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Jonathan Bennett, Eden Sher and Brandon Routh star in the Hallmark Channel’s newest addition to the 2025 Countdown to Christmas, A Keller Christmas Vacation. The trio play siblings who are taken on a river cruise down the Danube with their parents after spending the last few years apart. The three are initially distant but soon fall back into their familiar ways, and they’re forced to face a harsh new reality when their parents reveal the real reason for the trip. A KELLER CHRISTMAS VACATION: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT? Opening Shot: A mom and dad send a text to the family chat they have with their grown children. It includes a photo and the caption, “See you on the Danube!” The Gist: The Keller family’s three kids, Cal (Brandon Routh), Dylan (Jonathan Bennett) and Emory (Eden Sher), all live in different parts of the country and have grown apart over the years. They’re all also in the midst of life-changing events. Emory’s been laid off from her job, Dylan is on a break from his long-term boyfriend William, a neurosurgeon, because William’s been acting secretive and refused to accept Dylan’s marriage proposal, and Cal is disappointed that the woman he’s been crushing on is moving across the country. So when their parents invite them on a river cruise down the Danube for Christmas, none of their hearts are in it, they all seem like they’d just rather be wallowing. When they arrive in Germany and board the boat, their parents, Anne and Ben, are thrilled that they’re all reunited. These trips were once a family tradition that’s fallen by the wayside. But it also seems like they have other reasons for getting their kids together. As they cruise from Regensberg to Vienna, so many hijinks ensue: The siblings get left behind at one port of call and are forced to sleep in a barn for the night before catching up to the boat the next day. Then Dylan’s estranged boyfriend William shows up because he wants to work things out — but William is still acting like he has a secret he refuses to share. And Emory and Cal start to develop their own crushes while on the boat, too. As the family cruises together and the siblings reconnect, there’s still an elephant in the room about why the Keller parents – and William – are acting so weird, but eventually the truth is revealed and a challenging new reality for the family sets in. What Movies Will It Remind You Of? A Keller Christmas Vacation is the fourth – FOURTH! – Hallmark movie set on a river cruise down the Danube this year (the Love on the Danube series of films came out in May) and while this one shares the same setting, it’s a more witty, fun romp than those films which were straight romances. But like those films, it may inspire de wanderslust. Our Take: Once in a while, a movie comes along that you want to pop through your screen and immerse yourself in. A Keller Christmas Vacation is one of those movies. The Kellers, every last one of them, are a family you wish you were a part of. Their holiday river cruise? I want a ticket. (It has a hot chocolate bar and a gingerbread house contest!) The side trips to various German and Austrian cities, all filmed on location, really do inspire wanderlust, so if these films were funded by the Danube tourist board, congratulations, whatever you’re doing is working. All of these alluring elements work together to create a lovely little movie about the importance of family, and the credit really must go to the cast, whose chemistry creates a believable family dynamic. It’s always fun to see actors pop up in Hallmark films that you haven’t seen before, so I was surprised and delighted to learn that Eden Sher and Brandon Routh would be joining Hallmark regular Jonathan Bennett for this one, and the on-screen connection they share is really lovely. The romances between the siblings and their respective partners are also all believable, with Cal and Emory building on minor flirtations that develop into exciting new relationships, and Dylan and William sharing some realistic, mature communication about their recent difficulties. Honestly, it seems like all these characters are all in therapy because their reflectiveness and self-awareness is especially healthy. It’s a comfort to watch characters who are good people getting things they deserve. Unlike many Hallmark films with two romantic leads at the center, this one focuses on giving an entire family their happy – but maybe also a little weepy – ending. Parting Shot: Ben Keller, who was a former speed skater, has worried that his deteriorating health won’t allow him to step on the ice again. But in the film’s final moments, Ben straps on skates and, flanked by sons Cal and Dylan who help keep him steady, they take a lap around an ice rink in the center of Vienna while the rest of their family skates around them. Performance Worth Watching: Eden Sher will always be one of my favorites, she was fantastic as the neurotic daughter Sue Heck in The Middle and, ironically, she’s playing another character with two goofy brothers, and her performance – and their chemistry as a trio – is a high point. Memorable Dialogue: There’s not one specific line that resonates in the film, but there’s a scene where, once the Keller parents reveal why they’ve “forced” this trip on their kids, everything falls into place. It’s an emotionally hefty scene and every character is crying, and even though these are fictional characters, it’ll squeeze some tears out of you, too. Our Call: A Keller Christmas Vacation features a packed cast that genuinely feels like a family; it captures a sense of silliness and rivalry that only exists between siblings, while also layering in the reality of what it’s like when parents start to age and need some extra care. This one feel personal and heartfelt, but also optimistic and hopeful, a true Christmas feel-good gem. STREAM IT. How To Watch A Keller Christmas Vacation The only way to watch Hallmark Channel live without cable is by using a live TV streaming service. We recommend DIRECTV, which comes with a five-day free trial before payment begins. DIRECTV offers a number of flexible subscription options, including Genre Packs, so you can best choose which streaming plans fit your needs and budget. Plans start at $49.99/month. Liz Kocan is a pop culture writer living in Massachusetts. Her biggest claim to fame is the time she won on the game show Chain Reaction.
