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    The Secret Gift of Christmas

    6.2/10 · 1,190 ratings·2023·1h 30m·Christmas·Weirdness 4/10
    The Secret Gift of Christmas poster

    At a glance

    4/10

    Mostly standard issue

    What bumps it up: Santa appears.

    Holiday
    Christmas
    Season
    Winter
    Setting
    Big City
    Time period
    Contemporary
    Leads start as
    Complete Strangers
    Runtime
    1h 30m
    Watch trailer
    IMDbLetterboxdTMDBHallmarkJustWatch

    Where to watch

    🇺🇸United States17 ways

    Stream

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

    Free

    • Hoopla

    Rent

    • Amazon Video
    • Apple TV Store
    • Google Play Movies
    • YouTube
    • Fandango At Home

    Buy

    • Amazon Video
    • Apple TV Store
    • Google Play Movies
    • YouTube
    • Fandango At Home
    🇨🇦Canada2 ways

    Stream

    • StackTV Amazon Channel
    • fuboTV
    🇬🇧United Kingdom1 way

    Stream

    • Hallmark TV Amazon Channel

    Via JustWatch · can change anytime.

    The premise

    A personal shopper gets in touch with a new client who is trying to find the perfect gifts for his daughter to bring her back together.

    Themes:Healing from griefThe art of thoughtful givingAuthenticity vs. Social MediaNew traditions

    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

    Meghan Ory headshot

    Our Girl

    Meghan Ory

    as Bonnie Parker

    Christopher Russell headshot

    Our Guy

    Christopher Russell

    as Patrick Armstrong

    Alongside them

    • Aria Publicover headshot
      Aria PublicoverSamantha Parker
    • Jenn Grant headshot
      Jenn GrantFiona Appleby
    • Ellie Cluett headshot
      Ellie CluettPhoebe Armstrong
    • Tim Houston headshot
      Tim HoustonMr. Houston
    Show all 10 castShow fewer
    • Juanita Peters headshot
      Juanita PetersCorrine
    • Henry Keefe headshot
      Henry KeefeBernard
    • Guido Furlani headshot
      Guido FurlaniMarco
    • Marty Williams headshot
      Marty WilliamsHarry

    Behind the camera

    ShowHide

    Directed by

    • Christie Will headshot
      Christie Will

    Written by

    • Christie Will headshot
      Christie Will
    • Barbara Kymlicka headshot
      Barbara Kymlicka
    • Lisa Alford headshot
      Lisa Alford

    Wait, what?

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

    • The protagonist shares a name with the famous outlaw Bonnie Parker.
    • The heavy emphasis on 'color seasons' (Winter vs. Spring) as a character development tool.
    • The specific obsession with a 'root ball' Christmas tree that must be kept alive and planted.

    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 30 to find more movies that do the same thing.

    Setting2

    🌆Big City💼Office

    Time & season3

    ❄️Winter🎄Christmas🗓️Contemporary

    Characters5

    🛋️Lead: Interior Designer🔨Love interest: Construction/Contractor👶Cute kid💘Matchmaking relative🖤Widow / widower

    Conflict3

    🧭Self-Discovery🫀Personal stakes💔Love triangle

    Romance5

    💕Start as complete strangers💕First kiss: late (final third)🔥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

    🎅Santa appears💋Ends with a kiss🤝Family reconciliation🏪Saves the business

    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 Bonnie Parker, a 'Gift Shopper Extraordinaire,' who is hired by Bernard, the nephew and assistant of contractor Patrick Armstrong. Patrick is a grumpy, overworked widower who is behind on his holiday shopping and deeply resistant to Bonnie’s 'influency' social media presence. Their first meeting at a construction site is awkward, as Patrick prefers practical gifts like work boots and fake plants, while Bonnie insists on a personal touch. As Bonnie begins researching Patrick’s clients, she provides a Spanish cedar humidor to a developer named Harry, which helps Patrick land a major waterfront contract. This success softens Patrick, and he begins to trust Bonnie’s instincts, even allowing her to take him and his daughter, Phoebe, to find a 'root ball' Christmas tree that can be planted after the holidays. Bonnie and Phoebe form a deep bond when they realize they both lost their mothers exactly three years ago. This shared grief becomes a central emotional pillar of the film. Patrick eventually teaches Bonnie how to ice skate, leading to a romantic moment that is interrupted by his busy schedule. The conflict peaks at Patrick’s holiday party, where Bonnie sees Patrick singing a 'Silent Night' duet with Phoebe’s music teacher, Fiona. Fiona mistakenly implies to Bonnie that she and Patrick are dating, causing a heartbroken Bonnie to flee the party. Simultaneously, Patrick expresses frustration over a social media post featuring his employees, highlighting his discomfort with Bonnie’s public lifestyle. However, after a period of reflection and a nudge from his daughter, Patrick realizes his mistake. He finds Bonnie’s lost angel ornament in the snow and arranges a surprise for her on Christmas Eve. With the help of Bonnie’s sister, Sam, Patrick brings Bonnie to Rudy’s Seafood Shack—a place tied to her favorite childhood memories. He clarifies that he is not dating Fiona and expresses his desire for Bonnie to be a permanent part of his and Phoebe's lives. The movie concludes with the pair wearing matching 'ugly' sweaters and starting a new tradition together.

    Beat by beat

    1. 1

      Opening

      Bonnie is hired by Bernard to help his uncle Patrick, a cynical contractor, with his Christmas shopping.

    2. 2

      Midpoint

      Bonnie and Patrick bond over shared grief after discovering both their mothers passed away three years ago.

    3. 3

      Development

      Patrick teaches Bonnie how to ice skate, and Bonnie helps Patrick land a major business deal through a thoughtful gift.

    4. 4

      Climax

      At the holiday party, a misunderstanding involving the music teacher Fiona leads Bonnie to believe Patrick is unavailable.

    5. 5

      Resolution

      Patrick surprises Bonnie at Rudy's Seafood Shack on Christmas Eve to confess his feelings and return her lost ornament.

    30 tropes in one movie

    We counted 30 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 6.2 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.245678

    Higher-rated than 31% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

    Where this one fits

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

    • 🎄Best Hallmark Christmas MoviesIt is, of course, a Christmas movie.
    • 🧁Hallmark Baking & Cooking MoviesPlenty of time in the kitchen.
    • 👨‍👧Hallmark Single Parent MoviesA single parent finds love again.
    • 🏙️Hallmark Big City MoviesA big-city backdrop.

    Lines worth quoting

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

    • “I'm just not convinced that you're a true winter.”
      — Bonnie ParkerBonnie discussing Patrick's color palette while shopping for a hoodie.
    • “It's not presents, but our presence that matters most for Christmas.”
      — Santa / The WhispererA mysterious Santa figure giving Bonnie advice on the street.
    • “May you hear my whispers. She'll tell you when I'm gone.”
      — Bonnie and SamReciting a poem their mother used to say.

    Meet the characters

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

    • Bonnie Parker

      Lead

      Personal Shopper

      OptimisticThoughtfulStylishEmpathetic
    • Patrick Armstrong

      Love interest

      Contractor

      Love interest and client

      PracticalHardworkingProtectiveTechnologically-averse
    • Phoebe Armstrong

      Supporting

      Student

      Love interest's daughter

      MusicalObservantKind
    • Bernard

      Supporting

      Assistant

      Patrick's nephew and assistant

      HelpfulMatchmaker

    Questions people ask about The Secret Gift of Christmas

    Where can I watch The Secret Gift of Christmas?

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

    How long is The Secret Gift of Christmas?

    The Secret Gift of Christmas runs about 1 hour and 30 minutes, and was released in 2023.

    Is The Secret Gift of Christmas a Christmas movie?

    Yes. The Secret Gift of Christmas 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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