Operation Christmas
Where to watch
Via 
JustWatch · can change anytime.
The premise
A single mother and her daughter try to help other military families after being inspired by their own difficulties and their efforts go viral.
How unusual is it?
Middle of the road, with a twist — Santa himself keeps it from being totally by-the-book.
Who’s in it
Behind the camera
ShowHide
Directed by
Written by
Wait, what?
The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.
- The use of a Morse code signal light as a romantic gift and a tool for a child to overcome fear of the dark.
- The 'Wishing Tree' ritual in Whistler where wishes are sent 'into the universe' via glowing ornaments.
- The extreme coincidence of Olivia moving to the exact town where her Whistler one-night-stand-equivalent is stationed.
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.
Setting3
Time & season3
Premise1
Characters6
Romance5
Tone & quirks7
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 Whistler, where Olivia Young, a single mother of two, literally crashes into Scott McGuigan on the ski slopes. Despite her lack of skiing ability, the two hit it off and spend a magical Christmas Eve together with their children, culminating in a visit to a 'wishing tree.' However, Scott, an Army Ranger, is suddenly called away on a secret mission. He leaves a note with a hotel clerk that Olivia never receives, leading her to believe he ghosted her. A year later, Olivia moves her children, Danielle and Charlie, to a town near Fort Wilcox to be closer to her sister, Heather. She takes a job at Coastal National Bank, where her boss tasks her with leading the annual toy drive. To her shock, the military liaison for the project is Scott. After an initial confrontation where Scott explains his 'flip phone' lacked cloud backups and his note went missing, Olivia forgives him. They expand the toy drive into 'Operation Christmas,' a massive community event and fundraiser intended to reopen the base's Family Deployment Center. As they grow closer, Olivia is integrated into the military community, befriending wives like Becky, whose husband is deployed. The reality of 'Army life' hits Olivia hard when Scott is put on alert for a new mission. Fearing the same abandonment she felt during her divorce, Olivia breaks up with Scott, telling him she cannot live with the constant 'unknown.' Her sister Heather and Scott's mother, Jill, challenge her perspective, arguing that love is a choice and fear shouldn't dictate her life. The turning point occurs when Olivia helps Becky deliver her baby while her husband is away, witnessing the strength of the military community firsthand. Olivia organizes a grand Christmas revue as the finale for the fundraiser. During the show, a live video feed of deployed soldiers is shown, but the screen suddenly rises to reveal Scott and his unit have returned home early. Olivia and Scott reunite on stage, with Olivia finally accepting the risks of his career for the sake of their love.
Beat by beat
Opening
Olivia and Scott meet via a ski collision in Whistler and spend a romantic Christmas Eve before Scott is abruptly deployed.
Inciting Incident
One year later, Olivia moves to a new town and discovers Scott is her professional liaison for a bank-sponsored military toy drive.
Midpoint
Olivia and Scott reconcile after the 'lost note' misunderstanding is cleared up, and they launch 'Operation Christmas' to save the Family Deployment Center.
Climax
Scott is called away on a mission; Olivia breaks up with him because she cannot handle the fear of his dangerous job and the uncertainty of deployment.
Resolution
After helping an Army wife deliver a baby and receiving a pep talk from her sister, Olivia realizes she loves Scott enough to face her fears.
Finale
During the Christmas revue, Scott makes a surprise return from his mission, and the couple reunites on stage.
33 tropes in one movie
We counted 33 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.
Higher-rated than 75% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.
Where this one fits
The corners of the catalog Operation 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.
“Skis in a V, turn to slow down. Skis in a V, turn to slow down.”
— Olivia RobertsOlivia chanting her skiing instructions to herself before crashing into Scott. “I've never hit a wall that could stop the army.”
— Scott McGuiganScott encouraging Olivia when the toy drive hits a fundraising obstacle. “You're going to let, what, fear stop all that?”
— Scott McGuiganScott confronting Olivia after she tries to break up with him due to his deployment.
Meet the characters
Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.
Olivia Roberts
LeadBank Employee
CautiousOrganizedProtectiveSkilled PianistScott McGuigan
Love interestArmy Ranger Sergeant
Love interest
HeroicPatientFamily-orientedStoicHeather
SupportingLife Insurance Agent / Aspiring Singer
Sister
DramaticBluntSupportiveJill McGuigan
SupportingRetired
Scott's Mother
WiseFaithfulResilientDanielle
SupportingStudent
Daughter
PerceptiveTeenage angstMatchmaker
Questions people ask about Operation Christmas
Where can I watch Operation Christmas?
Operation Christmas is available via fuboTV, YouTube TV, and Philo. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.
How long is Operation Christmas?
Operation Christmas runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2016.
Is Operation Christmas a Christmas movie?
Yes. Operation Christmas is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.
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