Natalie (Shae Robins) is struggling with her new children’s book and is growing increasingly frustrated with her editor rejecting all of her ideas. When Natalie happens upon Wes (Christopher Russell) and his daughter Caroline (Madeleine Cox), she is inspired after learning that Caroline has written a list to Jesus asking for blessings for her family and friends. Natalie secretly works on fulfilling Caroline’s wishes and sets about work on a new book inspired by it.
‘A Christmas Prayer’ is a perfect example of the kind of movies that Great American Family produces for its annual Great American Christmas. Telling a story of family, community and romance, the film has an underlying theme of faith. Caroline’s wish list causes concern for her father Wes, who doesn’t believe that Jesus is making her wishes come true. When the wishes start being fulfilled, Wes wonders how it’s happening and viewers know that it’s only a matter of time until he discovers that it’s Natalie who is responsible.
There’s a good lesson in this story. For some people, faith is something to hold on to and believe in as an anchor for the lives they lead, while others believe that their own fate is in their hands. Wes worries that he’s going to have to explain to Caroline that Jesus isn’t fulfilling her wishes, but there’s a misunderstanding on his part in terms of Caroline’s outlook. While he’s dealing with how to address that, Wes gravitates towards Natalie and as the pair begin to fall in love, it becomes uncomfortable for the viewer as they are aware of Natalie’s secret.
Further complicating matters is that Natalie is using Caroline’s wish list as the inspiration for her new character Adeline the Angel. That puts her in a difficult situation as she hasn’t come clean to Wes and doing so may make it look like she’s using him and Caroline. It’s a tricky situation and one that eventually comes to a head. It’s fun to watch things unravel, and the reaction to the eventual reveal is one that might surprise you.
Christopher Russell is a familiar face for Great American Family viewers and he’s reliably good here. He’s a handsome leading man with plenty of charisma, and he plays the part of Wes well. Shae Robbins is plucky as Natalie, and she lights up the screen in every scene she’s in. Together the two actors are believable as a couple falling in love, and they’ll be loved by viewers I’m sure.
‘A Christmas Prayer’ is a sweet film that leans into hope and optimism, mixing a little romance in for good measure. It’s easy to forget, or ignore, the good things that happen in our lives and this film is one that reaffirms that there is a plan for us all – whether we believe we control that or not. ‘A Christmas Prayer’ is as cosy as a fleece blanket, and it’s a film you can watch with the whole family this Christmas.
Cast: Shae Robins, Christopher Russell, Madeleine Cox Director: Nicholas Humphries Writer: Ansley Gordon Certificate: Unrated Duration: 90 mins Released by: Great American Media Release date: 18th October 2025
Find out more about ‘A Christmas Prayer’ at https://www.greatamericanfamily.com/movie/a-christmas-list-of-blessings/
