The Noel Diary Parent Guide

Jake Turner (Justin Hartley) is living his best life. The best-selling novelist is mobbed at book signings before retreating to his chic, mid-century country home to enjoy his collectibles and listen to jazz with his favorite companion – his loyal dog, Ava. It’s a lonely life, but it’s what he wants, or at least what he think he wants, which is pretty much the same thing.

The news of his mother’s death comes as a shock. As her heir, Jake must return to his hometown, clean out the hoarded possessions of 20 years and figure out what to do with everything else – including the legacy of heartache that has riven his family apart.

Another complication appears when Rachel (Barrett Doss) shows up at his door. She’s also searching for family, in her case the birth mother who gave her up for adoption and who once lived in Jake’s family home. With the help of a neighbor and an old diary, Jake and Rachel soon find themselves on a road trip to answer Rachel’s questions and heal Jacob’s scars.

I had low expectations of this film since it’s based on a book by Richard Paul Evans and I am not a fan of his work, finding it overly treacly. If you love his books, please don’t take this personally. I have a shriveled up little critic’s heart so I tend to shy away from sentimentalism. Luckily, my fears were for naught and The Noel Diary turned out to be a pleasantly watchable film. Justin Hartley and Barrett Doss bring their very good-looking characters to convincing life, give them authentic emotions that don’t go over the top, and have enough chemistry to keep the movie warm without ever sizzling. Best of all, Christmas is almost incidental to the plot, so this movie is not crushed by the weight of Christmas decorations in every conceivable nook and cranny. There’s more music than tinsel in this film, and the jazz standards and seasonal tunes are a real festive bonus.

Family audiences will be pleased with the number of positive themes in the script. This movie powerfully delivers its messages of patience, persistence, forgiveness, and family reconciliation. It’s a reminder of the critical need we all have for acceptance, belonging and love in our families and how that security is a critical building block for adult life. The story also demonstrates that it’s never too late to heal what’s been broken or to have a fresh start. The Noel Diary is more than a romance, it’s a hopeful and ultimately healing journey. These factors, combined with a paucity of negative content (minimal swearing, implied but unseen sex), make this movie safe watching for pretty much anyone who wants a clean romance flick.

That said, the movie has some flaws that drove me crazy, the worst of which is the ending. Romance movie fans expect a big finish and this movie has an excruciatingly abrupt finale. None of the elements fans expect are in the ending – the happy ever after is clearly visible and then the movie ends without the satisfactory wrap-up that would take two or three minutes of screen time. The movie also mishandles winter (you can’t leave people in cold cars for HOURS, drivers need to scrape side windows, etc.) which will irritate viewers who live in cold climates. Less fussy viewers, however, will enjoy this warm-hearted hopeful story of love warming away the chill of loss, loneliness, and uncertainty. It’s sweet and sincere and you really can’t ask for much more in a rom-com.