Welcome to Christmas

6.2/10 · 1,679 ratings20181h 24mChristmasWeirdness 5/10Bingo card

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The premise

A resort developer tasked with finding a location for a new ski resort is assigned to visit the small town of Christmas, Colorado.

How unusual is it?

Middle of the road, with a twist — Santa himself and an enemies-to-lovers arc keep 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 townspeople essentially kidnap the protagonist by lying about car parts.
  • The town slogan is 'Santa's second-favorite town after the North Pole.'
  • The 'Festival of Lights' features a fake button that does nothing while a man manually plugs in an extension cord behind a tree.
  • Madison's first act in town is 'killing' Santa Claus (the sign).

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 33 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)
Madison Lane is an ambitious developer for Hartwell Enterprises who is determined to secure a promotion by placing a new ski resort in Mountain Park. Her boss, Joe Hartwell, insists she perform due diligence by visiting the town of Christmas. Upon entering the town limits, Madison is distracted by a bright sign and crashes her car into a large Santa Claus figure. She is rescued by Sheriff Gage McBride, a widower and single father. The town's mechanic, Tom, claims her car parts will take a week to arrive—a delay heavily implied to be a conspiracy led by Gage's Aunt Nell and the Mayor to keep Madison in town long enough to convince her to choose Christmas for the resort. Madison is forced to stay at a local B&B and is quickly roped into various town traditions, including a 'Festival of Lights' where she discovers the 'ceremonial button' is a fake and the lights are actually manually plugged in by a local. As she spends time with Gage and his daughters, Lily and Annie, she learns that Gage is secretly considering a job in Denver to give his family a fresh start. Madison begins to bond with the family, helping Annie rediscover her love for 'A Christmas Carol' and participating in a competitive town-wide ornament hunt. However, Madison's research reveals a dark side to progress: the resorts her company builds often lead to the closure of local 'mom and pop' shops in favor of big-box chains. Realizing the resort would destroy the soul of Christmas, Madison risks her career by advising her boss against the project. This causes a temporary rift when Gage's secret job offer is leaked and the town feels betrayed by Madison's rejection of the resort. In the climax, Madison proposes an alternative to Joe Hartwell: instead of a resort, the company should invest in making Christmas a year-round holiday destination that preserves its local businesses. Joe agrees, Gage decides to stay in town, and Madison is appointed to oversee the project, finally finding the 'home' she was looking for.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Madison crashes her car into the 'Welcome to Christmas' Santa sign and is rescued by Sheriff Gage.

  2. Inciting Incident

    The town mechanic and Aunt Nell conspire to keep Madison's car 'broken' for a week to force her to experience the town's charm.

  3. Midpoint

    Madison wins the town ornament hunt with Gage's family and begins to feel like part of the community.

  4. Rising Action

    Madison discovers that her company's resorts typically destroy small-town businesses, creating a moral dilemma.

  5. Climax

    Madison tells the town the resort is a bad idea; Gage's secret Denver job offer is revealed, causing a town-wide conflict.

  6. Resolution

    Madison convinces her boss to pivot to a preservation-based investment plan and decides to stay in Christmas with Gage.

33 tropes in one movie

We counted 33 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 · 6.2567

Higher-rated than 28% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog Welcome to 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.

  • “Santa's second-favorite town after the North Pole.”
    — Aunt NellExplaining the town's official slogan to Madison.
  • “It's the sign's fault. Jumped out at you?”
    — Gage McBrideTeasing Madison after she crashes into the town welcome sign.
  • “I'm Scrooge. No. I would not go that far.”
    — Madison LaneMadison reflecting on her career of destroying small towns with resorts.

Meet the characters

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

  • Madison Lane

    Lead

    Resort Developer

    AmbitiousCity-dwellerAnalyticalKind-hearted
  • Gage McBride

    Love interest

    Sheriff

    Romantic interest

    ProtectiveTraditionalHandyGrieving
  • Aunt Nell

    Supporting

    Former Furniture Factory Worker

    Gage's Aunt

    BossySchemingFestiveLoyal
  • Annie McBride

    Supporting

    Student

    Gage's eldest daughter

    CynicalLiteraryObservant
  • Joe Hartwell

    Supporting

    CEO of Hartwell Enterprises

    Madison's Boss

    Business-mindedSentimentalFair

Questions people ask about Welcome to Christmas

Where can I watch Welcome to Christmas?

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

How long is Welcome to Christmas?

Welcome to Christmas runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2018.

Is Welcome to Christmas a Christmas movie?

Yes. Welcome to Christmas is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.

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