Sappy Holiday

A YouTube reviewer recommended this movie Sappy Holiday and I am so glad they did! All but one of the actors was new to me, but I loved them all. The Main Actor playing James was in another favorite movie of mine from last Christmas called "The Great Christmas Switch", and he is good in both movies.

This script was pretty familiar, but the cast was so good and lovable that you can overlook the fact that you have seen some of these elements before. The overbearing boyfriend, with the condescending family VS the sweet new wonderful guy and his down to earth welcoming family.

It was a pleasure to spend time with these characters!!

Two very appealing leads make this movie special, this chemistry evident early in the film. Joy learns that her boyfriend will be proposing marriage over Christmas after only a couple of months of dating. He's an anesthesiologist, nice looking, and very practical. She drives up to Vermont to meet his parents and his brother, but she's derailed by a snowstorm and car trouble. Fortunately, a maple farmer picks her up and takes her to the family farm.

Without spilling details, let me just say what anyone watching will already know: that she has a wonderful time with them and learns more truths about herself.

Nothing is forced in this film; it evolves naturally. And it is lovely. Not perfect, but very pleasing.

I think it's important to start a review for this kind of Hallmark style Christmas movie with the disclaimer that I'm not expecting it to be good. I'm not here for the quality, I'm here for something cozy and predictable to watch (and cringe at occasionally) while I drink hot cocoa.

There were definitely a couple awkward scenes and transitions, but the thing that really bothered me was Joy...I'm not sure if it's the way her character was written, if it's just how to actress chose to play her, or if this is how the actress always is, but it felt so forced to me. She was smiling and giggling almost every single scene, and that in and of itself doesn't bother me (I'm a huge smiler myself so I'm not knocking it), but it felt really noticeably fake, if that makes sense? It seemed like the director was like, "Okay, her name is Joy, so let's make that her whole personality" and then she put on this weird Disney Princess level persona. That's the best way I can describe it, is I felt like I was watching an adult woman trying to act the way a ten year old girl would if she was trying to be cast as a princess in a Disney park. Forced smiling and giggling, so much that it was distracting for me.

Very surprising... firstly, surprised myself to actually watch it since I expect most non-classic movies to be sappy and predictable. This one was sappy-- but because of the maple syrup! It was a believable story and did lead the viewer to a satisfying ending.

The setting of the majority of the story takes place on the snowy, gorgeous grounds of a maple farm that has been in the family for generations. It gave a cozy but not schmaltzy feeling.

I find movie productions out of Canada lack a predictable and annoying tendency for the actors to overact and overREact, as is too common in the sort of made for TV genre.

Bravo!

If the actors were hoping a lively script would redeem their inability to competently convey any emotion on screen, they would be severely disappointed. The fact that this was even made is an offence to cinema. Like most TV movies, it is transparent in its plot, predictable to the nth degree. The only positive is that it's the first time I've seen a film set predominantly at a maple syrup farm. Kudos on that one. The only inspiration this film offers is that it makes one wonder about the welfare of the actors who partake - either they are doing so against their will or they are so desperate in their pursuit of a career that they plunge to these depths voluntarily - which would terrify even the most ardent supporter of the cinematic arts.