Holidaze

This is a film that can't make up its mind if it wants to be a revamped remake of "Groundhog Day" or an attack on corporate America. A high flying corporate executive is sent to her hometown to tear down its Olde Worlde Charme and replace it with a modern hypermarket or some such. Naturally the natives don't like the idea, especially the small shopkeepers.

Lured to the home of the man she left behind, she falls down the stairs in a freak accident, and when she wakes up not only are the two of them married but she has never left.

No sooner has she come round to her new reality, albeit with great difficulty, than she suffers another accident and the process is reversed.

As comedies go, this isn't bad, neither is the soundtrack, and the finale proves that not all capitalists are bad, or maybe that big business needs a woman's touch.

I have been avoiding this movie each year due to the rather low 5.9 rating. I liked Secret Santa-2003 which also starred Jennie Garth and decided to give this one a try. Very glad I did. Jennie Garth plays a great role as a business woman. It is a fun movie with lots of fun dialogue. The movie is not technically a Christmas movie but it has the feel of a Christmas movie since it centers around Thanksgiving.

For a ex - teenager of "90 s, to see, after few fists of time Jennie Garth in a romantic comedy is itself a prize. Second, to remind the skills of Cameron Matheson to act the same "next door guy" is, in same measure, a good thing. And, not the last, the if about your life is not the worst idea. It is just a Hallmark film, with many sins or virtues of the recipe. Amusing, romantic, dramatic, , it is just the cup of hot cappucino who you expect. And deserves.

All in all, this was a better than average rom/com. Other than a short scene with the 3 ladies at the bar, there wasn't the usual sophomoric nonsense in this film like so many Hallmark movies. The acting and writing was good as well as sound and filming. The end clip during the credits was a little silly, but again, this was a good watch.

There were three main reasons for wanting to see 'Holidaze'. Am a big fan of Christmas and have been watching many Christmas films from Hallmark and Lifetime as a quest for the past three or four years. Second was for the concept, which is not a novel one (the alternate universe 'Sliding Doors'-like concept having been done before and since) but is fascinating and lends itself well to Christmas films. Third was for the always watchable Cameron Mathison.

'Holidaze' though could have gone either way in execution and was a little worried about how it would execute a concept as good as this. It could either be charming, light hearted and undemanding fun, or too predictable, contrived and far fetched. Luckily, 'Holidaze' is in the former category and is a lot better than its current rating suggests. The execution is not great or perfect, but to me this was fun and charming with a good deal to like.

Am going to start with what didn't quite work. Will agree that the corporate stuff wasn't particularly compelling and slowed the film down sometimes, as well as being a bit too serious.

It takes a bit of time to find its footing pace-wise, where the story is not so eventful or energetic. The ending is a bit too predictable and neat.

On the other hand, 'Holidaze' does do a lot right. It looks attractive enough. The scenery is both rustic and festive and the photography doesn't look rushed or drab, quite beautiful actually. The music doesn't come over as too melodramatic while still having some presence. The direction is suitably sympathetic on the most part while taking a little time to find its feet. The dialogue doesn't go overboard on the cheese and sugar and is suitably light hearted without being silly, sparkling with the two leads when together.

While the story is uneven, with it being at its weakest with the corporate elements, it does come to life when the leads are together and in the more personal scenes. With there being a lot of heart-warming charm and cuteness, without there being too much of the latter. The characters interest and are worth investing in, not being too perfect or having flaws too exaggerated, which was refreshing after seeing a few films with distastefully over the top unpleasant characters that you are meant to root for. Garth and Matthison are both well cast and engaging, particularly Garth. Support is solid.

Concluding, nice film as long as a classic is not expected. 7/10.