Picture a Perfect Christmas

Name: Picture a Perfect Christmas
Genre: Christmas, Small Town, Mistaken Identity, Pet, Cute Kid
Released: 2019-01-01
Duration: 1 h 24 min
Rating: 6.7
Cast: Merritt Patterson, Jon Cor, Luke Roessler, Paula Shaw, Nicole Oliver

6.7/10 · 2,231 ratings20191h 24mChristmasWeirdness 5/10Bingo card

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The premise

A professional photographer returns home for Christmas to visit her grandmother and is hired as a nanny for the young nephew of their next-door-neighbor.

Themes:Work-life balance Found family The importance of community Choosing love over career ambition

How unusual is it?

Middle of the road, with a twist — mistaken identity and Santa himself keep it from being totally by-the-book.

Who’s in it

Our Girl

Paula Shaw

as Louise Griffith

Our Guy

Luke Roessler

as Troy Murphy

Alongside them

Show all 10 cast

Behind the camera

Show

Directed by

Paul Ziller

Written by

Wait, what?

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

David's former title as 'Seattle's Best Business Bachelor' from a 2014 magazine shoot.
The extreme intensity of David's nanny interview where he asks a stranger about their college major and CPR certification before realizing she's just the neighbor.

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 36 to find more movies that do the same thing.

Why we’d put this one on

One of the higher-rated entries here at 6.9, and an easy recommend. Merritt Patterson is a globe-trotting photographer home for Christmas to look after her grandmother, who promptly gets mistaken for the nanny candidate her neighbor David (Jon Cor) is interviewing for his nephew. The found-family build is genuinely sweet, and the small-town Christmas pageant gives it a cozy spine. The detail that makes me grin: David's old magazine title of "Seattle's Best Business Bachelor," and a nanny interview so intense he is grilling a stranger about her CPR certification. Warm leads, real charm, and a tidy comfort watch from start to finish.

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 opens with Sophie Griffith, a high-end photographer, finishing a Christmas shoot in San Francisco. Her agent, Marissa, informs her of a potential career-making booking for Steibis Skiwear in the Alps, but encourages her to take a break first. Sophie's boyfriend, Brent, also a photographer, reveals he is leaving for a month-long tour, highlighting their lack of work-life balance. When Sophie learns her grandmother Louise has fractured her foot, she travels to Bainbridge to help. Meanwhile, neighbor David Murphy is struggling to find a nanny for his nephew Troy, whom he has raised since his brother and sister-in-law passed away. In a classic meet-cute, David mistakes Sophie for a nanny applicant and subjects her to a spontaneous interview about her qualifications and CPR knowledge before the confusion is cleared up. Sophie agrees to act as a 'co-nanny' with Louise to help David while he finishes a critical board report. As they spend time together, Sophie helps Troy overcome his stage fright for the local Christmas pageant, where he is cast as Reindeer #5. Sophie's boyfriend Brent briefly visits but his obsession with his own career and his dismissive attitude toward the 'boring' suburban life further alienates Sophie, leading to their breakup. David, inspired by Sophie's kindness, develops a new app called 'Christmas Giving' to connect people in need with local donors. The conflict peaks when Sophie officially books the Switzerland job, but the start date is moved up to December 23rd, meaning she would miss Troy's pageant and Christmas with David. Sophie initially prepares to leave, but after receiving a heartfelt Christmas card and photo from David and Troy, she realizes she cannot leave the people she loves. She turns around, returns to Bainbridge, and surprises them at the pageant. David and Sophie confess their feelings, and David suggests that he and Troy can travel with her for her assignments, allowing her to keep her dream job while maintaining the family life she has discovered.

Beat by beat

Opening
Sophie returns to Bainbridge to care for her grandmother and is immediately mistaken for a nanny by her neighbor David.
Inciting Incident
Sophie agrees to help David watch his nephew Troy, leading to a series of holiday activities that bond the trio.
Midpoint
Sophie's boyfriend Brent arrives, highlighting the contrast between her old life of constant travel and her new connection to David and Troy.
Climax
Sophie breaks up with Brent and receives her dream job offer in Switzerland, but it requires her to leave before the Christmas pageant.
Resolution
Sophie chooses to stay for the pageant, David promises to support her career by traveling with her, and they celebrate Troy's successful performance.

36 tropes in one movie

We counted 36 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 Picture a Perfect Christmas belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

BINGOA shared errand turns into bondingA class or family reunionA calendar reminder raises the stakesA grandmother nurses an injured footA wise elder dispenses adviceA professional photographer frames a shotThe leads laugh at the same momentA case of mistaken identityA heart-to-heart on a porch or benchA big event everyone is preparing forA single parentA crafting or DIY scene★A kid is cast as a reindeerA quiet moment under string lightsSomeone cooks or bakes on screenSomeone gets mistaken for a nanny applicantA love triangleA toast at a celebrationA charming local cafe or dinerA genuine Christmas miracleSomeone pitches a charity app ideaSomeone gets flustered during small talkA warm hug that lingersSomeone decorates a Christmas tree

Hallmark Bingo

Your Picture a Perfect Christmas card is dealt.

Twenty-four squares pulled from this movie’s own quirks — the cosy classics, a few only-in-this-one curveballs, and a couple of decoys. Mark them as you watch.

Open your card

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

“Turn it off and on. I'll tell you the same thing I tell everybody.”
— David MurphyExplaining his tech expertise to Sophie.
“Work-life balance requires both work and life. And preferably balance.”
— MarissaGiving Sophie advice about her career.
“I asked Santa for a family for Christmas.”
— Troy MurphyRevealing his Christmas wish to David and Sophie.

Meet the characters

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

Sophie Griffith
Lead
Professional Photographer
IndependentTalentedCaringWorkaholic
David Murphy
Love interest
Tech Company CEO
Neighbor and love interest
ProtectiveStressedKindPaternal
Troy Murphy
Supporting
Student
David's nephew
ShyCreativeSweet
Louise Griffith
Supporting
Retired
Grandmother
MatchmakerWiseWarm
Brent Willoughby
Supporting
Music Photographer
Ex-boyfriend
AmbitiousSelf-centeredTalkative

Questions people ask about Picture a Perfect Christmas

Where can I watch Picture a Perfect Christmas?

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

How long is Picture a Perfect Christmas?

Picture a Perfect Christmas runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2019.

Is Picture a Perfect Christmas a Christmas movie?

Yes. Picture a Perfect Christmas is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.

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