Abby Reilly, a struggling photographer receives an Advent calendar from her grandfather. Abby isn't impressed at first as she sees it as a boring calendar, but she decides to take it home anyway. The Calendar opens up on December 1, which reveals to Abby that it is magical. Once what is inside makes what happens with the real-life item and Abby believes that the calendar is magical. One day, Abby opens a day that reveals a candy cane. When Abby visits her friend Josh, she tries to tell Josh that the calendar is magic, which makes Josh believes after he gives her a pair of boots and the calendar gave her boots. Meanwhile, Josh has been away around the world to focus on his photography and has come back to see Abby. Still in the early days of December, Abby receives a Christmas tree in her calendar, which later makes her swoon after meet a guy named Ty Walker after his tree falls off of the roof of his car. The two end up getting along and agree to go on a date. Abby tells Josh that Ty asked her out, which makes Josh a little jealous. Meanwhile, Abby also gets a call that people are asking for her to be the photographer for the upcoming nutcracker play. Abby happily accepts as all she has ever wanted is to be a photographer. Abby continues dating Ty, which Josh is struggling with, especially when a co-worker thought that Josh was "Abby's guy", but Josh tells him that he is just her friend, nothing more. Ty continues to whoo Abby with a romantic carriage ride around the city, which just so happens to be hours after the calendar gives her a carriage. Meanwhile, after dating Ty for about a month, Abby questions Ty about both his activities and her calendar and gets angry about his response and she breaks up with him. While working taking pictures of kids meeting Santa, Abby is asked to take some pictures of the local Mayor who is on-site addressing the crowd. Afterwards, after letting Josh look after her camera, he inadvertently erases her pictures and she loses her job. She and Josh get into an argument about the accidental erasure and they stop seeing each other. Josh quit his job and headed off to Florida. Abby's sister sets up a number of her pictures in a silent auction and they become very popular. Her parents finally realize how talented a photographer she is. Subsequently, the mayor contacts Abby for a future job. Also, Abby finds out that her 'magical' advent calendar got sold at the auction as well. When she tells her grandfather he says it will probably show up again. Very soon after her calendar appears at her front door, with each toy in it echoing her fond relationship with Josh. She talks again to her grandfather and finds out he bought the calendar at the auction and resent it to her. Josh returns from Florida. On Christmas Day, Abby opens the final day of the calendar, where she finds a snowflake. She gets a text from Josh - who has come back for her - to meet him at an old studio. Josh surprises Abby by turning up, telling her he bought the studio so they can do photography together and that he came back for her - both times with the two reuniting. Abby confesses her feelings for Josh, saying he has always been the guy for her, she just didn't know it. Josh asks Abby what she got in her calendar - which turns out to be a snowflake - and the two share a kiss under the falling snow. Inside the studio, Abby gives Josh his Christmas present - a new camera. Josh tells Abby to say "cheese", but she tearfully tells him she loves him instead. Josh tells her he loves her too and they take a photo together. A year later, it is the opening of their new studio. Abby and Josh are still a couple and are working as photographers inside the studio. They thank customers for coming to the grand opening and the movie ends with panning over photos of the couple.
Cast
Kat Graham as Abby Sutton, a struggling photographer
Quincy Brown as Josh Barton, Abby's best friend who moves back home after spending some time as a travel photographer
Ethan Peck as Ty Walker, a doctor, single dad, and Abby's love interest
Ron Cephas Jones as Gramps Sutton, Abby's grandfather
In April 2018, it was reported that Bradley Walsh would direct Christmas Calendar for Netflix from a screenplay by Amyn Kaderali. Additionally, Kat Graham, Quincy Brown, and Romaine Waite joined the cast of the film. The film was later re-titled The Holiday Calendar. Principal photography began in April 2018. The small city depicted in the film is Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. That city was also the site of a previous year’s Netflix Christmas movie, “Christmas Inheritance.”
Release
It was released on November 2, 2018 by Netflix. A scene from this film was featured on the 2019 Netflix film “The Knight Before Christmas” when the main character turns on the TV and a movie is playing.
