Silver Bells is a 2005 television film, starring Anne Heche and Tate Donovan. It was produced by Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions for their made-for-television film series and was based on the novel of the same name by Luanne Rice.
Every year, widower Christy Byrne (Tate Donovan) has traveled from Nova Scotia with his children to sell their homegrown Christmas trees in New York City. His son Danny (Michael Mitchell) is not into the family business, but instead has a true passion for photography. One year in New York City, Danny gets into an argument with Christy and runs away, leaving Christy and his daughter Bridget (Courtney Jines) to return home without him. The next year, the two return to New York City to sell the trees while Christy goes out every night looking for Danny.
Catherine (Anne Heche) lives in the same New York neighborhood and doesn't celebrate Christmas since her husband died. Every year Christy has tried to sell her a tree, but Catherine politely refuses. Neither of them realize that their lives are connected by Danny. While Christy is back in Nova Scotia with Bridget, Catherine pays Danny for photographs that he takes and puts them in the newspaper. When Christy comes back the following year, Catherine does not tell him that she knows where Danny is because Danny made her promise not to. Catherine does tell Christy afterwards when Danny injures himself by falling off the roof of a building and into a frozen pond. In the hospital, Christy tells Danny that he is allowing him to stay in New York City to become a photographer.