Christmas TV movies are a beloved holiday tradition, often filled with heartwarming stories and familiar tropes. Watching previews for The Secret Gift of Christmas, a recent release, immediately brought to mind a cherished Christmas movie favorite: Lifetime’s 2015 gem, A Gift Wrapped Christmas. The initial scenes alone sparked a strong sense of déjà vu, hinting at striking similarities between the two festive films.
To illustrate this connection, let’s consider the opening moments of both movies:
Meghan Ory in The Secret Gift of Christmas, a 2023 Hallmark movie, standing in a festive Christmas market.
Notice anything familiar? The energetic, joyful strides of the lead characters in their introductory scenes are remarkably alike.
Scene from The Secret Gift of Christmas showing Meghan Ory walking cheerfully, mirroring A Gift Wrapped Christmas.
Meredith Hagner in A Gift Wrapped Christmas, a 2015 Lifetime movie, walking energetically with Christmas spirit.
Beyond these opening visuals, the parallels between A Gift Wrapped Christmas and The Secret Gift of Christmas run deep throughout their narratives. Both movies center around dynamic, spirited women who work as personal shoppers. These professional gift-givers cater to a high-end clientele, primarily busy executives and corporate figures who need assistance in making impressive holiday gestures for colleagues and clients. Both Bonnie in The Secret Gift of Christmas and Gwen in A Gift Wrapped Christmas are portrayed as exceptionally dedicated to their craft, driven by a genuine desire to find the absolute perfect gifts that will genuinely surprise and delight the recipients.
Adding another layer of similarity, both protagonists are hired by widowed, work-obsessed single fathers. These men are struggling to connect with their children, who crave more attention, as they are still grappling with the loss of their wives. Initially, neither father wants the personal shopper to deviate from conventional gift choices, requesting predictable and impersonal items like plants or mugs. However, in both films, Bonnie and Gwen disregard these instructions and instead curate thoughtful, personalized gifts that generate significant goodwill, heartfelt gratitude, and substantial business success for their initially resistant clients. Slowly but surely, these skeptical men are won over by the shoppers’ charm and effectiveness.
The transformations extend beyond the professional sphere. Both men even allow the personal shoppers to modernize their outdated wardrobes, signifying a personal awakening. Furthermore, both Bonnie and Gwen develop close bonds with the children, playing a key role in revitalizing the family dynamics. As the movies progress, the fathers’ relationships with their children improve dramatically, and their previously rigid demeanors begin to soften. Adding to the mirrored storylines, both Gwen and Bonnie have supportive sisters who encourage them to seek fulfillment beyond their careers, and both have absent parents, albeit for different reasons.
Unsurprisingly, given the romantic nature of Christmas movies, romantic feelings blossom between the clients and the personal shoppers in both narratives. This budding romance encounters obstacles in the form of jealous rivals, leading to predictable conflicts and misunderstandings that heighten the drama before the inevitable happy endings.
Despite the overwhelming similarities, subtle differences prevent any accusations of direct copyright infringement. Bonnie’s shopping in The Secret Gift of Christmas is depicted as a coping mechanism for the loss of her mother and her estrangement from her father. In contrast, Gwen in A Gift Wrapped Christmas is presented as naturally gifted at shopping, and her mother is a free-spirited traveler. The resolutions also differ slightly. Gwen delivers a sled, a highly desired Christmas gift, to her client’s cabin, leading to their reunion. In The Secret Gift of Christmas, Patrick, Bonnie’s client, rediscovers and returns a cherished angel necklace she believed lost. Bonnie’s character arc involves recognizing the importance of “presence” over “presents,” a lesson reinforced by a brief, perhaps magical, encounter with Santa Claus. Gwen, on the other hand, is portrayed as inherently perfect, facing no significant personal flaws to overcome.
While A Gift Wrapped Christmas remains a perfect 10 in my book, The Secret Gift of Christmas earns a solid 7 out of 10. Although Meghan Ory delivers a commendable performance as Bonnie, seemingly channeling Meredith Hagner’s Gwen, she doesn’t quite capture the same effervescent charm. Meredith Hagner in A Gift Wrapped Christmas was truly exceptional, a breath of fresh air, or perhaps more accurately, a delightful tsunami of Christmas cheer. However, The Secret Gift of Christmas boasts Christopher Russell, consistently handsome, genuinely kind, and sweet as the male lead. His presence was a welcome sight in this year’s Hallmark Christmas movie lineup. Additionally, the actress playing Christopher Russell’s daughter deserves praise for her nuanced portrayal, balancing vulnerability and resilience, eliciting both sympathy and admiration without resorting to negativity.
In conclusion, The Secret Gift of Christmas, while closely mirroring A Gift Wrapped Christmas, is a well-executed and enjoyable holiday movie. It delivers familiar Christmas movie warmth and charm, even if it treads well-trodden ground.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 7 out of 10.
PS. It’s worth noting that the writer for both movies is indeed the same, though the scriptwriters are different. This information was not initially available on IMDb but has since been updated, highlighting the shared creative origin of these two similar Christmas stories.
September 26, 2024
