Movie Review: "The Christmas Secret"

Synopsis: Christine Eisley (Bethany Joy Lenz) is in a serious predicament.  After her divorce, she packed up with her kids and moved to a small town where her father, whom she never knew, reportedly grew up.  As a single mom struggling to make ends meet, her ex is hounding her about spending more time with their kids.  When an unfortunate circumstance leads to her being late to her job, she gets fired, only to get hired at a place called Betty's Bakery.  She soon meets a guy who she feels a connection with, but, one thing or another prevents their first date from happening.  Will they ever fall in love? Will Christine be able to keep custody of her children, and keep her household financially afloat?
Based on the book by Donna VanLiere.  As seen on Hallmark Channel.

The Good: Hallmark Channel telefilms are usually right up my alley; much like Disney Channel Original Movies--aka DCOMs--they're morally decent and well-made.  This one is no exception: no profanity, save for one misuse of God's name; sex is limited to kissing; no violence, though there is a threatening situation; no drug use, except for adults presumably drinking alcohol (it's not really clear).  More than that, this TV movie has a great story that draws you in.  Even the revelation at the end was a complete surprise to me.  The characters are easily likable, except for the ex, who is appropriately despicable.

The Bad: Other than the minor moral qualms mentioned above, nothing, really.  I will say that this probably isn't worth a purchase.

Conclusion: I mentioned in a previous review that my mom, who instilled in me the value of media discernment, usually loves Hallmark's telefilms.  After watching this, I think that's something she and I can agree on; with smut on nearly every channel on our Verizon services, it's nice to have a channel that sticks to morally decent shows and movies, especially since adults are the target audience as well.  If you're looking for something sweet to watch with your sweetheart or family this Yule, check this one out.

Score: 4.5/5