Hallmark movies are like modern-day fairytales, where each story is dreamy and heartwarming, set against the backdrop of an idyllic setting and always eliciting positive vibes. The channel indeed has a reputation for offering the best surreal love tales and joyous festive movies which serve as an escape from your stressful and busy lives and enlighten your moods.
In their huge repertoire of enjoyable movies, numerous movies are also adapted or inspired by renowned books written by famous writers from David Baldacci to Donna VanLiere. What makes some book adaptations so compelling, is that it brings to life popular tropes, hopeful endings, and striking on-screen chemistry between characters. As the holiday season is here, we have picked up 5 Christmas hallmark book-to-movie adaptations.
The Christmas Train
The Christmas Train follows Tom, a cynical journalist, who embarks on a train journey to Los Angeles for Christmas celebrations. Meanwhile, he is also finding inspiration for a book he is writing in the beloved memory of his father. Things take a dramatic turn when he comes across his former lover onboard.
The movie gracefully maintained the essence of David Baldacci's novel, telling a classic love story through the lens of well-known actors like Kimberly Williams, Dermot Mulroney, and Joan Cusack. Like many hallmark movies, it showcases the main leads of the same profession, which adds a dynamic, relatability, and understanding between love birds. The most exciting part is this train ride will hold your attention throughout and reward you with a surprising twist at the end.
Northern Lights Of Christmas
Northern Lights of Christmas based on Sleigh Bell Sweethearts by Teri Wilson, sees Zoe Hathaway whose aspiration to become a pilot is put on hold, when she inherits a reindeer farm in Alaska, whom she is supposed to take responsibility for now. Alex, a handsome rancher becomes her helping hand in running the farm, and romance blossoms. As Christmas arrives, she is required to choose between her dreams and a possible future with Alex.
If you've loved Marrying Mr. Darcy (a sequel to Unleashing Mr. Darcy), you are surely going to love this film as it's written by the same writers James Iver Mattson and B.E. Brauner, who are well-versed in penning compelling romance tales related to Teri Wilson's books. The movie features long-time hallmark actress Ashley Williams paired with Corey Sevier, whose repertoire includes a lot of Christmas movies. Most importantly, the snowy Christmas setting and beautiful aurora borealis make the movie visually appealing and give out pleasant vibes.
A Bramble House Christmas
A Bramble House Christmas is based on CJ Carmichael's authored book of a similar name. When a terminally ill patient passes away and leaves a huge amount of money in a will for his nurse named Willa, the deceased man's two children Molly and Finn grow suspicious. In order to investigate the matter of why his father included her in his will, Finn decides to go undercover to discover the truth in Bramble House.
Autumn Reeser and David Haydn Jones's performances elevate the plot, as the former gives an authentic look into the life of a single mother, whose life has been hard lately until the lottery happens which makes her and her child's holiday season good while the latter shows what it means to be abandoned by our very own and regretting over doubting a kind person. What's good about Bramble House Christmas is it doesn't try to rush romance or make characters fall in love in the first glimpse, but rather takes time to develop romance as the story progresses. The pretty places of Oregon and the Christmas decorations don't disappoint at all.
The Christmas Note
Gretchen Daniels shifts to her hometown but is saddened by the fact that her husband won't be there to celebrate Christmas. When she learns about her neighbor Melissa's search for her long-lost sibling, she also joins hands with her. Together, on the quest to find her siblings, the two cherish their newly developed friendship along the way and no longer feel alone.
Well, it's an adaptation of a book of the same name written by Donna VanLiere, who is particularly renowned for her Christmas novels. The Christmas Note is a bit of a change for the audience from typical hallmark movies, as it's a drama and mystery movie more focused on great friendship and family than romance. Jamie Lynn Sigler as Gretchen and Leah Gibson as Melissa indeed gave us friendship goals and made us understand what it means to be a true friend.
The Nine Lives Of Christmas
Two individuals, Zachary and Marilee, who are exact opposites and had a hard time with love cross paths at a pet store, where the latter helps the former pick out good food for his newly adopted cat. Later, when unfortunate circumstances occur due to which Marilee loses her job, it's Zachary who offers her to stay in his house. The movie is based on Sheila Roberts' novel of the same name.
The Nine Lives of Christmas boasts an impressive cast which includes Travelers series actress Kimberly Sustad and Superman Returns actor Brandon Routh. The movie increased the channel's viewership during its premier weekend garnering 3.4 million viewers and ever since maintained its popularity of being most watched among fans. Although the movie is predictable as usual, it was lauded for its amazing book-adapted screenplay by critics. The movie will appeal to cat lovers as well.