Journey Back to Christmas
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The premise
A WWII-era nurse is transported in time to 2016 and meets a man who helps her discover the bonds of family and that the true meaning of Christmas is timeless.
How unusual is it?
Very. Time travel, amnesia and an actual miracle all turn up in one movie — the strangest 1% of everything we've logged.
Who’s in it
Alongside them
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Behind the camera
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Directed by
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Wait, what?
The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.
- Time travel via a Christmas comet
- The protagonist realizes she is responsible for the birth of the man she is currently befriending
- A 1940s nurse is baffled by the concept of gluten-free toothpaste
- The 'bootstrap paradox' where she sees her own future marriage in a 70-year-old letter
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.
Setting2
Time & season4
Characters7
Conflict2
Romance6
Tone & quirks7
How it ends2
Why we’d put this one on
Weirdness 10, and one of the boldest premises Hallmark ever greenlit. Candace Cameron Bure plays Hanna, a 1945 nurse hurled forward to 2016 by a rare Christmas comet, taken in by a kind police officer named Jake while the town eyes her with suspicion. The joy is watching a 1940s woman baffled by gluten-free toothpaste and the modern world, then realizing her small kindnesses rippled across seventy years. It is a genuine bootstrap-paradox time-travel romance dressed in cocoa and carols, and at a strong 7.0 it is one of the network's most-loved swings. Sincere, strange, and lovely.
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)
Beat by beat
Opening
Hanna Morse, a 1945 nurse, returns a lost dog during a rare comet sighting and gets trapped in a shed during a storm.
Inciting Incident
Hanna wakes up in 2016 and is discovered by Officer Jake, who realizes she is completely out of place and claims to be from the past.
Midpoint
Hanna struggles to adapt to modern life while Sarah investigates her as a potential fraud, but Jake begins to believe her story.
Turning Point
Hanna meets Mr. Cook, who is actually Toby, the orphan she cared for in 1945, proving her 'ripple effect' on the future.
Climax
Hanna discovers through an old letter that her husband Chet survived the war, prompting her to use the comet's return to travel back to 1945.
Resolution
Hanna returns to her time, and Jake finds photographic evidence that she not only made it back but also facilitated his own grandparents' meeting.
Did you know?
A few things that make this one stand out once you stack it up against every other Hallmark movie.
It's the only Hallmark movie in the catalog where the lead is a time traveler.
It scores a perfect 10 on our weirdness scale — 1 of just 15 movies in the whole catalog to do that.
It's 1 of only 8 Hallmark movies to combine supernatural elements and amnesia.
Top 1% weirdest
Out of every Hallmark movie we've scored, this one lands among the strangest 1%.
How it stacks up
Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.
Higher-rated than 81% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.
Where this one fits
The corners of the catalog Journey Back to Christmas belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.
- Weirdest Hallmark MoviesScores 10/10 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 Time Travel MoviesFeatures time travel.
Lines worth quoting
The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.
“Even the smallest stone makes a ripple in the water.”
— Dottie / HannaA recurring theme about how small acts of kindness change the future. “Not everyone's born to change the world.”
— HannaHanna lamenting her lack of purpose before realizing her impact. “I don't even know what 'Gluten free' is. Most of us don't.”
— Hanna / JakeHanna's confusion regarding 21st-century health trends.
Meet the characters
Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.
Hanna Morse
LeadNurse
CompassionateBraveDisorientedAltruisticJake
Love interestPolice Officer
Protector and modern-day friend
KindProtectiveOpen-mindedSarah
SupportingPolice Officer
Jake's partner and romantic rival
SkepticalPragmaticJealousToby (Mr. Cook)
SupportingPhilanthropist
The orphan boy she cared for in 1945
GratefulWiseWealthy
Questions people ask about Journey Back to Christmas
Where can I watch Journey Back to Christmas?
Journey Back to Christmas is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.
How long is Journey Back to Christmas?
Journey Back to Christmas runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2016.
Is Journey Back to Christmas a Christmas movie?
Yes. Journey Back to Christmas is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.
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“This Hallmark Christmas movie is aggressively stupid”
Data and sources
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