Well, we've reached the end of Hallmark Channel's 2025 Christmas countdown with this twenty-fourth film of the season, The Christmas Baby. Hallmark took a big risk with this movie, offering us a very different story that didn't focus on the typical romantic encounter or the anticipation of a new couple falling in love. This film features an already established couple facing the unexpected arrival of a new member to their family, and how this can either weaken or strengthen their bond. Was this risky gamble worth it?
The Christmas Baby stars Ali Liebert and Katherine Barrell as Erin and Kelly, a happily married couple. Erin owns a packing and shipping business in Albany, while Kelly designs and builds sets for a local theater (whose noise annoys their grumpy neighbor, Mr. Seltzer). The women love their life together and are very sure of their decision not to have children so as not to disrupt their routine, but fate has other plans.
Director: Eva Tavares
Writer: Topher Payne
Stars: Ali Liebert, Katherine Barrell, Devon Busswood
On the night of an awards ceremony where Kelly is to be honored, Erin almost doesn't make it on time because someone has left a surprise package at the shop: a baby in a stroller, with a note specifically choosing Erin and Kelly to care for the child and become his mothers, Nicholas (an appropriate name for Christmas). Erin arrives at the ceremony just in time, surprising Kelly as she receives her award, and afterward, they call for someone to come and care for the baby.
A woman named Betty arrives and assures them that Nicholas will receive the best care after they take him to the hospital for a checkup, but shortly after Betty finishes with Nicholas and goes to rest for a while, she finds Erin and Kelly in the waiting room, who have decided that since they were chosen, they should care for Nicholas until a foster family is found. Erin has always been open to having children, but Kelly has always been opposed, saying that a child would disrupt their lives... and having baby Nicholas around proves her point, as the women have to juggle their schedules, and Kelly finds it impossible to do her noisy work—with opening night fast approaching—while Erin tries to get Nicholas to sleep. Mr. Seltzer isn't happy about the new noise of a crying baby either.
Betty arrives with the news that a foster family she's worked with before will be taking care of Nicholas, and after saying goodbye, they both realize how empty their home feels. Erin takes it especially hard, resenting Kelly for not being willing to keep Nicholas, but Kelly may be experiencing emotions Erin is unaware of, as, in anger, she throws all the baby's things into the crib and drags it into the garage so she doesn't have to see them anymore.
Mr. Seltzer becomes concerned when he doesn't hear the baby crying and, seeing how distraught Kelly is, invites her for a walk with him and his dog, telling her how he's become estranged from his own daughter and that all he wants is to reconnect with her. It was the conversation Kelly needed. She and Erin agree that they need Nicholas back in their lives, and Betty brings him back, telling them that she had already told the foster family that he would only be there for a few days, as she had experienced this situation with other couples many times.
With Nicholas back, Erin and Kelly, with the support of their mothers, Angie and Joyce, decide to go ahead with the adoption, and a child protective services social worker is scheduled to visit the house to make sure they are prepared to have a baby. While friends and family work against the clock to adapt the house for the baby in a matter of days, a minor disaster strikes the building where Erin's business is located: the pipes have burst, there's no electricity, everyone has been evacuated, and she has packages piled up that need to be delivered or picked up before Christmas... and it's Christmas Eve.
Sending everything home and then notifying Kelly seems like the only option, and amidst the chaos of people coming and going and boxes everywhere, the social worker arrives. Could this unexpected visit ruin their chances of adopting Nicholas? And will the biological mother's sudden request to visit the house and see Nicholas put an end to their dream of starting a family with a child? Well, it's a Hallmark movie and it's Christmas, so you can probably guess the ending!
After a season of romantic dramas, romantic comedies, and holiday family gatherings featuring new romances, angelic interventions, and secret royalty—most of which were quite enjoyable—Hallmark presents us with a truly realistic Christmas story featuring an already established couple facing life's challenges. And the fact that the couple is same-sex, happily married, doesn't make the story any different than if it were a heterosexual couple, because it's not just about the relationship or the complications that a child brings, but a story about love, pure and simple. And as the poster's tagline says: "Love is infinitely shareable." No doubt Hallmark will receive criticism from hate groups like One Million Moms for daring to portray a same-sex couple as "normal," loving, and wanting a child, but the film, with a charming script by Topher Payne, doesn't make a big deal out of the characters' sexuality.
They are simply human beings sharing their love with each other and with this child they never knew they wanted so much. There's nothing abnormal or out of the ordinary here, and we hope people will take the opportunity to sit down and emotionally connect with the story and the characters to see that we are all the same and we all want the same things. Payne has skillfully portrayed the characters of Erin and Kelly as average people, ordinary folks, your next-door neighbors, people who work and support their community.
They also have two lovely mothers who are perhaps even more excited about the baby than they are, both with a wonderful relationship with each other and with their daughters, willing to drop everything to help Erin and Kelly so they don't feel overwhelmed. The couple also has a great support system of friends who help them, and the character of Betty is written as a warm and caring person, looking out for the well-being of the baby and the expectant parents.
The film is full of love and emotion, and even when times are tough for Erin and Kelly, whether it's feeling overwhelmed by the disruption to their routines or heartbroken when they decide that a foster family would be best for Nicholas, that bond of love between them remains. Not even a hint of resentment can tarnish that, and they even try to rationalize their decision by saying that someday all of this will be a funny anecdote they'll tell at parties, no matter how broken their hearts are at that moment.
But once they realize that they love each other enough and that they also love Nicholas, and that they were chosen by the mother to raise him, they are willing to do whatever it takes to make Nicholas a part of their family. It's a beautiful story, full of real and sincere emotions, and Eva Tavares has done a wonderful job directing the film, keeping everything grounded in reality (as much as possible, considering that the adoption process is much more rigorous and lengthy, but as Betty says, there are special circumstances, since they were chosen and it's best for the baby to be with them). Only a heartless person could hate this movie.
As for the cast, I loved every single actor. Ali Liebert and Katherine Barrell are incredible as Erin and Kelly. Liebert's Erin is much more open to integrating Nicholas into their lives, showing a lot of compassion and love for the baby even after only a day or two with him. She gives Erin a big heart, with deep emotions, and when she feels hurt by Kelly's more pragmatic attitude towards having a child, who always uses the word "practical," which irritates Erin, all the emotions Erin experiences are reflected on Liebert's face.
She brings this character to life to the point that we almost feel like we're spying on real people dealing with real life. If the Emmys ever considered a Hallmark movie for a nomination, Liebert would be among the nominees. Barrell also makes Kelly very real, portraying the person in the relationship who has to be the more grounded one, the one who has to be "practical." But she eventually reveals that her own childhood, being the youngest of five siblings and having to fight for attention, is what prevents her from embracing the idea of having a baby.
She has the perfect life and the perfect love, and she doesn't want to have to compete for Erin's attention with a baby. It's a very real reaction, and Barrell realistically conveys all of Kelly's anxieties. And once she's on board, she's all in and will do anything to make Nicholas a part of their family, because there's more than enough love to go around. Both actresses are perfect in their roles: they portray normal people, ordinary human beings with professional careers and so much love to give. Bravo to both of them for their human and relatable performances.
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