One Royal Holiday

This is my 6th Hallmark Christmas movie of the 2020 season. Overall, it was a pretty good movie. Laura Osnes's performance was great. Her counterpart (Aaron Tveit) was not bad; I liked his performance more and more as the movie played on. The chemistry between the two was pretty good as well. The supporting cast did a great job; I particularly like the Queen Mother (Victoria Clark's performance). The plot was very predictable as you would expect from a Hallmark film, especially Hallmark's (crowned) prince meets girl (a commoner) movies. That said, it did keep me engaged thru-out. I know the script for these types of films can be a bit 'corny' or 'sappy'. But there were a few scenes where it was maybe a bit too much, e.g., when the Queen Mother went to Anna's room to say goodbye and said '[...] you will always be part of our family'. Really? After knowing her for a few days? The ending scene too with the 'royal slippers' was a laughable. Finally, was the royal castle a children's playhouse? It looked like one on the screen. Overall, a pretty good Hallmark Christmas movie. I would recommend it, especially if you are a fan of Hallmark films.

The plot is the pretty much non-existent but that is standard in Hallmark movies. Living in NE the scenery and weather scenario are much more realistic than the filmed-in NW Canada / "Castle" in Bulgaria movies. The big difference is this movie employs real actors/singers from Broadway. Kind of refreshing in a way. The King actually behaves like you would expect a King to behave.

Kudos for giving these talented folks work during the current crises!

7/10 - surprisingly fun and trope-filled royal holiday movie is packed with Broadway greats

This is a very nice movie, will watch it again. And some nice music for a change! BTW, Winter Wonderland at the very beginning of the movie is performed by the two leads, Laura Osnes and Aaron Tveit, at least according to Shazam...

If you like stories of holiday romance, you may well enjoy this one. It starts off with the winter weather conspiring against travel, forcing Anna (Laura Osnes) and James (Aaron Tveit) to spend a few days together in a beautiful, small town inn.

They have very different personalities and disparate trajectories in life. She is a Boston nurse and he is a crowned prince. The story is, of course, about the improbable stirrings of romance, which somehow blossom into deep feelings. But there are major obstacles to overcome.

I found this film improved as it progressed. Indeed, its most enjoyable portion is the final act, thanks to the wonderful acting of the two principals. Also, despite the predictability of the final outcome, the writing is fresh, with plot twists and surprises that add layers of emotional depth.