Once Upon a Christmas Miracle

Okay, we've seen all the Hallmark 2018 Christmas movies, and there were a lot of clunkers. This however, is a wonderful movie. You wouldn't believe that someone could be so selfless, except it's based on real people. The lead actress, Aimee Teegarden, has a fragile beauty and an amazingly expressive face. Sign her up for a movie every Christmas.

A young woman (Aimee Teegarden) needs a liver transplant. Along comes an ex marine (Brett Dalton from Shield) who altruistically decides to donate to her. Is it just gratitude or is it love?

It's a nice change of pace from the usual Hallmark fluff. If it was a feature film there wouldn't be a happy ending. So it's nice this organ transplant theme has a Hallmark treatment.

His saintliness is pure Hallmark but surprisingly not implausible in the context.

If you choose one Christmas movie at least this is a little different.

This story is exactly what you'd expect if you read the synopsis and even more so if you've read anything about the true-life couple.

Aimee Teegarden and Brett Dalton do a great job bringing Heather and Christ to life and the supporting cast is good too. Both Heather and Chris appear to be unselfish people who spend their lives making other peoples' lives better.

I read an anecdote about Chris that I wish the movie had tried to capture because it is just one more thing that shows the kind of person he is. His real job is as a code inspector and he once found the house of a 90 year old woman to have problems which I assume would have put the woman into an untenable situation. Apparently instead of writing her up and walking away, he organized a project to help her fix it up.

The movie story is a tiny bit thin, but the underlying story makes the movie worth watching.

PS. Still watching this movie probably about once every season it plays (it shows on Hallmark also in July) and I'm getting more tears now than the first time in December 2018.

Certainly one for having a tissue handy ! A lovely warming film based on a true story. Aimee Teegarden played the anxious and insecure girl in need of a transplant operation perfectly. Her smile lit up the screen and Brett Dalton was a good choice as the guy who was the perfect match . One of the best !

WOW!!! This is not a cookie cutter Hallmark movie. It is based on the real lives of Heather and Chris Dempsey. A very engaging film which shows how an organ donation by Chris turns into a love story. Aimee Teegarden is a natural in this movie. Her performance is moving. Get out your Kleenex at the 12 minute mark through the rest of the movie, especially when the doctors (their voices become distant) tell Heather of her liver disease.