The Christmas Chalet

First of all you can't have Erica Durance in a rom com and not fall in love with her as either as a love interest in the movie or a movie watcher. She is talented and adorable in everything. Everyone played a great roll in this one. Loved it but with all great romance movies, you wish the movie was much longer.

7.9 stars.

Here we have the standard hermit author storyline coming from Hallmark, that we've all grown to love. A famous writer of award winning novels is trying to finish his latest masterpiece, but he needs some inspiration. Next trope: mixup at the chalet, they are double-booked - the writer and a family of three: grandma, mother, daughter. These ladies need some encouragement, because daddy has been a bad boy and now mom and daughter are suffering. The best medicine for three ladies is a forlorn writer down on his luck in need of joy. As they get comfortable with the living situation at this chalet, this stranger living with three adorable women, we are entertained and thrilled at how it all turns out. I really enjoyed 'The Christmas Chalet', Durant shines (as usual).

I loved Robin Dunne in two earlier Christmas movies and I've loved Erica Durance for a while, so I was excited to find this movie. Unfortunately it did not get off to a good start. Not only did it move slowly, but it was highly derivative of other TV movies, not just in the general story, but in details.

I didn't think the acting was great nor did I think the chemistry was exceptional. Neither was the dialogue. Nevertheless, none of those were terrible and it was a story with possibilities.

Other than a minor unexpected twist toward the end, the story didn't have many highlights and there was only a brief token conflict.

This movie is more about relationships and life than story. There are several conversations that explore the disruption of divorce, teenage angst, and using trials to make a person stronger.

Of course in an UPtv movie, the general outcome is totally predictable.

Kicking off the story with a similar premise to that other festive gem - 'Christmas Getaway' (2017) - a double-booked chalet provides the setting for an unexpected meeting between a solitary author/curmudgeon/Grinch-type and a divorced magazine photographer (with her mother and daughter in tow) - anticipated squabble ensues.

The initial dispute over the double-booking results in both households sharing the same chalet over the festive season with the 'bah humbug' author going upstairs to the 'Grinch's Lair' under the timber roof as would be expected - and that's AFTER he took down all the decorations in the chalet which remind him of the dreaded season NOT to be jolly!

Yet despite the rules that were laid down after the dispute was settled he soon succumbs to the charms of the three women he's forced to co-habit with over the festive season. Particularly as Grandma & Grand-daughter are fans of his published works; which they refer to here and there.

What begins as a business-like/friendly arrangement spontaneously combusts into romance between Jack and Grace.

We've seen this story many times, but this one is a cut above the rest as the truth of the author's curmudgeonly pathologies and solitary nature are rooted, deeply, in family dysfunction (thus his memories of Christmas are not particularly heart-warming); and this provides the film with a double-edged sword that cuts through any festive schmaltz that might be lurking near the fripperies of the season, like fallen pine needles, figuratively speaking, behind the nowhere-to-be-seen Norway Spruce (see below). The unexpected romantic development blows the cobwebs off of Jack's heart.

Robin Dunne is excellent playing the part of the fully-rounded aforementioned famous-author/Christmas-Grinch and the rest of the cast match his sterling performance.

Perhaps the biggest sign that we're not quite seeing what we've seen many times before is the item used to create a delightful 'Christmas Tree' - charming and ingenious.

I believe this one deserves and an 8 out of 10.

This one started off really good with a real cynical Scrooge for the male lead and a sullen teen with a chip on her shoulder for the daughter of the divorced misunderstood mom. Lexi, the daughter, blames her mother for the divorce, because the mother has never told her that her father cheated on her. Grandma is along for the ride, and she is a real hoot. Loved her. Scrooge and the little family are double-booked into a "Christmas" chalet. But when the 3 women finally get there, Jack the Scroogy love interest has taken down all of the decorations. And so it begins. I do like Robin Tunney. And I was anticipating all of the drama when the cheating dad showing up at an inopportune moment since He was played by Damon Runyon, a Hallmark stalwart. Unfortunately it all kind of fizzled and belied a hard won character arc and redemption scene. Scrooge guy turned into Nice Guy way too easily. And Bad Husband was vanquished with nary a conflict.