For those who appreciate wholesome romantic stories revolving around Christmas, this is the movie for you. The film opens with a scenic view of a town with snow surrounding it. Then it jumps into a war scene with soldiers fighting. The scene shifts to a church where a woman learns that her husband was killed in battle. The grief is obvious. All of this will be tied together as the movie unfolds.
The movie focuses on Hannah Jacobs, nicely portrayed by Renay Rayes. She looks at a photo album of her daughter, Carmen (Davia Inns), who in the movie is now five years old. Hannah is still a single mother. She has tried a few blind dates but, as in one scene, a man walks up to the house, sees her with Carmen, and walks away. Some of the men obviously don’t want an instant family with a child. It’s either that or “Sorry, I have the wrong house.” As Hannah confides to a friend, “No one seems to measure up.”
Mitchell Doerr plays Hannah’s brother, Joshua Levi, who is in the service and thousands of miles away but who keeps in touch with her by FaceTime as much as he can. Hannah works in drumming up social media military campaigns with video production, and she is currently working on one for the holidays. Josh thinks he’s found a soldier who can help her with her latest campaign.
Carmen is hoping for a new dad for Christmas, and Hannah doesn’t think she can tell her daughter that God doesn’t always answer prayers the way one would like. Hannah’s brother Josh worked with her husband who died in battle. Josh knows a fellow soldier, Sgt. Ryan Barnes (Joe Barra), whom he thinks would be a big help to Hannah, and he apparently thinks they might hit it off romantically as well. Josh puts Ryan on FaceTime before Hannah can stop him, and soon the two of them are talking.
There is an obvious spark between them as they begin talking, and Hannah shares that she loves integrity and authenticity in life and in relationships. Ryan, 30, shares his two favorite movies – Ben Hur and Raiders of the Lost Ark – and that like Hannah, he is a Bible-believing Christian.
Hannah is delighted to learn that having a five-year-old daughter is not a deal-breaker with Ryan. They plan to continue to talk on the phone until he can make a personal visit. He lives in Chicago, and she lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It’s obvious how Ryan feels as the viewer will no doubt spot Hannah’s photo in his locker.
Their similarities continue to speak of a possible match as they both learn they love Italian food. They finally meet up at an Italian restaurant and then decide to explore the Christmas lights in town. When a man bumps into her on the street, Ryan calls the man out on it and says he should apologize to the lady. Hannah likes the protective attitude that Ryan shows towards her. She also likes that Ryan brought Carmen a stuffed puppy, having learned she adores dogs.
She also learns that Ryan knew her husband and was stationed with him in Iraq. Hannah likes hearing Ryan tell her that she’s even prettier in person than on FaceTime. They continue to correspond after Ryan heads back to the war zone.
The relationship hits a snag when the phone calls slow down from Ryan. Hannah also learns that Ryan would like to remain where he is in the military, even after his enlistment time is up. She longs to see him in person and is not sure she can handle this. In a turning moment, Hannah is walking in town and comes to a spot where Santa unexpectedly shows up. Along with his “Ho, ho, ho” he encourages her to keep faith and hope alive. This, along with her pastor encouraging her to pray, renews her faith and hope that things still might work out with Ryan. The ending, without plot-spoiling, has a remarkable conclusion in church.
Content Analysis: The movie features a Christian worldview, with various characters attending church and speaking of faith and hope. They pray too, trusting in the Lord’s guidance.
Think About It: Various discussion possibilities include what one should do when a snag is hit in a relationship and how faith and hope are vital. And trusting for God’s protection as a character is wounded in the story and one is missing for a short time.
The Dove Take: This movie, with its romance and Christmas spirit, has earned our Dove Seal for Ages 12+. There is the use of mild language and romantic themes but kids 12 and over will no doubt enjoy this movie which offers a Christmas miracle and a happy ending.
