Whether you hate them or love them, there is no denying the enduring popularity of Hallmark-style Christmas movies. No other genre is able to pull off such similar plots, oddly specific festivals, and character tropes quite like the romantic holiday specials that inundate our screens every winter. Their appeal is not realism or plausibility but in portraying the very real desires that the American public is struggling to fulfill: connection, meaning, and hope.

Romantic relationships are the star of the show, but they are closely followed by the portrayal of family. Many of the stories begin with the protagonists going home for the holidays, often after a protracted period of time away, to reunite with their loving, close-knit families. Yet, in real life, family estrangement is more common than you might think.