Le Noël d'Heartland

I've watched all of the Heartland shows up through the sixteenth season and give it 10 stars. I just found out about this movie and I wish I hadn't. It isn't close to Heartland's normal greatness, just using the actors and forcing them to act out a horrible script, making the wonderful characters be mean to each other and paper thin. Heartland ruining Christmas???? What kind of idea is that?? How did this make it past all of the people who have made such a wonderful show? I have to give it 7 stars because it's part of the Heartland story, but that's a big drop from my usual rating of such a wonderful show.

The Heartland episode, A Heartland Christmas, written by one of Heatland's best writers, Heather Conkie, encapsulates what is, at least for me, so wonderful about this CBC series. There is the breathtaking beauty of the Rockies, a place I know well. There is the inner strength of the Bartlett clan even in the face of adversity. There is the community coming together to help others, in this case horses trapped in a canyon. And then there are those Heartland themes of healing and redemption. All of these things tie this episode to the holiday season, something missed by that ideological, manichean, and simplistic bull hockey masquerading as a review that Stan Canada is shovelling around. This episode is not to be missed for the wonderful performance by Nicholas Campbell and the final scene between him and Shaun Johnston. As for the deduction, I took some points away from this episode because it doesn't seem to square with the continuity of Heartland seasons one through four.

I have no idea how this movie got any good reviews. It's the cheesiest thing I've ever seen.

I really love the Heartland show and have developed a good appreciation for horses that I would not have if not for this show. However, this movie just is not up to the same standard, though I'm sure it's not for lack of effort. It is totally predictable with just about every Hallmark Christmas movie concept written into it. The script is simply melodramatically over-the-top, but the acting is still excellent in the midst of the poorly written script. I don't think it's worth the time spent to watch it.

If you look at this as a movie, it's too confusing to enjoy what's going on. But if you follow the show, it goes along perfectly.