It's a nice story, but nothing unusual. Many of the regular Christmas movie traditions. There were a couple of plot leaps that had me shaking my head to catch up. The acting was fine and the leads,Scottie Thompson and Ryan Paevey were comfortable with each other and the story revolved mostly around them. There was a sweet pre-teen daughter.

To the reviewer who mentioned "plot faults," in fairness and for accuracy's sake, the realtor said the buyer planned to "tear it down and build condos," not convert the existing store into condos. A typical 6-story could hold 3 duplexes or w/two units per floor 12 luxury condos. But aside from that, looking beyond the clutter plus considering the two closed gray doors and unseen rear space, that store was easily large enough for 3 or 4 650 sq ft units after a gut reno. Don't know where you live but in and around NYC (we see the town is a short MetroNorth ride to Grand Central Station for Mom) these type/size condos are very common... and not inexpensive. So plot wise, unfortunately store-to-condos in that area is all too realistic.

As for mom knowing Ray's wish, Christmas in Paris is pretty specific... Mom would have to be pretty thick not to immediately realize Ray spoke to Mac, upon finding out he was the helper Santa. She even came right out and asked "are you the Santa Ray spoke to... so you're the Santa she asked to help make Mommy happy for Christmas?" We needn't have heard every single conversation between mother & daughter for this to make perfect sense, so no plot hole there either. The bigger problem is the super-lame requisite 11th hour conflict, i.e. her credulity-stretching, over-the-top reaction to what he did. For her to attribute everything he, a red-blooded intelligent male, expressed and did for her, a smart, kind, beyond gorgeous woman, as pity-driven acts for her daughter's sake is just silly and lazy writing. Come on, even being divorced, with the inevitable baggage and trust issues, what sane woman would leap to he was just pretending to want me because he's subbing as the town Santa?? I don't expect film festival caliber writing in these movies, but a plausible conflict whose resolution delivers a satisfying conclusion isn't asking much.

All that said, the two leads had nice chemistry and all of the performances were good. I also really enjoyed all the random little details that convincingly create a festive holiday vibe, eg gingerbread houses, busy foot traffic around the characters, a warmth of an old church and steeple illuminating the wintry night... Enjoyable overall.

Through most of this movie, the talk was about the daughter spending Christmas on a trip to Hawaii with her Dad. About 1 1/2 hours in to the movie the girl decides she wants to change her plans, at the last minute, and stay with her friends and not go with Dad. After discussing the change with her Mom, who says that she knew her Dad wouldn't mind the flip, because he would want her to be happy. Christmas Eve, the time of departure came and went with never another mention about it. I don't think this is realistic. Yes he would want her to be happy, but I believe this was shared custody and if this was arranged, like it seemed to be, the Dad would not be too thrilled with his exwife's lack of involvement to make it happen; not to mention the expense lost for the cancellation. She should have offered to at least partially reimburse him, for her involvement in the change of plans. However, this is Hallmark and we can't have any conflict????

In an earlier review I posted today (A Bramble House Christmas) i noted that the only downside to a wonderful film was that the writers focussed their story on a divorced woman raising her child on her won from a father who has all but abandoned them.

Hope at Christmas is another schmaltzy story that prefers to show a young daughter named Rayanne (Erica Tremblay) as relying solely on her mother's care to raise her, so her mother Sydney (Scottie Thompson) has put aside her own life and dreams to take care of her single daughter. Of course there is a very handsome young stud named Mac (Ryan Paevey) who is swooning over the divorced mother Sydney which gives the impression that woman who divorce their husbands will find a handsome hunk waiting to sweep them off their feet before their divorce papers are even dry.

These cookie cutter stories are becoming so much the norm, that it almost is blatantly telling women if you are not happy in your marriage just leave and just look at what a magical rebound you also could attain that the divorced Sydney found with her handsome hunk Mac.

Everyone likes a good news Christmas story but I prefer to see a more earthy and magical Christmas story such as the 1946 Its A Wonderful Life, or the 1954 Christmas musical White Christmas.

I give Hope at Christmas a just passable rating of 5 out of 10.

Please stop with the divorced single mom heroine stories and get back to writing family themed stories where both parents are present in their childrens lives.

Anything with Ryan is amazing. His death in GH killed me. I will always watch every movie or show he is in.

My name is CammieTime and I've reviewed over 20 Hallmark Christmas movies on IMDb since 2016!

Hope at Christmas is your above average Hallmark Christmas movie despite 37 year old Scottie Thompson (Sydney) looking at least 42 and Ryan Paevey (Mac) looking much younger. Thus, this was a nice Christmas movie with a bit of single cougar on the prowl elements.

Hopewell is "special." It is your standard over-zealous for Christmas town with ridiculous holiday traditions such as organized caroling, ginger bread house making contests, and a commercial main street competition. Also, the town is apparently a short car drive from New York City AND it's shown to be in North Carolina...Hopewell is VERY special indeed. And the town having a local fancy french restaurant...yeah right.

Sydney works as your cliche ad agency director (yawn - under qualified), while Mac is a 4th grade teacher (yawn - over qualified). Somehow the sophisticated classy ad director from NYC hits it off with a small town 4th grade teacher who moonlights at the Christmas tree farm. The magic of this movie is that this all comes across as quite believable despite the odds of these two actually hitting it off in real life.

There is some manufactured Santa drama toward the end that is neither fully explored nor taken advantage of and we also get to see yet another holiday ginger bread house making contest.

The whole Book Bea concept was clever and was the movie's foundation and strong point. The empty Grandma's house we start with is quickly forgotten and discarded as a plot point in favor of the bookstore, for better or for worse.

Everyone gives up something to stay in the small town. Ray the daughter gives up a trip to Hawaii with her dad, but it's never explained how the custody requirements from the divorce allow for that. Bea gives up the bookstore, and Sydney gives up a dream opportunity at a top New York ad agency to - you guessed it - stay in hopewell and run the bookstore and spend more time with Mr. Mac. Boring on paper but acted well enough to make it all work for the most part.

Doesn't get 10 stars because: Plot is not fully aligned beginning to end and the Santa subplot felt forced, misused, and underutilized (if you're gonna do that, then do it right!). Also, can't ignore the glaring errors in Geography. I'll give them a pass on the French restaurant :)

Such a WONDERFUL cast and story ABSOLUTELY loved this movie I can watch it over and over ...that little girl is already a believable actress . Thanks to all who had a big hand to small hand to make us all at the end of the day have such sweet dreams. Merry CHRISTMAS to you all!!!!!!!!

In the first place, the little girl never tells the Mom that she asked Santa to make her happy, so how did the Mom know? She told her Mom that she couldn't tell her what she asked for because it was a secret. In the second place, how on earth could they possibly turn a tiny little bookstore into condos? They never mentioned that any other people were selling, and all of the other folks seemed happy with their businesses. Otherwise a decent movie with decent acting. The little girl is the one who totally makes the movie.

First of all, bravo to Hallmark for finally allowing divorced characters in their movies this year. It's always been taboo with them when in reality, millions of people are divorced. But that being said, having a super depressed, divorced heroine who never smiles absolutely destroyed this movie. Millions of divorced women raise their children alone and they aren't this mopey. When your child has to ask Santa repeatedly to make you happy, you need to see a shrink. There's something seriously wrong. Her husband didn't die. They got divorced. Big whoop. The overall depressive tone of the heroine killed it for me.

This is really the epitome of fantasy for housewives. A rather testy and irritating divorced mom goes back to a small town for Christmas. There, a hot guy conveniently widowed is all sensitive and kind and totally into her. What a perfect guy would be so gaga for a single mom. She can treat him badly and it's alright cause it's Hallmark. The little drama at the end is annoying.

Hallmark should concentrate on making slightly different stories for their Christmas movies. It's the same story again. Give up big city for small town.

The acting by both leads in my opinion, was horrible. I was immediately preoccupied with the female leads lips, they seemed unnatural so every shot of her all I could focus on were the lips, don't get me wrong, I think she is pretty. The male lead is obviously her good looking counterpart but I found his acting to be stiff and wooden. Also, I did not think they had good chemistry. Yes, this is a very short review because I just did not enjoy this one very much.