The Christmas Train

The Christmas Train follows Tom Langdon, a disillusioned journalist who has to get from Washington to Los Angeles in time for Christmas. Unable to fly, he makes the cross-country journey by train and decides to write about the trip. On board he meets a varied group of travellers, among them a well-known film producer, the doctor looking after him, and a woman in the opposite cabin who seems to know more about Tom's business than he does. The journey becomes more personal than he expected, steering him toward feelings and possibilities he thought he had left behind.

The film is a Hallmark television production directed by Ron Oliver, written by Neal H. Dobrofsky and Tippi Dobrofsky and produced by Harvey Kahn. It came seventh in the chronological list of Oliver's directed features, arriving between The Swap and Truly, Madly, Sweetly. Dermot Mulroney plays Tom, with Kimberly Williams-Paisley as Eleanor Carter, Danny Glover as Max Powers and Joan Cusack as Agnes, in a credited cast of 33. It is based on David Baldacci's novel of the same name.

Released in November 2017, the film runs 98 minutes and blends drama, family and romance. Its ratings are modest and consistent: on IMDb it sits at 6.4 from around 3,900 votes, and on TMDB at 6.4 from 131 votes, suggesting a small but broadly satisfied audience.