Holiday Watch: A Veteran’s Christmas

Grace Garland (Eloise Mumford) is a Marine Captain who has just been discharged from the military. As she travels snowy roads on her way to a job waiting for her in a few months, she hits a patch of ice and has a minor car accident. With the help of a dog who lives near to where she crashed, she makes it to the home of Joe Peterson (Sean Faris) who not only tends to her minor injuries, but eventually offers her a place to stay while her car is being repaired…though it might not be ready by Christmas.

Grace finds comfort with Joe’s friends and family as they provide a soft cushion to help transition her from her military service in a K9 unit and search and rescue. And it just so happens that there is an opening for someone experienced in search and rescue if she wants it. But she does have that job waiting for her.

Joe, the municipal judge for the town, also isn’t quite as settled as it first appeared. He’s hoping to become a District Judge based in Chicago and awaits the call that he’s gotten the job that should arrive any time now.

In the meantime, Grace slowly finds a home and support in the town and with Joe, and he’s starting to feel a growing attachment as well to Grace. Unfortunately, their future plans constantly hang over their heads serving as a damper to them moving forward. Joe’s ex showing up causing Grace to misinterpret their relationship doesn’t help matters. Still, it’s hard to prevent the meeting of two hearts that just fit.

A Veteran’s Christmas does a very smart thing and reunited Mumford and Faris from their chemistry-fueled outing in Christmas With Holly. I had issue with that previous film not because of the quality of the story or cast (it was a Hallmark Hall of Fame offering, after all), but that it wasn’t really attached to the season. That isn’t an issue with this movie. In fact, the only issue I have with this tale is that the ending was telegraphed from the beginning. Not the relationship — that’s a given with the genre. It was that Grace was morose because she had to leave her K9 partner in Afghanistan. So, almost from the start of the film, you knew a human-dog reunion was all but guaranteed.

Something Hallmark has proven adept at in the past few years is humanizing military service. It doesn’t tend to be romanticized or made into melodrama. It’s people who have a job who just happen to face a few more transitional issues than many when their circumstance changes, but who are still just people doing the best they can. Combine that with a strong cast, a good story, and Hallmark’s proven holiday formula, and you end up with a gem like this movie. Very recommended.