Is there anything cozier than a Hallmark Christmas movie? The fake snow, the impossibly charming small towns, the inevitable romantic entanglements… it’s a formula, sure, but sometimes you just need a dose of predictable holiday cheer. And “Following Yonder Star” aims to deliver precisely that, with a dash of celestial wonder thrown in for good measure.
Brooke D’Orsay plays Abby Marshall, a television actress whose career has taken a rather public nosedive, landing her in a self-imposed exile at a quaint Vermont resort. But a booking mix-up throws a wrench into her plans, leaving her stranded during the busiest time of the year – Christmas, naturally. As luck, or perhaps the script, would have it, a rare astronomical event, a real-life echo of the Star of Bethlehem, has every hotel room booked solid. Just when all hope seems lost, Abby stumbles upon a vacancy at a charming B&B run by recently widowed astronomy teacher, Tom Maguire (John Brotherton). Convenient, yes, but this is Hallmark, not Ibsen.
Now, if you’re familiar with the network’s holiday playbook, you can probably guess where this is headed. Abby, initially resistant to the small-town charm, slowly warms to Tom and the local community. She volunteers for the church Christmas pageant (because of course she does) and lends a hand with the inn’s festive activities. And wouldn’t you know it, through caroling, cookie baking, and possibly some stargazing, Abby discovers the possibility of a new beginning – in love, family, and maybe even community.
Will Abby rediscover her Christmas spirit? Will Tom find love again? Will the astronomical event cause a town-wide power outage that forces everyone to bond over candlelight and hot cocoa? Some of these questions may seem more rhetorical than others. But let’s be frank, the real question is, how many cups of cocoa will it take you to make it through this saccharine spectacle?
“Following Yonder Star” premieres Sunday, December 15th at 8:00 PM on Hallmark.
