Honest Review – Hallmark Movies And Mysteries Presents ‘Miracle In Bethlehem, PA.’ The last new movie aired last night on Hallmark’s Movies and Mysteries Channel. This movie checked all the boxes that you’d want in a Christmas Movie.
I have thoughts, people. First off, this was a great movie. I really did enjoy it. Again, tug at my heartstrings by setting it in Bethlehem, PA. Not that it was filmed in Pennsylvania. Many Hallmark productions are filmed in Canada.
Related: Honest Review – ‘Friends And Family Christmas’ on Hallmark Channel
One woman’s surprise blessing at Christmastime leads to the answer to the prayers of others when Laura Vandervoort and Benjamin Ayres star in the new DaySpring original “Miracle in Bethlehem, PA,”
This is a modern Nativity-type story. Mary Ann and Joe find each other after she is stranded in Bethlehem with her newly adopted baby daughter, Natalie. Joe even has a dog named Donkey and a Barn that is decorated as the Stable from the Nativity.
Mary Ann (Vandervoort) is a successful lawyer who wants nothing more than to adopt a child and be a mother. When she finally gets the call that’s God’s answer to her prayers, Mary Ann treks to Bethlehem, PA just before Christmas to meet her new bundle of joy. But bad weather forces her and her newborn daughter, Natalie, to delay their trip back home.
The local inn is full but the welcoming innkeeper Frankie has a solution – her brother Joe (Ayres) has a spare room in his home she can use. The quintessential bachelor, Joe’s place is less than tidy but he welcomes Mary Ann and Natalie and tries to make them comfortable. The weather forecast isn’t cooperating so Mary Ann extends her stay, giving her time to become part of his family’s pre-holiday celebrations, including Christmas activities at their church.
As the two spend more time together, it’s becoming clear to them – and everyone around them – that an attraction is growing. Each of them opens up to the other about personal challenges weighing on them – Mary Ann is hesitant to let her mother, who struggled as a single parent, know that she adopted a baby on her own, while Joe shares that life for him hasn’t been the same since the passing of his father, who was his best friend.
As Mary Ann and Joe connect through their shared faith and become close, they could just be the unexpected blessing in each other’s life in surprising ways.
Now, I am not an overly religious person but I love the Nativity story and the pageantry of Christmas and the true meaning. This movie brought all of the feelings that I love about the season. Furthermore, yes, I love a good North Pole and Santa story, but I also love a good Nativity story. This movie made me feel hopeful and satisfied.
“Miracle in Bethlehem, PA” is from Hallmark Media. Kimberly Daugherty, Seth Jarrett, and Julie Isogna Jarrett are executive producers. Ian Dimerman is the producer and Lisa Cichelly serves as line producer. Jeff Beesley directed from a script by Laura Kampo Lennon.
