This movie chose to spend a lot of time on adversity as faced by Jennie. That alone makes it a little different from all those other ones that give us 90% cheer and eggnog and adversity is just a very brief pause in the action.
I wish Nick hadn't made me hate him so much in the very early part. I mean, I really hated him, and Aunt Petra too. I think this is a case where the leopard changes his spots a little too unrealistically.
Meanwhile, Jennie, as portrayed by Torrey DeVitto, seems too insecure and too easily shaken to be realistic to think herself as Petra's heir. She also changes her spots, so as to become all courageous.
My biggest problem, though, was that they didn't sell me on the blooming romance. From where I sat, it looked too much like Jennie changed her whole attitude toward Nick based on one tender, caring gesture. She might have begun to respect his imagination prior to that, but that's not romance. They didn't have a lot of positive screen time. Steve Lund, as Nick, at least show signs of being drawn to Jennie a little more gradually.
In broad strokes, the story was entertaining. We can see some of the general things that are coming in the story, but getting there is not as predictable.
