Each year, Hallmark typically puts out one or two military-themed holiday movies. For 2022, that includes a gem called “My Grown-Up Christmas List.”
(Warning: Spoilers ahead!)
Taylor Nichols is a journalist who hasn’t been home for a long time. When she steps off the bus onto a snowy landing, she is immediately greeted by a skinny, young, brown-haired Santa Claus.
(Why are the women in military Hallmark movies seemingly always journalists or widows? Perhaps we’ll never know.)
Nichols has a melancholy about her, so this snarky Saint Nicholas launches into a lecture about holiday spirit. Still, our hardened newswoman Taylor isn’t swayed. They part ways, and while he gets hers, Nichols doesn’t catch the stranger’s real name.
Entering a dilapidated Christmas tree store, we learn that Nichols’ grandfather is the owner. There, the two share Chinese food in honor of Taylor’s deceased mother. On the other side of town, we learn that thrift store Santa is actually an Army camouflage-wearing “military man” named Capt. Luke Malone. Malone’s parents are upset — it looks like he’s about to ship out again.
Taylor takes a walk back to the bus stop from where she met Santa and extends a Christmas wish to her mother. Cue “Meet Cute 2: Electric Boogaloo.”
Now dressed in normal clothes, Santa shows up. He and Taylor share a moment.
A year later, they find themselves at home once again. Luke asks Taylor on a date, and while his deployments seemingly allow him to be home every Christmas, he tells her he will again be shipping out, this time to train soldiers in Eastern Europe.
Soldiers don’t typically deploy for a full year and only get Christmas vaction, but we’re going to ignore this because Hallmark. The realistic part, perhaps, is that Luke and the young woman have agreed to enter into a long-distance relationship during their first date. Huah.
The duo carry out a blissful, PG relationship through Zoom, counting the days until they can be reunited on Christmas once more — just their third meeting in three years.
To amplify the anticipation, as Luke is expected to head home, weather gets in the way. Rather than see this as a divine indication that they should not be together or, at the very least, slow things down, the merry soldier decides a virtual proposal is the better solution.
Taylor, to the surprise of none, says yes. Yet another year apart passes as they plan their wedding via Zoom. Remember, these two met each other four years ago but have only spent one in-person holiday together. (How good was that first date?!)
Finally, Taylor and Luke reunite for their third in-person encounter, second of the romantic variety, and it’s for a Christmas wedding.
Unfortunately, at the last minute, Luke is called in to help with a search-and-rescue mission after a helicopter that was carrying a friend of his goes down.
This is rather inexplicable. Ol’ Luke is not a pilot, and to our knowledge, the Army doesn’t normally send soldiers who are on leave for Christmas into the woods to rescue friends, but Hallmark’s gonna Hallmark.
Alas, the wedding must be postponed. Not put off, Taylor, who shall henceforth be known as the matron saint of romantic patience, makes a snap decision to head into the wilderness. There, she finds Luke’s belongings and sees evidence of his devotion to her.
Mission completed, they wed a few days later against the backdrop of a big holly wreath and agree to spend every Christmas together for their rest of their lives — whether that’s ruined by his pesky years-long deployments or not. He’s a soldier and she respects that.
Sarah Sicard is a Senior Editor with Military Times. She previously served as the Digitial Editor of Military Times and the Army Times Editor. Other work can be found at National Defense Magazine, Task & Purpose, and Defense News.
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