The Noel Diary (2022)

This TV movie is presently on Netflix (it premiered yesterday). As you may know, I’m a little bit jaded with the Hallmark Christmas shows, so this one is a bit of a pleasant surprise.

The themes of single parenthood, abandonment and adoption, on one hand, with bereavement, loss and estrangement, on the other, makes for a powerful dynamic. These two people are afraid to trust anyone, and the story unfolds gently like a proper emotional response to becoming close, through a road trip to find their pasts. There is nothing false here, and that makes a change. I suggest that you have tissues nearby, because you’re going to need them.