Hans and Leia at Christmas
Awe cute puppies on the DVD cover and one wearing a Santa hat, "A Golden Christmas" must be a children's Christmas movie... WRONG! Yes "A Golden Christmas" is a Christmas movie but it isn't some cutesy Christmas movie for children about cute fluffy puppies, in fact whilst it is inoffensive enough to be fine for all the family it is more of a cutesy romantic comedy for teens. But wait I haven't finished because basically being a Christmas rom-com "A Golden Christmas" is also very predictable and whilst charming is similar to so many other Christmas romantic comedies. Now that may sound like I hated the movie when in truth I found "A Golden Christmas" quite pleasant but it was only average at best falling prey to some serious corniness but assisted by a familiar cast.
City lawyer Jessica Wright (Andrea Roth - Bridal Fever) and her son Henry (Daniel Zykov) are heading to her parent's for Christmas with a surprise as Jessica plans to buy the family home as she has some special memories from her childhood, especially of a summer she spent playing with a young boy who she called Hans and he called her Leia. But her plans are spoiled when she learns that a man called Michael (Nicholas Brendon - My Neighbor's Secret) and his daughter Madeline (Melody Hollis) have signed a contract to buy the house her father built. Determined to get what she wants she sets about sabotaging the sale totally unaware that Michael is actually Hans and he is equally unaware that she is his Leia.
If you've just read that synopsis it is totally obvious as to how "A Golden Christmas" plays out, well it is a Christmas romantic comedy and one which doesn't stray far from the formula used by so many other Christmas movies. In fact it has all the required pieces from the beautiful house, the equally beautiful locations and of course some cute children who want their parents to be happy. But it does mean that in the end "A Golden Christmas" is still familiar and predictable with the only mystery being why are there cute puppies on the DVD cover, the answer comes in the final two minutes of the movie.
But whilst "A Golden Christmas" is as familiar as they come it is entertaining, yes it is often corny, and when it snows it gets even cornier but it has a slight charm about it. In fact I would call it an early December movie because it isn't the greatest of Christmas movies but has just enough about it to give you the beginning of a warm, fuzzy feeling. That warm feeling comes from a well chosen cast with Andrea Roth a delight as Jessica whilst Nicholas Brendon is mildly amusing as Michael. But it is the supporting cast and from the excellent casting of Elisa Donovan as Jessica's sister Anna to Bruce Davison and Alley Mills having an almost sitcom warmth about them as their parents it is just a great cast for this sort of easy going movie.
What this all boils down to is that don't be mislead by the DVD cover as "A Golden Christmas" isn't a children's Christmas movie featuring cute dogs, it is more of a teen rom-com which works through a predictable but mildly entertaining storyline which if you have watched a few other Christmas romantic comedies will be very obvious but enjoyable from the word go.
Tags: Christmas Movies
