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    The Christmas Bow

    6.7/10 · 1,419 ratings·2020·1h 23m·Christmas·Weirdness 4/10
    The Christmas Bow poster

    At a glance

    4/10

    Mostly standard issue

    What bumps it up: Second chance romance.

    Holiday
    Christmas
    Season
    Winter
    Setting
    Small Town
    Time period
    Contemporary
    Leads start as
    Old Friends
    Runtime
    1h 23m
    Watch trailer
    IMDbLetterboxdTMDBHallmarkJustWatch

    Where to watch

    🇺🇸United States6 ways

    Stream

    • fuboTV
    • YouTube TV
    • Philo
    • Hallmark+ Amazon Channel
    • Hallmark+ Apple TV Channel
    • Hallmark TV Amazon Channel

    Via JustWatch · can change anytime.

    The premise

    When an accident puts her music dreams on hold, a gifted violinist reconnects with an old family friend who helps her heal and find love during the holidays.

    Themes:Healing from physical and emotional traumaThe power of music to connect generationsChoosing home over career ambitionLiving with chronic illness

    How unusual is it?

    Middle of the road, with a twist — a second-chance romance keeps it from being totally by-the-book.

    Who’s in it

    Lucia Micarelli headshot

    Our Girl

    Lucia Micarelli

    as Kate

    Michael Rady headshot

    Our Guy

    Michael Rady

    as Patrick

    Alongside them

    • James Saito headshot
      James SaitoGrandpa Joe
    • Joy DeCaro Perry headshot
      Joy DeCaro PerryTess
    • Kenneth Cummins headshot
      Kenneth CumminsGavin
    • Tim Threlfall headshot
      Tim ThrelfallPhilip
    Show all 10 castShow fewer
    • Jyl Kaneshiro headshot
      Jyl KaneshiroBarbara
    • Ashley Erin Campbell headshot
      Ashley Erin CampbellAnne
    • Nate Bynum headshot
      Nate BynumDr. Burk
    • Amelia Anderson headshot
      Amelia AndersonGirl

    Behind the camera

    ShowHide

    Directed by

    • Clare Niederpruem headshot
      Clare Niederpruem

    Written by

    • Peyton McDavitt headshot
      Peyton McDavitt
    • Erin Rodman headshot
      Erin Rodman

    Wait, what?

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

    • The specific medical focus on Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is unusually detailed for a Hallmark film.
    • Kate is introduced 'sleeping' while standing up in a coffee shop.
    • The heavy use of baseball metaphors ('keep swinging') for a movie about professional violinists.

    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 37 to find more movies that do the same thing.

    Setting2

    🏘️Small Town🏥Hospital

    Time & season3

    ❄️Winter🎄Christmas🗓️Contemporary

    Premise2

    🏆Contest🤗Reunion

    Characters9

    🎸Lead: Musician🩺Love interest: Doctor/Nurse🎸Musician👶Cute kid🏠Returns home⏰Workaholic lead💘Matchmaking relative👥Celebrity🖤Widow / widower

    Conflict3

    ⚖️Career vs Home/Family💼Career stakes🗺️Long distance

    Romance6

    💕Start as old friends💕First kiss: late (final third)♻️Second chance🔥Slow burn💗Love confession🎁Grand gesture

    Tone & quirks8

    🎬Light/Heartwarming🎵Musical element👨‍🍳Cooking scenes🧶Crafting scenes🎄Tree decorating❄️Snow activities💃Dance scene🎞️Montage

    How it ends4

    💋Ends with a kiss🏘️Stays in the small town🔄Career change🤝Family reconciliation

    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 with Kate Malone delivering a stellar audition for the Rocky Mountain Philharmonic, only to have her dreams shattered when her hand is severely injured in a closing door. Diagnosed with fractures and dislocations, she is told she cannot play for at least six weeks. She returns to Boulder, Colorado, to stay with her parents and help at the family business, Malone Music Store. There, she runs into Patrick Walsh, a childhood friend who has recently moved back to care for his mother, Tess, who suffers from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Kate is surprised to find that Patrick is her assigned physical therapist. As they begin her treatment, Patrick involves Kate in his young cousin Gavin’s 'Holiday Fun List,' leading to a series of festive outings. Meanwhile, Kate’s grandfather, Joe, is struggling with the loss of his wife and has abandoned his passion for teaching music. Kate successfully encourages Joe to take Gavin on as a student, which begins to pull Joe out of his depression. As Kate’s hand heals, she experiences 'phantom pain' and psychological anxiety about her ability to perform at a professional level again. Patrick faces his own dilemma when he is offered a prestigious medical position in South Sudan with 'Hands and Hearts Abroad,' a mission his late father once led. Despite the opportunity, Patrick realizes he has found a new sense of purpose and love in Boulder. The story culminates in the revival of the Malone Music Store’s traditional Christmas party. Patrick gifts Kate a high-quality bow to help 'wake up' her violin, and he confesses that his true dreams are with her in Boulder rather than overseas. Kate overcomes her anxiety to perform for the community, and the two share a romantic declaration, choosing to build a future together in their hometown.

    Beat by beat

    1. 1

      Opening

      Kate auditions for the Philharmonic but immediately suffers a traumatic hand injury in a door accident.

    2. 2

      Inciting Incident

      Kate returns to Boulder for recovery and discovers her childhood friend Patrick is her physical therapist.

    3. 3

      Midpoint

      Kate convinces her grieving grandfather to teach music again, while she and Patrick grow closer through Gavin's holiday list.

    4. 4

      Complication

      Patrick receives a job offer for a medical mission in South Sudan, creating a potential geographic barrier for their relationship.

    5. 5

      Climax

      At the revived Malone Music Store Christmas party, Patrick gives Kate a special bow and chooses to stay in Boulder.

    6. 6

      Resolution

      Kate overcomes her 'phantom pain' to play the violin publicly, and she and Patrick commit to a relationship.

    37 tropes in one movie

    We counted 37 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 6.7 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.745678

    Higher-rated than 70% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

    Where this one fits

    The corners of the catalog The Christmas Bow belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

    • 🎄Best Hallmark Christmas MoviesIt is, of course, a Christmas movie.
    • 🔄Hallmark Second-Chance Romance MoviesA rekindled romance.
    • 🧁Hallmark Baking & Cooking MoviesPlenty of time in the kitchen.
    • 👨‍👧Hallmark Single Parent MoviesA single parent finds love again.
    • 🏘️Hallmark Small Town MoviesA classic small-town setting.

    Lines worth quoting

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

    • “No matter what curveballs come at you, you have to just keep swinging.”
      — PatrickQuoting his father's advice to Kate about her recovery.
    • “A violin that isn't played goes to sleep and needs to be woken up.”
      — Grandpa JoeExplaining the importance of playing music to Kate.
    • “I hear piano. And violin. And someone just sneezed over there.”
      — GavinShowing off his 'good ears' to Kate at the coffee shop.

    Meet the characters

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

    • Kate Malone

      Lead

      Professional Violinist

      AmbitiousResilientMusicalAnxious
    • Patrick Walsh

      Love interest

      Physical Therapist

      Childhood friend and physical therapist

      CaringAthleticDedicatedHumble
    • Grandpa Joe

      Supporting

      Retired Music Teacher

      Grandfather

      GrievingTalentedEncouraging
    • Gavin

      Supporting

      Student

      Patrick's cousin's son (wingman)

      EnthusiasticObservantAspiring Musician

    Questions people ask about The Christmas Bow

    Where can I watch The Christmas Bow?

    The Christmas Bow is available via fuboTV, YouTube TV, and Philo. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

    How long is The Christmas Bow?

    The Christmas Bow runs about 1 hour and 23 minutes, and was released in 2020.

    Is The Christmas Bow a Christmas movie?

    Yes. The Christmas Bow is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.

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    Data and sources

    Curated by the Talking Hallmark team.

    Sources:IMDb·TMDB·JustWatch

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