'Cross Country Christmas': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about Rachael Leigh Cook's Hallmark rom-com

Lina, played by Rachael Leigh Cook, and Max, portrayed by Greyston Holt, are former classmates stuck on the road for the holidays, trying to get home
(Hallmark)
(Hallmark)

Evoking a bit of '90s nostalgia during the holiday season is Rachael Leigh Cook who starred in films like 'She’s All That' and 'The Baby-Sitters Club'. This December, she is back on our screens with 'Cross Country Christmas' that sounds like a road movie smashed with a feel-good holiday romance.

The dates of the film airing have been shifted around a little, so here is the latest news about this movie that is airing as part of Hallmark network’s annual 'Countdown to Christmas' programming event. Hallmark and the stars of 'Cross Country Christmas' will be live-tweeting when the film airs, so join in on the fun while watching the movie. 

Release date

The film will air on Sunday, December 20, at 8 pm ET on the Hallmark Channel.

Plot

(Hallmark)

Lina and Max, both from the same small town in Colorado but never friends, are traveling from New York City back home for the holidays. That is until a storm reroutes their plane. With no flights out, they work together to make it home in time, no matter the mode of transportation. The people they meet along the way, and the places they pass through, help them see Christmas – and each other – in a different way.

Cast

Rachael Leigh Cook

(Hallmark)

Rachael Leigh Cook plays Lina. Cook's memorable performance in the 1998 anti-heroin “kitchen smashing” public service announcement (“This is your brain ...”) led to her first starring role in Miramax’s breakout hit 'She’s All That', opposite Freddie Prinze Jr Cook. She has also starred in hits like 'The Baby-Sitters Club', 'Josie and the Pussycats' with Rosario Dawson and 'All I Wanna Do' with Kirsten Dunst. She was a recurring character on the hit series 'Psych' and guest-starred on 'Criminal Minds'.

Greyston Holt

(Hallmark)

Canadian actor Greyston Holt portrays Max. He is best known for starring in 'Bitten', 'The 100' and and 'Supernatural' and as Tyler on 'Batwoman'. He has also done plenty of holiday romcoms including 'A Very Country Christmas' and 'A Very Country Wedding' in which he reprised his role as country singer Zane Gunther. The third film in the series 'A Very Country Christmas Homecoming' aired in November this year.    

Creators

The film is directed by Catherine Cyran with Kirsten Hansen serving as writer. 'Cross Country Christmas' is produced by Muse Entertainment with Jim Head, Joel S. Rice, Michael Prupas, Rachael Leigh Cook, Shawn Williamson and Jamie Goehring serving as executive producers.  

Teaser

No trailer has been released for the film. But Hallmark did release a video of the two leads compete on their signature segment, 'Peppermint Pop Quiz', from the sets of the film. Enjoy!



 

If you like this, you will love these:

'A Very Country Christmas Homecoming'

'Christmas She Wrote'

'Christmas Comes Twice'

'Unlocking Christmas'

'Project Christmas Wish'

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Marvel is bringing an updated version of 'Avengers: Endgame' to Disney+, giving fans a revisit to Infinity Saga finale ahead of 'Avengers: Doomsday'.
2026-11-11T14:18:27.000Z
Paris Hilton and Julia Fox join as Olivia Rodrigo unveils her first Christmas single in Prime Video’s ‘Clashing Through the Snow’ trailer
2026-11-11T11:43:35.000Z
‘A Dog’s Perfect Christmas’ takes viewers to a snowy Michigan town, but its real filming location may surprise you
2026-11-10T11:25:54.000Z
One decision from Hunter and a surprise in the closing moments wrap up the Goss family story
2026-11-10T10:17:31.000Z
James Gunn is stepping down as DC Studios co-CEO but has another project in development for the franchise, raising questions about his future as a director
2026-11-10T09:23:55.000Z
Cole Hauser’s next project follows FBI undercover agent Scott Payne’s two decades of dangerous missions, including infiltrating a neo-Nazi group.
2026-11-10T06:13:30.000Z
The film adapts a memoir about a grieving New York writer and the famed neurologist he fell in love with
2026-11-10T04:01:27.000Z
Pattinson and Washington lead Netflix’s 'The Take,' a heist thriller about a bank robbery filled with deception and double crosses.
2026-11-09T20:31:44.000Z
Suburbia meets dinosaur territory in Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor’s ‘The End of Oak Street,’ arriving soon on HBO Max.
2026-11-07T19:01:32.000Z
The search for Daniel Craig’s James Bond successor takes another turn as two familiar faces reportedly enter the race for 007.
2026-11-07T13:45:19.000Z