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The Noel Diary
The Noel Diary
	Official release poster
Directed by	Charles Shyer
Screenplay by	Charles Shyer; Rebecca Connor; David Golden;
Based on	The Noel Diary; by Richard Paul Evans
Produced by	Timothy O. Johnson; Stephanie Slack; Margret H. Huddleston;
Starring	Justin Hartley; Barrett Doss; Essence Atkins; Bonnie Bedelia; James Remar;
Cinematography	Ashley Rowe
Edited by	David Moritz; R.C. Fill;
Music by	Dara Taylor
Production; companies	Johnson Production Group; Off Camera Entertainment;
Distributed by	Netflix
Release date	November 24, 2022;
Running time	100 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Noel Diary is a 2022 American Christmas romantic comedy-drama film directed by Charles Shyer.^[1]

The Noel Diary was released on November 24, 2022, by Netflix.^[2]

Plot

Jake Turner, best-selling author, is contacted by his mother Lois's lawyer to inform him of her death and that he has inherited everything, including her house in Connecticut. Returning home for the first time since he was 17, 20 years ago, he returns to clear out the hoarder's house and settle his estranged mother's estate.

Jake reacquaints himself with the next-door neighbor Ellie, who brings him lunch the next day. He finds out his father Scott, who had abandoned him and Lois shortly after his older seven-year-old brother had died in an accident, had been at his mother's funeral hoping to see him. Ellie asks Jake to help her with a dating app. He quickly writes her profile and gets her up and running.

Just as Jake discovers a diary, Rachel Campbell, a woman he has seen peering at the house ever since he arrived, comes by and introduces herself. She coincidentally has shown up at the same time in search of information about her birth mother, Noel, who used to be Jake's nanny.

As Jake suggests Rachel talk to Ellie and she has gone out, he proposes they have dinner. As he's a writer she insists they go Dutch, not realizing how successful he is. Over dinner Rachel tells Jake about her need of certainty and stability, including her tax attorney fiancé Alan. She hopes finding her birth mom will fill a void she's felt being adopted.

Back at the house, Jake and Rachel connect over a song, she sings the words to a tune he plays on the piano. They then spend the evening clearing out the room. Waking to the sound of Ellie's morning return, they go over in search of answers. Not remembering Rachel's mother well, Ellie suggests they talk to Scott, who lives off the grid in the mountains in Vermont.

Initially refusing to go, Rachel offers to help Jake find the right words. Taking his Land Rover on their journey, she would rather navigate analog. Rachel shares more, mentioning she hasn't told Alan about the possible UN job or about looking for her mother with Jake. She finds a diary in his bag, written by a 17-year-old Noel Ellis, who she is convinced must be her mom.

On the road, due to an impending storm, they have to stay over in an inn. Rachel, as she's curious, buys Jake's first book. She stays up all night reading it. The next day they almost kiss, but she reminds him of her engagement.

Arriving at Scott's, Rachel encourages Jake to stay until he's beyond the anger. Not only do father and son connect, but Scott is able to tell her about her mom, even show her wedding invitation and where she probably lives now. Rachel and Jake finally sleep together. However, she gets spooked and leaves him a goodbye note in which she says she can leave him and Noel behind, satisfied to know she'd been loved.

Jake hunts Rachel down at her parents, declaring his love, but she says it is not reciprocated. He finds Noel Hayden, who lets him know she's open to meeting Rachel. Jake returns to his mom's, locating the letters he had never read from his dad. As he is leaving he finds Rachel outside, smiling.

Cast

Justin Hartley as Jake Turner
Barrett Doss as Rachel Campbell
Essence Atkins as Noel Ellis
Bonnie Bedelia as Ellie Foster
James Remar as Scott Turner
Aaron Costa Ganis as Matt Segreto
Jeff Corbett as Ian Page
Andrea Sooch as Svetlana
Lucia Spina as book store owner

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 69% of 16 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.4/10.^[3] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 63 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[4]