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    The Mistletoe Inn

    6.4/10 · 2,107 ratings·2017·1h 24m·Christmas·Weirdness 4/10
    The Mistletoe Inn poster

    At a glance

    4/10

    Mostly standard issue

    What bumps it up: Enemies to lovers.

    Holiday
    Christmas
    Season
    Winter
    Setting
    Small Town
    Time period
    Contemporary
    Leads start as
    Complete Strangers
    Runtime
    1h 24m
    Watch trailer
    IMDbLetterboxdTMDBRotten TomatoesHallmarkOfficial siteJustWatch

    Where to watch

    🇺🇸United States6 ways

    Stream

    • fuboTV
    • YouTube TV
    • Philo
    • Hallmark+ Amazon Channel
    • Hallmark+ Apple TV Channel
    • Hallmark TV Amazon Channel
    🇬🇧United Kingdom2 ways

    Stream

    • Amazon Prime Video
    • Amazon Prime Video with Ads

    Via JustWatch · can change anytime.

    The premise

    An aspiring novelist signs up for a week-long writing workshop at the Mistletoe Inn.

    Themes:Resilience in the face of rejectionFinding one's authentic voiceThe importance of sensory detail in storytellingSecond chances in love and career

    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

    Alicia Witt headshot

    Our Girl

    Alicia Witt

    as Kim

    David Alpay headshot

    Our Guy

    David Alpay

    as Zeke

    Alongside them

    • Lucie Guest headshot
      Lucie GuestSamantha
    • Casey Manderson headshot
      Casey MandersonGarth
    • Linden Banks headshot
      Linden BanksRobert
    • Tiffani Timms headshot
      Tiffani TimmsLuanne
    Show all 10 castShow fewer
    • Benita Ha headshot
      Benita HaKaren
    • Shiren Van Cooten headshot
      Shiren Van CootenEmma
    • Marion Eisman headshot
      Marion EismanCatherine
    • Krzysztof Bryjak headshot
      Krzysztof BryjakTweedy Guy

    Behind the camera

    ShowHide

    Directed by

    • Alex Wright headshot
      Alex Wright

    Written by

    • Richard Paul Evans headshot
      Richard Paul Evans
    • Michael Nourse headshot
      Michael Nourse

    Wait, what?

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

    • The use of 'snow-ma'ams' (snowmen) to roleplay as mean literary agents
    • A writer bringing a full-sized vintage typewriter and a white noise machine to a hotel
    • The protagonist's ex-boyfriend breaking up with her via a critique note in a manuscript
    • A secret identity plot involving a world-famous author who looks like a 'finance guy'

    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 27 to find more movies that do the same thing.

    Setting2

    🏘️Small Town🏨Inn/B&B

    Time & season3

    ❄️Winter🎄Christmas🗓️Contemporary

    Premise3

    🕵️Secret Identity🔒Hidden secret🏆Contest

    Characters4

    ✍️Lead: Writer/Journalist✍️Love interest: Writer/Journalist👥Author/Writer👥Celebrity

    Conflict3

    🧭Self-Discovery🫀Personal stakes💔An ex returns

    Romance6

    💕Start as complete strangers💕First kiss: late (final third)⚔️Enemies to lovers🔥Slow burn💗Love confession🎁Grand gesture

    Tone & quirks4

    🎬Light/Heartwarming👨‍🍳Cooking scenes🎄Tree decorating❄️Snow activities

    How it ends2

    💋Ends with a kiss🔄Career change

    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 Kim Rossi being dumped by her boyfriend Garth, a romance blogger, who leaves a breakup note inside a manuscript because he feels she isn't 'serious' enough about her writing. Determined to prove him wrong and finish her romance novel, Kim signs up for a five-day conference at the Mistletoe Inn in Vermont. Upon arrival, she has a 'meet-clash' with Zeke, a man who nearly crushes her laptop and insists on using a vintage typewriter and a white noise machine. They are eventually paired as writing partners in a workshop led by editor Karen Watanabe. Throughout the conference, Kim deals with the annoyance of Garth being present and live-tweeting the event. Zeke helps Kim overcome her fear of feedback through unconventional methods, including building 'snow-ma'ams' to represent harsh literary agents. After Kim wins the first round of a writing competition but receives a critique that her work lacks 'authenticity,' Zeke takes her on a surprise research trip to New York City. They stay at the Hotel Leone, where Kim finally experiences the sensory details of the city she's been writing about. Their bond deepens, but the relationship is shattered when Zeke is revealed to be H.T. Cowell, the world-famous reclusive author Kim idolizes. Feeling betrayed that he lied about his identity and used her for inspiration to break his own writer's block, Kim leaves the conference. Back home, she finds the confidence to finish her book and rejects Garth when he tries to reconcile only to get close to Cowell. On Christmas Day, Zeke arrives at Kim's father's house. He explains that he hid his identity to be known for himself rather than his fame and reveals that he helped get her manuscript to a publisher who wants to buy it. The two reconcile and kiss under the mistletoe.

    Beat by beat

    1. 1

      Opening

      Garth breaks up with Kim via a note in a manuscript, claiming they are at 'different levels' as writers.

    2. 2

      Inciting Incident

      Kim checks into the Mistletoe Inn and has a prickly first encounter with Zeke over his typewriter and white noise machine.

    3. 3

      Midpoint

      Zeke uses 'snow-ma'ams' to teach Kim how to handle professional rejection and they later share a romantic 'research' dinner.

    4. 4

      Turning Point

      Zeke flies Kim to New York City to help her add authentic details to her manuscript's setting.

    5. 5

      Climax

      Zeke is revealed as the famous H.T. Cowell during the keynote speech; Kim feels manipulated and leaves.

    6. 6

      Resolution

      Zeke surprises Kim on Christmas Day with a book deal and an apology, leading to a romantic reconciliation.

    27 tropes in one movie

    We counted 27 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 · 6.445678

    Higher-rated than 46% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

    Where this one fits

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

    The MistletoePart of the 3-film The Mistletoe series.
    • 🎄Best Hallmark Christmas MoviesIt is, of course, a Christmas movie.
    • 💢Hallmark Enemies-to-Lovers MoviesStarts with sparks of the wrong kind.
    • 🧁Hallmark Baking & Cooking MoviesPlenty of time in the kitchen.
    • 🏘️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.

    • “Writing is brave work. Ridicule is the tool of shallow people.”
      — Karen WatanabeSetting the ground rules for the writing workshop.
    • “A title's got to be a hook, not a hammer.”
      — ZekeCritiquing Kim's overly literal book title.
    • “I'm the guy who fell off the writing horse entirely, remember.”
      — ZekeAdmitting his own struggles with writer's block to Kim.

    Meet the characters

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

    • Kim Rossi

      Lead

      Car dealership employee and aspiring novelist

      SensitiveDeterminedChristmas-obsessedInitially insecure
    • Zeke (Hezekiah) / H.T. Cowell

      Love interest

      Famous reclusive romance author

      Writing partner and eventual boyfriend

      CynicalEncouragingSecretiveRomantic
    • Garth

      Antagonist

      Romance blogger

      Ex-boyfriend

      PretentiousSelf-importantCondescending
    • Samantha

      Supporting

      Aspiring writer

      Friend at the conference

      ObservantSupportiveAmateur sleuth

    Questions people ask about The Mistletoe Inn

    Where can I watch The Mistletoe Inn?

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

    How long is The Mistletoe Inn?

    The Mistletoe Inn runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2017.

    Is The Mistletoe Inn a Christmas movie?

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

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    Data and sources

    Curated by the Talking Hallmark team.·Last updated June 17, 2026.

    Sources:IMDb·TMDB·JustWatch

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