A Cape Cod Christmas

This is a charming movie for the holiday season. The romantic coupling between the two leads Margot (Katie Leclerc, best known for Switched at Birth) and Brent Bailey (various supporting TV roles) is gently heartwarming without devolving into an overly schmaltzy Hallmark TV movie.

The story revolves around Margot's return to her family home in Cape Cod which is now being sold after the passing of her parents. Margot's greedy siblings are anxious to cash in on their inheritance by selling to a buyer who insists on closing the deal before Christmas. Since Margot lacks the finds to buy out our brother and sister, she is forced to go along with the sale.

The real drama however is that between Margot and Brent which develops in a gentle way without seeming forced or cloying. Their banter is as entertaining as it is sensitive, and this is the kind of movie that you can enjoy late one night over a cup of hot cocoa, tucked up under the duvet, either alone or with a loved one. Their romance has its ups and downs although and we are kept guessing as to why their budding love story never seems to gain traction.

The only real weakness of the film is the misleading title. It is supposed to be a Cape Cod "Christmas" tale. Except the lush Autumn foliage suggests that shooting took place in October rather than late December! Or it is simply the warmest Cape Cod winter on record. But if one is willing to allow for the suspension of disbelief that the filmmakers ask of us, then the story will endear itself to all but the most cynical of viewers.

Being East European, I am very atached by family home. So, I empatize with Margot in each reaction of her attitude about this delicate subject. And, no doubts, I love the end.

I liked the Christian painting, reminding me the atmosphere of Somewhere in Time by Jeannot Szwark.

And I appreciated the fine performances of Katie Leclerc and Brent Bailey. Maybe, the supporting actors are not in their most optim acting but the childhood flashbacks are nice and a clever idea for define the main characters.

The problem - maybe the very egoistic pressure on poor Christian for the illustrations of future book. Not asked, not informed, front a sort of sentimental blackmail . But it is only a detail from a real nice film.

This film begins with a young woman named "Margot Bradford" (Katie Leclerc) arriving in Cape Cod to celebrate Christmas with her siblings one last time in their old home before having to put it on the market. Although she doesn't want to sell it, since she cannot afford to maintain it on her own and--because her brother and sister are more interested in the money it will bring--she doesn't feel like she has much choice in the matter. Not only that, but her stress is further compounded by the fact that, as an author of children's books, she has an upcoming deadline that is fast approaching, and her agent has become quite insistent about it as well. However, it's only after meeting her childhood boyfriend, "Christian Williams" (Brent Bailey) that the feelings of nostalgia really hit home. And her longing to remain increases. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that, while I don't consider this to be a bad movie by any means, I thought it suffered from a rather bland plot and--considering the fact that it's billed as a comedy--a lack of any real humor. Likewise, although I liked the acting of Katie Leclerc, I can't really say the same for anyone else and I have rated this film accordingly. Slightly below average.

You might feel, as I do, that the art of making a movie is not in the value of its themes, but in the way they are developed, expressed, and conveyed. Some movies may have a strong content of intents or values, yet they are rendered awkwardly or flatly. Great expectations are turned into an irritating waste of everybody's time. In other productions, like the present one, the plot is unoriginal, the story is simple and has no great ambitions. Yet, it works, being presented with the proper tones, a gentle touch, and care for details. Here we have the story of young woman, Margot, who is opposed to selling her family house, in contrast with her siblings, and reunites with her childhood best friend and first crush. Far from an innovating idea! Katie Leclerc manages to express all her conflicting emotions, the attachment to her memories, the disagreement with and love for her family, her growing feeling for Christian, with poise and grace, very convincingly. The rest of the cast supports her performance with equal restraint and subtlety. The result is a movie that highlights family values, real sentiments, and .. a touch of Christmas spirit. The beautiful scenery of the surrounding nature visually adds to the narrative.

This is how to create uplifting, family-friendly and engaging entertainment. As for Katie Leclerc, she shines in her role and seems to become more beautiful and charming with the going years.

The movie itself is pretty good - definitely better than most. Nicely developed characters and a believable plot. There are often so many complications and disagreements when family members have to make a decision regarding the disposition of family property. So the plot may actually feel all too real and push some buttons and strike a nerve for come people.

But my biggest and most pleasant surprise was the scenery. The movie that takes place on Cape Cod, MA was actually filmed on Cape Cod. I live on the Cape, though not in Falmouth. I've gotten so sick of watching movies purportedly taking place on the Cape and the scenery always includes dense forests, high mountains and sheer rock faces on the mountainsides. Lovely scenery but couldn't be less like Cape Cod, which is basically a giant sandbar sticking out into the North Atlantic. It was so nice to see the characters walking Main St in Falmouth and visiting Eight Cousins Books, Coffee Obsession, Nobska Light, the many shops and galleries along Main, participating in the Main Street Christmas Stroll and I believe in the first establishing shots, seeing the dike road to Mashnee Island, where I think the family home - the crux of the plot - was located. It's a better than average movie and the authentic scenery is the frosting on the cake... or is it Christmas Pudding?