back' the wish earlier that day, meaning Holly's decision to be honest at the gala was her own choice, not the result of the spell. The film concludes with Holly earning a partnership at her firm for her integrity, Drew deciding not to move to Chicago to stay with her, and Holly finally keeping her promises to her family.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Holly lies to a stranger (Drew) to steal a taxi and lies to her boss to avoid a client meeting.

  2. Inciting Incident

    Holly misses Anna's tree lighting ceremony, prompting Anna to wish to Santa that Holly would stop lying.

  3. Midpoint

    Holly lands the Graydon DuPois account by accidentally insulting his designs, which he mistakes for bold honesty.

  4. Complication

    Holly's lack of filter causes tension with Drew when she admits she finds her client Graydon attractive and wealthy.

  5. Climax

    Holly discovers DuPois is a fraud and exposes his 'Made in Malaysia' secret during a live televised Christmas gala.

  6. Resolution

    Holly learns the magic wish was already over and she chose to be honest on her own; she reconciles with Drew and her family.

Did you know?

A few things that make this one stand out once you stack it up against every other Hallmark movie.

  • 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%.

The backstory

I'm Not Ready for Christmas is a 2015 American Christmas-themed made-for-television romantic drama film directed by Sam Irvin and starring Alicia Witt, George Stults, Brigid Brannagh, and Dan Lauria. Written by Hanz Wasserburger. The film premiered on the Hallmark Channel on November 14, 2015.
From Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

How it stacks up

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

Rating 5.8 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 5.8567

Among the lower-rated Hallmark movies — the median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog I'm Not Ready for 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.

  • “My job, basically, is to sell people what they want the truth to be, and I'm very, very good at that.”
    — HollyExplaining her career to Drew before the curse.
  • “I asked Santa to make you tell the truth all the time, Aunt Holly.”
    — AnnaRevealing the source of Holly's behavior.
  • “The Graydon DuPois Collection is, in fact, not made in the USA.”
    — HollyExposing the antagonist during the climax.

Meet the characters

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

  • Holly Nolan

    Lead

    Advertising Executive

    AmbitiousCompulsive LiarWorkaholicWitty
  • Drew

    Love interest

    Grade School Music Teacher

    Love interest and niece's teacher

    HonestMusicalPatientPrincipled
  • Graydon DuPois

    Antagonist

    Fashion Designer

    Client

    ArrogantFraudulentCharismatic
  • Anna Geller

    Supporting

    Student

    Niece

    HopefulDisappointedSweet
  • Rose

    Supporting

    Nurse

    Sister

    GroundedProtectiveSkeptical

Questions people ask about I'm Not Ready for Christmas

Where can I watch I'm Not Ready for Christmas?

I'm Not Ready for Christmas is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is I'm Not Ready for Christmas?

I'm Not Ready for Christmas runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2015.

Is I'm Not Ready for Christmas a Christmas movie?

Yes. I'm Not Ready for 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