Cold Feet at Christmas

My Christmas film viewings over-time have been a very mixed bag. With some surprisingly good hits, where regardless of how predictable they are succeed in being full of charm, warmth and heart so succeeding in being light-hearted and undemanding fun. But also some quite big misses, where the characters are not likeable, everything is forced and shallow with implausibility too in some of the worst cases, the acting and writing being weak and basically with just nothing to them.

Despite being a long way from perfect or being a complete hit, 'Cold Feet at Christmas' is thankfully closer to the former category. Certainly not a film to humbug on. As far as the 2019 Christmas output as part of my Christmas film completest sake goes, 'Cold Feet at Christmas' is in the high middle category (one would not think that looking at the rating here though), which was a relief after watching this practically straight after watching one of the worst of Lifetime's 2019 output (which, as has been said more than once in previous reviews, was very hit and miss) 'Always and Forever Christmas'.

'Cold Feet at Christmas' has a lot of great things. Best of all being Mimi Kuzyk, who brings so much life to her character and the film and was an absolute joy to watch. Candice Mausner and Joseph Cannata appeal as well. The chemistry between the actors on the whole was warm and connected well. Production values are slick and never drab or garish and the music is mostly quite pleasant.

There are a fair share of amusing moments that never felt overdone and an equal amount of never too over-sentimental serious ones. The writing is a long way from perfect, but compared to some Christmas films seen recently it's acceptable, here not heavy or not going overboard on the cheese. Enough of the story is very charming and heart-warming and even if the characters are not meaty they were characters to me that were worth caring for.

Did feel however that Sara Mitich didn't always seem comfortable, even for her fish out of water character, while Harmon Walsh is somewhat dull in a role that is not very well fleshed out.

Also there is no doubt, with it being the case with all Christmas films made by either Hallmark, Lifetime UpTV etc and being a long way from being a novel premise, that the story is very predictable and quite safe throughout, so there are major plot points and developments that can be seen from a long way away. The ending is easily foreseeable in particular.

Overall, quite decent. 7/10.

Uncredited in cast list. Hope this helps anyone that was also interested.

Thought I might not like the movie. Once you get past the awful wedding dress it's kinda charming. The actress who played Nana/Barbara was the best! Would be a totally different movie without her. Can't believe she is not included in the cast list. Should have kept the original title.

Greetings, salutations, and a seasonal welcome to all you movie aficionados. Here are my considerations and recommendation for Christmas Wedding Runaway.

Story: 1.25/2 - Direction and Pace: 2.50/4 - Performances: 1.25/2 - Enjoyment: 1.25/2

Total 6.25/10

The concept of an unhappy Merry Christmas being on the cards for at least one person this Christmastime drew me to this Christmas Wedding Runaway. I mean, a bride getting cold feet on the day of her Xmas nuptials scampers off to Nana's contemplating her choices and potential future. Her escape from wedded bliss should leave at least one guy blue this Christmas. But that's not the case because right from the outset, the writers place a monumental neon sign over Olivia, the fugitive's sister, and five minutes into the story, you've guessed the ending. And this is a shame, as the writers could've interwoven Olivia's feelings into the narrative more subtly. Doing so would've added extra depth and potency to the story. Since we know who will enter Happy-Ever-After Land at the finale, it becomes a matter of how they'll carry us to the forgone conclusion? Luckily, the writers are decent at characterisations, especially the three principal characters: The Runaway Bride - Maggie, the old-flame - Colt, and the Grandmother - Nana. Of these three, Nana is the best. She still single-handedly maintains her farm and stables, and she's an independent woman with an independent mind, who's not afraid to speak it, either. Another pair I enjoyed was Olivia's parents, who appear to only care about appearances and their stature in their community. The romance that begins to re-bloom between Maggie and Colt does so in a mildly ireful, though always tender, fashion, which makes it great for building their characters. And the adventures they have along the way, with the small twists the writers add, are enough to keep you entertained until the forgone conclusion arrives.

The director does an okay job with the direction. It's pretty standard stuff, though they pepper the movie with a few decent compositions. And though there's not a constant heart-warming atmosphere, that's ideal for this type of tale - It's there when it's needed, and that's what matters.

All the performers are excellent, particularly Mimi Kuzyk, who plays Nana. She perfectly displays the woman's kindness with an underlying strength. You feel that if you get on the wrong side of Nana, you'll regret it. The only one who let the side down slightly was Joseph Cannata, as the Groom - Douglas. He's a smidgen too straight and stiff, though that may be his character - but it does appear a little off on-screen.

I would say that the writers missed a few opportunities to make the story more potent and realistic, while the director could've tightened his cinematography a bit. Doing so would've made this film more enjoyable. And that's where Christmas Wedding Runaway sits - at the enjoyable table, so I can only recommend it for one watch. Sadly, it doesn't possess the power to draw you back to it next year, and that is a shame as it could've.

Please check out my HO! HO! HO! Christmas Belles list to see where I ranked the movie.

Take Care, Stay Well, And Best Wishes For A Merry Christmas.

The acting saved the movie because there are no real surprises here. The performances were very good and I enjoyed this movie. The scenery is beautiful and I would recommend for passing a couple of hours!!