Hallmark is known for its positive and upbeat storylines. These narratives often repeat themselves over and over again in many movies, which makes them predictable but nevertheless satisfying. These are especially well-documented in Hallmark Christmas movies, with stories that surround a Christmas festival in need of saving, secret Santas, and perfectly timed snow.
However, there are countless tropes that make their way across the holiday and non-holiday lineup that are equally cliche and entertaining. Hallmark has so many of these repeating storylines but despite this, they remain beloved by fans.
The Accidentally Intimate Moment - A Royal Christmas (2014), Etc.
Hallmark movies are relatively PDA-free, except when that one special moment occurs in the film where the two love interests somehow find themselves gazing longingly into each other's eyes. This moment comes usually as a result of a trip, an accidental touch of the hand, or the man teaching the woman how to do something like fish, knead dough or shoot a bow and arrow.
This is usually the first sign that sparks are about to fly in the movie and is an exciting moment. These unexpected moments can be expected in almost every Hallmark movie, but A Royal Christmas has a great one!
The Interrupted Kiss - Angel Falls: A Novel Christmas (2019), Etc.
There comes a point in almost every Hallmark movie when the male and female leads realize their feelings for each other, lean in, and get interrupted. This interruption is sometimes a pet, a work colleague, a reporter, a car honking, but something always interrupts the first kiss in a Hallmark movie.
Even when these scenes are to be expected, it's difficult not to shout at the screen in annoyance when the interruption happens. Although momentarily frustrating, these scenes make the payoff of the couple finally getting together all the more rewarding. Angel Falls: A Novel Christmas includes one of the best interruptions by none other than Santa Claus.
The Landlord Vs The Real-Estate Developer - Sand Dollar Cove (2021), Etc.
Hallmark is big on stories that surround saving historic landmarks or nostalgic family properties from corporate real-estate developers. This popular plotline allows for town hall meetings, picket lines, and the occasional historical document treasure hunt.
In every movie, the charming townie landlord always wins the battle, along with the heart of their real-estate love interest. Sand Dollar Cove is a great option for fans into this storyline.
The Shared Inheritance - All Of My Heart (2015), Love Once And Always (2018), Etc.
One of the most dynamic storylines in Hallmark is the story of two strangers or estranged friends co-inheriting property. This automatically throws an unlikely pair together into an intimate situation where they are faced with big decisions and shared living (and usually working) situations.
One inheritor is typically interested in selling, while the other is ready to settle in. Home repairs are always in store and fights ensue over paint colors and tricky plumbing. But, eventually, chemistry takes over and the two finish the project in love! Hallmark fans can watch All of My Heart, one of the best Hallmark storylines of the past decade, and Love Once and Always, for stories like this.
The New Writer - Love On The Slopes (2018), Etc.
In at least half of the Hallmark movies, the female lead is a writer. And in many of these films, she is a new writer, looking to prove herself to get her first story.
In pursuit of a career breakthrough, she is willing to go to any length and any location (usually a small town). Love on the Slopes is a perfect example of this when Alex ventures off to Colorado to write a story about trying out extreme sports.
The Celebrity's Hometown Return - Two For The Win (2021), A Country Wedding (2015), Etc.
When a celebrity returns to their hometown in a Hallmark movie, they are definitely going to fall in love, and it will usually be with a childhood friend turned romantic interest. This is one of the most rewarding love stories because the two characters already have considerable history and fans get to watch them discover something new in the relationship.
Two for the Win and A Country Wedding are worth the watch, especially for Hallmark fans who like sports movies and seeing former teen-actor-turned-Hallmark-star, Jesse Metcalf, really sing.
The Workplace Rivalry - Love Under The Olive Tree (2020), Just Add Romance (2019), Etc.
A rivalry is a common start to many Hallmark movie relationships and these rivalries get especially heated at work. Seeing a strictly plutonic and professional relationship turn into something more takes time and the right amount of finesse. In Love Under the Olive Tree, the audience sees two childhood friends turn work rivals as they compete in an olive oil competition to win disputed land.
In Just Add Romance, starring Luke MacFarlane, one of Hallmark's best actors, and Meghann Fahy, former culinary schoolmates face off in a TV cooking competition. Despite being competitive, these two figure out how to make things work. This is one of the sweetest and most genuine romances in all of Hallmark.
The Fish Out Of Water - Love On The Slopes (2018), A Summer Romance (2019), Etc.
Fish out of water storylines place one character out of his or her comfort zone, making this character dependent on the other in order to learn the ropes of a new place. Not only does this set the scene for humorous situations as the character adapts but it also helps develop trust between the couple.
This is the perfect recipe for love and if fans are lucky, they also get a makeover montage. Love on the Slopes and A Summer's Romance will make every Hallmark fan smile.
The Jane Austen Storyline - Unleashing Mr. Darcy (2016), Christmas At Pemberly Manor (2018), Etc.
Hollywood scored big with this concept with legendary movies like Ten Things I Hate About You and Hallmark has also jumped on the bandwagon. Pride and Prejudice is the popular source material for these movies that include Unleashing Mr. Darcy and Christmas at Pemberly Manor.
Both movies feature not-so-subtle links to the books with major characters named Mr. Darcy and Pemberly households. This timeless story gets a lighthearted spin from Hallmark that is almost as satisfying to Austen fans as the BBC mini-series and the Kiera Knightly film.
The Undercover Reporter - Snow Bride (2013), One Winter Weekend (2018), Etc.
Surprisingly, in Hallmark movies when a reporter goes undercover, it's by accident. How does this happen? Snow Bride is an absolutely fantastic example of this trope. In this movie, tabloid writer Greta Kain crashes her car while delivering her friend's wedding dress upstate. To stay warm, she puts on the wedding dress and is discovered by a political figure whose personal story will make a great headline. She creates a cover and says she is a runaway bride and he asks her to pretend to be his fake date to his family's Christmas.
One Winter Weekend is another great example of this storyline when Cara, a relationship columnist, falls in love with a CEO who is trying to stay out of the press. Somehow, they forgot to tell each other what they did for a living. Will she write a story about him when she figures out who he is?
The Secret Royal - Winter Princes (2019), Once Upon A Holiday (2015), Etc.
Almost all Hallmark movies involving royalty include a secret prince who has entered the world of commoners to gain "real world" experience and ends up meeting the love of his life. This is a huge fan favorite for obvious reasons. After growing up with Disney movies, what girl doesn't want to stumble into becoming a princess?
These movies also typically include a ball at the end and an always satisfying makeover montage. A Royal Christmas, one of Lacy Chabert's best Hallmark movies, is a great example of this common trope. For a twist, try A Winter Princess and Once Upon a Holiday, which star undercover princesses.
The Perfect Ending - Finding A Family (2011), Etc.
Everything always works out by the end of every Hallmark movie. Romances always come to fruition, small towns are always saved, holiday spirit wins, and everything gets tied up neatly with a big bow.
This storyline happens in every single movie and is a major component of why Hallmark is so popular. The trope makes people feel good and the important things in life. An especially good perfect ending comes in Finding A Family.
