Sound of Christmas

6.4/10 · 1,340 ratings20161h 24mChristmasWeirdness 4/10Bingo card

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The premise

A piano teacher falls for a widower who's responsible for the impending closure of her music school.

How unusual is it?

Middle of the road, with a twist — an enemies-to-lovers arc keeps it from being totally by-the-book.

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.

  • The 'Chairman Emeritus' ex-machina where a piano student happens to be the secret father of the corporate villain.
  • Lizzie's 'hand flap' technique for piano playing being treated as a major pedagogical breakthrough.
  • The dentist on the fourth floor being the primary source of high-level real estate insider trading information.

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 32 to find more movies that do the same thing.

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 Lizzie Moore, a Juilliard-trained pianist who abandoned a performance career after a traumatic instance of stage fright ten years prior, teaching at the Brooklyn Music Institute. Her friend and school owner, Samantha, is worried about the school's finances and rumors that their building is being sold. Meanwhile, Brad Evans, a VP at McKinley Financial, is tasked by his boss Travis McKinley with finding a Brooklyn property to convert into high-end office space. Brad and Lizzie first meet at a Christmas tree lot where they have a brief, charming encounter. Shortly after, Brad hires Lizzie to give piano lessons to his daughter, Abigail, who stopped playing after her mother's death. As Lizzie and Brad grow closer through the lessons, the conflict erupts when Brad realizes the building his company is purchasing is the one housing Lizzie’s school. Lizzie tries to 'negotiate' on her home turf by giving Brad a tour of the school and introducing him to scholarship students like Jordan, hoping he will convince Travis to keep the school as a tenant. Brad is moved but finds Travis and his ambitious colleague Cynthia—who has her own designs on Brad—unwilling to budge. A significant subplot involves Earl, an elderly student of Lizzie's who is learning 'The First Noel.' Earl reveals he is estranged from his son, who turns out to be Travis McKinley. When Travis signs the final contracts to evict the school, Lizzie feels betrayed by Brad. However, Brad works behind the scenes with Earl, who still holds 'Chairman Emeritus' status. At the school's final Christmas Eve concert, Earl performs for Travis, leading to a tearful reconciliation. Brad then announces that Earl called an emergency board meeting to save the school through a permanent endowment. Lizzie finally overcomes her stage fright to perform with Abigail, and the film concludes with Lizzie and Brad sharing a kiss on stage.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Lizzie and Brad meet at a Christmas tree lot, establishing an immediate spark before they know their professional roles.

  2. Inciting Incident

    Brad hires Lizzie to teach his daughter Abigail, while simultaneously moving forward with a deal to buy the building housing Lizzie's music school.

  3. Midpoint

    Lizzie discovers Brad is the 'enemy' behind the building purchase; she attempts to negotiate to save the school but Travis McKinley refuses to listen.

  4. Turning Point

    Lizzie's elderly student Earl is revealed to be the estranged father of Brad's boss, Travis McKinley.

  5. Climax

    During the Christmas Eve concert, Earl performs for Travis, and Brad reveals he used Earl's corporate status to save the school via an endowment.

  6. Resolution

    Lizzie overcomes her stage fright to perform, the school is saved, and Lizzie and Brad reconcile with a kiss.

32 tropes in one movie

We counted 32 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.

Rating 6.4 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.4567

Higher-rated than 45% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Sound of 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.

  • “Where words fail, music speaks.”
    — Lizzie MooreExplaining her teaching philosophy to Brad and Abigail.
  • “It's just business... Well, it's not business to my students. It's not just business to me.”
    — Lizzie MooreConfronting Brad about the building purchase.
  • “I'll tell you what, if you agree to be in the concert, I will reserve the best seats in the house for your son. It's never too late for Christmas.”
    — Lizzie MooreEncouraging Earl to perform and reconcile with his son.

Meet the characters

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

  • Lizzie Moore

    Lead

    Piano Teacher

    TalentedNervousDedicatedCompassionate
  • Brad Evans

    Love interest

    Financial VP

    Romantic interest and employer

    WorkaholicDevoted FatherConflict-averseKind
  • Travis McKinley

    Antagonist

    CEO of McKinley Financial

    Boss of love interest

    Hard-nosedBusiness-orientedEstranged
  • Abigail Evans

    Supporting

    Student

    Student and daughter of love interest

    PerceptiveMusicalEncouraging
  • Earl McKinley

    Supporting

    Retired Businessman

    Piano student and secret ally

    RegretfulMusicalInfluential

Questions people ask about Sound of Christmas

Where can I watch Sound of Christmas?

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

How long is Sound of Christmas?

Sound of Christmas runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2016.

Is Sound of Christmas a Christmas movie?

Yes. Sound of Christmas is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.

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Data and sources

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Sources:IMDbTMDB