The Spirit of Christmas works for many reasons, but especially where Daniel Forsythe and Kate Jordan's characterizations are concerned.
There have been multiple instances where I’ve gushed about Lifetime’s The Spirit of Christmas, deeming it one of the best holiday films since the classics. It’s in line with the greats like While You Were Sleeping and The Holiday and perfectly fit for people who adore stories about invisible strings and fate intermingling. However, The Spirit of Christmas also effectively brings to our screens a hero’s journey that’s so deliciously angsty that it captures and underscores why complex characters are necessary for storytelling. At the same time, Daniel Forsythe is peak book boyfriend material—the best kind of romance hero while Kate Jordan is the type of relatable heroine many of us look for.
The Spirit of Christmas is the kind of movie worth watching multiple times throughout the year, and almost every time you do so, there’s a high chance you’ll notice something you didn’t before. In my 17,201,233rd viewing, I caught the words “Like a nightmare that goes on forever. I want to wake, but I can’t.” It comes during such a tender moment that it’s almost shocking the words are so bleak, yet it’s what makes the film’s ending triumph far more evocative. The characterizations for both Daniel and Kate, as well as the genuinely fantastic performances by Thomas Beaudoin and Jen Lilley, add nuances to the characters that drive the narrative to compelling territories.
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