One Royal Holiday

Finally a prince who acts like a prince! This was a sweet coincidental love story. Thank you Hallmark! Highlights were the Queen mother!...she was absolutely refreshing and fantastic!, the castle...I wish we got to see more but I particularly liked the moat bridge entrance and all the turrets!, and the attention drawn to the sacrificial and compassionate nature of most nurses.

Like all Hallmark Christmas movies, this was no exception, it was filled with Christmas activities, decorations, and the true spirit of Christmas...aka people helping people.

I laughed and I cried...and I would do it all over again!

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.

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.

I have to admit, this has to be one of Hallmark's best productions in a long time. Excellent cast and great chemistry between all of them. I don't know, it felt new and I loved the improved concept of the royal element in this. Also, the two leads were very great together, they seemed real. Great job Hallmark, but keep this film in mind in the future.

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!