Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Book-based melodrama tackles death, adoption, relationships.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Noel Diary
What's the Story?
Jake Turner (Justin Hartley) is a handsome, wealthy, bestselling author who lives alone and is estranged from his parents, in THE NOEL DIARY. When he gets a call out of the blue that his mother has passed away, he travels back to his childhood home to clean it out. One day while there, a woman shows up at his door asking about someone who used to live in the house with his parents. Thanks to the memories of helpful neighbor Ellie (Bonnie Bedelia), Jake and the woman, Rachel (Barrett Doss), discover that the person she's seeking was Jake's nanny and Rachel's biological mother. The discovery sends Jake and Rachel on a road trip to reconnect with Jake's father (James Remar) and to try to find out more information about Rachel's mother. The trip will force Jake and Rachel both outside their comfort zones in confronting their past, and potentially into each other's arms.
Is It Any Good?
This well-acted romantic drama -- based on Richard Paul Evans' novel -- offers a welcome change from the usual frothy fare released for the holiday season. Hartley and Doss make a handsome and enticing couple in The Noel Diary. Their interactions feel refreshingly mature as they connect over jazz music and reckon with their own life choices. The film wanders into melodrama at times, giving off a soap opera vibe, like in an unnecessary slow-mo flashback to a child's death. But, as a whole, both the drama and the romance work, and if the original novelist's success is any measure, this film will find a broad audience.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how romance and sex is portrayed in The Noel Diary. How does Jake and Rachel's relationship change throughout the movie? Are they respectful to one another as well as to others? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Discuss why a person who was put up for adoption might want to find their birth parents.
Why was Jake estranged from his parents? Did you understand his feelings?
What role did music play in the movie -- both music the characters listen to and the soundtrack played over scenes? What feelings did the music evoke?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 24, 2022
- Cast : Justin Hartley , Barrett Doss , Bonnie Bedelia
- Director : Charles Shyer
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Book Characters , Friendship , Holidays
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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