The Holiday Sitter is a Hallmark Christmas movie based around upstate New York. Sam Dalton (Jonathan Bennett) is a successful businessman who plans to fly to Hawaii for Christmas. His sister Kathleen Walker (Chelsea Hobbs) she a dilemma, she is expecting her third child by surrogacy, and the surrogate has gone into labor a little earlier than expected.
Unable to find a sitter last minute, Kathleen calls her brother and asks him to come up and babysit her two children, Miles (Everett Andres) and Dania (Mila Morgan). The last time Sam babysat for the two younger kids, he accidentally set fire to the kitchen, and both Kathleen and her husband Nate (Matthew James Dowden) are still fixing the damage.
Neighbor Jason DeVito (George Krissa) is the builder hired to fix the burnt kitchen but is now the local handyman and mister fix it. There is something about having someone around who is dependable.
Babysitting isn’t easy, as both Kathleen and Nate understand, so they have Jason check in on Sam to ensure things don’t get out of hand, and you can see he is a welcome help.
Directed by Ali Liebert, The Holiday Sitter is a romantic Christmas story with a subdued LGBTQIA+ theme. The slow-building love story between Sam and Jason is sweet. The idea that two people could meet during the holiday period isn’t new but that it is a same-sex relationship that slowly builds is nice to see on the screen. It isn’t in your face or stereotypical and very much subtle.
Hallmark is known for their abundance of Christmas stories, and it is lovely to see them incorporate all groups of society. Seeing a programmed story representing a group often overlooked at a time of year is a step in the right direction. Previously LGBTQIA+ stories are ignored or forgotten during the holiday, so it is a significant step forward.
Jonathan Bennett as Sam Dalton is a little over the top, and the performance is a little slapstick, which does detract from the story. There are lovely genuine moments in his performance, but also, there are moments where it comes across as a bit corny.
George Krissa, as Jason DeVito, is charming, the perfect next-door neighbor. His performance is very subtle and genuine, as you can see the sparks fly, eventually, between the two male protagonists. George Krissa gives a believable performance opposite the slightly comical Jonathan Bennett.
The Holiday Sitter might not be for everyone. But it is a romantic comedy that is a lovely sweet story about a holiday romance that develops over Christmas. There is nothing in your face about this LGBTQIA+; if anything, it is held back, and you are left wanting more as it is not often you see a story set in the suburbs about same-sex romance.
The Holiday Sitter is available to watch on Hallmark on demand.
