A Keller Christmas Vacation (2025 Hallmark Christmas)
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Cast: Jonathan Bennett, Brandon Routh, Eden Sher. Anand Desai-Barochia
Director: Maclain Nelson
Writer(s): TBA
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DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearlySynopsis (via Hallmark Channel)
Christmas this year is going to be a little different for the Keller family, as parents, Anne and Ben, buy their three adult children – oldest son, Cal, middle son, Dylan and daughter, Emory – a river cruise down the Danube River from Germany, through Salzburg, to Vienna touring beautiful European Christmas Markets and towns along the way. The one problem? The very different siblings, who are each going through their own personal life challenges, have naturally gone in separate directions over the years and the idea of spending 10 days cooped up on a river cruise together makes each Keller child cringe for their own reasons. But they say “yes” because that’s what families do, never expecting it to turn out to be a glorious once-in-a-lifetime experience full of missed connections, new friendships, stunning vistas, relationship upheaval, budding romances, shipboard games, family bonding, and a secret that brings them all together in time for Christmas. Starring Jonathan Bennett, Brandon Routh and Eden Sher.
Recap/Wine Thoughts
The Keller family hasn’t met a vacation they didn’t love. The movie starts with photos of their travels that aren’t terribly photoshopped for one. They are going on a Christmas cruise on the Danube this holiday season.
Cal works at a university and wants to tell a woman named Lauren that he loves her.
Dylan is in a work slump and planning to propose to his boyfriend, William. The proposal doesn’t go as planned, and William doesn’t want to get engaged. Dylan uninvites his boyfriend from the family trip. (They have black garland in the house, which seems like an omen.)
Emory is a photographer/data analyst. She is single as a pringle and doesn’t think she will find a relationship like her siblings and parents have. Then, to add insult to injury, she gets fired.
Cut to Germany, where the family reunites and is ready for another holiday getaway. Noah, the ship’s concierge, welcomes and may offer Emory a job taking pictures on the cruise.
Cal meets his cabin neighbor, an elderly man. He invites himself to join Cal and his family for dinner with his granddaughter/divorcee, Felicity. (Remember when you couldn’t be divorced on Hallmark? That was a wild time.)
They dock for a Christkindl Market, and Johnathan Bennet hops on stage to ham it up for the locals. He is very drunk on mulled wine. (Remember when you couldn’t be drunk on Hallmark and only drank empty cups of hot cocoa? That was a wild time.) The siblings miss the boat and get stuck in town.
The siblings went to a Brauhaus and stayed at an inn in a single room. A woman named Helga doesn’t get gay from Dylan. When they are in the room, they fight over the bed in big, broad comedy strokes. While they try to sleep, they wonder why their parents invited them on this trip so suddenly.
The following day, Cal, Emory, and Dylan rush to make it to the next port on a motorcycle thing. They actually make it, and so does William, who will be joining them for the rest of the trip. All the siblings admit the secrets they’ve been keeping, but they miss the BIGGEST secret. Their dad has Parkinson’s.
The next stop is Salzburg, where Dylan gets a Christmas Tree ring to get engaged. Cal flirts with Faith, and she gets jealous of an adorable Austrian. Emory takes pictures of her parents, not realizing this could be their last Christmas vacation together.
It is time for the boat’s White Elephant party, which sounds terrible. Everyone is having a jolly time until Dad trips and falls. They call an emergency family meeting where Mom and Dad open up about his Parkinson’s diagnosis. William has been helping Dylan’s parents and had to keep it confidential due to HIPAA?
Emory asks Noah out on a date, Felicity and Cal make out, and there is a gay Ferris wheel proposal with a Christmas Tree Ring.
The movie ends with the sons taking their dad onto the ice skating rink. The end!
Side Note/Stray Thoughts
It feels homophobic not to like this movie, so I’m going to say MOST of the comedy was too broad for me, but overall it was enjoyable.
Overall rating
Pour it up
Put a Cork in It
Christmas Feels
🎄🎄 (2 Christmas Trees)
Enjoyment Level: 🍷🍷 (2 glasses of wine.)
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*Photo Credit: © 2025 Hallmark
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