Jingle Bell Bride

The plot was decent. I really wanted to love the movie since the leads were gorgeous and I thought the story was going somewhere. The dilemma of the special flowers for a high profile wedding made sense. The friction at the workplace was expected. The setting was beautiful. But there was little chemistry between the leads. It felt awkward. The expected tension was not significant to keep a viewer engaged. I expected more from the ending. It simply fell flat.

I know we watch Hallmark movies with unbelievable plots but oftentimes, the good script and execution makes up for it. Unfortunately, this one missed that mark. There were no big enough hurdles to make the H/h closer in a short span of time. There was no chemistry between the actors. Their interaction in the movie was a few times cringe-y. I was left thinking the two characters would never get together because there was no spark whatsoever. I was looking forward to this because of the diverse cast but was disappointed. Last thing, I would have preferred the grandma to be the mayor. The one they cast just didn't act or look like a leader type.

This movie had a beautiful message: Life is too precious to race through. It is a lesson that I am learning.

The overall story is about a wedding planner, who in the pursuit of creating the perfect wedding for her client, travels to a remote Alaska town to procure unique "Jingle bell flowers". (One pet peeve: the flower is a fuschia not a jingle bell flower. I don't know why the names have to be changed. Fuschia is interesting all by itself.) Our wedding planner, Jessica, gets stuck in town for their Jingle Bell Flower Festival...even getting drawn to be crowned the Jingle Bell Princess for the events. There she is stressing about her most important client of her career but due to poor cell phone coverage and circumstances has to slow down and enjoy life a little...which gets her thinking about her sister and her niece. Meanwhile a snake at work, named Rebecca, does everything she can to steal her client while she is gone. In Alaska she meets an amazing man named Matt, who made sacrifices to move back to Alaska to help his aunt on the flower farm when her husband passed away. He takes it upon himself to help Jessica slow down a little and enjoy Alaska while she is there.

The Alaskan farm house was gorgeous inside and out. I hated that they had to have the selfish character Rebecca...I think she was an unnecessary mean bit in an otherwise sweet holiday romance.

I am sad that New York and the tiny town in Alaska are so far away... Sweet film to recommend for the holidays.

This is the second Hallmark movie I've watched that is set in Alaska and neither of them had Alaskan natives in it. Very disappointed in Hallmark.

The story has an unusual start. A wedding planner has to obtain a rare flower which she has to travel to Alaska to get.

Boss says "Do whatever it takes. Do the impossible." Planner says "I have to fly to Alaska." Boss says "Isn't that a little much." (Paraphrase)

Don't worry, there's still plenty of the standard stuff. There's a town festival. A festival princess. (Cute little twist here, though.) Up for a promotion. A thousand things happen to keep her from leaving. Difficult cell service including holding the phone up over her head. Battery died and no phone charger. Everything about a small town is wonderful. "No, no, we're not together." "Let's decorate together even if you're a stranger." The community center's pipes broke. And so many more.

There is a worthy mini-villain. Between her and the situation there is just a little tension.

I've enjoyed Julie Gonzalo in several parts in similar movies. But her character Jessica didn't get off to a good start. Arrogant and narcissistic. Of course in most of these movies, that's the way the leads start off, with antagonism toward one another. Then suddenly, they turn angelic. And Jessica suddenly loses her NYC arrogance and becomes a very likeable lady. Gonzalo and Ronnie Rowe develop good chemistry. Mostly the movie is held together by their relationship.

The climax and ending are neither surprising nor sparkling - just nice.

I have to give the writers credit for one thing. I can't remember a Hallmark movie that actually understood when the sun rises and sets in the winter in northern latitudes. Jessica learns about long hours of darkness right away.