All of the Christmas movies on Netflix have one beautiful thing in common this year, and that's the quiet exploration of grief. Falling For Christmas, Christmas With You, and now, The Noel Diary all look at the heartbreaks of death and how people begin to live again afterward. While Netflix's The Noel Diary is less romantic than the previous movies that have been released, it's still a fascinating Christmas movie worth watching as it addresses what it means to find understanding and forgiveness.
Netflix's The Noel Diary stars This is Us alum Justin Hartley, who is no stranger to bringing emotionally-tinged performances to the small screen. Hartley plays Jacob Turner, a well-established author who returns to his hometown after the death of his mother. Although viewers realize that the two were at odds, his mother, leaving him all of his belongings, propels the story towards unraveling secrets and seeking understanding.
Director: Charles Shyer
Writers: Rebecca Connor, Richard Paul Evans, David Golden
Stars: Justin Hartley, Bonnie Bedelia, Barrett Doss
As Jacob cleans his mother's house, a woman named Rachel, played by Barrett Doss (Station 19), knocks on the door, asking for information about the birth mother she is looking for. Although Jacob cannot remember the woman because he was young when she was his babysitter, his longtime neighbor, Ellie Foster (Bonnie Bedelia), claims that Jacob's father, Scott (James Remar), would know. The problem is that Jacob hasn't spoken to his father about him in years. While the narrative doesn't immediately tell us why, it shows it throughout the rotation of character interactions, making the reveal that much more heartbreaking.
Noel's Diary works because of the message it presents. What happens when the pain is too much to handle and regrets simmer in a person's psyche until there is nowhere to run? In an inaudible moment on the way to his father's house, Jacob begins to tell Rachel about her Ben. The audience doesn't quite know what happened to Ben, just that there was a snowstorm and he passed away. During Jacob's conversation with his father, we learn that Scott blamed himself for Ben's death after letting him out of the house to place the ornament on the large tree in front of his garden. Due to the snow storm, Ben tragically slipped and fell to his death.
As Jacob tells her this story during their time together, Rachel reads her mother's journal. As she does this, she begins to understand her mother better, but at the same time, she also helps Jacob understand his father. Now, here's the downfall of the movie: No one loves the "there was only one bed" trope more than this writer. But simultaneously, when such moments are tainted with one or both parties in another relationship, it becomes difficult to get excited about what is progressing. Rachel's fiancé isn't a bad person, he's just not the one for her, and that's evident when she talks about him. But the narrative never makes it clear when or how Rachel ends things with him, and as adorable as the scenes with Rachel and Jacob at the hotel are, there's a barrier between them.
While the emotional beats work well to push the characters towards their growth, the unusual progression of their relationship in the third act seems overly dramatic. The story is already heavy and The Noel Diary didn't need to add any more drama.
Still, while the romance may not be top-notch, their progress together and individually with their parents is delightful. Jacob talking to Rachel's mom instead of making us watch her meeting felt a little weird too. While it is clear that Rachel is satisfied with what she writes in the journal, the movie should have allowed the scene to be with Rachel and her mother. Since Jacob's scene with her father is one of the most touching moments in the movie, and as our main character, we should have gotten a chance to see it with Rachel as well.
Despite its flaws though, Netflix's The Noel Diary looks at grief, forgiveness, and the chances of starting over in places where a person can be their best. For these reasons alone, it's certainly worth adding to your watch list.
Watch The Noel Diary 2022 Movie Trailer
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