Mick Foley Blogs

Mick Foley’s 10 Favorite Hallmark Christmas Movies

Has there ever been more of a reason to embrace Christmas in July?

With our world in turmoil, and the Coronavirus pandemic greatly limiting many of the things we love and enjoy, isn’t nice to just sit back, relax and relive some of what it is we love about Hallmark Christmas movies?

I understand they are not for everyone. Sure, we know going in how most of the stories will end. We know how high the likelihood is that we’ll see the awkward first meeting, the first longing glance, the innocent misunderstanding that threatens a budding romance. Of course we know there’s going to be a first kiss. But when Hallmark really gets it right, as they so often do, is there any better guide to take us on a tour through wintery tales of whimsy, wonder and the magic of Christmas?
 

 
Here, then, is a list of my 10 favorite Hallmark Christmas movies, of all time. Feel free to disagree and tell me about your personal favorites!
 
10 – Maggie’s Christmas Miracle (2017)
Jill Wagner is one of my favorite Hallmark actresses, and she shines brightly here as a single mom who is down on love and Christmas spirit. Likability is such a key element in these Hallmark movies, and five minutes into this one, I found myself rooting for Jill’s Maggie character to open her heart to both love and Christmas. Spoiler alert: she does.
 
9 – Moonlight and Mistletoe (2008)
This one might not even land in many a Hallmark aficionado’s top five Candace Cameron Bure Christmas movies, but I found it to be charming and whimsical. Sure, there were some holes in the plot that my 10-year-old son identified that I could not easily explain. Nonetheless, I found myself hoping that Tom Arnold’s perpetually optimistic Santa could find a way to pay the bills, and keep the doors to his struggling Santaland open! Plus, it was such a great bonding experience for me and my youngest son, who became my number one elf (I have been wearing the red suit myself since 2012) for several years. Oh, and Barbara Niven, even in small roles, makes everything she’s in just a little better!
 
8 – Matchmaker Santa (2012)
Lacey Chabert makes a most delightful elf named Melanie, helping out a certain man in red, who may just be the real Santa, when she finds herself stranded in a small town. With the help of a quirky cast of helpful townsfolk (Florence Henderson, Lin Shaye, John Ratzenberger), Melanie may find that true love is closer than she would expect.
 
7 – December Bride (2016)
As a huge fan of Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart, I tuned into December Bride to see Mountie Jack in a Christmas movie, but much like Daniel Lissing’s character, I found myself falling for Jessica Lowndes. How can you not? Lowndes has that element of Christmas magic that lights up the screen, and it was a joy to watch her romance with Lissing shift from well-intentioned ruse to legitimate love, right before my wondering eyes. I found myself rooting for the couple not to break up—as in verbally shouting, “No, don’t do it!” in my living room — during the film’s high-stakes finale.
 
6 – A Crown for Christmas (2015)
This was the first I’d seen Danica McKeller since her Winnie Cooper days, and this charming film instantly put her on my short list of favorite Hallmark actresses. Not only is the chemistry between McKeller and her Prince (Rupert Penry-Jones) palpable, but the friendship of McKeller and the Prince’s daughter (Ellie Botterill) is simply adorable. Sure, we know how the story will end (the title pretty much gives it away) but when the chemistry is right, does it really matter?
 
5 – November Christmas (2010)
Prepare to have your heart broken. This beautiful little movie makes my top five without any of the things we usually long for in our Hallmark movies. But what “November Christmas” lacks in romance, it more than makes up for with heart and joy, and discovering that in the end, only kindness matters.
 
4 – Farewell Mr Kringle (2010)
I was surprised this one did not fare better with IMDb reviewers, coming in with only 5.9 stars. I found it quite enchanting, and was completely engrossed (even after multiple viewings) with this offbeat tale of a beloved small town Santa, hanging up the red suit amidst changing times.
 
3 – A Princess for Christmas (2011)
I had to really think about this choice, wondering if I really wanted to commit to having two princess themed movies in my top 10. In my heart, I don’t feel like a princess type of guy. But nonetheless, here we are. My mother is just wild about “Outlander” on Starz, and she practically reverted back to a small child when watching a young Sam Heughan win the heart of Katie McGrath is this lovely fairy tale. Seeing that sparkle in my mother’s eye, like the magic of Christmas reflected in the eyes of a child, reminded me of what I love about Hallmark movies, even upon repeated viewings.
 
2 – Finding Father Christmas (2016)
The goodness and kindness that has been the hallmark (yes, the hallmark) of Erin Krakow’s Elizabeth Thatcher character on “When Calls the Heart” for seven seasons, is on full display here in this joyous tale of yuletide self-discovery. I was really impressed with the leading man in this movie, as well, but couldn’t shake the feeling that I knew this guy, Niall Matter, from somewhere. A quick IMDB search revealed that the somewhere I knew Matter from was actually Chokeslam, a fun wrestling movie he and I had filmed together in Saskatchewan a couple years earlier. Well, it would seem like I should be able to identify an actor I personally had worked with. To Niall’s credit, he was so convincing as the smarmy, scheming bad guy In Chokeslam, that I did not instantly identify him as the kind, caring Ian from Finding Father Christmas. I sent a note to Mr. Matter through social media, and was amazed to receive a video message from him and Ms. Krakow, wishing me well from the set of the sequel, Engaging Father Christmas. That sequel is fantastic, as well. As is the third installment, Marrying Father Christmas.
 
1 – Christmas at Pemberley Manor (2018)
You know how A Christmas Story runs continuously each Thanksgiving, giving us 24 hours of Ralphie, the Old Man, the Bumpus Hounds, Scut Farkus and his toadie, Grover Dill? Well, that’s kind of how Christmas at Pemberley Manor runs in my year-round Christmas room.

I seriously love this movie, and I would have to go back to the original Rocky in 1976 to find a movie I have watched so frequently, so enjoyably. Maybe it’s the idyllic Connecticut setting, or the nuanced performance of Michael Grady, or the sweet secondary love story, or the manor’s caretaker, Christopher—who may, or may not be the real Saint Nick. Or maybe it’s the veritable ninety-minute, non-stop Jessica Lowndes charm bonanza that eases Christmas at Pemberley Manor into my number one slot of all-time favorite Hallmark Christmas movies. Or maybe all of the above. Whatever the case, there is a deliciousness to this little slice of Christmas magic, that only grows upon repeated tastings.
 

 
When I discovered that the real Pemberley Manor had a suite to rent through Airbnb, I jumped at the chance to be part of the movie’s magical little world. My recent visit to Connecticut gave me the chance to drink hot cocoa in the Essex town square, in the exact spot where Lowndes’s Elizabeth character met Mr Darcy. Yes, the exact spot—making it my Hallmark equivalent of Rocky fans running the steps of the Philadelphia art museum.

I even reenacted the scene at the manor where Elizabeth talks Mr Darcy into holding the town’s Christmas festival at Pemberley Manor!
 

 
Best of all, I had a chance to talk to Holly, the manor’s owner, about her experience with the movie’s filming. She recalled the entire time with great fondness, talking of the kindness of the cast, the instant bond between cast-members, and then told me about a specific moment that stood out to her.

“Jessica is a wonderful singer,” Holly said. “When she sang ‘Oh. Holy Night’, I got chills. It was really hot during filming, and they did four takes of her singing, so they could get all the camera shots they needed. But everything looked so magical. Even in the heat, it really felt like Christmas. And every time she sang, I got chills.”

I got chills too, just listening to the story. Give Christmas at Pemberley Manor a viewing on Sunday, July 12, at 2 p.m. EST on the Hallmark Channel, and see if you don’t get chills of your own.

If you’re interested in your own stay at Pemberley Manor, and maybe even having your own cup of cocoa in the Essex town square, CLICK HERE