A Christmas Detour

This was an absolutely fine Christmas rom-com. Granted I can't remember anything about it 2 days after watching it, but it worked perfectly as atmosphere and background noise while I was making cookies a couple of days before Xmas.

It stars Candace Cameron-Bure as an optimistic (and fairly annoying) woman on her way to New York to meet her future in laws for the first time when a snow storm grounds her flight. Seated next to her is Paul, he's going home for the first time in years since his brother hooked up with his then girlfriend and crushed his heart. Now stranded in Buffalo the mismatched pair decide to share a rental car to get to their destinations. Also long for the ride are Frank & Maxine, a long married, barb-exchanging couple who steal just about every scene they're in. These guys were funny and interesting.

The story then turns into a sort of road trip mishap adventure, where secrets are revealed and romance blooms. I did warm to Candace's character as things progressed and she shared decent chemistry with (the very nice looking) Paul Greene, although both of them felt wooden in their roles which I put down to the director. This was also very obviously not filmed in December or any other winter month due to the amount of fake snow and people sweating in winter jackets.

Despite my bitter sounding review this was an okay movie, Oh and I found out that this was shot during a heat wave in Langley, BC (Canada subbing as Buffalo) 12/22/15

I didn't get a chance to watch this movie the year it came out but I did watch over Christmas 2018 and I adored it. I love CCB so naturally I was happy to see this. I thought there was good chemistry between her male counterpart. I must say, I absolutely loved the supporting actors, the married couple that traveled with them... they were very good in their roles!! All in all, I thought it was a good movie - worth the watch.

I sometimes wonder why certain people choose to watch certain movies.....do not believe the negative reviews of this movie. This is a lovely Christmas romance movie, with good acting and realistic characters. I have certainly met and know people like these characters, even the parents of the husband to be....so I am confused by some of the reviews saying the characters are not believable. My husband and I enjoyed watching this together. You will too.

The real good part - the couple Maxine and Frank Harper. The predactibility and the doses of realism. The atmosphere and, off course, Candace Cameron Bure. A film about small , significant things, defining us. And that does it just lovely.

While I enjoy so many of Hallmark's holiday movies, this is not one of its best. Paige's character is just annoying, and Dylan is as stiff as a board. The unhappily married companion couple, Frank and Maxine, is the best-acted story line, despite their boring dialogue. What in the world did Paige ever see in her fiancé Jack? He's a dud. Nothing is remotely believable in this film. And, sadly, it appears that some substandard CGI was inserted, too, like the holiday tree in the very beginning. Everyone, including the director, was just going through the motions on this one. It could have been so much more with a better script and direction, and with actors who wanted to be there.