User Reviews

7.9 stars.

The most refreshing part of this film is the arguments between the lead male and his recent ex-girlfriend. What a breath of fresh air. I can't recall the last time Hallmark had actual scenes of conflict at this level of escalation, mainly the ex girlfriend is for real yelling at him, like you see in movies with genuine drama - movies other than the usual Hallmark, Family, UP. I am still surprised and it's what makes this film stand out amongst the rest, literally 600+ Hallmark films I've seen, this is a first.

The emphasis is also a bit above and beyond the norm. 'Miracle in Bethlehem, PA.' has a very inspirational and religious feeling to it. There is a focus on how most of the characters believe in the God of Christianity, and they pray for miracles and for good things, and of course, before meals.

A hot-shot single white female lawyer is finally able to adopt a baby. She's been waiting for over a year on a long list of recipients who are generally unable to have children of their own. She has had difficulty being selected due to her single status. Once she finally picks up the baby from a hospital four hours away from her home in the city, she is on her way back when a snow storm hits the east coast. She is now stuck in some podunk town called Bethlehem, PA (of all names) and can't stay at the inn (because there is literally no room anywhere), but she doesn't stay with the animals and her baby is not in a manger, but you get the point. This "loser" of a guy (really he's just mourning the loss of his dad who died fairly recently) takes her into his home until the storm passes and the roads are cleared. The two of them bond, but what's really nice is the narrative is unique and uplifting. We get a really good feeling from all the characters and the events and storyline flow. The lead male's sister has a son, about seven years old, and she's pregnant and very bossy. The rest of the characters are undeveloped. All ends well, as is the typical Hallmark "happily ever after" theme, but the road is bumpy due to the lead female's apparent lack of trust in anyone or anything (especially her family-her mother in particular). We don't really know why she's so cynical, but it's probably due to her ex-husband who left her because she was unable to have children.

P. S. The supporting female sister is a well known Hallmark regular who can't seem to land a leading role, and I suspect she never will. Also, there is a lot of discordant singing. The lead male's character is supposedly the lead singer of a band, but you can tell that he can't carry a tune. And the church choir was way off key. But maybe that's part of the charm, making this whole experience seem more legitimate.

There has been a lot of revisionist Hallmark history going on and this movie highlights it. This movie is basically an allegory about the traditional story of the birth of Jesus, complete with The Bethlehem Star Inn, Mary (Ann), Joe, Goldie, Frankie, and Grandma Myrtle, an old barn, and even a Wise Man, a guy named Shephard and a dog named Donkey. The story is about a new adoptive mother (told the good news that her baby is ready for pick-up by a woman named Gabriella) who is caught in a snowstorm and has to bunk in with Joe because all of the hotel rooms are filled. In short, it is a very Christian religion-centric movie where the leads actually talk about their faith and God, and quote the bible.

Some seem to think that Bill Abbott and his GAF network somehow scared Hallmark back to faith-based programming when actually the opposite is true. It was under Abbott's leadership that Hallmark got away from more faith-based programming. Here is a quote from him about Hallmark in 2019 in answering why Hallmark seems to snub other religions and traditions:

"...we don't look at Christmas from a religious point of view, it's more a seasonal celebration. Once you start to slice it more finely within individual religions it's a little bit tougher to necessarily tell that story in a way that doesn't involve religion and we always want to stay clear of religion or controversy."

It was under *his* guidance that Hallmark cut out Christianity from Christmas. To the point that there were no more Christmas Carols that sung about God or Jesus. What forced him out of Hallmark was the incorporation of gay and lesbian couples and more racial diversity, not that he wanted to put on "Family and Faith-based programming." At Hallmark, he was all about keeping movies secular with no God or Jesus involved in Christmas movies. Needless to say, he has now changed his tune.

Now that Abbott is gone, Hallmark is returning to its faith-based roots with some of its movies and outdoing GAF at its own game. This movie, and many other movies since he left exemplify that in large ways and small (religious Christmas Carols are finally back.) Hallmark is incorporating the traditions and beliefs of other cultures and groups Including but not limited to Christians, both conservative and liberal. You can pick and choose which movies appeal to you and watch just those, or embrace all of them. At least, with Hallmark, you have a choice.

How refreshing.

It always makes me glad to see efforts to make Christmas involve the Savior. And it doesn't hurt that they are portraying Christian family life as well.

They just got a lot wrong. For one, it is very unlikely that a divorced Christian woman would be adopting a child as a single mother. Also unlikely that the woman would be saying grace with her husband sitting right there. It was a nice grace though.

MaryAnn and Joe had a nice relationship. I enjoyed the way they moved along at a reasonable pace.

A lot of my favorite supporting cast were present: Amy Groening and Stephanie Sy, both very busy this year, always great.

The one character I did not like was Joe's buddy. This movie just stopped dead whenever he was on the screen.

I would not say this was the movie I hoped it would be, but it's a nice, heartwarming little family movie at Christmas-time.

This was a delightful story of healing and courage and faith. We truly enjoyed it.

A nice surprise from Hallmark. Reminiscent of early years HM movies when faith was part of the story.

Loved the family support, grace in healing of relationships, and the loving way the adoption process was handled.

If your Christmas includes Christ and His birth, you will enjoy this movie.

It also addresses single parenting challenges, and forgiving past hurts.

We highly recommend this movie. It was a nice change from the cookie cutter storylines; a sweet, tender love story.

Thank you, Hallmark, for airing this one!

A touching and moving drama, with a bit of humor, this one may be the best of the Christmas 2023 movies. An inclusion of family, unafraid to represent religious beliefs along with a marvelous music score. Many of the beliefs that fans of Hallmark have watched dissipate over the years will be glad at the there's presented.

Bringing joy to parts of life that produced failure, the movie allows the audience to look up and forward, while the writers did not negate the struggles that people experience in life. The movie works and is likely to be a favorite for many years to come.

Great acting, writing and production.

The promo and the word "Miracle" in the title hinted at something a little more dramatic. The opening shot of the promo of the baby in a hospital ward hinted that there may be some medical issue that would come up requiring a literal miracle. Instead this was a formulaic movie of a person in a strange town stranded because of a combination of a snowstorm and car problems as Christmas approaches.

The gimmick here is that it's the city of Bethlehem, Northampton county, Pennsylvania (which is not far from where I used to have a vacation home decades ago, and not quite the small town with one hotel as the film implies). The stranded stranger is a divorced woman named Mary Ann who has adopted a newborn girl in Bethlehem whom she named Natalie and is about to drive home when the storm hits and closes all the roads. The one Inn in town has just reached maximum occupancy, and in this desperate situation for a mother with a newborn, the Innkeeper suggests that her brother, predictably named Joe and a mechanic and tow truck driver, put Mary Ann and Natalie in the guestroom at his home.

After that point, it's the same Hallmark Christmas movie we've seen many times. Mary Ann bonds with Joe and his family as they follow their family holiday traditions in the storm. Predictable ending. An average Hallmark movie for this particular plot, nothing that stands out.

This was remarkable for a Hallmark movie! The characters were well-cast, and the acting and interaction between characters was truly believable. The story line was different enough from so many Hallmark movies so as to not be trite and formulaic. The sets were not over-decorated like so many Hallmark Christmas movies of late. And I believe, because this was a Dayspring movie (the Christian side of Hallmark cards), that the script writers were allowed to included some of the real meaning of Christmas. Those reviewers who rated this movie low because of its "Christian content" need to realize that this is a CHRISTmas movie. The celebration is about Christ and His coming to the earth as God the Son and Savior of the world. These characters depicted that they authentically believed and embraced this - the true meaning of Christmas. Other Hallmark movies depicting families fighting and quarreling over Christmas light displays on their homes don't have the intimacy, love, caring, trusting, and faith that this movie depicts. This was heartwarming. Keep your Christmas movies telling the real Christmas message, Hallmark. Get back the the Hall of Fame status that you were always known for in the past!

What a set up for a chance to leave all the viewers with a ton of war and fuzzies. But it was poorly done in a lot of the little things.

Several things were laid on too thick. Our introduction to Joe is overboard on making him out to be a juvenile slob. I don't know how old Joe is supposed to be, but Ben Ayers is 46 and Joe is still addicted to video games and not only doesn't clean his room but his entire house. Meanwhile we get the point about Mary Ann. She is having a hard time adopting. That also could have been dialed down a few notches. Then the storm. Roads closed in every direction and when they showed visuals it is a wonder Mary Ann was able to leave the hospital. So many things were laid on too thick. It happens again late with Brook and Joe's interaction. There was almost no subtlety in this movie and there was a lot of clumsiness in the presentation.

There were some clever aspects like the names, but then the attempts to draw similarities between Mary Ann and Natalie's situation against the original Christmas story was obvious and again not subtle. The conflict or obstacle didn't ring true at least not enough in my view to justify where it immediately led. Likewise the climax and conclusion. My criticisms are at times harsh, too harsh. I'm trying to say that the little things were just a bit off making what could have been a great story come out just ok. There were some definite warm and fuzzies, but not what I was hoping for and not what many other movies on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries have done, even this year.

I'm glad to see Hallmark show a movie that presents Christians in a good light and even mentions Jesus. There is prayer. There is talk about faith. There are some obscure references to the reason Jesus came, usually in Christmas songs. But what we see is simply what it is - an attempt to win points with a certain audience, the religious one. The message that did come out loudly is the same one that almost all the Christmas movies have - Yay family! But that is not the reason Jesus came. There is nothing wrong with this approach and the result, but there is also nothing special about it.

OK, OK, the storyline might be a bit hoaky: Mary, Gabriel, Natalie, Joe, Shepherd, Donkey...but it is an incredibly original/clever storyline. The acting/timing/cinemetography is Hallmark top-notch, despite this being a second-string Hallmark Movies/Mysteries production. My wife and I were saying this one should have been elevated to regular/premier Hallmark Channel status. Problem for Hallmark: this movie mentions prayer, faith, Christian religion with even the image of, gasp, a Cross! But it wasn't In-Your-Face stuff. It was CHRISTMAS themed. Imagine that. A Christian-themed Christmas movie. Apparently, Hallmark got the message when a number of its actors and a lot of its audience bolted for Great American Channel and its well-produced/directed movies.

This Hallmark holiday film started a little rough for me. Laura Vander Voort plays a family law lawyer named Mary Ann, who desperately wants to be a mother herself. She has been approved and yet has had some last minute let downs. When she is called at night to pick up a new born she doesn't hesitate...which is how she ends up stranded with a newborn in a Pennsylvania town named Bethlehem thanks to a storm and road closures. In Bethlehem, the inn is full and she ends up staying in the in owner's brother's house...which is how she meets Benjamin Ayres' character Joe. As it turns out Joe was also adopted and since the loss of his father he has lost his purpose.

These two are almost instantly perfect for one another and his family is fantastically helpful to the new mom, Mary Ann. His family is rounded out by Amy Groening, who plays his sister Frankie and the lovely Tery Rothery, who plays his sweet mother Goldie.

The one storyline that I had an issue with was the relationship that Mary Ann has with her mother. It made sense why she would hold her at bay when she was eager to be a part of her life.

A little different and more religious than most of Hallmark's holiday offerings, but still a decent film. I would recommend it to those who appreciate the biblical story of Joseph and Mary.

Interesting the way the writers engaged the Biblical account of the Birth of Christ into this film. Clean, free of smut. Not completely accurate. Good discussion movie for when chatting about the Biblical references. More shocked that this movie originally showed up on LGBTQ Hallmark! Hallmark is obviously trying to get their past viewers that prefer Bill Abbott being at the helm. Hallmark failed miserably when booting out Abbott and are likely frustrated that GA Family is doing far better in ratings than "inclusive" Hallmark. Like seeing Ben Ayers in a radically different role. He was funny and challenged me to observe his various talents. Support cast were funny and enjoable to watch. Sets were great as well.

I was really looking forward to see this movie. I do have a predilection for Laura Vandervoort and Benjamin Ayres always portrays roles of a solid, wholesome man. I cherished the story of a single woman adopting a newborn, Natalie, just before Christmas, who gets constrained by bad weather in a town named Bethlehem and is offered shelter by a wonderful family. That they own an old barn transformed into a permanent Nativity scene seemed like the cherry on the cake of what could be the epitome of of Holiday values. Surely a Grand Finale for this year Hallmark Christmas productions. Overall, the plot unravels along the expected lines. Mary Ann is a refined, independent lawyer who was abandoned by her former husband, because unable to bear a child. Her gentle soul seeks completion in creating a family of her own, by adopting a baby girl. Joe is a burned-out ex rock star musician, turned into a mechanic, who is convinced by his kind sister to guest the stranded lady and child, since he has a guest room. Predictably, romantic feelings develop between the two, while the entire Joe's family warmly embrace her. So, everything peachy?

Actually, quite a few details mar the execution of the sweet plot. The would-be-affectionate Joe is a juvenile slob, who lives in a pigsty and treats girlfriends like disposable objects. Does this smell of commitment phobia? His look, possibly thought to appear rugged, definitely uncouth in my opinion, could not be more polar to her graceful, neat persona. When he plays: "This little light of mine" for the infant, poorly fingering his guitar and singing like a drunken donkey, one could hardly believe he could have ever been a popular musician. When I heard her comment that it was beautiful, I felt the urge to scream; 'For crying out loud, we have ears!'. Despite his hidden good nature, how she could rapidly find in him her Knight-in shiny- armor, especially after watching him dismiss his girlfriend like a patronizing heel? Would this be expected from a sensitive, intelligent woman who has all reasons to protect herself from being hurt again in her life?

Then, there is the newborn, who cries almost relentlessly, keeping mother and host sleep deprived and exhausted, yet making no single peep for lengthy hours when the family is involved in events. Then, how about an exhausted young woman who miraculously manages to transform a pigsty into a spotless model home, while tending the baby, solving the family's legal issues, flirting with the man, and sharing in social activities? Not by chance Laura Vandervoort played Supergirl in a preceding TV series! Also, we have to swallow the notion that an old barn, adhibited as a Nativity for 15 years, would unquestionably qualify for Historical Landmark status, which, by the way, is quite a stale gimmick, overused in TV movies. Yes, the family offers a warm loving background, perhaps a bit too sugary and superficial. In my book, only Amy Groening, his sister Frankie, is convincing as a kind, sunny soul.

In summary, a beautiful idea turned into an uneven show that fails to convince, let alone charm. A totally missed attempt to soar.

It was surprising how inauthentic and stiff the religious references in this movie were. Christmas mythology is so symbolic and beautiful, so to make it feel so artificial and unappealing was really disappointing. Especially the 'prayer' at the end...

They had all the good ingredients but still made it look like the person who wrote this had no idea about Christianity and what the appeal was in it.

Too much ideological icing made this cake unbearably sweet.

There were some interesting moments, some usual and unusual tropes that made it look familiar but still interesting; it could have been really nice.