Stream It Or Skip It: ‘To All a Good Night’ on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, in Which A Father’s Legacy is Honored Through Love, Elephants, and a Holiday Celebration

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries is serving up another new Christmas movie on their seasonal streaming slate with To All a Good Night. Much like in Journey’s hit song “Don’t Stop Believin'”, a small-town girl and city boy will come together for an unforgettable journey that hopes to make you believe (see what I did there?) in holiday magic, fate, and romance. Read on to hear what we have to say about this elephant-filled romance movie starring Kimberley Sustad and Mark Ghanimé.

TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Ceci Carmichael (Kimberley Sustad) is a small-town freelance photographer who seems to spend half of her time helping local kids with art projects and the other half assisting with the local newspaper, the Harmony Bay Herald… The latter of which apparently is pretty lacking in stories, since Ceci and her reporter pal Penny’s (Luisa d’Oliveira) latest big scoop is about local B&B owner Abigail’s (Alison Araya) dog, Max, who keeps stealing things from the residents. Everyone’s lives, and the local news circuit, quickly get shaken up when a mysterious man from the city comes to Harmony Bay around the holiday season. After Ceci ends up saving the man’s life following a motorcycle accident in the woods, she finds out that he is a high-powered property developer and military veteran named Sam Calloway (Mark Ghanimé), and surmises that he may be after her family’s parkland Willow Glen property.

Sam, meanwhile, is determined to figure out who saved him (and left a delicious burger for him in his hospital room) by using the local paper to inquire about the Good Samaritan who wears an elephant necklace, since that’s all he can remember about his savior (although he definitely does suspect that it was Ceci). As Ceci and Sam grow closer, she also struggles to process grief from her dad passing earlier that year as she deliberates whether or not to continue her and dad’s tradition of a town-wide Christmas Eve event called “To All a Good Night” that they’d always host at Willow Glen.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: To All a Good Night is kind of like Cinderella meets The Lucky One, plus some additional Christmas spirit and cheer to get this movie about an army veteran trying to find one special woman with not much to go off of (in this case, instead of a glass slipper it’s just a Sally’s Diner burger and an elephant necklace).

Performance Worth Watching: Both Kimberley Sustad and Luisa d’Oliveira are entertaining, charming, and natural as Ceci and Penny. They also have wonderful, believable chemistry as friends, and it was always nice to witness their onscreen interactions.

Memorable Dialogue: “Your dog belongs in a federal prison.” And you know what? Ceci is right. Max is a MENACE.

A Holiday Tradition: Ceci and her dad started a tradition years ago that became a town-wide Christmas Eve party each year on the Carmichaels’ Willow Glen property. Instead of paying money to cut down Christmas trees, Harmony Bay residents save that cash (and, as a result, the trees) to then donate it to people in need, while they each decorate a different living, still-in-the-ground tree on the Willow Glen land.

Does the Title Make Any Sense?: Yep! Not only is the annual Carmichael event called “To All a Good Night,” but Ceci also even says those words at this year’s celebration, really hammering home that To All a Good Night is indeed a relevant and logical title for this movie.

Our Take: If you had a Hallmark holiday movie Bingo card, To All a Good Night would probably win you a prize or two. A city guy coming to a small town and falling for a local girl? Check. Well-timed fake snowfall? Check. A local Christmas tradition? Check. A recent personal tragedy? Check. A secret that has built up due to miscommunication being revealed at an inopportune time, leading to conflict that threatens the main romance? WE’VE GOT A BINGO!

But even with certain predictable themes, this is still an enjoyable and likable Christmas movie, with just enough personality and charm to let you forgive some of the more predictable holiday movie genre staples and tropes. And you know, predictability doesn’t have to be a bad thing either. Sometimes all we want from a Christmas movie is just to sit down with loved ones, turn our brains off, and enjoy, and that’s something that To All a Good Night allows you to do. Well, aside from the few dog-driven moments that might make your blood boil as you wish someone would teach that kleptomaniac canine, Max, how to stop being a thieving menace (or maybe I was the only one stressing over that).

Anyway, sure this isn’t the best or hardest-hitting movie around, but there are some genuinely sweet moments of family, friendship, and dealing with grief that go beyond just the usual Christmas movie romance storylines (which in this movie, isn’t bad either. It’s nice to see how Sam was into her from the start… Although immediately proposing was still a bit much). Family, especially is the theme that shines throughout this movie, because To All a Good Night does a great job of conveying that found family is just as real as any one you’re born into, and that a good community can make all the difference in helping someone to not only have a happy holidays but also a very fulfilling life.

Our Call: STEAM IT! To All a Good Night is a nice little Christmas story worth kicking back and relaxing to for a, well, good night of easily digestible seasonal streaming.