Credit to Zoe Lobato

Two lovers stand in the middle of a snowy field, a mistletoe above them and a blizzard swirling around them. The love confession unfolds right on cue, followed by the tagline “And they lived happily ever after.”

It’s a moment anticipated from the beginning, with a plotline that could be found in any Hallmark movie. Yet, with the soft glow of Christmas lights and the scent of freshly baked cookies, it creates an atmosphere many look forward to each year, a warm, familiar feeling that’s easy to crave.

“It’s fun to watch a movie where you know what the ending’s going to be,” English teacher Amanda Barnhouse said. “You can just sit down with a blanket and hot chocolate and enjoy something cute, and you know it’s gonna make you feel happy.”

With the consistent plots, some call them boring and use “predictable” as an insult. However, with a constant narrative, you also receive the relatable and reliable themes of love and family that resonate throughout each Hallmark movie, with each cheesy, sappy line.

“Throughout teaching theater, I think that the whole idea of family and traditions is a theme that travels throughout literature, throughout, plays and everything,” theater teacher Kim Sulzner said. “It’s just something that we can all relate to.”

Elements and the setting are the frosting to a cake for a Hallmark movie, with the music that travels through the air helping many welcome the new season with a smile, transforming each scene into a celebration of connection and love.

“I think there is a chemical process in your brain that tells you when you hear Christmas music, and you are instantly happy,” sophomore Lily Wadle said. “That’s why these movies get such good results, because they’re jam-packed with happy Christmas songs.”

For adults, the movies hold a slightly different meaning, reminding them of the children they once were and the fantasies they dreamed of.

“It’s that little kid in all of us,” Sulzner said. “They have these positive outcomes you wish for, and it’s like a little kid with a fairy tale. To me, they’re grown-up versions of fairy tales.”

The versatility of Hallmark movies knows no bounds, able to brighten and encourage everyone to become excited about the upcoming Christmas season no matter how far away it seems.

“You can watch a Hallmark movie at any time,” Barnhouse said. “You can sit down right now, watch a Hallmark movie and get in the spirit. It does such a great job of getting people feeling festive.”

Hallmark movies can be called many things. Predictable. Sometimes boring. Wholesome. Nostalgic. Heartwarming. But at the end of the day, it does serve its purpose.

“There’s always that happy ending and it’s just warm,” Wardle said. “And that’s what Christmas is, it’s happy and warm.